My Hated Rival Hockey Alpha

Roulette Rounds

Celeste

The morning air bit hard, slicing through my thin sweats. My nice Ralph Lauren tennis skirt was safe in my locker, but even thinking about it couldn't warm me up. This cold wasn't just about the fog.

My fancy Brionni coat usually made me look put-together. Today, it felt like a flimsy shield. Mr. Albright, my biology professor, probably thought I'd run off for "girl stuff." *Phew,* I sighed, *at least he didn't tell that story about his daughter again.* Some things were just too much.

My phone buzzed like crazy. Sienna's name flashed, screaming trouble. "Celeste! Hurry! They caught me! It's bad!"

*Bad?* My whole life, built on school fees, Mom's hospital bills, and the fear of Bit Ova—that awful place where people disappeared—shook. Every dollar I tutored for, every hour I balanced books, it was all to keep us safe in Hize. To keep Mom well, and Sienna away from the bad parts of town.

*Ugh,* I thought, pushing harder. *If only I hadn't bought that expensive lip oil last week.* *Curse Ana Beth for talking me into it! My budget was already tight from that vintage store on Main.* I shoved the thought away. I was strong. My grades were perfect. I was the perfect sister, daughter, student. I had to be.

Then there was Connor. His broken leg, the way he left two years ago. I wasn't mad, not really. He'd been through so much. But a small part of me *was* mad. Mad he left me, his manager, after the accident. Mad he broke my heart. I understood, but I still wished he'd come back. To be my rock.

My tennis shoes slapped the pavement, *thwack, thwack, thwack.* My breath came in puffs of mist. The campus fence appeared. But the air here felt different. Heavy. Like damp earth and raw power. I expected guards, but what I saw was much worse.

Axel Reid.

He stood there, a dark shape against the sunrise. His dark, curly hair was under a black beanie, but his intense grey eyes cut through the fog. Tattoos snaked up his strong arms, over his neck and chest, hinting at a dangerous power. (Just like the guy in the picture, all inked up and intense.) He was everything I hated. The monster who ruined Connor's life, and mine.

And there, huddled by his feet, was Sienna. She trembled, her lips purple from the cold. Her big hockey jersey swallowed her. Her wide, scared eyes met mine, begging for help.

"Celeste!" she cried, rushing to me, burying her face in my coat. "I didn't mean to! We were just playing, and the ball went over—"

I hugged her tight, my coat like a shield. My eyes, sharp and steady, met Axel's. He hadn't moved. Just watched, his face blank. I smelled cedar and something wild. *Great,* I thought. *Not security. Him. This is so much worse.*

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound calm. My heart pounded.

He finally spoke, his voice a low rumble. "Your sister trespassed. On sacred ground."

"Sacred ground?" I scoffed, pulling Sienna closer. "She's six! She was chasing a puck. Are you going to throw a kid in your werewolf dungeon for that?"

A flicker crossed his face—amusement? Annoyance? His eyes, like a storm, looked me up and down. My messy auburn hair, my flimsy sweats. (I suddenly wished I was in my tennis skirt and top, like the confident girl in the picture.) I pulled my coat tighter.

"Rules apply to everyone," he said, flatly. "Human, pup, or otherwise. Especially on our training grounds."

"Rules?" I scoffed, my voice dripping with sass. "Or do you just like scaring kids? Is that how Alphas have fun now? Picking on little girls who wander onto their precious, secret areas?" *He thinks he's so important,* I thought, even as a shiver ran down my back.

He took a slow step closer. The air felt thick with his power. Sienna whimpered, clinging to my leg.

"She saw something," he said, his eyes hard. "Something that could break the peace. Start a war between packs. Do you get what that means?"

My breath caught. A war? Because of Sienna? What in the world had she found?