2

JAX

Whatever what was going on was called, I hated it.

The sound of Coach's voice was heavy. Thick with tension. As usual.

I headed for the rink and as I approached it, I noticed something. The crowd had increased. "What the hell is going on? How did the crowd double at just the last act?"

I turned in Coach's direction, waiting for a response. He flashed his eyes around the rink before he slapped his palm against his forehead.

"Fuck, he's here."

My brows creased. "Who is that?"

"You don't know? The owner of the biggest managing company of hockey athletes. Ice time corp. Think of every big hockey athlete to ever make it big.."

He paused, leaving me to my thoughts.

Several dignitaries popped up in my mind. And just when I'd summed up all that my brain could think of, he continued. "That man right there built them. Brick by brick."

I followed his fingers' direction and my gaze landed on the figure of a robust, bald man in an all black suit combo and dark spectacles.

"I guess he's trying to blend in?"

I asked, throwing an insensitive joke. 

Coach landed a soft punch on my shoulder. "He has all the power to give you everything you've ever wanted. He comes to check random matches once every five years. He only takes in one new player at a time. And once he gets them to sign a partnership deal, he makes them a star within the first two and a half years. And in the second half of the five year deal, he sits back and watches them rise through the fame. 2 and a half years from now, you could be a star. Something bigger than the hockey God title. More respect. More money. More opportunities. You can't fuck this up."

My shoulders tensed.

My heart quivered in my chest.

I gripped my chest for a second as I felt Coach's fingers tighten its grip on my shoulder. "You have to lock the fuck in, Jax. This could mean a lot. You could get on the big screen. As you get out there, give it your biggest shot."

He gripped my jaw, and held my gaze four seconds longer. "And win. The likelihood of him getting it is higher. And if he wins, he'll confirm every fuckin' rumour going at school halls. About how better he is. And how he'd win all over again tonight. All. Over. Again."

I knew Coach was saying all of that to rile me up and get my nerves flared. But I also had to admit that it was working. Heat rolled into my veins as I flashed my gaze in the direction of the one man standing in my way from getting more power.

Cipher.

"What are you waiting for, Jax. Get in there."

The sound of one of the rink workers rolled into my ears. I shook my head, making my way into it. As soon as I got in, I flashed my gaze over to the opposing team.

I had to take this more seriously.

If I fail, I'd get to be another one puck wonder.

I wouldn't let that happen.

I skated across the ice and got in position. The announcer's voice came shortly after, and I eyed the direction his voice came from. 

When the whistle blew, the puck was released and I didn't hesitate to get a tight grip of my stock as I skated forward.

I came at it, hitting roughly, as I passed it over to one of my men. And as I got to the center of the rink, my eyes met his. He skated forward, a dark smile teasing the corners of his lips. 

My flesh burned. 

And as he came close, he spoke.

"I never for once thought about your wolf status. I always saw you as a fellow alpha wolf. Not a weaker ranked wolf on suppressants. What runs my blood hot is not knowing what rank you are? Beta, gamma, Delta, or worse still,"

He paused, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. 

The heat in my veins intensified.

I gulped. Hard.

And the word came. “Omega.”

I rolled my eyes and stepped forward, my eyes scanning his dark ones. "You saw nothing, Cipher."

The headlight beamed over our figures. I could tell the people in the crowd were trying to guess what was going on. The silence in the air wasn't practical. It came with a chill. 

Cipher's eyes darkened for a second. And he pulled close, as if to whisper. My skin tingled at the spot close to my ears. "I did see you with those suppressants.”

I stepped forward. “You didn't.”

My voice cracked. I hadn't drank water in hours. Veins clung to the side of my neck. I bet he saw how much the effect of his words affected me and liked it.

Just then, I saw that cocky, arrogant smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“Well, someone's all flared up. I can almost see how the hair on your neck stands out. Makes me start to think your wolf really is weaker. You're definitely not a beta.”

“That is none of your business.”

“The required rank to join hockey teams in this pack stops at Beta. You're not one. That's really shady. Really really shady.”

And then, I heard the sound of the blade scratching the ice and the puck running out of my hold. 

I let out a grunt before turning around. My eyes stayed pinned on his backview. 

That bastard.

I started skating hurriedly. I had to get back the puck and win.

A lot was at risk.

I rushed over to the familiar side of the rink and as soon as I got there, I aimed for him.

He was just about to score.

I pushed forward on tensed legs and as I got close, I blocked it, passing it right out of his hold.

“Take that, Cipher.”

The crowd roared in shock.

The announcer's voice cut through the air. 

I kept going, skating across the rink.

His team members tried to come at me but I discarded each and every one of them until I had half the team crashing face flat into the ice. 

The corners of my lips pulled into a broad smile as I got to the other end of the rink. I had one last team member to take down.

The goalie.

I had a clear pass.

I stared hard into his eyes. The foreboding tension in them had the corner of my lips pulling tighter into a smile.

I hit the puck lightly in the right direction, making the goalie rush to block it but before he got to it, I passed it in the left direction.

He slumped to the ice, groaning.

I stared back at my team members. And then at him.

He was on his way towards me. I hurriedly tightened my grip on the hockey stick, ready to hit the puck when one of the slumped team mates got up blocking the puck.

I bit lower into my lower lip and I did the exact same thing I did for the goalie to him.

And he fell for it. Literally.

Face flat on the ice.

Leaving me again with one last opposition.

“You seem to have gotten sharper.”

He skated over to the post, as if to guide it, but didn't seem to care about the puck. His gaze was firmly pinned on me.

“But you know what they say about people on suppressants?”

My chest heaved.

‘Focus on the post, Jax. Focus.’

I repeated the words longer in my mind.

But it didn't work.

‘He’s trying to make you lose focus.’

My skin flared with so much heat I began to feel weak in the knees.

“They feel weaker after going a few hours without them. When did you have your last pill?”

I scanned my memories. I hadn't had a pill all day.

He stopped me before I could have one in the rest room.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

I breathed, tightening my grip on the hockey stick. 

‘We can do this.’

I said inwardly but then I felt the after effect of the suppressants. Extreme dizziness. Fatigue. 

My world began spinning. Everything blurred away. Everything except him and the post.

I still had some energy left for one last leap.

I hit the puck. And to my greatest shock, it went into the post.

I won.

The sound of the crowd screaming filled my eyes as my team mates rounded me rejoicing. I flashed my gaze at Coach to see him jumping in joy.

Everyone around me was happy.

I wasn't.

If anything, I was petrified.

He didn't stop the puck when I hit it. 

He let it slide right into the post.

He let me win.

Cipher fucking hart let me win.

But at what cost?