HU:
I am about to turn around and leave like I didn’t see them, but Caspian yells out my name.
“Hu, my man!”
I curse under my breath and plant a smile on my face, walking up to him. He extends his hand, and I shake it before he pulls me close, our shoulders brushing.
“You’ve been scarce and quiet these days. What’s up?” he asks, and I fight hard not to meet Ginger’s gaze.
“Nothing. I’m cool. Just on the low,” I reply, but my chest tightens when I see Ruby walking toward us. I don’t know what she’s going to do, but I know it won’t be good. Running isn’t an option, so I stay still, hoping she won’t open her big mouth.
“Hey, guys,” she greets with the biggest grin, then turns to Ginger. “Hi.”
Her tone is too friendly. It’s not go
HU:The rink falls silent, and I immediately regret my action. Worse, I have no explanation to give Caspian for why I yelled at him that way. All eyes shift to me, but my focus stays locked on Caspian. His brows shoot up, and Ginger stiffens in his arms. A second passes, then another, before he tilts his head and lets out a chuckle.“Damn, Hu. I didn’t know I was disrupting a dictatorship.” He tries to make a lighthearted joke, and I immediately understand that he thinks I’m having one of my episodes, but this isn’t it.Some students murmur as my grip tightens around my hockey stick, my jaw aching from how hard I’m clenching it.“As I was saying!” I raise my voice, further solidifying his suspicions. The rink falls silent again. “We’re starting with drills. Speed laps first. If you can’t keep up, don’t bother showing up next time!”Caspian shakes his head at me, silently
HU:As I make my rounds on the rink, I spot Ruby skating toward me, and I let out a sigh. When she gets close enough, I come to a stop.“What on earth has been going on?” she demands, a frown forming on my face as I stare at her.“I have no idea what you are talking about.”She scoffs at my response, folding her arms. She nearly trips, but I instinctively reach out and grab her hand.“Oh, please do not save me. Your hands have already been on her!” she growls, and I release her with another sigh.“Are you serious right now? She was about to fall, and—”“You yelled at Caspian because of her, and I know that.”I stop speaking as she cuts me off. For a moment, there is silence between us.“You claimed you had no feelings for her, but you are just a liar. Worse still, you are not even trying to hide it. People have already noticed because I heard the gir
GINGER: Shock is an understatement for what I feel right now. It’s like the universe is conspiring against me, determined to make me suffer. I could have trained with Caspian, but somehow, fate decided against it. The coach continues speaking while I remain frozen, Caspian stroking my hand in reassurance. Meanwhile, he is assigned to some random girl. “Hey, loosen up,” Caspian whispers in my ear to calm me. I glance up at him, my breath caught in my throat. “Hu is my best friend,” he continues. “I promise, you’re in excellent hands. He can be tough, and yeah, he has his issues, but not everything is his fault. Deep down, he’s a good guy.” I force a smile and nod, even though my stomach is churning. If only Caspian knew that Hu’s outburst earlie
GINGER: Saturday arrives like a gust of wind, which means it is my first practice with Hu. The moment I wake up, I glance out the window and notice his curtains are drawn shut. Just as I am about to turn away, the curtains shift slightly, making my heart race as I instinctively duck down. “Okay, I’ve got this,” I whisper to myself, taking a deep breath. My phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I reach for it. A message from Caspian lights up the screen, easing the tension in my chest a little. “I know the arena is in your estate, but I’ll be around in thirty minutes to see you off.” Warmth spreads through my chest as I read his text. He really is as thoughtful as Hana always says. But just as the feeling settles, another notification drops down, this time from Hu. “You have an hour to meet me at the arena.” I roll my eyes before typing a quick response to Caspian. “See you later, babe.” With that, I grab a towel and head to the shower, trying to focus on Caspian rather than h
Ginger: “Great, you two have already met,” I say, trying to sound casual. I know my mom is just being friendly, but the way they’re sitting together so comfortably—like they’ve known each other forever feels unsettling. “Thank you for having me, Mrs. Orbblood. I hope I get to try that soup you mentioned next time,” Caspian says as he stands, flashing her a charming smile. My face twists in disgust as I head for the door. “Good luck, honey!” my mom calls after me, but I don’t respond. I step outside, and Caspian follows. Reaching his car, I yank the door open and slide in, shutting it behind me. He gets in after me, turning to face me. “Did I do something wrong?” “Yes! Bonding with my mom!” I blurt out, crossing my arms. His brows knit together. “You call that bonding?” “You tell me! You two were already talking about soup, and it had barely been five minutes! Five min—” Before I can finish, he presses his lips against mine, silencing me. The warmth of his touch melts my fr
HU: I told myself the best way to get over Ginger was to stop caring about whatever she was doing or what was happening to her. And it was working—until she fell again. I know I’m supposed to help her up, but I try to avoid any contact with her because every time I touch her skin, I lose control, but it eats deep, and I know she is padded properly but I feel weird seeing her fall. The feeling hurts, and I want to hold her and guide her slowly, but I cannot. “What do you mean, you’re leaving?” I ask as she heads for the locker room, but she ignores me. “Hey, the coach put me in charge of you!” “Then tell him I quit unless he wants to change my trainer!” she yells back before disappearing inside. I sigh and sit back on the bench, tossing my stick hard against the floor. Frustration courses through me as I rip off my helmet, leaning back. I wish I could break this cycle, but every time I see her, all I want is to hold her in my arms. I know I need to get a grip, especially before Ca
Hu: “What the hell was that, Hu?” Ruby comes after me as I make my way towards my car, and her voice does nothing but grate on every nerve in my body. “You think you can just waltz in here, have sex with me, and leave, making me feel used?!” I want to stuff something in her mouth to make her shut the fuck up, but I don’t. Instead, I turn around, grabbing her. I pull her closer, then look into her eyes, which burn with fury. Without hesitation, I press my lips against hers. Softly kissing her, I pull away almost immediately. “It wasn’t my intention to leave that way. I was in the middle of something, then I thought of you and came over.” Her lips curve, and in no time, she is grinning like a child. She throws her arms around me, pressing her chest hard against mine. This feels like a prison, and I want nothing more than to leave at once. But I also signed up for this, so complaining will do me no good. “I love you, babe. Sorry I overreact sometimes, but I just keep thinking of
GINGER:Truth be told, I’m kind of worked up about Hu. His behavior is driving me insane—in a bad way. And not the kind of insane where you’re secretly in love with him. Since he was being a total douchebag, I got Caspian to teach me instead, and honestly? It was the easiest thing ever. Hu looked normal when he walked in, but then, out of nowhere, Mr. Nice just disappeared.I stand there for a moment, watching as he disappears into the locker area. I make up my mind not to confront him because it only seems to fuel whatever demon lives inside him.Then, suddenly, he walks back out, holding a stick and a puck.“I see you’re advanced in your skills, so maybe it’s time to incorporate these,” he says, approaching me.I study him carefully—from the twitching of his fingers to the wrinkle in his brow, to his face, which refuses to relax.Is he mad I took lessons from Caspian? Shouldn’t that make his job easier?I don’t know why I’m even questioning myself. I mean, it’s Hu. The only thing he
HU:The second her towel crashes to the ground, every ounce of restraint I’ve been clinging to disintegrates as I take in her bare form. I have had her before, but it was in darkness, and now I can see her clearly. She is everything I had imagined and even better. Everything about her is perfect—from the curve of her hips, her smile, her perky tits, to her smooth skin. And what makes it even better? She is all mine.She presses further into me, her bare skin grazing my shirt, and I grab her like I’ve waited my whole damn life for this—because I have. My hands slide down her waist, gripping her thighs, lifting her as her legs wrap around me. I walk us into the shower, not even bothering to shut the glass door. The warm water pours down over us, but it’s nothing compared to the heat tearing through my body. Her back hits the tile, and I take her mouth with mine—hungry, deep, and rough
HU:It’s been two days. Two days of Ginger explaining everything to me, and yes, it makes sense, but somehow I still cannot believe it. The thought that she is mine. That should be enough to silence every storm in my chest, but it doesn’t.I find myself even more troubled than I was, and each moment we spend together, I keep looking at her like she’s made of glass, like if I blink too long, she’ll vanish. I wanted her more than anything.I fought for her in ways I’d never fought for anyone. And now that she’s here, I feel… off. Like I’m not enough, or even doing anything right. I know it has only been two days, but it feels like an eternity and I already fucked up. I haven’t even marked her yet, because I’m scared of what will happen when we become infinitely tied to one another.Hearing her say she loves me is new to me each time, but
HU’S POV:It’s been weeks of pretending like my whole fucking life isn’t falling apart. Seeing Ginger bond with Caspian makes me want to kill myself. I question the goddess every single day to make it make sense to me. Sure, I am passionate about things, but not people. Ginger just makes everything different, and worse, I can no longer concentrate on my studies without her help.I want to lie close to her every day, because hearing her voice is the only thing I long for, even if she is teaching the most boring subject. As long as she is the one talking, I would listen.Here I am in this hall, staring at my test papers, writing faster than a lightning bolt, because as I stare at it, her soothing voice echoes in my head, telling me what to do, and what not to do.“You are doing great.” I hear her voice in my head as I get to the end of my question.As soon as I finish, I take
GINGER:Caspian’s lips against mine are soft and heartwarming. It feels like old times. I feel my body opening up to him as he nibbles gently, pleading for entrance, which I grant him without thinking twice. My wolf has been starved of touches from any of her mates for two months now, and I am the only barrier stopping her from undoing Caspian’s clothes and taking him here in public.After what feels like an eternity, Caspian pulls away, both of us panting. My mind is still afloat as he speaks.“I’ve missed this,” he says, drawing me back to reality. Then he stares into my eyes, causing my chest to thump fast, making me regret kissing him.Before I can react, the words I dread fall from his lips. “I want you, Ginger.”Air leaves my lungs as I stay still, wondering whether to pull away or not. I do not want to lead him on again. I mean, I love him as a person, my
GINGER:It’s been two weeks since my last encounter with Hu. Hearing him confirm his love for me was needed, but even at that, I do not know what to do with it. I am certain he is my one true mate, but he seems like he is in his head, and he hasn’t for once tried to make a move on me.Our learning period has been platonic, even on the days my mum is away, and we have the chance to make out, or even go deeper than that — he just sits there, listening to me teach him. I am proud of him for his progress since then, and knowing his concentration only stems from being taught by me makes me feel special for holding such an important place in his heart, but then the thoughts of wanting more slip into my mind now and then.I do not want to spoil anything, so I stay back, watching his relationship with Caspian blossom again. Caspian, on the other hand, has become closer to me, and it is safe to say
GINGER:It is the first day of school after the match, and the halls are silent with praise for me. No one is giving me a disgusted look, and the people who hate me so much have their lips shut as I walk down the hallway.The feeling is great, I must admit, but there are more pressing issues. I get to my locker, put my stuff away, take out the things I need, and then shut it just in time to see Hu walking towards the classroom halls. I go after him.“Hu!” I call out, and he comes to a halt without turning to face me. I make my way to his front, standing before him, and even now, he has his face down. He is making this more difficult for both of us, and I wish he would just speak to me, but it doesn’t look like he will be doing that anytime soon.“Is everything okay?” I question, and he glances up at me with his expression neutral.“Yes, everything is
Ginger:The arena is a frenzy of cheers, clapping, and blurry bodies moving in celebration, but all I can think about is Hu. My eyes dart from face to face as I search the crowd, my heart pounding louder than the echo of the victory horn. Seeing him fall scared the shit out of me, but then he stood up like nothing happened. I know he’s probably hurt, and I feel the need to be there for him—like he’s always been there for me.“Excuse me—sorry!” I murmur, weaving through fans waving the Shadow Pelt flag, looking for that familiar, stubborn face. He’ll say he doesn’t need help, and he’s probably somewhere trying to soothe his pain.I don’t see him anywhere near the bench or the sidelines. Not even among the players being lifted and hugged. My chest tightens as I try to keep my feelings in check. I shouldn’t panic. This is Hu, who doesn’t give a shit about m
Hu:Coach Greg’s voice slices through the locker room as he marches in, blowing his whistle multiple times, clapping his hands to get the rowdy locker room to come to a halt. I know the girls did well yesterday, but the fact we won’t have a shot at the finals if we fail is where the pressure is. We are the only shot needed to save face for our pack. Although we have never lost to any team, there is still need for preparation.“Hu!” He shoots me a commanding look, and I jog up to him, standing beside him. Then he faces the rest of the team.“I don’t care how good the Blue Shadow boys are. I don’t care if they’ve got players with ice for blood. We are Shadow Pelt!” he growls, pacing in front of us. “Yesterday, they took victory from our girls, and it is our duty to protect them, so we must restore their dignity!”Every guy in the team stands straighter, and I can see the raw burn of revenge in their eyes. Well, it is mostly because some boys have taken a liking to the girls. The team is
GINGER:Ginger’s breath comes in ragged gasps as she rushes down the hallway, her vision blurred with unshed tears. The echo of the crowd’s cheers for the Blue Shadow Pack rings in her ears, each sound amplifying the shame tightening in her chest. She cost them the game. She fell at the most critical moment.She doesn’t stop until she reaches the empty corridor leading to the locker rooms, but heavy footsteps pound behind her, gaining on her fast.“Ginger!” Hu calls out, but she doesn’t slow down.She clenches her fists, trying to ignore him, but within seconds, he is beside her. His longer strides close the distance between them, and before she can pull away, his hand curls gently around her wrist, forcing her to stop.“Leave me alone, Hu,” she whispers, her voice cracking.He doesn’t let go. “Why are you beating yourself up?”