THE HOCKEY CAPTAIN AND HIS VIRGIN STRIPPER

CHAPTER 4

KAINE POV

I was playing video games with some of my teammates when there was a knock on my door. Thinking it was the delivery guy, I told one of the guys to go pick it up while I tried to beat Nathan at Mortal Kombat. I had already lost to him two times in a row, and if I lost to him a third time, he wasn’t going to let me hear the end of it for the rest of the season.

“Bring the pizza over, man. I need more energy to fire Nathan in the ass,” I hissed as I shoved him to the side, hoping he’d lose his balance and I’d win. But instead of returning with the pizza, he came back and said, “It’s for you.”

I paused the match and walked up to the front door to see that there was a black luxury SUV parked in front of my gate.

“Good day, Master Kaine,” my father’s longtime bodyguard greeted me at the door.

He didn’t need to say a second word because I immediately knew my father wanted to see me.

“Give me a moment to get properly dressed,” I said.

“I’m sorry, Master Kaine, but the Alpha is in a bit of a hurry,” he said in a stern voice that felt anything but sorry.

I shouted to my teammates that I would be back soon before following him to the car. He opened the door, and I sat beside my father.

“Good afternoon, Father,” I said as soon as I was seated, but he didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes swept over my casual outfit in disapproval before turning his attention back to his tablet, reading the daily report. I turned my attention to the road.

After a long silence, he started. “Have you seen the data analysis on the economy growth recently?” he asked. I nodded, but he continued. “Since my reign, I have increased the wealth and overall prosperity of this pack by over 60%, surpassing even Shadow Pack, which used to be one of the richest and most powerful packs on the continent,” my father said with a hint of pride.

I nodded, not sure what I should say to that.

“Everything I’ve done, I have done for the betterment of this pack. Being born as a descendant of this great bloodline, with Alpha blood running through our veins, means we are the ones capable of carrying this responsibility—and your brother knew this. It’s such a shame that it skipped you,” he said, finally turning to face me. “I’ve been tolerating your childishness for so long because I don’t have another heir to take over, and it’s already too late to start trying for another child,” he said matter-of-factly. “But I hoped that as you grew older, you would somehow hold a candle to what your brother was.”

“I can never be like Kennedy,” I said.

“Of course you can’t,” he replied sharply. “Kennedy would never have wasted his time playing such a sport meant for people who do not have important things to do with their lives but seek outside validation. That is not an activity fit for a child of your social standing,” he hissed.

I clenched my fist. “I thought we were over this. I study business like you want me to, and I get to play hockey.”

“Yes, I did,” he said. “But I think it’s time to revisit that discussion, given that you keep entering the sports life the wrong way.”

“It’s just one article,” I hissed.

“Oh, it’s not just one article. First it’s one, next it multiplies, and I will not have the family name I struggled to build be tarnished. I will not have my son embarrass me in the presence of other Alphas.”

“It won’t happen again,” I said.

“I hope not, because you know what will happen if it does,” he said. After a long pause, he added, “When are you going to pick a mate for yourself?”

“I’m not ready for that,” I said.

“Your mother has arranged a girl for you. She’s from a respectable family and the daughter of an Alpha. An alliance with them would improve the economic growth of this pack, and she is everything a woman should be. educated, modest, and from a respectable background.”

“I’m not ready,” I repeated.

“So you are going to continue bedding every young girl in this pack?” he hissed. “And then present me with a bastard child from a no-good family?”

“No, Father. I’m very aware of contraception,” I hissed. “I do have a career I want to protect.”

“This is not a chance I am willing to let you take. The arrangement has already been made. You will see her next week.”

“Who is this girl?” I asked tightly.

My father adjusted the cuff of his suit as though this conversation already bored him.

“Mr. Dola’s daughter.”

“You can’t be serious.” My jaw tightened as I stared at him. “You’re trying to recycle my dead brother’s fiancée and hand her over to me like some business contract?”

“The alliance still benefits both families.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Unbelievable.”

“You should be grateful.”

“Does she even agree to this?” I asked.

My father shrugged carelessly. “It is a perfect arrangement. Why would she object?”

That answer irritated me even more.

Maybe she had feelings.

Maybe she didn’t want to marry the younger brother of the man she was originally promised to.

“And because of that, you’ve decided to dump it on me?”

My father’s gaze hardened. “You are the reason she remains unmarried in the first place.”

I blinked. “What?”

“The Dola family waited after Kennedy’s death because they believed this family would still honor the alliance. Lucas refused, which leaves you.”

“No,” I said instantly.

The word came out hard enough to cut through the car.

“No?”

“I’m not marrying her. If you care so much about the alliance, why don’t you marry her and make her your new wife?”

The slap came so fast my head snapped sideways before I fully processed it.

The inside of the SUV went silent.

Even the driver stiffened in the front seat.

Pain burned across my cheek as I slowly turned back toward him.

My father looked furious.

“Do not dare defy me,” he hissed. “You have spent years embarrassing this family with your recklessness, your scandals, your pathetic obsession with sports, your meaningless flings—”

“My life is not a business merger.”

“It stopped being just your life the moment you were born into this bloodline!”

The car had already pulled back into my driveway, but neither of us moved.

I could taste blood in my mouth where my teeth had cut into my cheek.

“I’m not doing it,” I said again.

His eyes turned glacial.

“You will do exactly as you are told.” His voice dropped low with warning. “The arrangement is final. By next week, the entire pack will know you are to marry Mary.”

My fists clenched.

“Father—”

“And I suggest you cut ties with every single one of your little sluts before then,” he said coldly. “Because once this engagement becomes public, I will not tolerate further humiliation.”

Rage surged through me so violently that my wolf stirred beneath my skin.

“You will marry her,” he said one last time. “Whether you like it or not.”