Chapter 3 Damian’s Pov

The whistle shrieked across the rink and sounded sharp enough to rattle eardrums. 

The cold air bit at my skin through the pads, and the scrape of skates echoed as the team slowed. 

Coach Richard had that vein popping in his forehead again, which usually meant he was two seconds away from throwing his clipboard at somebody.

“Ross!” he barked. “Get your head in the game!”

I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my glove and shot him my signature grin. 

“Relax, Coach. You’ll give yourself a stroke.”

Jason, lining up beside me, muttered, “You’re gonna push him into early retirement one of these days.”

“Better early than never,” I quipped, flipping the puck from stick to glove and back again. My wolf was restless today, prowling just beneath the surface.

Trainings always helped me to calm down but lately, it was no longer as easy. 

Lately, things felt off. Like everyone was watching me, waiting for me to slip.

Rumors about me were circling. At first, I had not paid attention but they were becoming louder and I couldn't ignore them. 

There were rumours about my falling grades. About my eligibility. About whether Cornell’s golden boy was actually going to choke with everything going on with me. 

I wasn’t choking. I was Damian Ross, the Alpha of the Goldenwolf Pack, captain, king of this campus.

People fucking loved me. People fucking feared me. Both were equally useful for me.

I was not going to be scared of anything.

And yet, despite my confidence, I was still restless.

And I hated it. 

The cheer squad was practicing on the far side of the rink, music blasting from a speaker. Their voices carried over the scrape of blades and the echo of sticks striking the ice. I didn’t pay them much attention usually, except for the part where half of them couldn’t keep their eyes off me. Not that I blamed them.

But today, there was someone new.

She had her long brown hair pulled into a high ponytail, legs stretched effortlessly into a split, posture so sharp it screamed authority. She was barking out counts to the rest of them, voice fierce, commanding, like she owned the space.

She was…intriguing.

I had seen her before once or twice before but had not really been paying attention because I had been distracted with something else. 

This time around, I couldn't help but stare at her. It was as if she was iron and I was her magnet. 

I slid the puck toward Jason with the blade of my stick. “Who’s the new drill sergeant?”

He followed my gaze, then smirked. “Jane Garice. Transfer. Rumor says she dumped Trevor Gerald’s ass after catching him cheating.”

That got a low whistle out of me. “Trevor Gerald? Vermont’s captain?”

“Yep.” Jason grinned. “She’s Blackstone Moon’s Alpha daughter. Real pedigree type. Practically royalty.”

I looked back at her, narrowing my eyes this time as my thoughts ran wild.

An Alpha’s daughter. Interesting.

My wolf perked up, ears pricked like he’d just scented prey.

“Don’t even think about it,” Jason warned, elbowing me. “You don’t need another rivalry on your plate. Especially not with a girl who could probably castrate you with her pinky finger. You need to sort out your mess, first.”

“Relax,” I said, though my grin widened. “I’m just curious.”

Then I turned to continue skating drills, stick slicing the ice as we lined up.

***

Curiousity turned into something else an hour later when Coach Richard blew the whistle again.

“Alright, team, wrap it up! We’ll run the drills tomorrow. And for God’s sake, Damian, stop scheduling over cheer practice. I don’t want those girls screaming over my head again in my office.”

The cheer squad was moving closer now, their music clashing with the hollow thunk of pucks hitting boards. One of the cheerleaders, Geneva—if I remembered right—was waving pompoms around dramatically as usual.

But the new girl? She was glaring straight at me.

Uh-oh, I thought as I looked at her. Somebody's pissed.

I knew I should be apologising for what we did but something about her fierce attitude as she glared at me, got to me and I was curious to see how much more angry she could get.

And that's how the right corner of my lip turned into a smirk as if I was gloating at her.

As expected, it made everything worse and she stomped over, sneakers squeaking against the polished floor near the boards.

Jason groaned as she came closer. “Here we go.”

I braced myself, resting the stick against my shoulder, folding my arms across my chest as she stopped two feet away.

Up close, she was even more striking, I thought.

She had amber-gold eyes that didn’t just look at you, they cut straight through, like she was sizing me up for weakness.

Jane, that's what Jason had called her.

Looking at her, I felt she was too fierce for such a gentle name.

“You’re in our time slot,” Jane said flatly as she folded her hands.

No introduction. No smile. Just pure ice.

I liked her guts immediately, I thought while a small smile split my lips.

“Pretty sure the rink doesn’t have your name on it,” I shot back, smirking.

Her jaw ticked. “Actually, it does. We booked it. Weeks ago.”

I pushed my body forward slightly, lowering my voice just enough to make it dangerous. “Maybe you should take it up with Coach. Unless you’re too busy screaming at your squad.”

Jason coughed into his hand, trying not to laugh.

Geneva, her fellow squad member, wasn’t as subtle; she whistled loudly from behind Jane.

Jane didn’t flinch. “Let me make this simple for you, captain. My squad needs this rink to prep for the pep rally. You, your ego and your team can shoot pucks somewhere else.”

I tilted my head, feigning thought. “Ego? No, sweetheart. That’s just talent.”

Her eyes narrowed into golden slits, and for a split second I swore I saw the shimmer of her wolf in them.

Fierce. Controlled. The kind of Alpha fire that didn’t back down.

And I liked it. I liked it way too much.

“Sweetheart,” she repeated, voice dripping venom. “Call me that again and see what happens.”

I grinned. “Now I have to.”

Jason muttered, “Damian, please, for the love of the Goddess—”

But I couldn’t stop. This was too much fun. “Relax, sweetheart. Don’t pull a muscle glaring at me.”

Her nostrils flared, and she stepped closer, so close I caught the faint scent of her—something wild, sharp, like pine needles after rain.

My wolf pushed against my skin, curious, intrigued.

“You think this is a game?” she hissed.

“Isn’t everything?” I countered softly.

The tension was thick enough to choke on. For a second, the entire rink seemed to fall quiet, every pair of eyes watching. The only sound was the slow drip of melting ice and the creak of skates shifting weight.

And then Geneva swooped in, hooking an arm around Jane before claws came out. “Okay! Break it up, Alpha Barbie and Alpha Ken. Save the sexual tension for later.”

Jane whipped her head toward Geneva, scandalized. “Gen—!”

But Geneva just winked at me. Jason lost it, laughing under his breath.

I raised an eyebrow as I moved my back casually. “Didn’t say it was sexual tension. But hey, if the shoe fits…”

Jane’s cheeks flushed in response but her glare never wavered as she turned to me. “Stay out of our way, Ross. Last warning.”

Then she spun on her heel, ponytail slicing the air, and stalked back to her squad.

I watched her go, still grinning. My wolf was practically pacing now, restless and alert. Curiosity and intrigue burned in me like never before.

This girl wasn’t just some transfer with a grudge. She was fire. And I wanted to see how close I could get before it burned.

Jason smacked the back of my helmet. “You’re insane. Absolutely insane.”

“Maybe,” I said, eyes still on Jane. “But tell me that wasn’t the most fun you’ve seen all semester.”

***

Later that night, I found myself replaying it. The way Jane’d looked at me, like I was both an obstacle and a challenge. Most people melted under my charm. Jane Garice didn’t even blink at me.

And instead of pissing me off, it lit me up.

Who the hell was she?

That's one thing I wanted to know.

But I also couldn’t ignore the other problem I had.

The rumors. My grades. The wolves whispering about whether I deserved to lead when I couldn’t keep my academic record spotless.

If I slipped, I didn’t just lose hockey. I lost credibility as Alpha.

I certainly didn't want that.

So I needed a solution. A distraction. Something to shift the narrative before the whispers became claws.

And I needed it fast.