Alpha Nobody and Her Hockey Captain

Nobody's POV "Female 2!" Luther, my supervisor, barked at the top of his lungs. "Get the equipment! The playoffs are about to begin. The medics also need to be on standby!" I didn't look around. There was no need because I knew he was talking to me. My name isn't important. In my world, no one cares to know your name unless your parents left you a trust fund before you were born. To the wealthy, you're just a nobody. Or simply female. Take your pick. Despite the throbbing pain in my knees from hours of running around, I hurried toward the small clinic beside the arena to grab more bottles of water, bandages, and first-aid supplies for the players. "Oh my gosh! Did you hear?" the girl behind me squealed to her friend. "Ashford Enzo Callaghan, the rising star, just transferred to our college! He's going to play for our hockey team. I even heard he'll be participating in today's game!" The two girls erupted into excited chatter. Both of them wore Callaghan jerseys with matching bunny-ear headbands, just like many of the other students rushing toward the arena. Everywhere I looked, people were talking about only one person. Ashford Enzo Callaghan. I didn't bother walking any faster. Why should I? They couldn't see me anyway. The only person they cared about was Ashford. The ‘human’ with a name. His father was an ice hockey legend, after all. Oh… I forgot to mention one tiny detail. Ashford Enzo Callaghan is my mate. He has been my mate for the past five years. He just doesn't know I exist. Maybe if he had, my life would've been a little easier. But that's life. Even if he doesn't know me, I know him, and that's all that matters. Let's see how today's game turns out. ___ Two hours later Thunderous cheers shook the arena as the final period drew closer. Every seat had been occupied long before the match began. Students who had arrived late were forced to stand along the railings, shouting until their voices turned hoarse. "The Eagles are playing far better than usual!" the commentator exclaimed, laughter lacing his voice. "Could it be because of their new captain?" The crowd answered with deafening screams. “Ashford Enzo Callaghan!” "Goals!" "We love you!" Dozens of signboards bearing Ashford Enzo Callaghan's name waved proudly above the sea of students. Ice hockey was the pride of New Colorado College. Maybe it was the speed. Maybe it was the violence. Or maybe it was watching young men slam each other into the boards before getting back on their skates as if nothing had happened. Whatever the reason, almost everyone on campus either played hockey or supported a team. As one of the volunteer medics, I stood quietly beside the rink with a first-aid kit hanging from my shoulder, ready to rush onto the ice if anyone got hurt. But I wasn't watching all the players. Every instinct my wolf possessed was focused on one person. Ashford Enzo Callaghan. My human mate. He skated with unbelievable confidence, effortlessly moving between defenders before sending the puck flying toward the goal. Every movement was clean, precise, and calculated. “Go, captain Goals!” His fans screamed, cheering him up in the only way possible. Unlike his teammates, who occasionally laughed with one another or acknowledged the screaming fans, Ashford never looked into the stands. His eyes stayed on the game. Winning seemed to be the only thing that mattered to him. A small smile found its way onto my lips. It wasn't the smile of someone in love. It was an admiration. The kind you feel when watching someone you'll never become. Or someone you'll never have. ... Thirty minutes later, the final buzzer echoed throughout the arena. New Colorado College had won. The players celebrated on the ice while photographers crowded around Ashford, whose transfer had completely transformed the Eagles' performance. Slowly, the arena emptied. Students rushed outside to buy jerseys, posters, and every piece of Ashford merchandise they could find before it sold out. I was busy packing away the medical supplies when Luther suddenly appeared beside me. "Female 2." I looked up immediately. "Go to the locker room and clean up after the boys." I blinked. Cleaning duty? That was unusual. Normally, I spent hours restocking supplies or helping treat injured athletes. Compared to that, cleaning sounded... easy. I couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto my face. Unfortunately, someone noticed. "Don't look so happy." Female 3 folded her arms as she walked past me. "Luther only sent you because he heard Ashford has a terrible temper. None of the cleaners wanted to risk getting yelled at." The smile disappeared from my face. Not because Ashford supposedly had a bad temper. But because she'd just called me a cleaner. I wanted to remind her that I was a medic volunteer. Not a janitor and certainly not a cleaner. But would it matter? To everyone else, we were all the same. I picked up a basket filled with bottled water and protein shakes before making my way toward the locker room. My heartbeat grew louder with every step. It had been over a week since I'd last seen Ashford up close. Watching him from the stands wasn't enough. Wait… Did I just say watching? I meant stalking. Yes, I stalk my mate. Don't judge me yet. I stopped outside the locker room and inhaled deeply before pushing the door open. When I entered, the laughter inside stopped instantly. Every head turned toward me. Well…almost every head. Ashford sat on a wooden bench with his back partially facing me, calmly changing out of his skates as if he hadn't even noticed someone had entered. Before I could take another step, someone stuck a leg into my path. I stumbled forward, and the basket slipped from my hands. Water bottles rolled across the floor as I crashed painfully onto my knees. Laughter immediately erupted, and I closed my eyes. Oh goddess! Not again. "Oh, look who it is." Gabriel, the coach's son, leaned back against his locker with a smug grin. "If it isn't Female 2... acting like she's actually somebody." He slowly moved his leg out of the way. Heat rushed to my face. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. Of all the places, why did this have to happen in front of Ashford? I forced myself to smile despite the embarrassment. "Hello, Gabriel." Ignoring the laughter around me, I picked up a bottle of water and offered it to him. "Here." Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows. "A gift?" He chuckled before standing. Only a towel hung loosely around his waist. He didn't even bother taking the bottle. Instead, he stepped closer and murmured. "You're so obedient." His eyes slowly travelled over me, making my skin crawl. "You know..." he said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "maybe Female 2 should start serving the team properly. She looks too energetic and free." Several players laughed. Others exchanged uncomfortable glances but remained silent. I instinctively took a step backward. I knew what he meant by that, and I wasn't ready to have this argument again. I kept taking steps backwards until Gabriel noticed. His smile widened. Just then, Ashford finished dressing. He slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked toward the exit with two teammates following behind him. "Yo, Goals." Gabriel casually threw an arm around Ashford's shoulders. "You haven't had your official welcome yet." Ashford's expression darkened immediately. "Take your arm off me." His voice wasn't loud. But the coldness behind it made the room fall silent. Gabriel laughed awkwardly. "Come on. Relax." "I won't repeat myself." Ashford looked him directly in the eyes. The warning in that single glance was enough. Gabriel quickly raised both hands and stepped away. "My bad, Captain Goals. Chill out." Without another word, Ashford continued toward the door. When he reached me, he suddenly stopped. I blinked. For the first time since I'd entered the room, he looked directly at me. I quickly held out one of the bottled waters, and he accepted it. "What's your name?" For a moment, my mind went completely blank. "M-my name..." The word caught in my throat. No one had asked me that in so long. "...Selena," I stammered. He repeated it quietly. "Selena." A faint smile touched the corner of his lips. "Thank you, Selena,” he said and walked away without waiting for my reply. I stood rooted to the spot. My heart pounded wildly against my ribs. A familiar warmth spread through my body, and before I could stop it, my vision shimmered. My eyes turned a brilliant golden yellow. Great. My wolf was incredibly happy. All because our mate had said our name. For the first time today, someone remembered that I had a name. And that someone treated me like a human being.