All Chapters of Rebounding With The Alpha Hockey Star: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

WILLOWI’ve hung out with the team on several occasions. Back when Theo and I were still an item, he used to invite me to hang out with the team. I would sit quietly, texting on my phone, while they bicker and laugh. During those times, I never paid any real attention to Aiden. It feels surreal that I’m back here, with him and not Theo. The team usually rents a couple of booths and squash the chairs and tables together, so that everyone is seated in unison. Aiden and I end up in the middle of the booth, pressed up against each other. He smells like his woodsy aftershave and cologne. There’s also an undertone of earthy musk that’s uniquely Aiden. We order a large pepperoni pizza and glasses of chilled coke. There’s also a side of onion fries for Aiden. He helps me with the pizza, pulling a slice out of the whole. While I have that in my clutch, he tears my straw open and plucks it into my drink.“Thanks,” I smile at him, taking a sip of my coke without lifting the glass off the tab

WILLOW“What the hell is going on here?” A deep rumble cuts through the tension in the air. Violet eyes flick from mine to Aiden’s and then back to Theo, who’s still writhing on the ground. “Who are you people?”“Hey. Relax,” Aiden steps in front of me, using his body as a shield. “This is just a misunderstanding. He’s my brother.” He points at Theo. “We’re hockey players from the neighborhing campus.”At the sound of that, the man, who we deduce to be a witch, drops his hands. Theo stops writhing. He groans, dragging his weight into his knees.“I’m Kai,” he says, sounding apologetic. “Sorry about the magic. I’ve been having nasty run ins with rogues for several weeks now. It’s why I set up wards to alert me about werewolf danger.”“Did you just say rogues?” I ask, unable to help my curiosity.“I heard something about that,” Aiden speaks. “Rogue sighting around the city.”“They’ve been killing civilians and raiding businesses,” Kai supplies tersely. “I’ve had to use my magic to keep t

WILLOWMy dad wants to meet Aiden. He’s coming to school today to have lunch with us. We’re dinning at a quaint little restaurant right next to campus. While it’s not as fancy as the places my dad likes to frequent, it’s one of my favorites.They usually serve all you can eat buffets. Meant dishes that go well with pasta and mashed potatoes. Even freshly baked bread, served with a side of stew.“He’s going to hate me,” Aiden says for the umpteenth time. We’re close to the restaurant now. He had opted to drive his sports car, a last minute attempt to impress my dad. Not that Cary Thompson cares much for cars. I doubt it would matter what kind of car Aiden drives. He would most likely drill Aiden with questions, to see if he’s the right fit for his daughter.Because that’s what fathers do. At least, I know that much.“He’s not going to hate you,” I say, losing count of how many times I’ve said it. “Just be yourself. I know he’s a billionaire or whatever, but he’s really chill. Plus, he

WILLOWThere’s no flashy announcement; no grand prelude before you die. Everything just goes static. White noise fills your head. The people screaming in your face feel like supporting actors in a bad play. There’s actually a sense of peace— a peace so euphoric— right before you go under. ***I don’t know how much time passes. Hours? Days? Weeks?I dream a lot; about wolfsbane. About the moon goddess. My father, holding me up as a child, walking me through a lovely garden. I even dream about Aiden. In my dreams, he’s ruining laps around me, and every single time, he’s in his wolf form. Huge white furs, with the reddest eyes I’ve ever seen.I wake up to the sound of yelling. Loud arguments, happening in front of me. My eyes open slowly and the ceiling is so bright, it hurts. I groan and the yelling stops. Three different faces appear in front of me. My dad. Terry. And someone I haven’t met before. “Oh honey,” Cary’s face contorts in pain. Relief. Frustration. “You’re finally awake

WILLOWTheo barely takes another step into my room when Vincent steps in front of him, intercepting his path. “Who’s this miss Thompson?” he asks. “A friend of yours?”Hardly. “Not really.” I since. “He’s um… my..”“My brother.” Aiden takes up from where I stopped. “What are you doing here Theo?”“What does it look like?” Theo scoffs. “I heard she was finally awake. Wanted to see that for myself.”“You couldn’t call?”“No. I couldn’t.”“It’s well past midnight.”“I’m aware of that.” Theo grunts. Turns to me. “How you feeling?”“I’m alright.” I stare back at him. I’m uncomfortable. Wasn’t expecting him to show up here like this. Vincent, having confirmed that Theo’s not a threat, steps out of the way. Theo approaches the tail end of my bed. “Do you have any idea who did this to you?” he asks, all grim like and serious. “No clue,” I lie. “But my dad is working on it. Soon, we’ll know who the attackers are.”“If you want, I can ask my dad to use his contacts at the Lycan court. The