ENEMIES ON ICE

No one in Frost Arena was sitting anymore. The crowd pounded against the glass, chanting the names of both teams as the deafening noise swallowed every other sound. "Thirty-eight seconds remaining in the third period!" a commentator exclaimed. "Neither team is willing to blink." Another laughed. "This has become a duel between the two best players in the league. Rowan Kane has two goals tonight, Adrian Voss has two assists, and they're both still skating like the game just started." "The next goal decides everything." For Rowan, the noise was a welcome distraction. He tightened his grip on his hockey stick, eyes chasing after the puck. His coach, Samantha Owens leaned over the boards. "Captain!" The alpha looked at her, already knowing what was coming next. "You can do this!" Rowan nodded before looking at the scoreboard. Helios Blades 3 — Virex Frostwolves 3 The alpha ignored his burning lungs, thighs and his chest that hurt everytime he breathed and skated forward. Nothing was more important than breaking this tie and securing his team's victory tonight. The puck slid towards him and Rowan knocked it backward to his team's defenseman, Theo Mercer. "Another incredible pass from the Helios Blades captain!" Theo returned the pass almost instantly and the Virex Frostwolves players rushed toward him. A rival player slammed into Rowan's shoulder, but he absorbed the hit and kept moving, eyes searching for an opening. "There goes Rowan Kane!" a commentator shouted and the crowd cheered in response. Rowan was headed to the offensive zone when a familiar figure cut his path. He lifted his head and met blue eyes twinkling with amusement. Adrian Voss, the star center of Virex Frostwolves. Their sticks clashed as Adrian leaned closer, "You've been avoiding me," he murmured without looking away from the puck. "You're not worth my time," Rowan retorted. Adrian chuckled. "Or is that your fear talking?" "Why would I be afraid of dead weight?" Rowan scoffed. "Your defense has been carrying you all night." That wasn't entirely true. Adrian hummed, not in the least offended by the insult. "We're not that different, you know?" Their shoulders collided before Rowan shoved him away. "No." He finally looked at Adrian. "The difference between us is that I wasn't handed anything." For the first time since the start of the game, Adrian's smile faded. "You really believe that." "I know it." Rowan pushed forward, the puck secured. The goalie shifted and a narrow opening appeared near the top corner. "There it is!" a commentator yelled. "If Kane gets this shot, it's over!" Rowan didn't hesitate. His stick snapped forward and the puck rocketed towards the net. But before the alpha could see whether it crossed the goal line, a Virex Frostwolves defenseman crashed into him. "That was a massive collision!" a commentator shouted. Rowan fell onto his back before his helmet slammed violently against the ice, the impact exploding through his skull. The arena dissolved into muffled noise as the alpha's vision blurred. "I think the puck went in!" "Rowan!" a voice called urgently. The alpha tried to open his eyes, his breath coming in shallow pants. "Fuck..." The last thing he saw was Adrian dropping his stick and skating toward him before his world went dark. ************ The Virex Frostwolves locker room was silent. "What the hell was that?" Adrian growled at the player who crashed into Rowan during the game. "Who told you to hit him?" The player, Darius Kade, stood his ground. "I was only doing my part!" Adrian grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him on the wall. "Your part doesn't include hitting him when the game was over!" "That was a nasty move and you know it!" Every player knew of Adrian's temper but he'd never directed it at one of their own. They exchanged glances, no one willing to interfere. The captain, Mikhail Soren, stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "That's enough." "Or what?" Adrian snapped. Mikhail's gaze narrowed. "Don't use that tone with me, Voss." Adrian let out a shaky breath before Darius spoke again. "Your obsession with Rowan Kane is what is dragging this team down." "You're acting like that asshole is a—" "Keep his name out of your mouth!" Adrian snarled, eyes flashing gold. The scent of eucalyptus burst forth, encasing the room. "Or what?" Darius growled. "What will you do?" Adrian raised his fist to punch him when Mikhail grabbed his arm and forcefully dragged him away. He didn't resist as the captain pulled him out of the room. "What is wrong with you?" Mikhail hissed as they stepped out the corridor. "Why are you so worked up because of Rowan?" Adrian closed his eyes to calm down, dragging a hand through his silver hair. Mikhail continued, "Your head isn't in the game and the team is beginning to notice. How can you—" "My head has always been in the game," Adrian cut him off. "I know where my priorities lie and I don't need anyone to tell me." "Then what's your obsession with Kane?" Mikhail asked. "I thought you were rivals?" "It's not an obsession!" Adrian said. "I don't appreciate people touching what's mine." Without waiting for a response, he walked off leaving the captain staring after him in surprise. "What's his deal?" ************* Rowan's eyes fluttered open to the noise of his teammates. His head and left shoulder throbbed in pain and the alpha groaned, drawing the attention of the others. His friend, Jonah Krell, rushed towards his side. "How are you feeling, man?" "Great," Rowan murmured, biting back a wince. He looked around the room. "Did we win?" Someone snickered and Theo stepped into his vision. "You're in the hospital and all you care about is the game?" Jonah chuckled. "That's our captain for you." He patted the alpha's shoulder. "And yes, we won." "That's good," Rowan murmured. He hadn't let his team down and that's all that mattered. "Coach is still handling the press." The team's rookie, Evan Talon, stepped forward. "I'm happy you're okay, captain." Rowan offered him a small smile. "How bad is it?" He looked at Jonah. The other smiled. "Just a minor dislocation. The doctor said you'll be back on your feet after a week. Though he's recommending total bed rest." "I doubt you can do that," he added and Rowan rolled his eyes. "Asshole." "It's good to see you alive, man." Jonah crossed his arms. "You scared all of us." "Adrian's reaction was more confusing," Theo murmured with a frown. The alpha ignored how his heart skipped at the mention of that name, eyes falling to the cast on his arm. "What did he do?" "He carried you off the ice ignoring the medical team and was here till the coach sent him away," the other said. Rowan forced his expression to stay neutral, looking away. He tried to imagine Adrian being worried about him but came up empty. It seemed impossible when all the other had done all these years was get under his skin and piss him off. Jonah sighed. "It almost seemed like—" The door opened, interrupting the conversation and their coach, Samantha Owens, peeked in. "Alright, boys, let the captain get some rest." "Does he like resting?" Jonah grumbled but headed for the door anyways. The others followed suit, patting Rowan's shoulder and wishing him a quick recovery. The alpha hummed to all of it, feeling his eyes turning heavy. "It seems the medication is kicking in," Samantha mumbled, handing his phone to him. "You did well today." "Thank you, coach." Rowan took the device and turned it on. "Did my father..." He trailed off, unsure. "He did," Samantha confirmed, a thoughtful look on her face. She stared at him for a moment before patting his leg. "Get well soon, hm?" The alpha nodded and watched her leave. Sure enough, his phone pinged with a message. 'You could've done better today, son. Adrian outshined you. Study his technique and learn from him,' it read. Rowan stared at the screen until the words blurred together. He had scored the winning goal before being knocked unconscious. His teammates had celebrated him, his coach had praised him and thousands of fans had chanted his name. Yet for his father, none of it mattered. Every victory he earned was just another opportunity to remind him that Adrian Voss was still better. Rowan wondered what it will take for his father to be finally proud of him. Would he have to earn a championship again? Become the greatest hockey player in the world? Or would Adrian always stand between him and the approval he had spent his entire life chasing? His fingers tightened around the phone until the the device creaked beneath the pressure. "So after all this..." he whispered, the scent of sandalwood filling the room. "All you care about is Adrian Voss."