Chapter 16: Cup Final Blood Moon

Stanley Cup Final – Game One Aftermath

Scotiabank Arena had never felt louder.

Even after the final goal, the echoes of the crowd still rang in the players’ ears as the Grizzlies returned to their locker room. Sweat steamed off shoulder pads. Sticks clattered against the floor. The tension of double overtime finally broke.

Alex sat on the bench for a moment, helmet resting in his hands.

Two goals.

Game One of the Stanley Cup Final.

Across the room, Brody slammed his locker shut and laughed.

“Tell me that wraparound didn’t just silence twenty thousand Leafs fans.”

Alex smirked slightly.

“It did.”

The room erupted again when the coach stepped in.

“Enjoy the win,” he said. “But remember—this series just started.”

Champagne sprayed briefly, soaking jerseys and towels. Cameras weren’t allowed inside, but word of the celebration would spread fast enough anyway.

The Grizzlies had stolen Game One in Toronto.

But outside the locker room, security officers were still escorting two arrested “fans” through the arena corridors.

Both had been carrying concealed stakes.

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A Quiet Escape

Later that night, the team hotel overlooked the glowing Toronto skyline.

Most of the players had already gone to their rooms, exhausted after the double-overtime battle. The city below buzzed with late-night traffic and sports talk shows analyzing every moment of the game.

Alex stepped into the elevator alone.

When the doors opened on the upper floor, Jake was already waiting in the hallway.

He gave Alex a quiet smile.

“Nice finish tonight.”

Alex leaned against the wall for a second, finally letting himself relax.

“Couldn’t miss that pass,” he said.

Jake stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“The whole world saw the goal,” he said. “But I saw the moment before it. You knew exactly where the puck would be.”

Alex shrugged lightly.

“Instinct.”

Jake studied him for a moment.

“Or the venom.”

For a second neither of them spoke. The hallway lights were dim, the hotel quiet.

Finally Jake nodded toward a nearby suite door.

“Come on. We’ve got a few hours before the media storm starts again.”

---

Inside the Suite

The room was dark except for the city lights shining through the windows.

Jake closed the door behind them.

The tension of the night—the game, the hunters, Kane’s threats—finally started to fade. Alex dropped his jacket on the chair while Jake poured two glasses of water from the counter.

“Double overtime takes it out of you,” Jake said.

Alex accepted the glass.

“You didn’t look tired watching from Calgary.”

Jake laughed softly.

“I nearly broke my phone when you scored.”

They moved closer, the adrenaline from the game still lingering.

Jake reached out and brushed his fingers along the mark on Alex’s neck where an old bite had healed.

“You’re stronger every game,” he said quietly.

Alex met his eyes.

“So are you.”

They shared a slow kiss, brief but intense, before stepping back again. For a moment the outside world disappeared—no hunters, no reporters, no cameras.

Just the two of them.

---

Kane’s Shadow

Back across the city, Victor Kane watched the same highlight replay again and again.

Alex’s overtime wraparound.

The arena falling silent.

Kane muted the television.

“Game One,” he said calmly.

One of his followers stood nearby.

“The hunters inside the arena failed,” the man admitted.

Kane didn’t seem surprised.

“They were only the beginning,” he replied.

He looked up at the window where the moon hung faintly red above the skyline.

“The blood moon rises during Game Seven.”

He smiled coldly.

“That’s when the real hunt begins.”

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Morning Headlines

The next morning, Toronto woke up buzzing.

Every sports channel replayed Alex’s goal. Social media exploded with slow-motion angles of the winning shot.

GRIZZLIES STEAL GAME ONE

VAMPIRE LINE DOMINATES AGAIN

The league released a statement about increased arena security. Metal detectors would double for the remaining games. New “player wellness stations”—quietly including blood storage for vampire athletes—would be installed.

Brody read the news on his phone during morning skate and laughed.

“Blood fridges in the arena now,” he said. “We’re officially part of the league.”

Alex tied his skates while the team prepared to take the ice.

“Let’s focus on Game Two,” he said.

Brody grinned.

“Leafs are desperate tonight.”

---

Preparing for Game Two

The arena filled again that evening.

Toronto fans were louder than before, determined to push their team back into the series.

Alex stepped onto the ice with Jake and Brody beside him.

The Night Line.

Somewhere in the stands, hunters still watched.

Somewhere in the city, Victor Kane waited for the blood moon.

And somewhere between the roar of the crowd and the flashing cameras, the Stanley Cup sat quietly behind the glass—only three wins away for Vancouver.

The puck dropped again.

The war for the Cup continued.