Enemies Until Dark

CHAPTER 2: The Wolf's Smile

ROWAN'S POV

Oh, how I loved the noise.

It had been a while since I had heard these cheers.

The crowd was already roaring before we entered the arena, their voices echoing through the halls and shaking the walls. Part of the crowd had started chanting, "New York Wolves! New York Wolves!" and I had a perfect smile on my face because this was the game I had been waiting for after months of training.

My teammates had always asked me what was so important about this game, what made it worth training for months just to face one particular team. I was the new captain, and I hadn't shown my face in two years. So why was I preparing for this game like it was going to be my first and last?

I had always chalked it up to the rivalry and brushed off their questions, but I knew tonight was different.

Tonight was the night.

And I felt confident about it.

Maybe it was the noise, or maybe it was the way thousands of people screamed our name, but the confidence I had before entering the arena doubled the moment I heard them.

As I came closer to the ice, I could see the beautiful colors of red and white filling part of the arena. Those were our fans, and they were hailing our team as if we had already won.

I stepped onto the ice and rolled my shoulders beneath my jersey.

The arena erupted with cheers.

A teammate of mine skated toward me and looked at my face.

"You're smiling."

"I'm only smiling. It's not the end of the world," I replied.

"Yeah, and that's the problem, because you never smile."

I chuckled and shook my head.

"Oh, yeah? This is the first time I'm here on the ice as captain, and this is the first time everyone is meeting the new captain of the New York Wolves. Smiling is supposed to be something I'd be doing."

He gave me a doubtful look before skating beside me toward the bench.

We had barely reached it when the coach called us together to discuss the match. Everyone gathered around him, their expressions changing as soon as he started speaking.

He reminded us that the last time we were in this rink two years ago, the Boston Vipers had fought tooth and nail to make sure they didn't fail, and they had come out successful.

"This time around," he said, looking at every one of us, "we need to prove it again."

I tightened my grip around my stick.

Proving it again was exactly what I had come here to do.

Due to the heat from the previous warm-ups, I took off my helmet and tucked it under my right arm while holding my stick in my left. After our coach finished speaking, one of my teammates decided to joke about his expression, and we all laughed.

My eyes darted toward the other side of the rink.

And there he was.

The reason I had been looking forward to this game.

Adrian Callahan.

He stood in the opposite direction, surrounded by his teammates, his helmet on and his stick resting against the ice. Even from where I stood, I could tell he was listening to something one of his teammates was saying, but his attention didn't seem completely there.

He smiled at whatever his teammate was saying while adjusting his gloves.

Two years.

It had been two years since I had competed against him.

Two years since we'd gone head-to-head, fought through games, exchanged insults beneath our breaths, and tried to prove which one of us deserved to walk away with the victory.

The last time we'd played against each other, I had lost a game, and I was so angry that I lashed out and insulted his career.

My last words to him still lingered in my mind.

"You are not fit to play this stupid game."

I had walked out after that statement, and they hadn't seen me again.

And now I was back.

Not as the player everyone remembered.

Not as the reckless second-line winger who had disappeared from the rink.

I was the captain of the New York Wolves.

I wondered if Adrian had noticed.

As if he could feel my eyes on him, his head lifted.

Our eyes met for a moment, and the noise around me seemed to fade.

Adrian's expression didn't change. It was as clear as it had always been. He simply stared at me from across the rink with that same unreadable look I'd known for years.

Then his eyes moved over me, lingering for just a second before returning to my face.

I raised my eyebrows as a slow smile spread across my lips.

He looked away first.

Still the same Adrian Callahan, always pretending nothing could get to him.

I slid my helmet back onto my head and adjusted it before turning toward my teammates.

"What are you smiling about?" one of them asked.

"Nothing," I said, looking at him innocently.

He followed my gaze toward the opposite side of the rink. Then he looked back at me.

"Right... That's Adrian. The Boston Vipers captain. He looks reserved and disciplined now, until the game starts. He shows no mercy on the rink."

I ignored him as my eyes drifted back to Adrian anyway.

Tonight wasn't just another game.

After two years away, I was finally going to remind Adrian Callahan exactly who he had been missing.

We continued our warm-ups when I decided to step away for a little while.

My phone had been vibrating for what felt like forever, but I refused to look at the screen. I didn't even need to.

I already knew who was calling.

My dad.

Basically, my entire family.

Their calls were always endless, especially when they wanted something from me. I didn't bother picking up or even glancing at the screen. Whatever they wanted could wait.

I took the phone to my bag and left it there before returning to the game.

The referee signaled us onto the ice.

Adrian and I stood on opposite sides.

The thrill of watching him lose was about to burst out of me, but all I allowed myself was a grin. I wanted to register my presence in his mind before the game even started, so I leaned closer and spoke in a whisper.

"Still angry with me, Callahan?"

He turned his head toward me.

"You've been talking for less than thirty seconds, and you've already managed to annoy me."

I couldn't help laughing.

"I was beginning to fear you'd grown boring."

A smug smile appeared on his face.

"And I was beginning to think you missed me too much."

I stared at him.

What the hell did he mean by that?

Tsk.

I would rather miss my snail that I lost years ago than miss even a hair on his head.

I rolled my eyes and looked away.

My plan to irritate him had somehow failed because I was the one who ended up irritated and mad.

Urgh.

The Callahans were always full of themselves.

I wondered if he would still be so smug when I won later.

The moment the referee dropped the puck, I knew the game had changed into a war zone.

A few seconds into the game, Adrian was already showing dominance.

Not on my watch.

I skated toward him and hit him against the boards, causing his shoulders to slam against the glass.

The crowd exploded, but I didn't seem to care.

I needed to crack his confidence because I knew anger would make him play out of line.

I didn't spare him as much as a glance when he came charging toward me. When I realized he was getting close enough to hear me, I used my trump card.

"Yeah..." I scoffed, shaking my head. "Typical Callahan."

I knew I had fueled his anger to the maximum the moment he stole the puck and scored the first goal.

The crowd erupted.

I clenched my jaw.

Adrian and I decided to turn the ice into our own fighting ring.

I had watched Adrian's games like a thousand times, so I basically knew all his moves by heart. Scoring and getting past him was a piece of cake.

At least, that's what I thought.

The crowd and commentators seemed to have caught up to our rivalry, and they seemed to love it more than the actual game. Instead of hearing only "Boston Vipers" and "New York Wolves," the arena was filled with both our names.

"ADRIAN!"

"ROMAN!"

"ADRIAN!"

"ROMAN!"