Tamed and Claimed by the Hockey Alpha

Chapter 2: Mate

Chapter 2

Zeph’s Pov

I bolt upright, gasping like I'm drowning.

Sweat pours down my chest despite the air conditioning running full blast in my room. My heart hammers against my ribs so hard I think it might explode. My fingers tremble as I run them through my damp hair, and I can't stop the coughing fit that follows.

The same f*****g nightmare. Always the same one for five f*****g years!

"Liana," I whisper her name into the darkness, and the sound cuts through me like a blade.

My wolf whimpers deep in my chest, sharing my agony. He hates reliving that memory just as much as I do. Hates being forced to remember the scent of smoke and burning wood, the sound of her laughter cut short, the way everything we ever dreamed of went up in flames.

I want to cry. God, I want to break down and sob until there's nothing left of me. But I can't as I won't let myself fall apart again. My heart is already too heavy, too broken to carry any more pain.

Instead, I force myself out of bed and grab my singlet from the dresser. My hockey stick leans against the wall like an old friend waiting for me.

Time for the ice.

Hockey became my salvation two years ago when my beta, Kai, dragged me to a sports event in New York. I was a mess back then, barely eating, barely speaking, just existing in this hollow shell of grief but the moment I stepped onto that ice rink and felt the cold seeping through my bones, something shifted.

The ice doesn't judge. It doesn't ask questions and just accepts whatever rage and pain I bring to it and freezes it solid until I can't feel anything except the burn in my muscles and the rush of speed.

"Come on, Zeph," Kai had said that first day, practically shoving skates onto my feet. "Just try it. What's the worst that could happen?"

What happened was I found the only thing that could quiet the screaming in my head.

I make my way through the mansion's corridors, past portraits of dead alphas and locked doors that hold too many memories. Mother had an ice rink built for me in the east wing after she realized hockey was the only thing keeping me from completely losing my mind.

The cold hits me the moment I enter the rink, and I breathe it in like a drug. I don't bother with the proper gear - no pads, no helmet, just me and my stick and the ice that understands my pain.

I drop the puck and take off, my bare arms burning as the frigid air cuts through my skin. But I welcome it. The cold numbs everything else…the scars on my back that never stop aching, the phantom smell of smoke that follows me everywhere, the hole in my chest where my heart used to be.

The scars. Goddess! the scars.

They're a roadmap of that night, permanent reminders burned into my flesh when I ran into that cabin trying to save her. The doctors said I was lucky to survive the smoke inhalation with my asthma. Lucky? What a f*****g joke.

I slam the puck against the boards with enough force to crack the plexiglass, then chase it down and do it again. And again. Each hit sends vibrations up my stick and into my arms, grounding me in the present instead of the past.

My wolf strength and speed made me unstoppable on the ice. I could check players twice my size, my reflexes were inhuman, and my endurance was endless.

We won every tournament. Every championship. I became the star player that coaches dreamed of having on their team.

But it's not about the winning. It's about the moments when I'm flying across the ice so fast that everything else disappears. When all that exists is the cold air burning my lungs and the rhythm of my skates cutting through the ice.

It's the only time I feel anything close to peace.

I'm in the middle of a particularly brutal drill when something makes me stop. A presence at the edge of the rink.

"What the f**k?" I snap, not bothering to look up as I continue shooting pucks at the goal.

"Holy f**k, Zeph. How long have you been out here?"

I finally glance over to see Kai standing behind the boards, his arms crossed and concern written all over his face. My beta has been putting up with my s**t for five years now, but even his patience has limits.

"Not long enough," I mutter, lining up another shot.

"It's been three hours. You're going to give yourself hypothermia."

I snort. "I'm a werewolf, remember? We don't get hypothermia."

"Yeah, well, you're also not wearing any f*****g gear. And you're bleeding."

I look down and notice the cuts on my arms from where I've been playing too aggressively, hitting the boards too hard. The cold numbed me to the pain, but now I can see the blood staining the ice beneath me.

Before I can react, Kai jumps over the boards and slaps my stick out of my hands with enough force that I almost lose my balance.

I whirl on him, my eyes flashing gold with alpha dominance. "What the hell was that for?"

"Because you wouldn't notice anyone was here if I didn't do something drastic," he shoots back, not backing down even when my wolf snarls at the challenge. "I've been standing here for ten minutes trying to get your attention."

"Well, congratulations. You have it. Now give me my stick back."

"No." Kai crosses his arms. "We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk. I want to practice."

"Practice for what? You're already the best player in three states. I'm jealous that you're in love with this rink? With hockey? With this puck?" His voice is heavy with sarcasm, but I can hear the real concern underneath.

The cold finally starts seeping into my bones, and I snatch the jacket from his hands. "You didn't ask me to sneak out of the house like a thief to play on the ice for hours," He retorted and I scoff.

"Actually, that's exactly why I'm here." Kai reaches into his pocket and pulls out an envelope. "Your admission to Sally Royal Academy has been accepted. You start tomorrow."

I stare at the letter in his hands, my heart doing something weird in my chest. Sally Royal Academy. One of the most prestigious schools in the country, with a hockey program that's produced more professional players than any other institution.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow. So you need to get packed and ready for your flight. We're going."

Sally Royal Academy. Their hockey captain is some hotshot who's been dominating college hockey for two years running. Smart, aggressive, and reportedly refuses to give up his position for anyone.

"We'll see about that," I say, taking the acceptance letter. "My goal isn't just to be a hockey player. I'm going to be captain. I'm going to show people what real skill looks like, and maybe..." I trail off.

Maybe I'll finally be able to let go of this grudge. This pain that's been eating me alive for years Once I'm busy.

"Zeph," Kai says quietly. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Am I ready? I've been ready to leave this place since the day everything burned down. I can't spend another second in this pack, surrounded by memories and the father I can barely look at without wanting to rip his throat out.

"I'm ready," I say firmly. "Let's go."

I don't bother saying goodbye to Father. I can't even be in the same room as him without my wolf clawing to get out. But I find Mother in her garden, tending to the roses that she's loved since before I was born.

"Mama," I call softly.

She looks up and immediately sees the duffel bag slung over my shoulder. Her face crumples.

"Oh, baby. Why so soon?"

I drop my bag and pull her into my arms, breathing in her familiar scent of vanilla and cedar. "I can't stay here anymore, Ma. You know that."

"But your siblings will be back from the States soon. They could keep you company—"

"It's time for me to go," I interrupt gently. "I need this. I need to get away from everything here."

She nods through her tears, understanding even if she doesn't like it. "You'll call me?"

"Every day," I promise, kissing her forehead. "I love you so much, Mama."

"I love you too, my brave boy."

The flight to Sally Royal Academy takes four hours, and by the time we touch down, I'm buzzing with nervous energy. The campus is incredible, sprawling grounds with state-of-the-art facilities, including an Olympic-sized ice rink that makes my mouth water just looking at it.

The principal, Dr. Morrison, gives me the grand tour while rattling off statistics about their hockey program's success rate. Everything is pristine, professional, exactly what I need to take my game to the next level.

"Now, let's get you introduced to your classmates," Dr. Morrison says, leading me toward the academic building.

We enter a classroom full of students, and the principal starts his introduction. But I'm not listening to whatever he's saying about my achievements or where I transferred from.

Because sitting three rows back is a girl with red hair.

Not just any red hair. Hair the exact color of autumn leaves, of spun copper, of—

No. It can't be.

My heart slams against my ribs as my wolf suddenly sits up and takes notice. The girl turns slightly, looking lost and staring at something else and I catch a glimpse of her profile. The slope of her nose, the curve of her jaw...

And then, without any warning, without giving me a chance to prepare or think or breathe, my wolf opens his mouth and screams one word that changes everything:

Mate.

She's mine Zeph.