Why Does 'The Brawn Drain: Foreign Student-Athletes In American Universities' Focus On Foreign Athletes?

She is focused, disciplined, and determined to survive her first year at university. He is reckless, irresistible, and the most notorious athlete on campus. When fate throws them together, sparks fly and rules are broken. Falling for the bad boy athlete was never part of her plan, but resisting him could cost her everything. Secrets, rivalries, and a dangerous attraction push them to the edge. Can love survive when their worlds are at war?

Dante Cruz looks untouchable star quarterback, all muscle and tattoos, the guy everyone either wants to be or wants to have. But his grades are tanking, and if he fails one more class, football won’t save him. Eli Summers never expected to room with him. Eli’s a lit major, more at home with novels and coffee stains than roaring crowds. He’s blonde, silly, always running late, and his painted nails drive Dante crazy in ways he can’t explain. What starts with late-night tutoring and bickering over laundry turns into something else something hotter, riskier. A kiss in the wrong place. A touch that lingers too long. Suddenly, keeping boundaries feels impossible. But the campus is watching. Rumors spread fast, and Dante has everything to lose if anyone finds out. Eli has to decide if he’s okay being Dante’s secret or if love this strong deserves to be seen.

The only thing more dangerous than the game is the man guarding the crease. Lyon Navarro has spent his entire career tearing down the San Diego Stormbreakers. As the city’s most ruthless journalist, he’s made an art form out of exposing the Alphas’ volatile tempers and their scandalous lives off the rink. He’s the man they love to hate—until a desperate management team offers him the biggest paycheck of his life to fix their image. The assignment? Tame the six most notorious werewolves in the league. But Lyon isn’t just dealing with professional athletes; he’s stepping into a den of apex predators who have been waiting for him to cross their territory. And they have no intention of playing nice. Rafael Stone, the team’s intense, iron-willed captain, has made one thing clear: if Lyon wants to manage the pack, he’s going to have to survive them. But between the locker room tension, the high-stakes pressure of the season, and the way the pack’s gazes feel like a physical brand on his skin, Lyon realizes he’s no longer just reporting the story—he’s the one being hunted. In a world of adrenaline, cold ice, and raw, lupine desire, Lyon is about to discover that the line between enemy and lover is thinner than a skate blade. Six Alphas. One PR strategist. And a season that’s about to get very, very hot. Beyond the Ice is a high-stakes, slow-burn MM hockey werewolf romance. Expect intense power dynamics, sizzling tension, and a pack that doesn't just want to win the cup—they want to claim their man.

The day my scholarship came through, I was about to send the money to my grandfather in the hospital. Then I suddenly heard a voice. [The Transfer System says that as long as someone eats or drinks something I give them, I can move their money away without anyone noticing.] [Julian just got his scholarship. He'll make the perfect test subject.] [If the transfer works, I can use the money to buy those sneakers I've been wanting.] That voice clearly belonged to my roommate, Caleb Foster. Puzzled, I was just about to turn around to confirm it when a bottle of water was set on my desk. Caleb smiled warmly and said, "Julian, thanks for picking up my package yesterday. Here, have some water." A second later, his delighted inner voice rang out again. [Drink it. Drink it. Once you drink this water, your money will be mine!] Seeing the expectation and greed he couldn't hide in his eyes, fury rose from the bottom of my heart. He knew full well that scholarship was my grandfather's life-saving money. I took the bottle with a blank expression. He wanted to transfer my money away? Then I'd make sure he transferred more than he could handle.

The study-abroad list went up on the department bulletin board. Kevin's name sat at the top of the sponsored students column. Mine was stuck in the alternate slot. In front of the whole class, he waved it off like it was nothing. "I'm not going. Can't even afford it." The spot slid down to me. "Congrats, Nathan! You snagged the last public-funded spot!" Classmates crowded around to offer their congratulations. My advisor turned to my parents with a clasped-hand gesture. "Professor Reed, Professor Turner—congratulations! You must be so proud of your boy!" I took the acceptance letter, my chest swelling as I looked at three years of blood, sweat, and late nights finally paying off. Then my mom reached over, plucked it right out of my hands, and passed it straight to Kevin. She grabbed my arm, her face all twisted up with regret. "Kevin's the kid we sponsor—his parents can't afford to send him anywhere. This is his one shot to go abroad. You're our flesh and blood. You need to be the bigger person here and let him have it." Kevin clutched the letter, dropped to his knees with a thud, and thanked her. I stared at that letter—the one that decided my future—and thought about every single night I'd pulled all-nighters over the last three years. They handed my future over to someone else. Fine. If that's how they want to play it, then I don't want this family anymore.

On campus, Karl is untouchable. The Golden Boy of the campus.Swim team captain. Record breaker. No one notices the benchwarmer—the quiet swimmer who never competes, the one always left behind after practice. Until one night, he returns to the locker room and see’s something he was never meant to see. Karl isn’t human. Caught between fear and fascination, the benchwarmer is pulled into a secret that could destroy both of them.As strange incidents begin to plague the campus and Karl’s control starts to slip, survival becomes a game of silence, trust, and dangerous attraction. Because some monsters don’t hide in the dark. They wear gold medals—and smile in the daylight.