Chapter 5: Claimed Before The World

Ivy.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

The words slammed through the arena like a gunshot and my heart seized as every screen exploded with chaos.

Noah’s face twisted into something ugly on live TV and his jaw clenched so tight that the veins in his neck bulged.

He was such a heartless and disgusting prick!

My heart could not stop racing fast and I knew for sure that I haven't healed yet.

I tried to calm myself when Maya’s triumphant smirk flashed through the screen.

Her eyes darted like a cornered animal while the crowd roared Tyler’s name.

The Devil.

The monster who had just claimed me in front of the entire werewolf hockey world.

After a few hours, my hospital door burst open with a bang that rattled the monitors.

And to my greatest surprise, Tyler stormed in.

He was all six-foot-five with tattooed muscles.

His dark hair looked wild and his green eyes kept burning fiercely.

Before I could push myself up, he scooped me into his arms, ignoring my protests.

“Tyler, put me down! I can walk, damn it! How did you even get here so fast? Weren't you just on the live TV?”

“I have my ways, woman. You are coming with me. Now.” His voice was a low growl that vibrated through my chest.

Holy heavens!

His scent of dark pine flooded my senses.

My wolf, nyx surged forward inside me and I felt a rush of confused heat twisting low in my belly.

I shoved at his shoulders and he carried me out like I weighed nothing.

The drive blurred into a haze of city lights streaking past the tinted windows of his armored SUV.

We pulled into the underground garage of his fortified penthouse and the steel doors slammed shut behind us.

“New rules, Ivy,” he said, and his voice became so tight as the doors closed. “You live under my roof for protection. For every game, you would be in my jersey. Also, you will speak to no one from your past without me right there. There are no exceptions.”

My pulse hammered greatly and my eyes popped out in surprise.

“You think you can just lock me away like some prize? What do you even think you are doing? Are you out of your mind? You should be explaining to me why you told the whole world that we are dating!” I yelled out and his fierce eyes met mine.

“After what they pulled? Yeah, I do,” he simply said and I scoffed.

That's all he had to say?

No more explanations?

Inside the penthouse for the first night, all I could feel was pure tension rising up to my neck every second.

I paced the massive living room in his oversized black hoodie and the hoodie was heavy with his scent that made my skin prickle.

I could still remember Noah’s voice on those screens and it kept replaying , slicing deeper each time.

Tyler leaned against the marble island, with his arms crossed.

He kept watching me like a predator who had finally caught his prey.

His broad shoulders strained the thin t-shirt, and his tattoos snaked down his forearms.

At twenty-eight, he looked every bit the battle-hardened alpha the league feared.

I spun on him, with my fists clenched.

“You should understand that this isn’t some game, Tyler! You saw what Noah did. He threw me away like trash on national TV. And Maya… God, her face when the crowd cheered for you. She looked ready to rip her own hair out!”

He pushed off the counter, closing the distance between us.

“This isn’t fake for the cameras anymore, Ivy. I really hope you get it in no time,” he said and his voice dropped low.

He stepped so close that I could feel the heat rolling off his body with his breath brushing my forehead.

My back hit the edge of the couch and Nyx howled inside me, pulling me toward him with a force that terrified me.

I swallowed hard, staring up at the sharp line of his jaw.

“You don’t have any right to decide that. I’m not yours to claim.”

“Aren’t you?” he asked with his hand lifted and he gave me a sexy smirk that sent heat up my cheeks.

My lips parted, but no words came.

I shoved past him instead, and my heart kept slamming against my ribs as I retreated to the guest room but Sleep never came.

***

Morning came quickly and immediately I switched on my phone.

To my greatest surprise, I was met with the most crazy headlines all around my feed.

“Hockey Devil Tames Traitor” and “Golden Boy’s Ex Now Claims the Monster.”

I froze instantly.

I knew that the match was going to cause some eruption but I didn't expect it to be like this.

My phone buzzed nonstop until Tyler confiscated it with a grunt.

“Forget about that, Ivy. Let's go out,” he said, tossing me his jersey.

We stepped out for the first official public appearance, with cameras flashing everywhere.

We approached the waiting car and to my greatest surprise, Noah was there, leaning against a black sedan.

His eyes were blazing with possessive fury.

I wondered what he was here for.

“Ivy!” He lunged forward and grabbed my arm hard enough to bruise. “You belong to me. You hear that? This bastard called Tyler is going to destroy you just like he destroys everything else. He’s a fucking animal!”

I was taken by surprise and pain shot up my arm.

I yanked back, but his grip tightened.

“Let go, Noah! Leave me alone! How can you do this after everything that you did to me!” I cried out and Tyler’s response was instant.

He moved like lightning, slamming Noah against the vehicle.

Photographers swarmed around us as they tried to capture the moment.

“Touch her again and I will end you right here,” Tyler snarled, forearm pressed to Noah’s throat.

“Get your hands off me, you psycho!” Noah shouted, shoving back uselessly. “She was mine first! You stole her!”

“Stole her?” Tyler laughed, dark and sharp. “You threw her away on live fucking TV, you spineless prick. You did a lot to her. She’s done with you.”

I stood frozen, pulse racing as the two alphas clashed.

“Ivy, please. This isn’t you. He’s using you!” Noah said as his eyes landed on me.

“Shut up!” I yelled, voice breaking. “You broke us the second you chose Maya. Don’t you dare pretend otherwise!” Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back.

The betrayal still clawed at my chest and it was still fresh.

Security finally pulled them apart and Tyler turned to me, his chest heaving heavily and he pulled me into his chest.

He wrapped his arms around and he pressed his forehead to mine.

In that moment, it felt terrifyingly real.

My fingers curled into his shirt.

I was already waking up to him, to the dangerous pull that made my wolf sing and my heart raced with equal parts fear and want.

“Stay with me,” he whispered. “I have got you.”

We made it back to the penthouse after everything.

The door barely clicked shut before Tyler pinned me against the wall.

One of his hands braced beside my head and the other gripping my hip.

His breath came ragged and his lips kept hovering over mine.

His scent wrapped around me and Nyx pushed hard, demanding I close the distance.

“Tyler…” My voice trembled. My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer even as warning bells screamed in my head.

“I can’t pretend anymore,” he growled and our breaths mingled.

I tilted my head, heart thundering, ready to fall when…his phone rang, shattering the moment.

Tyler cursed under his breath with his forehead still pressed to mine, but he glanced at the screen.

“What the hell do you want?” he answered and I could hear the league official’s voice through the speaker.

“One more incident with Noah and you are suspended indefinitely. Touch him again, and your career is over. We won’t tolerate this chaos again, Tyler.”