The mate he can't claim

The whistle sliced through the frigid air like a blade and Lyra Vale drove forward skates carving deep into the ice. Her stick slapped the puck hard sending it flying toward the net but a massive body slammed into her from the side. The impact rattled her teeth and sent her crashing against the boards. Pain exploded across her ribs yet she shoved back immediately refusing to stay down. This was not some casual practice. This was the final tryout scrimmage that would cement her place on the Frostfang Wolves or send her packing back to the scholarship she had fought so hard to win. She had barely unpacked her duffel in the dorm before Coach Harlan dragged the entire roster onto the ice for what he called blooding the new blood. Now she understood why. The wolves did not welcome outsiders especially not a girl who smelled human. Get off the ice runt one of the bigger players snarled as he circled past. His eyes flashed yellow for a split second and Lyra blinked thinking it was a trick of the arena lights. She shook it off and pushed harder. The puck was hers again. She deked left then right her breath fogging in front of her face. The crowd of academy students in the stands was thin but their stares burned. Most of them wore the same black and silver Frostfang jackets. Most of them looked ready to see her fail. Then he appeared. Kael Draven. Captain. Legend. The one every scout whispered about. He moved like liquid shadow skates eating up the distance between them in three powerful strides. His dark hair was damp with sweat and his jaw was clenched so tight she could see the muscle jump. He did not say a word. He simply stole the puck from her with a stick check that felt personal. Their shoulders brushed and electricity shot down her spine straight to her core. Her breath caught. What the hell was that? She spun chasing him. No way was she letting the golden boy humiliate her on day one. Her legs burned but she poured on speed. When she reached him she threw her body into a legal but vicious hip check. The contact jarred her to the bone. Kael staggered only a fraction then whipped around. Their eyes locked. His were storm gray flecked with something wild and for one impossible second the world narrowed to just the two of them. Her heart hammered so loud she was sure he could hear it. Heat flooded her cheeks and lower a traitorous pulse that had nothing to do with the game and everything to do with the way his scent hit her like pine smoke and raw power. Mine the thought flashed unbidden and she hated herself for it. She did not know this guy. He was the reason half the team had glared at her in the locker room earlier muttering about humans ruining the bloodlines. Yet her body betrayed her skin tingling where they had collided. Kael bared his teeth in a smile that was anything but friendly. Not bad Vale he growled voice low enough that only she could hear. But this is wolf territory. Stay out of my way or I will put you through the glass. Try it she shot back chest heaving. I earned this spot same as you. Coach Harlan blew the whistle again. Drills reset. But the tension did not fade. Lyra could feel it crackling between her and Kael like static before a storm. She lined up for the next face off knees bent stick ready. Across from her Kael mirrored her stance eyes never leaving hers. The puck dropped. They collided again this time harder. Sticks clashed. Elbows jabbed. Someone from the opposing line shouted a warning but Lyra barely registered it. All she felt was the burn in her muscles and the strange insistent tug low in her belly every time Kael got close. It was not fear. It was something deeper something that made her want to both fight him and press closer until she could taste the salt on his skin. The thought shocked her so badly she missed a pass. The puck sailed wide and Kael pounced on it scoring with a vicious slapshot that made the net rattle. The team cheered but Lyra heard the undercurrent of growls mixed in. These guys were not normal athletes. She had heard rumors about Frostfang the way players healed too fast the way their eyes sometimes caught the light like animals. She had dismissed it as hazing nonsense. Now doubt crept in cold and sharp. After the scrimmage ended Coach Harlan called them in. Good work new blood he said clapping Lyra on the shoulder hard enough to make her wince. You held your own against the captain. That is more than most manage on day one. Kael stood a few feet away towel slung around his neck sweat glistening on the hard planes of his chest. His gaze slid over her slowly assessing. She lifted her chin refusing to shrink. Something in his expression shifted almost like surprise then it hardened again. He turned away without another word but she caught the way his hands flexed at his sides as if he was fighting the urge to reach for her. In the locker room the hostility thickened. The guys stripped down without shame bodies built like warriors scarred from years of brutal checks. Lyra kept her eyes on her own locker changing as fast as she could. Still she felt stares. Human on our team one of them muttered loud enough for her to hear. What is the academy thinking? She will get us all killed when the Riverrun pack comes sniffing around next month. She slammed her locker shut. I am standing right here she said voice steady even though her pulse raced. And I scored three times today. If you have a problem take it up with Coach not me. Rylan Voss the one with the easy smirk and messy brown hair chuckled from the bench. Feisty. I like it. He tossed her a spare water bottle. Do not mind them Vale. They are just pissed a girl outplayed half of them. Kael emerged from the showers then hair wet and dark eyes scanning the room until they landed on her again. The air thickened. She could not look away. Her skin prickled as if invisible threads were pulling taut between them. She wanted to step closer and shove him away at the same time. The conflicting urges left her breathless. Later that night in her cramped dorm room Lyra lay on the narrow bed staring at the ceiling. Her body ached from the hits but her mind would not quiet. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Kael face inches from hers that feral glint in his eyes. The way his breath had brushed her cheek. The heat that had pooled low in her stomach when their bodies slammed together. It was ridiculous. She had known him less than a day and already he occupied every thought like some invasive force. A soft knock sounded on her door. She sat up heart jumping. When she opened it Rylan stood there holding a Frostfang hoodie. Captain said you might need this he told her with a wink. Team colors. And maybe a warning. Kael does not do attachments. Whatever you felt out there on the ice tonight forget it. It is not worth the pack war it would start. She took the hoodie fingers brushing the soft fabric. What do you mean pack war? Rylan just smiled but it did not reach his eyes. Welcome to Frostfang Vale. Try not to get eaten alive. He left her standing in the doorway pulse thundering. Lyra closed the door and pulled the hoodie over her head. It smelled faintly of cedar and something sharper like the ice itself. Kael scent she realized with a jolt. The realization sent another wave of unwanted heat through her. She climbed back into bed telling herself it was only exhaustion. But deep down she knew the truth. Something had snapped into place the moment she and Kael had collided. And whatever it was it was only beginning. Outside her window the academy grounds stretched dark and silent under a sliver of moon. In the distance the ice rink lights still glowed faint and blue. Lyra pressed a hand to her chest where her heart still raced. She had come here for hockey. For a future. Now it felt like she had stepped into something far more dangerous. And the most dangerous part was not the rival packs or the snarling teammates. It was the way Kael Draven looked at her like she already belonged to him. She did not sleep much that night. Every creak in the hallway made her tense half expecting him to appear. When she finally drifted off her dreams were filled with ice and teeth and gray eyes that promised both ruin and salvation. The stakes were already sky high and the game had barely started.