Chapter 2

A week passes in the blink of an eye.

When I first joined the team, I thought maybe—just maybe—the male team hated me simply because I'm a girl and not their match.

When more girls got recruited, I thought my nightmare had ended, that now was the time to mingle with sisters and have a little peace of mind.

But that was just a lie. No matter how hard I try, I'm never enough. I get bullied, sent to stand multiple times. Still, I stay on the team because hockey is my dream, and I really want to meet the three-star players.

According to the coach, the three have been training at the national camp, but they will be back soon.

Today starts like any other day. As soon as I walk into the stadium, I am met with their sinister glares, chewing gum in a way that makes me want to throw up.

They look more like sluts trying to seduce customers to pick them, with how short their clothes are and the way they play with the ends of their hair.

I shake off the thought, pretending not to see them, but I've barely taken more than two steps when one of them throws me a bottle, and it rolls to a stop at my feet.

"Fill the bottle with vitamin C and water before the coach arrives," she mutters.

Honestly, I would ignore them. They only do this when the coach isn't around, and whenever I try to tell him, I hold back, afraid he will just chase me out because I'm not one of the real players.

I swallow my anger and bend down to pick up the bottle, but before I can, a girl steps beside me and kicks it away. I look up and meet Cassie's gaze.

I've heard the coach call her that during training, and she's different from the other girls. You never see her with them—she's always on her own, and I'd say she's the best female player.

"Get your ass up and fetch the water yourself! No one is your fucking slave here!" she snaps, and the other girls shrink back. How I wish I had that kind of energy.

She turns her sharp eyes on me and smirks. "Stop shaking when they try to bully you. That's why you have a mouth—to talk!"

That's all she says before turning and walking away.

"Thanks..." My voice trails off. Her energy surprises me, and maybe what she says is true.

I glare at the other girls before marching to a corner, finding the perfect spot to sit while silent tears slip down my cheeks.

I don't know why I'm so different from them. I've trained all my life, but still, I can't match half of their speed—even though they seem inhuman to me. Not really, but something about them isn't normal.

"Good morning, Coach."

I hear their voices in unison. That's when I know the coach has arrived.

I stand up to greet him, and immediately, he notices my eyes. He knows something is wrong.

He leans in slightly. "Be strong. The only way to stop this is to surpass them all," he says with a small smile.

I don't have time to dwell on his words before training begins. So he has known all along that they bully me?

After the exercises, batches are selected. The guys' team plays first, with everyone cheering loudly.

The people I actually want to see aren't here. The three stars. If they were, my voice would be the loudest. Instead, I just stay quiet and watch.

When it's time for the girls' batch, the coach puts me in a group as an extra. That stings, but do I have a choice?

No!

A girl on my team throws me a glare that makes me want to run away, but I keep my gaze down.

"You," a voice calls from behind me. "Just tell the coach you're not interested. There's no way you'll be on our team."

"I... I..."

"And if I have to choose, I'd rather scold you than her. Goddamn it! You're so useless when it comes to passing the ball," Cassie interrupts before I can form a response. "Let's play as one. Any stupid act from someone will result in ten rounds of jogging."

That shuts everyone up.

We begin the game, and all I can do is run behind them. No one passes me the ball; they pretend not to see me.

Except for Cassie. She tries to pass it to me, but before I can take it, an opponent snatches it away.

We play, and it's a draw. The coach announces that there are two minutes left when suddenly, the ball stops in front of me, and everything else blurs.

I lift my gaze to see Cassie staring at me. "Do something with the ball. Show them you're not as weak as they think."

She tries to encourage me, but I can't move.

Our teammates start lashing out at Cassie for passing the ball to me at the worst time.

The opponent team begins surrounding me. I don't want to mess this up for Cassie.

I tighten my grip on my stick, keeping the ball balanced at the tip, and push forward, trying my best to dribble past them.

By the time I reach the middle of the field, a sudden surge of energy pumps through me. My speed increases, my vision sharpens, and the goalpost becomes crystal clear. With one final strike, I send the ball flying.

It slams into the goalpost with such force that the ball explodes, leaving a hole in the net.

I freeze in shock, as does everyone else. The coach blows his whistle, and my team erupts into cheers.

"That's what you can do if you put your mind to it," Cassie says, striding up beside me.

I nod. I agree with her. Maybe I've been weak only because I convinced myself that I couldn't do it.

I walk off the field, and the coach's expression remains the same—not surprised, not excited, just a small applause.

"I expect more from you, Luna."

When he says my name, I notice something flicker in his eyes. For a second, his dark irises shift into something golden and sharp.

It sends a chill down my spine, but then, in the blink of an eye, they return to normal.

What was that? That's not normal for a human.

I glance around, but no one else seems shocked. Am I the only one who noticed?

"Well done for today," the coach announces. "Tomorrow is your rest day, so prepare for the full moon trip competition. We've trained hard enough to come first."

Applause follows, but I barely hear it.

What does he mean by full moon trip? Am I missing something?

"At least my wolf will finally come out on the full moon," a girl mutters beside me, and my head snaps toward her.

What? A wolf?

"And Alex, Dominic, and Liam will meet us there," the coach says, and the energy in the room shifts—even mine.

I will finally meet the three stars? That's more than exciting.

"I can't wait to meet them. Maybe one of them will be my mate," a girl murmurs.

No one reacts strangely to her words.

What is a mate?

It sounds like they are speaking another language.