The Alpha's Captain's Roommate Is A Girl

VERONIKA "f**k no!" I glared at my sister across the living room, absolutely refusing to back down from this fight. "So what if the Alphas make the rules? Why shouldn't women be allowed to play hockey? Why do they always assume we are weak?" Natalya crossed her arms, her face twisted with deep worry. "Because we ARE weak, Veronika." She pointed toward the window as if an Alpha was standing outside right then, just waiting to prove her point. "They are bigger, stronger, and faster. Their wolves mature much earlier, and that is just how things are." I paced back and forth across our living room, my frustration building with every single step I took. "It is not about being weak, it is about choice. I am sick of being told what women can and cannot do. I am tired of our future depending entirely on whichever Alpha our wolves decide to mate us with." "Then what are you going to do?" Natalya asked quietly. "You cannot exactly walk into an all-male Alpha academy and demand a spot on their hockey team." I stopped pacing and looked straight at her. "Just watch me do it." Natalya's eyes widened instantly. "Veronika, absolutely not." "It is for the best, Natalya. All I am good for right now is being mated to some random beta or omega, or whoever our wolves choose as a fated mate. I do not want that life, and I will not accept it." "But Veronika, it is dangerous. If the Alphas realize that a woman has infiltrated their hockey academy, what do you think will happen to you? What do you think will happen to our family?" I met her serious gaze, but I did not answer because we both knew that expulsion would actually be the best-case scenario. "I am going to make sure they do not find out. I only need to spend three seasons there. At the end of the third season, the Golden Seal will be won, and I will leave before anyone discovers who I really am." "And how exactly are you going to do that?" Natalya pointed at my hair, my chest, and my body. "You have long hair, and your curves are way too obvious. You are clearly female." "Do not worry about my hair and chest, Natalya. I am going to that academy at all costs." I folded my arms tightly. "Besides, they are accepting new recruits today. I am going to disguise myself as a guy and win that seal." "Veronika, can you even hear yourself right now?" She grabbed my hand, desperation clear in her voice. "Win the seal? Even the best hockey players struggle to get the Golden Seal, and you think you can just waltz in there and claim it in three seasons? You are all bones." 'I agree with Natalya. You really are all bones,' my wolf, Vega, chimed in from deep inside my mind. 'Tone it down, Vega,' I shot back mentally, rolling my eyes at my sister. "If I am able to get the seal, the Alphas will finally take us seriously," I said, squeezing her hand. "That way, you will be able to refuse whatever mate is forced on you. Women should have the right to choose, Natalya. That is exactly what this is about." 'I smell danger, Veronika.' 'You always smell danger, Vega. Trust me, nothing is going to happen. I have you with me, and you are going to help me out, right?' She did not reply immediately. 'Right?' 'It is not like I have a choice, do I?' she muttered, her tone completely resigned. *** An hour later, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My dark hair lay in heavy chunks around my shoulders and across the bathroom floor. I packed a few items into a duffel bag, including clothes I had bought in men's sizes, a binder to flatten my chest, and anything else that would help me pass as a guy. My fingers tightened around the edge of the sink one more time as I stared at the male version of myself. From now on, I was just Veron Cross. "If this society only rewards men, then I will simply become one," I whispered, lifting my chin. I left a note for Natalya and caught a flight to Chicago that same day. *** The Alpha Hockey Academy loomed ahead of me as I passed through the massive iron gates. The building was imposing, looking less like a school and more like a fortress designed to keep people like me out. Honestly, that was probably exactly what it was, a playground built by arrogant, wealthy Alphas. Students flooded through the gates, and every single one of them was a dominant alpha male. The hallway inside was packed with new recruits crowding together, all of them looking a mix of nervous and excited. The ceiling was so high it made my neck hurt, with massive banners from past championship teams hanging far above us. Trophies lined the walls, showcasing a long history of legacy and an incredible amount of ego. I lowered my voice to a deeper register as I looked around. "So this is the Alpha Hockey Academy." I kept my head down, moving through the heavy crowd while my heart hammered against my ribs. I grabbed one of the welcome drinks being served near the entrance, staring down at the dark liquid in confusion. 'Is this just cola?' I wondered. 'Weren't you taught not to take things from strangers?' Vega asked. 'This is a famous academy, Vega, there is no way they are poisoning the welcome drinks,' I thought. Before I could finish the thought, I slammed directly into someone. My entire body collided with solid muscle, sending the drink flying. It splattered across the floor and thoroughly soaked both of us. A sharp gasp escaped my throat before I quickly caught myself, realizing my voice sounded way too high. Panic exploded through me, and I forced a rough cough to mask it. "Watch where you are going, man," I growled, trying to sound irritated. A deep voice answered immediately, cutting through the noise. "You need to watch where you are going." The low sound alone nearly vibrated straight through my bones. I looked up, and immediately forgot how to speak. He was incredibly tall, broad-shouldered, with dark, messy hair and a flawlessly sharp jawline. His dark green eyes looked intense enough to start a war, carrying an aura that instantly made Vega go quiet inside my head. He had the kind of face that belonged to someone who knew exactly how attractive he was. He wore a black academy hoodie that did absolutely nothing to hide his sculpted, muscular build, and my brain completely stopped functioning for a second. 'He is incredibly attractive and built,' Vega purred in my mind. 'Do not do anything stupid, Vega,' I warned her. 'But look at him.' 'Imagine what happens when one of those massive hands smashes into our face, Vega,' I noted dryly. She paused before conceding that I had a very fair point. He was staring down at me, and I realized I was probably supposed to apologize. But if I apologized, he would think I was weak, and I needed to act like a man. "You should watch where you are going," I said instead, keeping my voice as low and rough as possible. The tense silence that followed nearly killed me. His green eyes locked onto my purple ones, his brow raising slightly. He did not say a word, but the way he looked at me made something heavy shift in the air between us. I wondered why he was staring so intensely, desperately hoping my disguise was holding up. Behind him, two guys immediately started snickering at the interaction. "Who does this ant think he is?" one of them muttered loudly. A bell rang somewhere deep in the building, breaking the tension. The guy closest to the tall Alpha leaned forward. "It is time, Malik." Malik. So that was his name. He did not respond to his friend. His eyes remained locked on mine as they slowly traced from my face down to my neck, lingering for a terrifying moment at my chest before scanning the rest of my body. I felt completely exposed, as if he could see straight through every layer of the disguise I had carefully constructed. When his gaze finally made its way back to my face, the corner of his mouth curved into a slight smirk. "Interesting," he muttered, almost to himself. My stomach dropped as he turned and walked away, his two friends trailing closely behind him. I wondered what that look meant, refusing to believe that anyone could see through my appearance so easily. *** The orientation was held in a large, crowded auditorium. All the new recruits were herded inside and told to take a seat, so I quickly picked a spot in the back corner, trying my best to remain invisible. A man in his fifties stepped onto the stage, clearly the head coach judging by his sharp expression and black academy cap. He was broad-shouldered and intimidating, even with age creeping into his features. He ran through a standard welcome speech about tradition and excellence, emphasizing the academy's legacy of producing the most dominant hockey players across all the packs. "And now," the coach said, his voice booming across the microphone, "I would like to invite our captain to share a few words with our new recruits. Captain Malik Vance." The doors at the side of the stage swung open, and he walked out. The moment the captain stepped onto the stage, the entire room instantly fell dead silent. I looked up and nearly hit my head against the chair in front of me in pure shock. There was no way this was happening. It was the exact same guy from the hallway. Malik Vance, the walking mountain I had just drenched in cola, walked across the stage with absolute confidence. He was wearing a fresh black academy hoodie, having already changed out of the soaked one, and kept one hand casually tucked inside his pocket. Looking at him now, I completely understood why he was the captain. Every eye in the room followed his movements because his powerful presence demanded attention without him even saying a word. 'Congratulations,' Vega sounded deeply amused in my head. 'You just made an enemy of the team captain on our very first day.' I cursed silently as Malik began running through the logistics of the academy. He explained the strict schedules, expectations for hockey practice, food management, and finally, the dormitory assignments. The entire time, I tried to keep my eyes fixed straight ahead, but I could feel his attention moving across the crowd like a searchlight. Then, suddenly, his gaze snapped directly to my corner. His sharp green eyes met my purple ones, making my pulse skip a beat. There was absolutely nothing casual about the way he looked at me now. His gaze was intense, feeling exactly like a predator that had finally spotted its target. The corner of his mouth curved up slightly, and I watched his lips trace two distinct words: 'Found you.' My heart slammed against my ribs so hard that I genuinely thought everyone in the auditorium would hear it. He looked down at the roster in his hand, but I could have sworn that dangerous smile was still lingering on his face. "Veron Cross," he called out clearly, and my entire body went completely rigid. I internally panicked, wondering why he had to start the assignments with my name. The whispers among the recruits started immediately. "Wait, did he say Veron Cross?" "That is the guy who bumped into him in the hallway earlier." "He looks kind of small, doesn't he?" "There is no way that guy is going to make it through standard practice, just look at him." I felt my shoulders tense and my jaw clench tightly. I absolutely hated the attention, especially since every whisper felt like a blinding spotlight and every pair of eyes felt like an open threat. My disguise suddenly felt incredibly flimsy, making me worry that everyone could see right through the chest binder and the short hair. Vega went completely quiet inside my mind, her sudden nervousness perfectly matching my own. Then Malik continued, his voice echoing clearly over the noise. "You will be assigned to the Obsidian Dormitory, Room One." The whispers erupted through the rows of seats all over again. "Room one? Isn't that the captain's private room?" "He has never shared a room with anyone before." "Who the hell is that scrawny newbie?" The blood slowly drained from my face as I felt their intense jealousy, confusion, and anger washing over me. Malik was still staring directly at me, waiting for a reaction, and I realized I was supposed to acknowledge the assignment out loud. "Yes, Captain," I said, keeping my expression entirely blank as I nodded once. 'Guess whose face is going to get smashed, Veronika,' Vega said grimly in my head. 'Because it is definitely not going to be mine.'