DEFYING THE ROGUE CAPTAIN

The first thing Dr. Maya Vance learned about the Blackthorn Wolves was that nobody liked their captain. The second thing she learned was that nobody dared say it to his face. She discovered both facts before she had even stepped through the doors of the team's training facility. "Whatever you do, don't let Jaxson Reed intimidate you." Maya turned toward the woman walking beside her. Her name was Olivia Grant, the team's operations manager, and she had spent the past twenty minutes giving Maya a tour of the enormous facility. Olivia's expression suggested she had just offered advice that might save Maya's life. Maya adjusted the strap of her medical bag. "Is he always that difficult?" Olivia gave a short laugh. "Difficult? That's a polite way of describing him. He's arrogant, stubborn, temperamental, and convinced the entire world revolves around him." "Wonderful." "He also happens to be our best player." "That explains why nobody has fired him." "Believe me, people have tried." Maya smiled faintly. She had worked with professional athletes before. She knew the type: men who treated their bodies like expensive machines, ignored medical advice, and expected everyone around them to applaud their recklessness. Jaxson Reed sounded like the worst of them. Fortunately, Maya hadn't come to the Blackthorn Wolves to make friends. She had come to rebuild her career. Six months ago, she had been one of the most promising physical therapists in professional sports. She had worked with elite athletes, earned recommendations from respected specialists, and secured a position at a prestigious sports rehabilitation center. Then everything had fallen apart. A high-profile athlete had suffered a serious setback following treatment at the center. The agency managing his career had launched an investigation, and Maya had found herself blamed for decisions she hadn't made. Records had disappeared. Emails had been altered. People who once praised her expertise had suddenly become unavailable. By the time the investigation ended, her reputation had been damaged beyond repair. She had lost her position, several professional connections, and nearly every opportunity to work with a major sports organization. The Blackthorn Wolves were the first team willing to give her a chance. Maya intended to make that chance count. She wasn't going to let a rude hockey player destroy it. "One more thing," Olivia said as they approached a set of glass doors. "Jax doesn't like strangers examining his performance. He especially doesn't like anyone questioning his decisions." "Then he'll have to learn." Olivia stopped walking. Maya stopped too. "You're serious?" "Completely." For a moment, Olivia stared at her. Then a slow smile spread across her face. "Perhaps you're exactly what this team needs." Before Maya could respond, a sharp crash echoed from the rink beyond the doors. Someone shouted. A hockey puck struck the boards with a violent crack. Then a deep male voice cut through the noise. "Again!" Maya glanced through the glass. The ice rink was enormous, its white surface reflecting the bright overhead lights. Players in black practice jerseys moved across it with impressive speed, their skates carving sharp lines into the ice. One man stood out immediately. He was taller than most of his teammates, broad-shouldered, and built with the kind of athletic power that came from years of training. His dark hair fell carelessly across his forehead beneath his helmet, and his movements were precise and aggressive. He carried himself like a man who had never been told no. Even from behind the glass, Maya could feel the intensity surrounding him. "That's Jax," Olivia said quietly. As if he had heard his name, the player turned. His gaze swept across the rink and landed on the glass doors. For one brief second, his eyes met Maya's. She couldn't see their exact color from that distance, but she could feel the force of his attention. Then he turned away and sent the puck flying toward the goal. It struck the net with a thunderous sound. The other players cheered. Jax didn't smile. "Charming," Maya murmured. Olivia opened the doors. "Welcome to the Wolves." --- The first hour went better than Maya expected. She met the coaching staff, reviewed the team's medical records, and familiarized herself with the rehabilitation equipment. The treatment room was modern, spacious, and well stocked. It was more than she had hoped for. For the first time in months, she felt something close to optimism. She was examining a player's previous ankle injury when the treatment room door swung open. "Where's the new therapist?" The voice was deep, impatient, and unmistakably male. Maya didn't look up immediately. "If you're looking for someone, you could try knocking." Silence. Then footsteps. Slow, deliberate footsteps. She finished writing a note before raising her eyes. Jaxson Reed stood in the doorway. Without his helmet, he looked even more intimidating. His dark hair was damp with sweat, and a faint scar cut through one eyebrow. His black practice shirt clung to his shoulders, emphasizing the powerful build of someone accustomed to physical competition. His face was striking, but it was his expression that caught her attention. He looked annoyed simply because she existed. "You're the new therapist?" he asked. "And you're the captain who hasn't learned basic manners." The player sitting on the treatment table made a choking sound that might have been a suppressed laugh. Jax turned his head. "Out." The player immediately climbed down. Maya watched him hurry through the door. When she looked back, Jax was studying her. "Do you know who I am?" "Jaxson Reed. Captain of the Blackthorn Wolves. Twenty-eight years old. Professional hockey player. Several championship appearances. A reputation for ignoring medical advice." His jaw tightened. "You've been researching me." "It's called reading your medical file." "And what else does it say?" "That you have an impressive record, an unnecessarily long list of previous injuries, and a tendency to treat recovery as an inconvenience." His expression hardened. "You've been here less than an hour." "And you've already given me enough information to form an opinion." He stepped farther into the room. "Listen carefully, Doctor. I don't need someone hovering over me, telling me when to rest or how to train." "Then you don't need a physical therapist." "I need someone who understands that winning matters more than anything else." Maya closed the file. "Winning doesn't mean much if you destroy your body in the process." Something shifted in his eyes. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but she noticed it. Anger. Not ordinary irritation, either. It was the kind of anger that came from having a truth exposed. Then his expression went cold again. "I don't like you." Maya smiled without warmth. "Fortunately, your approval isn't part of my job description." For a moment, neither spoke. Then Jax gave a humorless laugh. "You're going to have a difficult time here." "I've had worse." His eyes narrowed. "Is that a challenge?" "It's a statement." He turned toward the door. "Stay out of my way, Doctor." Maya picked up her pen. "Stop making that difficult, Captain." He paused. His hand rested on the doorframe. For one strange moment, she thought he might turn around and say something else. Instead, he walked away. The door slammed behind him. Maya released a slow breath. She had been at the facility for less than two hours, and the team's captain already seemed determined to make her life miserable. She should have been worried. Instead, she felt a stubborn determination settle inside her. If Jaxson Reed believed he could frighten her away, he had chosen the wrong woman. --- By late afternoon, Maya had completed the initial assessments for most of the team. Most of the players were cooperative. A few were impatient, but none had been openly hostile. Jax, however, had refused to attend his scheduled evaluation. Twice. The first time, he claimed he had another training session. The second time, he sent a message through an assistant coach. He was busy. Maya stared at the message on her phone. Busy. She had a medical degree, years of professional experience, and a career she was desperately trying to rebuild. She wasn't going to spend her first day chasing a grown man around an ice rink. She stood, collected his medical file, and walked toward the training area. The Wolves had finished their main practice, but several players remained on the ice. Jax was among them. He was moving faster than the others, driving toward the goal with relentless aggression. He took a shot. The puck sailed wide. He cursed under his breath and circled back. Another shot. Another miss. This time, he struck the side of the goal with his stick. Maya folded her arms. "Do you plan to keep doing that until the goal apologizes?" Several players turned toward her. One of them laughed. Jax stopped moving. Slowly, he looked in her direction. "What are you doing here?" "Looking for my patient." "I'm not your patient." "Your employment contract says otherwise." He skated toward the boards. Up close, she noticed the tension in his shoulders. He held his right arm a little too close to his body, and his expression tightened whenever he moved it. Interesting. Very interesting. "Take off your gear," she said. His eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?" "We're doing your evaluation." "I told the coach I wasn't available." "And I told the coach that your evaluation wasn't optional." He gave her a disbelieving look. "You think you can order me around?" "No. I think I can explain your treatment plan, document your refusal to cooperate, and let the medical director decide what happens next." His expression changed. There it was again. That flash of anger. "You wouldn't." "Wouldn't what?" "Put something like that in my file." Maya tilted her head. "Would you prefer that I lie?" He stared at her. Then, with a sharp movement, he removed his helmet and handed it to a nearby player. "Fine." He stepped off the ice. "But don't expect me to make this easy." Maya smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it." --- The treatment room felt smaller with Jax inside it. Maya blamed his size. He sat on the examination table while she reviewed his medical history. He answered her questions reluctantly, providing the bare minimum of information. "Any pain during practice?" she asked. "No." "Any stiffness after training?" "No." "Difficulty lifting your right arm?" "No." She looked up. He stared back. "Do you intend to answer every question with one word?" "Depends on the question." "All right. Let's try something different. Why are you lying?" His expression darkened. "I'm not lying." "Your movement suggests otherwise." "You've known me for five minutes." "And you've been avoiding this examination for two days." "One day." "That distinction doesn't improve your case." He looked away. Maya put the file down. "Jax, I'm not here to sabotage your season. I'm here to keep you healthy enough to play. But I can't do that if you refuse to tell me what's wrong." "Nothing is wrong." "Then you won't mind the examination." He hesitated. It was barely a second, but Maya noticed. "Sit back," she instructed. He obeyed with obvious reluctance. She began with a standard assessment of his shoulder movement, checking his range of motion and asking him to perform several controlled exercises. At first, he cooperated. Then she asked him to raise his right arm above his head. His muscles tightened. A flicker of pain crossed his face before he concealed it. Maya lowered his arm carefully. "Does that hurt?" "No." "Jax." "It's fine." She stepped back. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Does your shoulder hurt?" His eyes met hers. For the first time since she had met him, she saw something other than arrogance. Fear. It disappeared almost immediately. "You're imagining things," he said. Maya reached for her notes. "Your shoulder movement is restricted, and you're compensating with your upper body. I'm ordering imaging before I clear you for unrestricted training."