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71. This Place Changes You
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 72. About the Bond
Leaving Jules sprawled out on his bed, I hesitated before grabbing a pen and scribbling a note. "Come find me when you wake up. We need to talk. -J" I doubted he'd remember any of this by morning, but I couldn't just leave him without some kind of direction. I placed the note next to his pillow, hoping it wouldn’t be ignored in his hungover stupor.I walked back to my dorm. Adrien was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, knees drawn up, and head resting in his hands. He was so still that I wondered if he had fallen asleep.I touched his arm. "Adrien?"His head snapped up. "Hey...""Did you mean to be here?"He shrugged. "Well, yes and no. I went to sleep in bed, woke up here, and decided to stay because this is obviously where I want to be. This way, I wouldn't fall down the stairs, hopefully."I sighed, too exhausted to dissect his cryptic answer. These boys were needy, and it was so exhausting. "Come on, I'm too tired to worry about you right now. You're just going t
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 73. Identity Crisis
Much to Alec's dismay, I quickly set Kris's chessboard next to the others on the windowsill. It took up the entire space.He whispered, "Do you know how hard it will be to dust that many pieces?" making everyone in the room laugh at him. Kris and Adrien left for the student center, teasing one another about how close their chessboard gifts to me almost matched. Once they were out of sight, I got up and rummaged through my bag. I had something special for Alec, too.I pulled out a package and handed it to him. "Here, this is for you."Alec took the gift in surprise. He unwrapped it to reveal a coffee cup with the words, "You call it OCD, I call it You should have put the shit back where it belongs." Inside the cup was a keychain, similar to the ones I had given Jules, Bear, and Adrien. This one was a knight chess piece made from white and redwood. It was far more detailed and not a gag gift like the others.He laughed when he realized how closely it matched the one he'd carved. "O
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 74. Focus
I convinced Jules to come down to the dining hall with me. Bear was already there, huffing and looking at us as we entered. The moment we sat down, Bear stood up to leave. His reaction was hard to miss.Jules sighed, leaning back in his chair. "What's going on there?" I asked, curious and a bit concerned.Jules rubbed his temples. "He woke up to me throwing up all over the room. Honestly, I'd be pretty upset, too."Before I could respond, Jules stood up. "I'm glad you found me, though. I'm supposed to go see the doctor about this damn arm today, in like an hour. I'm going to take a shower.""Do you need me to come with you?" I asked, already doubting his ability to handle it alone."No, I don't need a babysitter. I'll be fine." He walked away, but my worry lingered.With some time to kill, I decided to head to the library to connect a few dots before school started back up tomorrow. But first, I needed to find Cam and get the key. I had the Werewolf 101 book and my mom's research jou
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 75. Screaming My Name
Coop walked in from one of the back doors. Cam didn't even bother to take his feet off the table. Coop's surprised face at seeing me there seemed almost amusing to him. So Coop, who supposedly knew everything about this place, didn't know Cam could get in here? Cam smirked. "I let James in here to research since their guide is scared of dark corners. Sue me." Umm, why did he just use a random pronoun? "Their" instead of saying "his." Coop didn't seem to catch it, but I most definitely did. Coop was nearly fuming. "How could you get in here in the first place?" "Perhaps you should be a little more concerned about who you give keys to," Cam replied smoothly. Coop continued to look at Cam, his eyes narrowing. "James... head to the rink." "Rink?" I echoed, caught off guard. "Yeah, the coach wanted to call a last-minute team-building session to address any underlying issues within the team. But I'm honestly doubting if we need it, seeing you two in a restricted area, breaking
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 76. Pawns in a Much Larger Game
We ran around the corner and ducked behind the dumpster. Moments later, an old man still wearing a three-piece suit walked by despite it being so late and messy outside. "Quiet, he likes to find ways to give double demerits," Jules whispered. I whispered, "Is that why you're panicking?" He shook his head. "No...It's Alec. Something's wrong. He's... he's not himself."I started panicking instantly. "Where is he?"Jules pointed towards the locker room. "He's in there. But be careful, James. He's acting... strange."I nodded, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "Stay here. I'll go check on him."Pushing open the locker room door, I called out, "Alec? You in here?"The only response was the echo of my voice. I moved further inside, the dim light casting long shadows on the walls. My heart pounded in my chest, the silence unnerving.I found Alec sitting on a bench, staring blankly at the floor. Relief washed over me momentarily, but I quickly became concerned as I noticed his vacant
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 77. Drugged and Manipulated
Wanda took one last look at Alec before addressing the rest of us. "You all stay with him while I go run some tests on this," she said, holding up the small vial. "He seems to be okay otherwise, just keep an eye on him. And boys... stop taking random things you don’t know what are!"With that, she left. Kris and Jules jumped up, grabbed the beanbags from the common area, and dragged them into the room. They settled in, made themselves comfortable, and pulled out a chessboard. It was their way of passing the time, a distraction from the worry gnawing at all of us.Alec was in and out, sometimes completely passed out, other times awake but disoriented. I stayed by his side, sitting on the edge of his bed to ensure he didn't fall off. Occasionally, he’d mumble something unintelligible, his eyes fluttering open briefly before he drifted off again.Trying to take my mind off the unease, I started talking more to myself than anyone else. “I still don’t know much about the end-of-year test,
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 78. Steaming
Alec lay on the bed, drifting in and out of consciousness. The strange sedative had left him in a state that made us all panic despite Wanda saying he would be okay. Ultimately, we were a team, and one of our own was down. I felt the team bonding more in these moments than any forced hour of skating could ever accomplish. We all huddled close, trying to distract ourselves with chess games. We had enough boards for everyone to play now. The pieces clacked against the board, each move a futile attempt to mask our anxiety.I glanced at Kris, noticing how he kept glancing between the game and Alec. Every so often, he'd shift uncomfortably, clearly uneasy. The others mirrored his concern. As the night wore on, exhaustion claimed us one by one. Unable to keep his eyes open, Kris climbed to the top bunk. I stayed beside Alec while everyone else passed out on the bean bags and floor.Sleep didn't come easy. I kept an ear out for any changes in Alec's condition. I shifted until my back was
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 79. Coach Was Right
Alec had dodged every question, brushing off the concern with a flimsy excuse about his knee. I wanted to press, but we had a game to focus on. Whatever was going on with him would have to wait, though the unease gnawed at me. Stepping into the rink, the cold bit through my jacket, jolting me awake better than coffee ever could. The place buzzed with players warming up and coaches barking orders. But something felt off. The usual pre-game chaos had a different edge, an anxiety that hadn't existed before. I felt like I was an outsider watching from afar. Alec was already on the ice, skating like he had something to prove. Every move was sharp, almost reckless, like he was trying to outrun whatever haunted him. Kris caught my eye across the rink, but instead of concern, his expression was blank, almost dismissive. This game was critical not just for the team but for Alec. If something snapped, there'd be no hiding it. I joined the team, shoving thoughts of Alec's
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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.
