Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jace

The puck smacked into the center of my chest before I caught it.

It stung just enough to make me tighten my grip.

Across the courtyard, Ava Peters didn’t even wait to see my reaction.

She simply adjusted the strap of her backpack, pulled the oversized charcoal hoodie tighter around herself, and walked toward the academy entrance.

“Maybe next time,” she’d said.

“Watch the game instead of me.”

The doors swung shut behind her.

Silence hung over our group for all of two seconds.

Then Corey burst out laughing.

“I can’t believe that just happened.”

Aaron shook his head, trying—and failing—not to grin.

“Did the future Alpha of Silver Ridge just get lectured by the academy’s favorite puck bunny?”

I turned the puck over in my hand.

“She got lucky.”

“Lucky?” Corey wheezed. “Walker, she practically called you out in front of half the courtyard.”

“I’ve taken harder hits.”

“To your ego?”

I tossed the puck back at him.

“Are you finished?”

“Not even close.”

Before Corey could keep going, Coach Daniels’ whistle echoed from the direction of the arena.

“Hockey team!”

Every player straightened instinctively.

“Locker room. Five minutes!”

We started across campus together, cutting between stone buildings that looked more like a medieval fortress than a school. Gargoyles overlooked the walkways. Moon crests had been carved into the arches generations ago, reminding every student exactly what Blackwood Alpha Academy existed to do.

It wasn’t just a school.

It produced leaders.

Future Alphas.

Future Betas.

Future warriors.

Every student walking these grounds was expected to strengthen their wolf.

Everyone…

Except one.

Aaron bumped my shoulder.

“You know she isn’t really a puck bunny.”

“I know.”

He frowned.

“Then why do you keep calling her that?”

For a moment, I didn’t answer.

Because the truth wasn’t nearly as funny as everyone assumed.

The nickname hadn’t started because Ava chased hockey players.

It started because hockey was the only place she ever looked happy.

⸻

Sophomore year.

First home game.

The team had just finished stretching when Corey pointed toward the front row behind the glass.

“There she is.”

I glanced up.

“Who?”

“Your puck bunny.”

She sat exactly where she always did.

Same hoodie.

Same notebook balanced on her lap.

Most people watching warmups followed the players.

Ava followed the puck.

Every pass.

Every breakout.

Every shot.

Like she was studying it.

Aaron looked over.

“She doesn’t look like a puck bunny.”

“She’s at every game.”

“So?”

“So she’s obviously here for one of us.”

Aaron rolled his eyes.

“Or maybe she’s here because she likes hockey.”

Corey laughed.

“Nobody likes hockey that much.”

Inside my head, Onyx stirred.

She does.

I ignored him.

You’re awake early.

Watch her.

I already was.

She leaned forward against the glass as one of our defensemen started a passing drill.

Her shoulders relaxed.

Her breathing slowed.

The nervous girl who hurried through the hallways disappeared.

All that remained was someone completely absorbed in the game.

She comes here to breathe.

I frowned.

What does that even mean?

Everyone else watches us.

My eyes drifted across the stands.

Parents.

Students.

Girls whispering behind their hands.

Watching.

Judging.

Admiring.

Then my gaze returned to Ava.

She wasn’t looking at a single player.

She was watching the puck move from stick to stick.

Following the play before it happened.

She isn’t here for you.

I know.

Then why are you letting them call her that?

I shrugged.

Because she blushes every time.

Onyx was quiet for several seconds.

When he finally spoke, disappointment colored every word.

You think embarrassment is funny because you’ve never been the one carrying it.

Corey nudged me.

“You going to say something?”

I could have looked away.

Instead, I skated toward the glass.

“Morning, Puck Bunny.”

Her head snapped up.

Our eyes met.

Color rushed into her cheeks.

She looked down so quickly it was almost painful to watch.

The guys behind me laughed.

I laughed too.

Onyx didn’t.

You just turned her favorite place into another place she has to survive.

⸻

“Walker.”

Aaron’s voice pulled me back to the present.

We had reached the locker room.

“You disappeared.”

“Just thinking.”

“About Ava?”

“No.”

Corey smirked.

“Liar.”

I shoved the locker room door open.

“Get dressed.”

⸻

The familiar smell of sharpened skates, fresh tape, and cold air settled over me as I dropped my bag beside my stall.

Usually that smell cleared my head.

Today it didn’t.

Onyx refused to let the conversation die.

She still comes.

What?

After everything. She still comes to every game.

She likes hockey.

She loves it enough to keep coming even after you gave everyone a reason to laugh at her.

I pulled my practice jersey over my head a little harder than necessary.

You’re making too much of a nickname.

Am I?

Coach Daniels strode into the room carrying a clipboard.

Conversation died instantly.

“I’ve got announcements before practice.”

Nobody liked announcements.

They usually meant extra conditioning.

Coach looked directly at me.

“Walker.”

“Yeah?”

“Mrs. Donnelly and I had a conversation this morning.”

A few guys groaned.

English.

Great.

Coach continued.

“You earned a sixty-two on your last essay.”

“I know.”

“And you’re aware that Blackwood has academic standards.”

“Yes, Coach.”

He crossed his arms.

“Apparently not well enough.”

Nobody spoke.

At Blackwood, hockey wasn’t just another sport.

The captain wasn’t simply expected to win championships.

He was expected to become the kind of Alpha younger wolves wanted to follow.

Grades mattered.

Discipline mattered.

Leadership mattered.

If I couldn’t meet those expectations, I wasn’t fit to wear the captain’s ‘C’—or someday lead my pack.

“You’ve been assigned mandatory tutoring.”

“I don’t need a tutor.”

“You need a passing grade.”

“I can fix it.”

“You’ve had three chances.”

That shut me up.

Coach handed me a folded sheet of paper.

“Three afternoons a week.”

I unfolded it.

Monday.

Wednesday.

Friday.

Four o’clock.

Fantastic.

My eyes dropped to the bottom.

Assigned Student Tutor:

Ava Peters.

For the first time all morning…

Onyx became almost unbearably pleased.

Her.

I stared at the paper.

“No.”

Corey leaned over my shoulder.

When he saw the name, he barked out a laugh loud enough to echo around the locker room.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Aaron looked between us.

“What?”

Corey pointed.

“Walker’s tutor.”

Aaron read the page.

Then he started laughing too.

“You’ve officially offended the wrong girl.”

I crumpled the paper in my fist.

“This is ridiculous.”

Onyx practically purred.

Perhaps you’ll finally learn something from her.

English?

No.

He paused just long enough to irritate me.

Humility.

Coach blew his whistle toward the tunnel.

“Practice! Move!”

The team headed for the ice.

I stuffed the tutoring schedule into my bag.

Four o’clock.

I would be sitting across from Ava Peters.

The same girl I’d spent two years teasing.

The same girl who had just embarrassed me in the middle of the courtyard.

The same girl my wolf had defended from the very beginning.

Somehow…

I had a feeling English was about to become the easiest part of my afternoon.