BENEATH THE ALPHA'S NAME

Chapter 4:MATE

Jaden POV

Oliver lowered his hand from the locker, a dazed, hopeful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "A human. Right. Okay. It’s unconventional, Jaden, but we can work with this. We’ve heard the stories. If the bond is strong enough, the Alpha's bite during the full moon can change a human. We can turn her. We’ll bring her into the pack, initiate the transition, and by winter, she’ll be a wolf."

I kept my back to him, staring blankly at the concrete floor. The word her felt like a heavy stone rolling around in my chest. I didn't correct him. The sheer exhaustion of the secret kept my jaw locked shut.

Before Oliver could press any further, the heavy metal door of the locker room flew open, hitting the rubber stopper with a loud bang.

"Veret! Edmund! Back out here, now!" the coach’s voice bellowed, echoing off the damp tiles. "Get your gear back on. I don't care if you just took off your skates. Move it!"

Oliver and I exchanged a sharp, tense glance. The pack link clicked shut as we reverted instantly to teammates, dragging our pads back over our shoulders and grabbing our sticks. We filed back out onto the ice, the rest of the team already gathered around the center circle, their breathing heavy, whispering in hurried, excited bursts.

Coach Miller stood at the center, holding a pristine, silver-embossed folder. His usual stern face was split into a wide, frantic grin.

"Listen up," Miller barked, tapping his clipboard against his thigh. "I just got off the phone with the athletic director. It’s official. Blackwood Ridge has just been invited to the All-American Frozen Four Invitational."

A collective shout erupted from the team. Guys slammed their sticks against the ice, gloves flying into the air. It was the tournament we had been dreaming about since freshman year, the absolute pinnacle of scout placement.

"Quiet down!" Miller yelled, though he was still smiling. "This means our season just went from intense to brutal. Starting tomorrow, we are on double sessions. Morning ice at five, evening strategy at seven. If any of you so much as slack off for a single drill, you’re benched. I need absolute focus, especially from my leadership. Veret, that means you. No distractions. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, Coach," I said, forcing a steady tone despite the storm brewing beneath my skin.

"Good. Go get a real meal, get some sleep, and I’ll see your pathetic asses at dawn. Dismissed!"

The team practically sprinted back toward the locker room, a wave of adrenaline overtaking the exhaustion. I skated slowly toward the gate, the weight of the announcement pressing down on my shoulders. The biggest competition of our lives, and my mind is splitting at the seams.

"Jaden."

Oliver’s hand caught my elbow, pulling me back onto the bench by the rink doors as the last of the players disappeared into the tunnel. The excitement of the tournament hadn't erased the sharp, protective instinct in his blue eyes.

"We need to see her," Oliver said, his voice dropping low, his breath misting in the cold arena air.

"Not now, Oliver," I muttered, trying to pull away.

"Yes, now," Oliver insisted, his grip tightening on my jersey. "Coach just raised the stakes to the ceiling. Jaden, you’re entering your heat period. Your biological clock is ticking. If you don't anchor this bond and claim your mate, you won't even make it to the first game of this competition. You’ll be feral, locked in a cage at the packhouse while the rest of us watch our futures go down the drain. I need to see her. We need to figure out how to approach her before you lose control."

I looked at my Beta, seeing the desperate, genuine fear for our pack and our future written all over his face. He was right. The heat was already singing in my blood, a low, burning fever that was only going to get hotter.

I let out a long, ragged sigh, the ice fog billowing from my mouth. "Fine. Brace yourself. She's... they're probably at the dining hall right now."

"Great. Let’s go," Oliver said, a look of pure determination settling over his features.

We changed quickly, the silence between us heavy with unspoken tension. By the time we walked out of the athletic complex and crossed the quad toward the grand, brick dining hall, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long, bloody shadows across the grass.

The dining hall was packed, a chaotic sea of students, clattering silverware, and the heavy smell of roasted meat and heavy carbs. Oliver scanned the room eagerly, his eyes darting from table to table, looking at every high-profile girl on campus.

"So, where is she?" Oliver whispered, leaning in closer to me as we stood near the entrance. "Is it the Director's daughter? One of the track girls? Give me a hint, man. Who’s the lucky she-wolf-to-be?"

"Keep your voice down," I hissed. My nostrils flared, picking up that unmistakable, terrifyingly perfect scent through the crowd. Cedar wood and ozone. It was coming from a long table near the eastern windows.

My eyes locked onto the back of a black hoodie. He was sitting alone, picking at a plate of food, his posture rigid and isolated from the rest of the noisy room.

"Over there," I murmured, my inner wolf giving a low, possessive thrum in the back of my throat. "The one by the window."

Oliver followed my gaze, his eyes scanning the girls at the neighboring tables first. "Which one? The brunette in the leather jacket? She’s cute, Jaden, but she looks a little fragile for a…"

"No," I interrupted, my voice dropping into a flat, immutable line. I pointed a subtle finger directly at the black hoodie. "The new guy. Vance. The guy with the silver trunk."

Oliver froze. He stared at the spot I was pointing to, his eyes tracking past the girls, past the empty chairs, until they landed squarely on the broad, tense shoulders of the boy sitting by the glass.

Oliver’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. He turned his head slowly, looking at me like I had just grown a second head, his blue eyes wide with an absolute, jaw-dropping shock that drained every drop of color from his face.

"Jaden..." Oliver whispered, his voice cracking violently over the noise of the cafeteria. "That’s... that’s a guy."