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7. Hideout
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 8. No Amateur
As I sat across from Adrien, the chessboard forming a battleground between us, I couldn't shake my skepticism about his alleged lack of experience. The beads of sweat forming on my forehead were a testament to the unexpectedly intense challenge he posed. His gameplay bore the hallmarks of someone beyond a beginner. Far beyond. Adrien's opening move was my first hint that he was no amateur. I countered by developing my pieces, trying to control the center of the board, but he quickly evaded, moving his bishop into a strong position. It was clear that every move he made was calculated and informed, strategy you'd expect from a seasoned chess player. Each exchange was like a carefully choreographed dance, his moves leading the way. I found myself on the defensive, constantly reacting to his aggressive yet controlled play. The way he trapped my bishop, leaving me no choice but to sacrifice it, was a move of someone who had spent considerable time mastering the intricacies of the game.
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 9. Skating
I spent the rest of the day in various classes and ensuring every corner of the dorm room was immaculate. I couldn't risk giving Alec any reason to rummage through my belongings. I tried to distract myself, but no matter what I did, I grappled with a looming sense of panic. Skating. The very thought made me cringe. My experience with skating was limited at best, restricted to a handful of childhood attempts on roller skates across a wooden floor. The memory of my one and only disastrous incident with inline skates, resulting in my body covered in bruises and a missed day of school, did little to bolster my confidence.But, like with everything else in my life these days, I couldn't just wallow. Determined to face my fears head-on, I decided to scope out the hockey practice.Sneaking into the auditorium, I found a discreet spot in the stands, my heart racing with anticipation and dread. Adrien's words earlier that day echoed in my mind. If I could figure out how to survive the hocke
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 10. Shirt or Skin
The morning light filtered through the dorm room curtains as I stirred awake. Across the room, Alec was already up, immersed in a book with a cup of coffee in hand. He glanced up, offering a simple nod as he noticed me waking up. There was something about Alec that struck a balance between being present and giving space. His quiet respect for boundaries made sharing a room with him less daunting than I had initially feared.Living with a boy, a notion that once filled me with apprehension, now seemed surprisingly manageable. In fact, Alec's presence, far from being overwhelming, had quickly become a comforting constant. His meticulous nature, something I had pegged as potentially problematic, was turning out to be a trait I appreciated more each day.I realized I was adopting some of his cleanliness habits. Sharing a space with someone so orderly was positively influencing me – a side effect I hadn't anticipated.As I prepared for the day, I was thankful I remembered to wear a shirt
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 11. Outnumbered
Coach's eyes were like a laser, sharp and piercing, as he surveyed me from head to toe. Standing on the cold ice, I felt the chill seep deep into my bones, a sensation dwarfed only by the icy scrutiny in Coach's stare. I battled the rising panic, the cold from the ice almost a welcome distraction from my anxiety. Fleeing would be my only choice if I were chosen for the skins team. It would mean abandoning the tryouts and possibly everything I had worked for. At least, amid the pervasive cold, my nervousness seemed more like a reaction to the temperature than outright terror. In his eyes, I must have been no more significant than a fleeting shadow, easily lost among the more formidable figures surrounding me. My presence was as inconsequential as a cobweb, easily swept away and forgotten in the corners of the rink. After what felt like an eternity, his answer came in little more than a grunt. "SHIRTS!" A wave of relief washed over me, sparing me from the bare-chested team. I wouldn't
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 12. Hide and Seek
In the whirlwind of emotions following the revelation that I'd made the team, a mix of elation and suspicion swirled within me. Why was my name there? Incredibly close to the top? It felt like a setup, a piece in a game I had yet to learn to play. Determined to uncover the truth, I mustered the courage to confront the coach directly, hoping to learn his intentions. If I understood his reasons, I could plan my next moves better. Surprisingly, the coach's office door was open. Pushing it, I stepped inside, immediately noticing a cell phone vibrating on the desk. I walked over to the desk in total disbelief, thinking it had to be an alarm that needed to be silenced or something. My heart jumped into my throat when I realized it was actually ringing. It was a direct line to the outside world, a rarity in this place. And what's more, this place seemed to operate on its own rules. It wasn't that cell phones didn't work here; it was they were blocked from working. This showed how deliber
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 13. Hidden
The day before my fifteenth birthday should have been filled with anticipation and excitement, but instead, it was clouded by a turbulent storm of emotions. An intense argument with my mom had erupted seemingly out of nowhere, propelling me out the door and towards Grandpa's house for refuge. The fight had escalated quickly, my emotions boiling over until I found myself shouting, my words echoing with more anger and pain than I intended.I couldn't pinpoint exactly why the fight started. The triggers always seemed trivial retrospectively. However, beneath the surface was a deeper discord, mostly revolving around my mom's disapproval of the path I had chosen for myself. She had never hidden her disdain for my ambitions in chess. In her eyes, being a chess champion was a pursuit far beneath my potential. She believed I could achieve more conventional success. Success that looked impressive in the eyes of our small community and beyond.Her constant critique that I could, and should, as
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 14. Dictate my Actions
The doctor arrived briskly, his steps echoing sharply on the tile floor. He began checking my vitals, his manner professional yet oddly distant. Almost like he didn't want to be here or something. I noticed his attention lingering too long on my neck as he worked. Panic flared in my chest. Was he noticing the absence of an Adam's apple? Did he suspect something off about me? Was he questioning my gender? After a tense minute, he finally spoke. "Did something get tangled around your neck when you fell on the ice?" His voice was neutral, but the question felt loaded and oddly probing. When I did not respond, he continued, "There are pretty serious ligature marks around your neck, son." "I was attacked by Cameron and his...friend Thomas. It wasn't just a petty argument. They deliberately tried to hurt me. I also saw his friend Thomas do similar things to others at tryouts. They are totally out of control." The doctor eyed me briefly before saying, "That doesn't explain the marks ar
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 15. The Twins
Author‘s POVAlec had just returned from an unsettling ordeal at the hockey rink, where he had found James unconscious on the ice. With Peter's help, they managed to carry James to the infirmary. The nurse had assured them James would be okay but needed to rest, promptly ushering them out to allow him some peace. Still reeling from the incident, Alec wandered aimlessly back to the dorm, stopping first in the common room. He signaled for Kris, who was engrossed in a video game with other students. With a serious expression that immediately caught Kris's attention, Alec gestured for him to follow. Once back in their room, Alec relayed the events to Kris, whose concern quickly mirrored his own. "How did it happen?" Kris asked. "I'm not sure," Alec replied. "We might have to wait until James wakes up to understand the full story." The twins sat silently for a moment, the weight of the situation settling over them. It was Kris who broke the silence, his creative mind already ticking. "
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Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 93. Playbook
I stood there frozen for what felt like forever, racing to catch up with what I was seeing. Cam and Jules weren't talking.They were wrapped up in each other. Cam had Jules pressed against the wall, their bodies close, lips locked in a kiss that made it clear this was about more than any argument over me.I took a step back, feeling the awkwardness settle into my bones. This wasn't what I'd expected when I followed them. I intended to walk away, to give them their moment. Then I glanced down and saw Cam's clothes in my hand. Of course, he was still in his boxers. I couldn't just walk away. He was already in trouble. Getting caught kissing a guy in the stairwell, barely dressed, would be his undoing. There is no doubt about that. He couldn't get in trouble and disappear without helping me fix whatever the hell was making random voices constantly whisper in my head. It was tolerable right now, but I had a sneaky suspicion that wouldn't be the case for long. I walked up the stairs a
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 92. Weirder
I woke up to the door flying open and crashing against the wall. I jerked upright, struggling to adjust to the dim light assaulted by the bright lights from the hallway. The voices were quieter, even though I could still feel them. Jules stood in the doorway, looking like he was seconds away from tearing the room apart. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and before I could even get a word out, he stormed inside, fury radiating off him.“Cam!” Jules barked, crossing the room in just a few long strides. His energy was wild, dangerous, and aimed directly at Cam.I blinked, trying to catch up. My mind was jumbled, especially when I glanced over and saw Cam. He was sitting on the edge of the desk. Shirtless.Just sitting there, like it was the most natural thing in the world to be in nothing but his boxers. The sight threw me off, but his bed made my head spin. Cam’s bed was perfectly made, neat and untouched. Mine wasn’t.Or rather, the bed I was in wasn’t.I barely had time to process an
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 91. Smelled Good
The cold air bit through my skin, chilling me to the bone, but I didn't care. I sat on the steps outside the dorm, legs pulled up, arms wrapped tight around them, trying to keep myself together. It was freezing, but it wasn't the cold that had me shaking. It was the voices.“Jamie… Jamie…”They whispered repeatedly, the name grating at me like nails on glass. My real name. A name that didn't feel like mine anymore. I hadn't been Jamie in a long time.But the voices wouldn't stop."You're not who you say you are."It kept going relentlessly, pushing against my skull. My thoughts tangled up in themselves, a knot I couldn't untie. They were loud, louder than anything I could handle. And they weren't just words.They were pulling at something deeper. My insecurities, my secrets, things I'd buried long ago.I wasn't Jamie anymore. I'd changed. I had to. I wasn't that scared girl hiding in the shadows, pretending to fit into a world that would never accept her. Not anymore. But the vo
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 90.
( CAM POV ) The night of the dance was still burned into my memory. It had started off innocent enough—awkward conversations, forced smiles, and that strange, tense feeling of being out of place. I'd gone with some girl from my class, though I can't even remember her name now. We barely spoke. I didn't care to impress her, didn't care to dance. I spent most of the night wondering why I was even there.Then Jules found me.I'd known him for a while, but we weren't exactly close. He was one of those guys who radiated confidence without trying. Everyone liked him. He was different, though. He wasn't pretending like everyone else at the dance. He didn't have to force anything.When he approached me, it was late, and most of the crowd had already left. We ended up outside, sitting by the field, where no one could see us. The stars were out, scattered across the sky like they had a purpose.Something I felt like I lacked.We didn't talk much, just sat there, staring out into the dark. Th
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 89. Boy-war?
Alec, Kris, Bear, and I sat near the back of french class, barely keeping it together. Kris was the only one who wasn’t struggling. He had this uncanny knack for getting every pronunciation right, even with the most tongue-twisting words. I slouched in my chair, staring at the chalkboard. The teacher had written a list of words, each more difficult than the last. “Oeil,” “Bouilloire,” “Rouge-gorge.” She was pacing in front of the class, listening to us mangle each one as we tried to sound them out. Kris, of course, had breezed through them. Bear and I? Not so much.“James, try again,” the teacher said, her voice soft but with that edge that made you feel like you were disappointing her. “It’s ‘oeil,’ not ‘oil.’ You have to use the back of your throat more.”I sighed. “Uh... Ool?”The teacher winced, like I’d just stepped on her favorite pet. Kris smirked from beside me, barely holding back a laugh, and Bear gave me an exaggerated shrug.“Close enough,” she said, though I could tell
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 88. Secrets
It had been a couple of days since everything about Cam came to light, but the shock hadn't worn off. The team was still uneasy around each other, and every conversation felt forced, like we were all walking on eggshells. Cam had been allowed to stay at the school and on the team under certain conditions.Strict ones. Dean Carrigan laid it out pretty clearly. Cam wasn't allowed to leave campus or go into the woods where we used to run drills. He had to move permanently into the dorms, too. No going home for breaks, no visiting family. It was like the school had put him under house arrest.I wasn't sure how I felt about it. On one hand, Cam deserved consequences for the deception, but something didn't sit right with me. It became obvious pretty quickly that he was struggling with more than just losing his powers. The necklace that had been the source of his magic wasn't just making him look perfect.It was doing something else, something deeper. At first, I thought it was just physi
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 87. Perfect
Wanda glanced between Bear and me. She must have noticed the exhaustion, the confusion on my face. She rubbed her eyes, then turned to Bear."You're fine," she said, motioning toward the door. "Go back to your dorm, rest up. No need to worry. If you need emotional support, let me know." Bear huffed, then nodded and left. He didn't like being a part of the drama, and he had somehow got sucked in. Wanda turned to me as the door closed behind him, her demeanor shifting instantly. This wasn't just a check-up anymore. She pulled up a chair and sat across from me."Jamie," she started. "We need to talk." I straightened up, bracing myself."You've been through a lot today," she continued. "But there's something we need to address. Cameron."The betrayal was still fresh. I nodded for her to continue."I've known Cam since he was about ten," Wanda said. "Back then, he was just a normal kid. Quiet, kept to himself. But after one break, he came back different. Perfect. Too perfect. It wasn't
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 86. Even
Dean Carrigan pulled the curtain aside with a sharp motion, grabbing the person tangled beneath it. I braced myself, fully expecting to see Whitaker. For him to team up with the Dean to expose my secret to the entire school of boys.But...It wasn't him. It wasn't Whitaker at all.Dark, messy hair covered a face dotted with acne.A face I knew all too well. The stained t-shirt and baggy khaki shorts were familiar. I'd seen them recently. My heart seemed to freeze as the realization sank in.It was Cameron. I struggled to piece it all together. How could it be Cam? This was the last thing I expected.Carrigan didn't pause, didn't hesitate for a second. He yanked Cam up by the front of his shirt, lifting him until they were eye to eye. "Cameron!" Carrigan barked. "You crossed a line with this nonsense, son! You, of all people, should understand how important today is, yet you choose to cause chaos. Just like last year."Cam didn't fight back. He didn't struggle or resist. He just sto
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 85. Blurring the Lines
The curtain that separated the regular gym from the rest had been pulled across to serve as a background for the stage they had set up to speak from.I was pinned against the wall, right beside where the curtain met the gym wall. Just on the other side was the entire student body of IronCrest. If Whitaker exposed me, it would be in front of the whole school. My heart pounded against my already constricted chest. This couldn't be happening.Not here, not now.Whitaker loomed over me, his fingers hovered over the top button of my jacket. "I've been watching you for a while, James," he said, slowly undoing the first button. "There's something about you… something I just can't quite put my finger on.""Funny," I shot back, trying to keep steady despite the panic. "I've only seen you once."He smirked, and it made my skin crawl. It was oddly familiar, but I was so panicked my mind was racing too fast to piece together where. "I'm always in the shadows, James. It's where I do my best work.
