All Chapters of A NERD FOR THE HOCKEY ALPHA: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

RonanThe pack house has been buzzing since sunrise, a low hum of voices drifting up from the hall and the sound of boots on polished wood. News travels fast here—too fast—and today’s gossip spreads like wildfire: Alpha Douglas of Hillshade has proposed an alliance. His brilliant idea? I marry his daughter, Zoe.Since the whole damn pack has been chewing their nails about the next full moon with me still without a Luna, I can practically smell the elders’ fingerprints all over this. It reeks of one of Bridget’s “strategic moves.”“You know how well the alliance will benefit our packs, Alpha Ronan,” Douglas says, settling into the chair opposite mine like he’s hosting me. His Beta sits stiff beside him, back straight, hands folded neatly, eyes scanning the room like he’s on guard duty. “My daughter has been raised for the Luna position. I find you the most befitting Alpha for her.”Elder Bridget, smug as a cat who caught two canaries, perches at my right. She’s dressed in her usual for

Calla The classroom smells faintly of pencil shavings and the bitter bite of the coffee from the vending machine down the hall. The heating system hums low in the background, a constant drone that’s been my soundtrack for the last hour and a half. I’m still gripping my pen like the test paper might magically change its answers if I don’t let go. My knuckles ache, but I can’t relax. Ava stretches beside me with a groan, her ponytail swinging over the back of the chair like it’s exhausted too. “Well… that was brutal.” I blow out a breath. “I don’t even know if I passed,” I say, shoving my pen back into my bag like I’m sealing the whole test away from memory. My brain feels wrung out and hollow. “At this point I’ll settle for a pity C.” “You? Please.” She bumps me with her elbow as we get up, the legs of her chair scraping against the floor. “You’ll probably get an A. Meanwhile, I’ll be lucky if my name was spelled right.” I smirk, but my thoughts are already drifting away from

Calla The gym smells faintly of polish and old rubber mats, like it always does — a mix that’s oddly comforting until days like this. My sneakers squeak every time I shift my weight, the sound bouncing toward the rafters like it’s telling on me. Everyone’s already stretching when I get there, their chatter bouncing off the high walls in bursts of laughter and muffled complaints about sore legs. The fluorescent lights hum above, and the spring in the mats gives a soft thud under each footfall. Blaire spots me from across the room and waves me over, her high ponytail swishing with each twist of her torso. “You’re late,” she says, not accusing, just stating it like she’s keeping score. “Traffic,” I mutter, even though the truth is I sat on my bed too long, staring at the ceiling and wondering if I really wanted to deal with this room full of energy today. We start warmups, bodies falling into rhythm — knees high, arms pumping. The music blares from the portable speaker, somethin

Calla“What does silver wolf symbolize?” I type into the search bar, fingers hovering for a second before hitting enter. The words feel heavy on the screen, like they carry some secret I’m not ready for.A list of answers pops up, all too neat and tidy for the chaos swirling in my head.“A silver wolf can symbolize intuition, spirituality, and a need to balance one's energies.”I blink. Balance? Like my life is some kind of cosmic scale about to tip over.“It can also represent loyalty, family, friendship, and strong instincts.”I bite my lip. Loyalty. Family. Funny, considering how all that feels like it’s slipping through my fingers.“Additionally, in some contexts, a silver wolf may be linked to themes of freedom, protection, and even prophecy.”Prophecy? Like I’m some character in a story someone else wrote and forgot to tell me about.Another snippet catches my eye.“The Silver Wolf is a powerful spiritual emblem of leadership and guidance, inspiring the courage to lead and the w

CallaI’m back from the weekend and I tell myself I’m braced for the usual jocks, gossip, Sasha’s poisons. For forty-eight hours I managed to be invisible to all of it. Home was quiet in a way that felt like a bandage, even if it was the same old cracked paint and Aunt Mara’s sighs. I came back thinking a little distance would reset everything.Then I walk into the hallway and the universe laughs.Ronan is there before Blaire is. Of course he is. He’s leaning against a locker with his hands in his pockets, and the way he stands makes a dozen girls sigh somewhere around me even though I’m not looking."What the hell is wrong with all of them, he's not even that hot" I mutter to myself, but even my brain doubts that.He sees me, the half-smile tugs on his mouth, and for a beat his eyes go to mine with that nothing-you-can-do look he has. He walks past like he owns the corridor.I curl my fingers around the strap of my bag a little tighter. “At least he left me alone,” I tell the hallway