My Stepbrother, The Hockey Alpha

Chapter 4

Lena's Pov

The week passed in a blur. Classes, homework . Blackridge Academy felt colder than ever, not just because of the snow piling against the windows, but because of the way everyone seemed to already know their place here. Everyone except me.

The hockey game had been all anyone talked about since Monday. Posters with Jax’s face on them were plastered in the cafeteria and gym doors. Girls squealed about him scoring the winning shot. Guys compared bruises from practice like badges of honor.

And me? I kept my head down, my sketchbook clutched to my chest, pretending to blend in while every nerve in me buzzed whenever Jax was near.

The growl from that night still lived in my ears. I couldn’t stop replaying it. It hadn’t sounded human and the way his eyes had cut through me, sharp, warning, dangerous.

“Are you going to the match?” a voice asked beside me at lunch.

I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts. A girl with glossy brown hair and big green eyes leaned across the table. She wore the Blackridge hockey jacket, too big for her frame.

“Uh… maybe,” I said carefully.

She smiled. “I’m Avery. My brother’s on the second line, but everyone knows Jax carries the team. You’re Lena, right? The new girl?”

I nodded, shifting uncomfortably. It still felt weird hearing my name in other people’s mouths.

“You should come. It’s tradition. Whole school goes. Besides,” her eyes flicked toward Jax across the cafeteria, sitting with Cassian and the other players, “you get the best view of the captain.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “I don’t....”

“You don’t have to explain,” Avery cut in, smirking. “No girl here is immune to him. Even if he pretends he doesn’t notice.”

Pretends. My stomach twisted. Jax definitely noticed me. But not in the way anyone thought. More like in the way a wolf notices a trespasser.

*******************

By Friday night, the gym was packed. The ice rink was lit up under bright white lights, the air frosty, our breaths puffing as we found seats on the bleachers. I sat near Avery, who waved excitedly at her brother warming up on the ice.

The players skated hard, pucks smacking against boards, sticks clattering. But my eyes found Jax immediately.

He looked different under the lights, sharper, like he belonged here more than anywhere else. His hair stuck out from under his helmet, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with something I couldn’t name.

“Jax is in beast mode tonight,” Avery whispered. “Look at him.”

Beast mode. My chest tightened.

The whistle blew, and the game began. The crowd roared. I tried to focus on the scoreboard, the speed of the players, the scrape of skates against ice. But every time Jax moved, my eyes followed.

He was ruthless, cutting down the rink with a force that made the crowd gasp. He shoved past defenders, slammed into Cassian’s opponent so hard the guy flew into the boards.

The rival team didn’t back down, though. One player in particular, their captain, locked eyes with Jax at every chance. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a cruel smirk.

“That’s Dylan,” Avery explained. “He and Jax… hate each other. Always go for blood when they play.”

My pulse kicked up. Hate. Blood. Why did it feel like she meant it literally?

Halfway through the second period, things got ugly.

Jax and Dylan collided at center ice. Their sticks tangled, skates scraping loud against the ice. Dylan shoved Jax, hard. Jax shoved back, harder. The referee’s whistle blew, but neither of them listened.

The crowd went wild, some chanting Jax’s name, others booing.

I sat frozen, my chest tight, nails digging into my palms. It didn’t look like a normal fight. Jax’s body language wasn’t just competitive, it was predatory. His shoulders heaved, his hands curled like claws even under the gloves.

“Break it up!” the ref barked, skating between them.

But then Jax growled. Low and dangerous. A sound that didn’t belong in a hockey rink.

I sucked in a breath, my vision spinning. The growl wasn’t just in my ears, it was in my bones, vibrating through me, rattling my chest.

Dylan’s smirk faltered, but instead of backing down, he slammed his stick into Jax’s ribs. Jax doubled over, then shot up, eyes blazing. For a second, under the glare of the lights, I swore they glowed.

Golden.

My lungs seized.

“Lena?” Avery asked, noticing my pale face.

But I couldn’t answer. My breathing was coming too fast, shallow and sharp. My body was betraying me, again. The air felt too thin, the walls too close.

I stumbled to my feet, clutching the railing.

“I....I need air,” I gasped, pushing past the row of students.

“Hey, are you okay?” Avery called after me, but her voice was drowned by the roar of the crowd as Jax and Dylan finally swung at each other, fists colliding.

The sound followed me out of the gym, my chest burning as I stumbled into the corridor. My vision blurred, spots flashing. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Breathe, Lena. Just breathe.

But no matter how hard I tried, it wasn’t enough. My legs buckled, and I crashed against the lockers, sliding down.

“Lena.”

The voice was low and firm. Too close.

I blinked up, my vision hazy, and saw Jax standing over me. His helmet was gone, his hair damp with sweat, his eyes still burning from the fight.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” he muttered, crouching down.

“I....” My throat closed up, my chest still heaving. “I couldn’t… breathe.”

His jaw tightened. He glanced back toward the rink, then down at me.

“Damn it,” he hissed under his breath. “You always run when you’re not supposed to.”

I flinched. “I didn’t ask you to follow me.”

“Didn’t have to,” he shot back. His eyes scanned me like he was trying to solve some problem only he understood. “You don’t get it, do you?”

I glared weakly. “Then explain it.”

For a second, something flickered in his expression, like he almost would. But then he shook his head. “You’re not ready.”

“Not ready for what?” I snapped, my voice cracking.

His lips pressed into a thin line. He leaned closer, so close I could feel the heat radiating off him. His eyes weren’t glowing now, but they were sharp, intense, pinning me in place.

“You should stay far away from me, Lena.” His voice dropped, dark and certain. “Because if you don’t… one day, you won’t be able to run.”

Before I could reply, a loud crash echoed from the rink, followed by another roar from the crowd. Jax’s head snapped toward the sound, his shoulders stiffening.

He stood quickly, towering over me. “Stay here.”

“Wait, Jax.....”

But he was already gone, disappearing back into the gym, leaving me shaking on the floor, my chest still aching, my heart hammering with more than just the panic attack.

Because for the first time, I was sure of something I’d been trying to deny since the day I met him.

Jax Thorne wasn’t normal and neither was I.