GLIDED CAGE

AMAYA

“Lucien! Ronan! Lucien! Ronan!”

The entire arena erupted as the two captains fought like beasts on the ice.

Blackthorn Academy was packed with high-ranking wolves from the region's two biggest rivals: the Moonfire Pack and the Nightblood Pack. And unfortunately for me, I was caught right in the crossfire.

Ronan, my older brother, was the future Alpha of Moonfire. Lucien was the future Alpha of Nightblood.

Ronan was five years older than me and insanely popular. Everyone in both territories knew his name. I, on the other hand, was the invisible sister—and honestly, I loved it that way.

Everything about pack politics felt way too loud. Our fathers—the two reigning Alphas—couldn't even agree on the weather without turning it into a shouting match.

Naturally, that same bitterness followed us to school. Students took sides, and every single game between Ronan and Lucien became another excuse for a total riot.

I pulled my headphones over my ears, cranked the volume, and opened my notebook to drown out the chaos. While everyone else screamed at the ice, I kept writing the story I planned to read to the pack pups later tonight.

It was the last Friday of the month, which meant the usual gathering at the pack house. Some of the elders would bring their kids along, and I always looked forward to reading to them. The pups didn’t care about land disputes or ancient grudges; they just wanted a good story. In my imaginary worlds, everyone actually got along. It was my only escape from the constant, exhausting conflict.

I was mid-sentence when the crowd suddenly went dead silent.

Knowing what was coming, I slid one headphone down off my ear to listen.

“And the winner is… the Nightblood Pack!”

A roaring wall of noise hit the bleachers—half pure excitement, half bitter outrage.

I lowered my pen and glanced down at the rink. Ronan stood frozen on the ice, his face dark with fury, while Lucien and his team celebrated on the red line.

One thing was for sure: the car ride home today was going to be an absolute nightmare.

Ronan never swallowed his frustration quietly, and I always ended up taking the brunt of his bad mood. Sometimes I wished I could just walk home by myself, but Mother would throw a fit if I did, so I had no choice but to wait.

And as if a car ride with a moody future Alpha wasn't bad enough, I already knew the reception waiting for us at the house.

Father would chew him out for letting Lucien win, because to him, losing to a Nightblood wasn't just a defeat—it was an embarrassment to our bloodline.

I leaned against Ronan’s car in the parking lot, waiting. He usually showered after a game, but it often took an hour for him to actually walk out the doors. The two teams loved to drag out post-game arguments until they turned into full-blown parking lot brawls.

Today was different, though. This was the second-to-last match before the yearly trophy was awarded. With both packs currently tied, I figured today’s post-game feud would last way longer than an hour.

“We aren’t throwing in the towel, Ronan. It’s a tie overall. Everything comes down to the final match next month, and there's no way in hell we're letting them take it.”

A familiar voice cut through the cold air. Well, that was faster than expected.

Ronan was already stomping toward the car, a pack of his teammates trailing right behind him.

“Lucien is getting way too cocky. Damn, I fucking hate that guy,” Ronan growled, shoving a hand through his damp hair.

“How dare he say I was skating like a pregnant woman?”

I pressed my lips tight, fighting with everything I had not to laugh out loud.

Lucien was reckless like that—he knew the exact buttons to push to make Ronan lose his mind. And Ronan was no better. The two of them could turn a simple 'hello' into a dick-measuring contest, just like their fathers.

I was still trying to keep a straight face when I caught sight of Lucien’s crew heading out from the side doors across the lot.

I let out a slow sigh. Here comes the drama.

“Damn, coach really had to pair us with a bunch of women today!” one of Lucien’s guys yelled across the pavement. “How dare he insult us like that?”

The Nightblood team cracked up. Ronan and his guys instantly went rigid.

“Remember, you haven’t won shit yet!” Luis, Ronan’s best friend, barked back. “We’re still tied on points, so wipe that grin off your face. You won't win the final next month.”

Lucien just smirked, stepping ahead of his team and closing the distance toward Ronan.

“Your reign is over, man,” Lucien’s eyes gleamed with dark amusement. “You’ve lost to me two months in a row. You seriously think you can turn it around next month?”

He tilted his head, his voice dripping with condescension. “Keep dreaming, princess.”

The Nightblood guys burst into another round of loud, obnoxious laughter.

Ronan’s knuckles went stark white at his sides, his jaw tight. I knew that expression anywhere—his wolf was clawing right beneath the surface.

If Ronan shifted right here in the school parking lot, it would be a bloody disaster. The two teams would tear each other apart, the Alpha elders would get involved, and whatever happened next would start a full-scale pack war.

And my story time with the pups tonight? Completely ruined. I wasn't about to let that happen.

“Enough! Every single one of you!” My voice sliced clean across the pavement.

A suffocating silence fell over the lot.

Every single head snapped in my direction. Even Ronan looked completely thrown off.

For a second, nobody moved.

Then, Lucien let out a slow, low chuckle, turning his head as our eyes locked. A smug, insufferable little smile pulled at the corner of his lips—that exact look I absolutely hated.

“Fine,” he murmured casually, his gaze holding mine. “We’ll listen to you... cutie.”

My eyes widened in utter disbelief.

Cutie?

Did He just call me cutie?