Chapter 44: The Night Before the Finals

The city of Vancouver had transformed overnight.

Every street seemed to glow green beneath banners and flags for the Vancouver Grizzlies. Outside Rogers Arena, thousands of fans gathered hours before the next game, chanting, singing, and waving signs.

“PUCKS AND PUPS!”

“THORNE FAMILY FOREVER!”

“ONE MORE WIN!”

Food trucks lined the streets. Giant screens replayed Alex’s overtime goal again and again. The whole city felt like it was holding its breath for the same moment.

Inside the arena, however, the mood was focused.

Alex sat quietly in the locker room tying his skates. The noise from the crowd outside hummed faintly through the walls.

Across the room, Brody was pacing.

“You feel that?” Brody asked.

Alex glanced up.

“The nerves?”

Brody shook his head.

“No. Something else.”

Alex knew what he meant.

Since the Crown Court’s last attempt at the cabin, the strange tension in the air hadn’t gone away. It was like the world itself was waiting for something.

Still, Alex finished lacing his skates and stood.

“Game first,” he said. “Everything else later.”

Brody grinned.

“That’s why you’re captain.”

---

Quiet at the Cabin

While the arena filled with fans, the Thorne cabin outside the city was calm.

Jake stood outside on the porch watching snow drift gently across the frozen lake.

Most of the massive ice formations Finn had created were slowly melting now, leaving behind shimmering ridges on the surface.

Behind him, the door creaked open.

Lucien stepped out.

“The city is celebrating.”

Jake nodded.

“They deserve it.”

Lucien folded his hands behind his back.

“But the Crown Court will not stop.”

Jake looked toward the distant mountains.

“Let them come.”

---

Inside with the Twins

Inside the cabin, Finn and Liam sat on the living room rug with toy hockey sticks.

Finn slid a puck across the floor dramatically.

“Goal!”

Liam lifted it slightly into the air with his telekinesis before dropping it back down.

“Boom goal!”

Jake walked in and scooped both boys up under his arms.

“Alright, champions,” he said with a grin. “Time for snacks.”

Finn giggled.

“Papa win tonight?”

Jake nodded confidently.

“Papa always shows up when it counts.”

---

The Arena Roars

Back at Rogers Arena, the arena lights dimmed.

The crowd erupted as the teams skated onto the ice.

Green lights flashed across the stands.

The announcer’s voice boomed across the arena.

“WELCOME TO THE STANLEY CUP FINALS!”

The sound was deafening.

Alex skated to center ice for warmups, the cold air hitting his face as thousands of fans chanted his name.

“THORNE! THORNE! THORNE!”

He glanced up toward the luxury boxes.

Jake had arranged a private one so Finn and Liam could watch safely.

Even from the ice, Alex could see the tiny jerseys and two little figures bouncing excitedly.

Finn waved his stick wildly.

Liam lifted his foam puck proudly.

Alex smiled.

---

Shadows in the Crowd

High above the cheering fans, several quiet figures moved through the upper corridors of the arena.

They wore dark coats and carried small metallic cases.

Crown Court operatives.

One of them checked a device.

“The heir signatures are present.”

Another looked down toward the ice.

“And the alpha?”

A third operative nodded.

“Also present.”

They exchanged quiet smiles.

“Perfect.”

---

First Period

The puck dropped.

The game started fast and physical.

Both teams pushed hard, trading possession back and forth.

Alex skated like a storm, cutting through defenders with smooth precision.

Midway through the first period, he intercepted a pass at center ice.

The crowd rose instantly.

Alex accelerated.

One defender tried to block him.

Alex slipped past.

Another tried to poke the puck away.

Too slow.

Alex snapped a shot—

GOAL.

The arena exploded with sound.

Green lights flashed across the stands.

The scoreboard lit up:

GRIZZLIES 1 – VISITORS 0

In the luxury box, Finn jumped up and down.

“Papa score!”

Liam clapped happily.

“Boom score!”

---

The Real Plan

High above the cheering arena, the Crown Court operatives finished assembling a strange silver device.

The lead operative activated it.

A faint pulse of energy spread quietly through the arena structure.

Down below, the ice shivered slightly.

Lucien felt it immediately from the cabin miles away.

He stood suddenly.

Jake noticed.

“What?”

Lucien’s expression darkened.

“They’re not attacking the house.”

Jake frowned.

“Then what?”

Lucien looked toward the distant glow of the city.

“They’re attacking the arena.”

---

The Ice Begins to Crack

Back at Rogers Arena, the second period had just begun.

Alex skated along the boards when he felt something strange under his skates.

A vibration.

The ice beneath the players trembled.

At first, it was subtle.

Then—

CRACK.

A sharp sound echoed across the rink.

The crowd murmured.

Players slowed.

Another crack spread across the ice surface like a spiderweb.

The referees blew their whistles.

“What the—?” Brody muttered.

Alex looked up toward the stands.

Something was very wrong.

---

Finn Feels It

In the luxury box, Finn suddenly stood very still.

“My ice hurt.”

Jake looked down at him.

“What do you mean?”

Finn pointed toward the rink.

“They break ice.”

Liam’s puck lifted into the air again.

“Boom stop?”

Jake’s eyes narrowed.

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

“Boom stop.”

---

The Crown Court Reveals Itself

The silver device above the arena pulsed again.

The cracks across the rink widened.

Gasps spread through the crowd.

Then several dark figures stepped out from the upper concourse.

Crown Court agents.

Their leader raised a hand.

The device glowed brighter.

“The heirs belong to us,” he whispered.

---

Jake Moves

Jake stood instantly.

The luxury box door burst open as he stepped into the corridor.

Brody followed right behind him.

Jake’s eyes burned with fury.

“They picked the worst place possible.”

Brody cracked his knuckles.

“Let’s go ruin their night.”

---

The Final Whistle… Before the War

Down on the ice, the referees waved the teams toward the benches as arena staff rushed onto the rink to inspect the spreading cracks.

The crowd buzzed with confusion.

Alex looked up toward the luxury box again.

Jake was gone.

Alex knew what that meant.

He dropped his gloves and started toward the tunnel.

Because if the Crown Court had chosen the Stanley Cup Finals as their battlefield—

then the war had just come to Vancouver.