Temptation On Ice: My Rival Is A Girl

DRAMATIC HUMANS

I roll my eyes hard-

CHAPTER 3

Hannah~

The coach blows a sharp whistle that cuts through the noise. “Everyone! Front of the rink!”

Conversations fade fast as the recruits gather near the boards, some still breathing hard from the drills. I slip into the back of the group, my palms suddenly slick with sweat. That’s new for me.

The coach glances down at his clipboard, his expression turning serious. “We had a lot of strong performances today.” He pauses, letting the words sink in. “But unfortunately, we only have a few openings.”

The light mood vanishes. Everyone stands a little taller. Even Ethan’s easy smile disappears as the tension thickens around us.

“We’ll announce the players moving forward.”

A heavy silence settles over the rink. Then the whispers start, low and buzzing around me.

The coach clears his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back. “The players we’re inviting to continue are…” He reads off several names and cheers erupt around me. Friends slap each other on the back while others drop their heads in disappointment.

Then he looks up suddenly and calls, “Hannah.”

Silence crashes over the rink. No one moves.

I blink. “…Me?”

“Yes.”

Before I can even take a step forward, a shout echoes across the space. “What, she’s not getting selected right?” One of the rejected recruits steps up, his face flushed with anger.

Another joins him immediately. “She’s a girl.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“She can’t play in this league. This is unacceptable.”

“She shouldn’t even have been allowed to try out.”

Several voices pile on in agreement. It’s as if all the resentment over being passed over has finally found somewhere to go.

The coach raises both hands, trying to settle everyone. “Calm down.”

“No!”

“It’s against the rules!”

“You’re making a joke out of the league!”

Someone points straight at me. “She’ll get destroyed in the first game.”

I frown, my shoulders tensing. Destroyed? That seems… optimistic, but given everything. The arguments keep building louder.

“I don’t care how fast she is.”

“It sets a bad precedent for hockey.”

“What happens if every woman starts showing up?”

“I’ll file a complaint.”

“So will I.”

“We’re reporting this.”

The coach tries again, but no one is listening anymore.

Their voices blur together in the background.

I stare out at the ice beyond the glass, the excitement I felt earlier slipping away quietly.

Maybe they are right. No matter how hard I train, how strong I am, or how fast I move, the answer will always be no. Not because I’m not good enough, but because I wasn’t born male. Because I’m a woman. It’s such a strange, limiting concept.

Back home, strength decides everything. Here, people make up their minds before you even step onto the ice.

Then a single calm word cuts through the noise. “Enough, all of you.”

It isn’t shouted. It doesn’t need to be. The entire rink falls silent at that one simple command.

Colton steps forward, hands tucked casually into the pockets of his hoodie, his expression unreadable. His sharp gray eyes sweep across all of us.

“If you’re finished…” No one answers. He continues smoothly. “Hockey is about strength.” He looks directly at me. “Speed.” His gaze shifts toward the testing area, then back to the group. “Discipline. You all watched the same evaluations I did.”

No one argues.

“You saw her strength.” Silence. “You saw her speed.” More silence. “You saw her attitude.”

Ethan folds his arms, a small grin breaking through. “…Yeah.”

Colton nods once. “If anyone standing here honestly believes they outperformed her today…” He steps aside slightly. “…come forward.”

Nobody moves. Not one person. His gaze travels slowly across every face. “I’m waiting.”

A few recruits suddenly find the floor fascinating. One scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. Another pretends to adjust his shoelaces. Ethan coughs into his fist to hide a laugh.

Colton’s voice stays calm. “That’s what I thought.” He turns toward the coach. “As for league regulations… those are real.”

Finally, someone is acknowledging it. “This isn’t a decision we make alone.” His eyes settle on me again. “The committee and league officials will review today’s evaluation.”

The tension in the air eases just a fraction. “Until then…” He pauses. “Hannah is not an official member of this team.”

My stomach sinks. But then he keeps going. “She’ll remain with us as a provisional reserve player. She’ll attend training. She’ll be evaluated. And when the committee reaches a decision… we’ll deal with it then.”

Nobody looks thrilled, but no one has a solid argument left either. He isn’t breaking the rules. He’s following the process.

The coach nods in agreement. “I think that’s the fairest solution.”

A few reluctant murmurs follow, but even the loudest protesters stay quiet.

Ethan walks over first and offers me a fist bump. “Looks like you’re stuck with us.”

I smile and bump his fist back. “Try not to cry when I beat your sprint time tomorrow.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “She’s already talking trash.”

“You started it.”

“I definitely did.”

Around us, the tension slowly starts to dissolve. Some recruits come over to congratulate me while others keep their distance, still unconvinced. That’s fine. Respect isn’t handed out. It has to be earned, one practice at a time.

I bend down and pick up the hockey stick. It feels surprisingly good in my hands, natural.

My wolf stirs inside. Bet you can’t hit that far wall.

We’re making progress.

Exactly.

Don’t ruin it.

She goes suspiciously quiet. That should be my warning. Instead, I casually drop a puck onto the floor, twist my grip, and flick my wrists.

CRACK!

The puck becomes a black blur, rocketing across the rink and slamming into the far wall, punching straight through the drywall in an explosion of white dust.

Silence hits again. Every head turns toward the smoking hole.

“…Oops.” My voice comes out small.

My wolf bursts into hysterical laughter. Oops? That was not an oops! That was amazing!

Colton slowly looks from the hole to me, then back to the hole. He lets out a very long sigh. “Everyone who made the team… come here.”

We gather around him as he glances at me, face perfectly serious. “Oh… and Hannah?”

“Yes?”

He points toward the enormous hole in the wall. “We’re taking that out of your first paycheck.”

The recruits burst into laughter. Even the coach covers his face, shaking with amusement.

Heat rushes into my cheeks. “…Fair.”

Ethan grins wide. “Welcome to the team… well… almost.”

I rub the back of my neck, glancing at the damage. “Think they’ll notice?”

Everyone looks at the wall, then slowly back at me.

Colton raises one eyebrow. “Hannah.”

“…Yeah?”

“That wall is on the other side of the building.”

My eyes widen. “…What