Mag-log inTRENTON I stood in the tunnel with my teammates and felt the noise of the arena push against my chest like a heavy hand. The lights were bright. The crowd was already loud. Blue and silver flags waved everywhere. This was the next championship match, and it felt heavier than any game we had played before. Everyone on the team carried the same weight. The doping scandal. The mean stories online. The fear that someone might try to hurt us again. I could see it in their eyes when they looked at me.My left shoulder burned under the tape. Every small turn sent sharp pain racing down my arm and into my side. The doctors had told me to rest. Aria had begged me to sit out. But I could not leave these guys alone. I forced a calm look on my face and walked into the locker room with them.Jake stopped beside me while we put on our gear. “You good, Cap?” he asked in a low voice. “Your shoulder looks tight.”I nodded once. “I’m fine. Just stay sharp out there. We do this together.”He studied my
TRISTAN I stood in the dark hallway above the rink and watched them celebrate like they had already won the whole championship. The arena still shook with noise. Blue and silver flags waved in every direction. People screamed my brother’s name over and over until their voices cracked. “Trenton! Trenton! Trenton!” The sound made my jaw lock and my hands curl into fists inside my pockets.He had done it again. Another brutal game. Another heavy hit straight into that damaged shoulder. And still he got back up. Still he finished the match. Still the commentators on the loud speakers called him the heart of Winterridge. I listened to every word and felt bitter rage burn through my chest.Every plan I made was supposed to break him. The loose skate blade. The drugs I had planted in Lucien’s locker. The players I paid to target his injury. Each one should have ended his season. Instead the stories only grew bigger and louder. Sports reporters in every werewolf territory talked about his co
ARIAI could not sit and wait anymore. Trenton was already carrying too much with his hurt shoulder, the team, and Lucien’s suspension. Every time I looked at him I saw the weight on his face. Someone was still trying to destroy him, and I was done letting him face it alone. So I decided to investigate the sabotage myself in secret.Late one evening after most of the arena had emptied, I walked back to the equipment room. The hallway lights were dim and the air smelled like old ice and rubber. My heart beat fast as I pushed the door open. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the machines that dried the gear. Racks of skates and sticks lined the walls. I stepped inside and closed the door softly behind me.I started looking through the skate racks first. The one that had belonged to Trenton during the accident was still marked with a small tag. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands. The blade screws looked normal now, but I remembered how loose they had been that night
TRENTON The team doctor looked at the scans one more time and shook his head. We were alone in the small medical room after practice. My left shoulder still throbbed under the tape.“Trenton, you need to sit out the next game,” he said in a serious voice. “One more hard hit and the damage could be permanent. You might never play the same again. I am recommending you rest.”I sat on the edge of the table and stared at the floor. The words hit me harder than any check. Sit out. Rest. Miss the game. I had promised Lucien I would lead the team to the finals. He was still suspended and hurting. The guys were counting on me. The pack was watching. If I sat out now, it would feel like I was giving up on all of them.“I can’t,” I said. My voice came out low but firm. “I’m playing.”The doctor frowned. “This is not about toughness. This is about your future. Think carefully.”I stood up. Pain shot through the shoulder, but I kept my face steady. “I already thought about it. I’m not sitting ou
TRENTON We won the opening championship match, but the victory did not feel good at all. My left shoulder hurt worse than it had in days. Every time I lifted my arm or turned too quickly, sharp pain shot through the joint and down my side. I tried hard not to show it. A captain is supposed to give the team confidence even when his own starts to fall apart. If the guys saw how bad the pain really was, they might start to lose hope. So I kept my face calm and my voice steady no matter how much it cost me.In the locker room after the game the atmosphere was strange. The team was happy we had won, but the celebration stayed quiet. Jake sat down beside me while I carefully pulled off my jersey. He watched the way I moved my left arm and frowned.“You took a lot of heavy hits tonight, Cap,” he said. “How bad is the shoulder really?”“It’s fine,” I answered. The lie tasted bitter in my mouth. “Just sore from the game. Nothing I can’t handle.”Jake looked at me for a long moment. His eyes s
TRENTON The national championship finally began under a roar so loud it felt like the entire arena was shaking. Thousands of people packed every seat from the ice all the way to the highest rows. Blue and silver flags waved in every direction I looked. The noise of the crowd mixed with the sound of sticks tapping and skates cutting the ice. This was not just another hockey game. Winterridge University and the entire Lockwood Pack were watching. Every shift on the ice felt heavier than the last because this tournament had become a battle for my future as the next Alpha.From the very first puck drop, something felt wrong. The other team did not play normal hockey. They ignored the usual flow of the game and seemed obsessed with only one thing—me. Every time the puck touched my stick, another player crashed hard into my already injured left shoulder. The checks were just legal enough to avoid penalties, but they were far more violent than they needed to be. It was impossible to believe
Aria's POVEven from where I stood, I still couldn’t understand why Trenton was staring at me with such suspicion. That look wasn’t just terrifying—it was horrifying. This was the first time he had ever looked at me that way.Even though the scene refused to leave my mind, I decided to brush it off
Trenton's POVCoach Damien raised his voice over the cheering. “Listen up, everyone!” The rink went silent before he continued. “For the championship qualifiers, the player representing Winterridge…” He paused. “Trenton Blackwood.”“Congratulations, man,” Lucien—my best friend—pulled me into a side
Aria“Not today, Tristan,” I muttered once I stepped out of the locker room. “Your brother will not die in my hands again.”Looking around to make sure that the coast was clear, I reached for the poison inside my bra, twisted the lid open, and stared at the dark liquid. The sharp smell of herbs—bur
AriaThe first thing I noticed once I stepped inside the locker room wasn't his fake smile or his scheming eyes that hinted that he thought he had me wrapped around his tiny fingers.No.The first thing I noticed… was the mate bond between us. It was no longer as strong as it used to be.In my prev







