The Challenge

CHAPTER ELEVEN – The Challenge

Stella’s POV

By the time Jaxon and I reached the arena, every hockey player in the academy had already gathered inside.

The seats surrounding the rink were filled with students wearing different team jackets, while coaches stood near the center of the ice, waiting for everyone to settle down.

The noise slowly died away as the head coach stepped forward.

He adjusted the microphone before looking around the arena. “Thank you all for coming.”

His voice echoed through the building. “As you already know, the Intercollegiate Hockey Championship is approaching.”

Excited whispers spread through the crowd.

The coach waited for the room to become quiet again before continuing. “This tournament is the biggest competition of the year. The team that wins will represent the academy at the National Championship.”

A wave of applause filled the arena. “The winning team will also receive sponsorship opportunities and automatic qualification for the National Elite Camp.”

The players became even more excited. Every athlete dreamed of reaching that level.

The coach smiled. “I know every team here has trained hard.”

His eyes swept across the crowd. “But based on this season’s rankings, only two teams have qualified for the championship final.”

Everyone already knew the answer.

Even so, the entire arena waited. “The Wolves.”

Cheers immediately erupted from one side of the arena. “The Falcons.”

The opposite side answered with equally loud cheers.

I instinctively looked toward Jaxon.

Across the rink, Chase stood with his teammates.

The moment their eyes met, the excitement inside the arena changed.

It no longer felt like a celebration.

It felt like the beginning of a war.

The coach continued speaking for another few minutes, explaining the rules of the tournament, the training schedule, and the dates for each match.

When he finished, he nodded toward the players. “That’s all for today I expect both teams to give us a final worthy of remembering.”

With that, he stepped away from the microphone and left the arena with the other coaches.

The moment they disappeared through the doors, the arena exploded with conversation.

Everyone knew the same thing.

The championship would come down to two men.

Jaxon and  Chase.

Players from both teams gathered around their captains, talking excitedly about strategies and training.

I remained beside Jaxon, listening quietly. Then I noticed Chase walking toward us. His teammates followed a few steps behind him, the  conversations around the arena slowly faded.

People began turning to watch.

Even those who had started leaving stopped walking.

Everyone wanted to see what would happen.

Chase stopped directly in front of Jaxon.

A confident smile spread across his face. “I’ve been waiting for this.”

Jaxon looked at him calmly. “So have I.”

Chase chuckled.  “I hope you don’t disappoint me.”

“I could say the same.”

The atmosphere became tense. Neither of them raised their voices, neither of them moved yet somehow, it felt as though they were already competing.

Chase glanced at me before looking back at Jaxon. “I’ve been thinking.”

Jaxon said nothing. Chase folded his arms. “Since everyone is already talking about your new relationship…”

He smiled. “Why don’t we make this championship a little more interesting?”

The players around us exchanged curious looks. “What do you have in mind?” Jaxon asked.

Chase’s smile widened. “A bet.”

The entire arena became quiet. Jaxon didn’t react. “I’m listening.”

Chase took one slow step forward. “If my team wins…” His eyes briefly shifted to me. “You walk away from Stella.”

My heart skipped. He continued before anyone could speak. “No more playing the hero, no  more pretending to be her boyfriend, no  more protecting her. You leave her alone.”

A gasp spread through the crowd, I stared at Chase in disbelief.  Was he serious?

Before I could say anything, 

Chase looked back at Jaxon. “And if you win…” He shrugged. “I’ll disappear from Stella’s life forever, I’ll never speak to her again, I’ll never go near her.” His confident smile remained. “I’ll even stand in front of every camera and admit that I was the one who failed her.”

The arena fell completely silent. Everyone knew Chase. His pride meant everything to him.

Making that kind of promise was almost unbelievable.

“No.” The word left my mouth before I realized I had spoken. Every head turned toward me.

I shook my head. “I don’t want this.” I looked at Jaxon. “Please…This isn’t something to bet on.”

Jaxon remained silent for several long seconds, his  eyes met mine briefly.

Then he looked back at Chase.“If I accept…” His calm voice echoed through the silent arena. “You’ll keep every word you just said.”

Chase didn’t hesitate. “I will.” At

Jaxon nodded once. “Then I accept.”

A loud wave of shocked voices swept through the arena.

“They actually agreed!”

“This championship just became personal!”

“Cameras!”

“Someone call the reporters!”

Chase stretched out his hand. Jaxon looked at it for a brief moment before firmly shaking it. Neither man smiled. Neither man looked away.

Standing between them, I felt my heart sink.

This was no longer just a hockey championship.

It had become a battle.

And somehow…

I was standing at the very center of it.