Holiday Hockey Tale: The Icebreaker's Impasse Mga Nobela at Kwento

"I told you on the ice," Davis said, his voice steady even though I still had him pinned. "I’m not a snitch. I don't care about your private life. I don't care who you kiss or who your dad pays off. I just want to play hockey. But every time I turn around, you’re making it impossible because you’re acting like a crazy person." Jax finally managed to pull my hands away. I let go of Davis’s hoodie and stepped back, breathing hard.

“Jesus Christ, you’re really pushing it.” I leaned back against the bench slowly, ignoring the dull ache that immediately shot through my shoulder. Coach watched me quietly for a moment. I shrugged carelessly even though pain immediately shot through my shoulder from the movement. Nothing mattered more than staying on the ice. Not the constant exhaustion chewing through me lately. Hockey was the only thing in my life that still felt like mine. “I’m serious, Mason. Nobody can find out how this actually is.” Coach then voiced out. I looked at him flatly. “You think I’m stupid enough to announce it?”

This was not the right time to expose my situation. " First of all, now that I've discovered your big secret by myself, explain to me what you and Jack are doing here?” " Long story!” "I guessed," I said, managing to smile a little. " But we have time, don't we? After all, we're both skipping college, apparently.”

Garrett’s POV The rink was empty at midnight. I stood in the center of the ice in jeans and a hoodie, no skates, just boots with decent grip. The lights were dimmed to a soft glow that made the ice look like glass floating in the dark. I’d sent everyone away an hour ago. Told Josh I needed the space. Didn’t explain why. I didn’t know how to explain this.

This wasn't just about being forced into a loveless marriage—this was life or death. I had to escape. Not tomorrow, not tonight—now. But how? The windows were nailed shut, the door locked. I was trapped like an animal awaiting slaughter. I grabbed the phone again, mindlessly scrolling through the pack's social media feed, desperate for anything that might help. That's when I saw it—a promotional post for an upcoming event: "NORTHERN TERRITORIES INVITATIONAL ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Male-only competition between packs. Winner takes glory and territory rights for hunting season. Registration closes tomorrow."

“This is the good part. Small-town stuff. Hot chocolate with the new girl who falls dramatically.” I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks warmed anyway. “I didn’t fall. I was strategically repositioning.” “Strategically adorable,” he countered, and the way he said it—low, teasing—made my stomach do that stupid flip again. We talked for an hour that felt like ten minutes. He told me about the team’s playoff chances, how the left winger (some guy named Finn) was secretly terrified of pucks to the face, and how the town threw a bonfire after every win. I told him about missing the ocean, my half-finished fantasy manuscript about dragon-riding librarians, and the way my mom had cried when we left San D

“Wow. Our golden boy is mortal.” Cody grins. “Must be broken. Should we reboot him?” “Very funny,” I mutter, chasing him down the ice. Cody fakes left. I bite. He slips the puck through my legs and snaps another shot. Goal. “Three!” Cody yells. “Someone check if Clinton’s awake!” My vision goes red. I slam my stick against the ice, the crack echoing sharp and angry. Before I can stop myself, I hurl my helmet across the rink. It skids, spins, crashes into the boards.

Against the Ice Beckett Hayes is a star hockey player with one goal: win the scholarship that could change his future. Then there's Aitor Valdez—the one player Beck has never been able to stand. For years, they've been bitter rivals, constantly pushing each other's buttons on and off the ice. But when graduation finally separates them, they think they've seen the last of each other. Until they end up at the same college. One unexpected encounter changes everything, and suddenly the line between hatred and something far more dangerous begins to blur. How long can they keep pretending there's nothing between them?

“Then let me out. Let me go back to them, you’ve got what you wanted.” He chuckled, leaning against the wall of my cell, his long limbs forming strange, unnatural angles. “That’s not how this works. Our hatch is shut now. The Freeze is here, nothing anyone can do now. We only just finished unloading when spears of ice started launching at us.” I’d heard the javelins of ice, compacted together by the wind on their way down but never seen them. My cautious parents will have definitely locked down. “Has she been any trouble?” nudging my guard who simply shook his head.

"If there is something specific tell me. I am the captain. I need to know if he is a risk to the team." Christian smiled but it did not reach his eyes. "A risk. That is one way to put it. Let me tell you a story. Years back we had another hotshot forward. Talented. Hungry. Thought he could play his own game off the ice too." He took another bite savoring it. "Ended up with a broken leg in a hotel parking lot. Never played again. Funny how accidents happen when guys forget their place." My skin prickled. I leaned in keeping my voice low. "Accidents. Or warnings?"