Nine

"And people, we have to make sure we win against those fuckers!" the Edo sparrows team captain shouted in the locker room.

"Yeah!" the locker room cheered.

"And if that Rovak wants to play dirty, we'll show him dirty."

The team erupted into cheers again.

"Tanner, don't be soft on him, okay?" the captain told him.

Tanner nodded absently.

He wasn't interested in this game at all, he just wanted it to end.

They all headed out onto the ice.

The first person Tanner spotted was Rovak.

He rolled his eyes.

The game started.

The atmosphere in the arena was filled with tension from the moment the players stepped onto the ice. Thousands of fans had packed the stands to watch one of the most anticipated games of the season. The Delta Eagles versus the Edo Sparrows.

Everywhere Tanner looked, he could see cameras, journalists, and excited spectators waiting to see what would happen.

The media had spent the entire week talking about the rivalry between Rovak Perez and Tanner Vergara, especially after Rovak's recent clash with a player from the Tropical Giants.

As Rovak adjusted his gloves and took his position, his eyes immediately found Tanner across the ice.

Tanner was already looking at him. Rovak smirked at him provokingly.

The referee dropped the puck and the game began.

...

The first collision happened only a few minutes later.

Tanner managed to steal the puck and break away toward the Eagles' zone, weaving around defenders as he looked for an opening.

Before he could get very far, Rovak chased him down.

Their shoulders slammed together with enough force to make the crowd gasp.

Tanner managed to keep control of the puck.

Rovak shoved him again.

Tanner immediately shoved him back.

For a few seconds, neither of them seemed interested in the game anymore. Their focus was entirely on each other.

The referee's whistle rang out sharply and the two were separated before things could escalate further.

Unfortunately, that did little to calm them down.

As the game continued, every encounter between them became more aggressive than the last. Every challenge carried more force. Every body check lasted a little longer than necessary.

It felt less like a hockey game and more like a personal battle that neither of them was willing to lose.

The crowd loved every second of it however their coaches did not.

Midway through the game, Tanner drove Rovak into the boards with a powerful check that sent a roar through the arena.

Rovak immediately pushed himself off the boards and retaliated.

The two grabbed each other's jerseys and struggled against one another as players from both teams rushed over.

The referees quickly stepped in and pulled them apart before the situation could turn into a full fight.

Both of them were sent to the penalty box.

...

From opposite sides of the glass, they stared at each other.

None of them looked away and looked apologetic.

If anything, they looked even more frustrated than before.

When they were finally allowed back onto the ice, the hostility resumed almost immediately.

Frank, who had come to watch the game, watched the two young werewolves with growing concern.

At this point, they were only one bad decision away from losing control completely.

...

By the final minutes of the game, the score was tied.

The tension inside the arena had reached its breaking point and every person in the crowd seemed to be holding their breath.

One goal would decide everything.

The puck broke loose near center ice and slid into open space.

Both Tanner and Rovak spotted it immediately.

Without hesitation, they rushed toward it.

Neither slowed down.

Neither backed away.

The collision that followed was brutal.

Their bodies slammed together with tremendous force and the impact echoed throughout the arena.

Both players were thrown off balance and crashed hard onto the ice.

The crowd gasped in shock.

Rovak pushed himself back onto his skates.

Tanner didn't.

Rovak's stomach immediately dropped.

Tanner remained on the ice with one hand gripping his leg tightly.

His face had gone pale.

Even from a distance, the pain was obvious.

The referee's whistle rang out repeatedly as medical staff rushed onto the rink.

Players from both teams gathered nearby, their earlier hostility forgotten as concern replaced competition.

Tanner tried to stand.

The moment he put weight on his injured leg, it buckled beneath him.

He collapsed immediately.

A murmur spread through the crowd.

The seriousness of the injury suddenly became impossible to ignore.

A stretcher was brought onto the ice.

As the medical staff carefully helped Tanner onto it, the entire arena watched in anxious silence.

Nobody was cheering anymore.

Even the commentators had fallen silent.

As Tanner was carried toward the tunnel, his eyes briefly found Rovak's.

For a moment, none of them looked away.

Then Tanner disappeared from sight.

Rovak remained standing where he was.

The anger that had fueled him throughout the entire game had vanished completely.

In its place was something far worse.

Fear.

What had he done?

...

Tanner groaned in pain as he lay on the stretcher.

Everything hurt and he was in so much pain.

The arena lights above him seemed too bright.

Voices echoed around him, but they sounded distant and muffled.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on breathing.

A few moments later, familiar scents reached him.

His parents.

"Tanner!"

Luna Eve rushed to his side immediately.

"Oh, Tan baby." Her voice shook as she reached for his hand. "You must be in so much pain."

Tanner managed a weak groan in response.

Alpha Vergara appeared beside them moments later.

His face was grim.

"I told you to stay away from that Perez boy," he muttered. "Nothing good ever comes from dealing with that family."

Tanner had to agree. All Rovak brought him was trouble.

Frank arrived shortly afterward.

Unlike Tanner's parents, he looked calm.

Concerned, but calm.

"Before we start assigning blame, we need to figure out what we're doing next," Frank said.

Alpha Vergara frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He can't go to a human hospital."

Understanding immediately crossed Alpha Vergara's face.

Tanner was a werewolf.

If doctors noticed how quickly he healed, questions would be asked.

Questions were dangerous.

Frank folded his arms.

"Tell them you're taking him to your family's private doctor. That's believable enough."

Alpha Vergara nodded.

"Fine. I'll handle it."

He looked down at Tanner.

For a moment, the irritation disappeared from his face and all that remained was worry.

He squeezed Tanner's shoulder gently.

"You'll be okay, son."

Tanner wanted to say something reassuring.

Instead, exhaustion pulled at him.

As the medical staff began moving him again, his eyes drifted toward the arena entrance.

For some reason, he found himself looking for one person.

Rovak.

But he wasn't there.

Tanner looked away and closed his eyes.

Moments later, darkness claimed him.