ICE 2

"You enjoy watching that prick struggle, don’t you?" Camila Ortiz laughed, her fingers flying across a digital tablet. "It's a shame Derek Coleman is such a massive dog on and off the ice. Literally."

"He's a parasite," Isaac Corres muttered, watching the heavy rain hammer against the windows of the Bella Vida Salon.

"Ignore the mutt. Go get your physicals and bloodwork done. I’ll start rattling cages and making the calls."

"Thanks, Camila." Isaac stood, his boots heavy on the floor as he pulled his best friend into a quick, desperate hug. "I need this."

"Now isn't the time, Ricardo. We just pulled into the San Antonio Ice Arena." Santiago Vega growled into his headset, watching his teammates stand and crack their knuckles. The scent of pre-game adrenaline and wet fur filled the bus.

"My contacts say the Alphas in D.C. are twitchy." Ricardo Bennett never wasted breath on pleasantries. That’s why he was the best agent in the shifter leagues.

"Twitchy about the Silver Cup? They haven't smelled a championship in twenty years. They should be nervous."

"No, Santiago. They aren't worried about the trophy. They're worried about you."

"Why the hell would they be? I’m the veteran on this roster. I’ve carried this pack for four years."

"You're serious?" Ricardo snorted. "Every time you share the ice with Derek Coleman, you end up in the cage for a game misconduct!"

Santiago winced. The metal of the seat frame groaned under his grip. "Twice in five seasons. That's it."

"And both times you went for his throat! It’s not a coincidence."

"It’s personal. I hate that son of a bitch."

"So does everyone else. But you punched a civilian last year, Santiago. In a public park."

"The rat wouldn't stop filming my nephew with his phone. He deserved a broken jaw."

"You're a star Enforcer who never speaks to the press. People are going to sniff around your life."

"My life is off-limits," Santiago snarled.

"It doesn't work like that when you're the face of the franchise," Ricardo countered. "Why do you let Coleman bait you? He does it because he knows your fuse is shorter than a pup's."

Santiago stared out the window at the looming arena. He didn't answer. He couldn't.

"Fine. Don't talk. Just don't get tossed tonight. Or any night."

"Or what?"

"Your extension bonus? Gone. The 'Longevity' clause in your contract? Shredded. D.C. won't offer you a new deal if you're sitting in the stands because of a red card."

"They wouldn't. I'm the reason they’re even in the finals."

"They know your brutality got them here, Pres. But they're tired of waiting for you to play well with others. You’re a lone wolf in a team sport."

"The roster respects me."

"They fear you. There's a difference. You're a fossil who breaks bones and draws blood. That doesn't mean they want you in the locker room another year while you bark at them for every missed pass."

"We’re here to win a war, not braid each other's fur," Santiago huffed. "If the coach won't fix their mistakes, I will."

"Just stay on the ice. If you do something stupid, you'll be lucky if a minor league pack picks up your cranky ass."

"I'm stayng in D.C. You know I can't move."

"I know. So keep your claws retracted and win the Cup. Don't waste a second in the box for Derek Coleman. He isn't worth your career."

Santiago ended the call. His pulse thrummed in his ears, a low, steady drum of violence.

Coleman was the league’s golden boy. High scorer. Fan favorite. Probably the MVP if San Antonio didn't crush them first.

Santiago didn't just hate him for the stats. The rivalry went back to the mud and blood of the minor circuits, back when they were both starving for a spot in the big leagues.

He knew the stakes. He knew the money. But the second he saw Coleman’s smug face, the wolf inside didn't care about contracts. It only wanted to taste copper.

"I'll put out some feelers," Ricardo’s final text buzzed on his wrist. "Try to get a rival pack to make an offer. Maybe it'll scare D.C. into keeping you. Worst case, you have a lifeboat."

"Do what you want," Santiago muttered to the empty bus. "But I'm not leaving."