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78. Steaming
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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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
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 80. Replaced By Chaos
The school celebration was in full swing, but it was all noise, nothing more. We had just been beaten down and barely scraped a win. The energy in the locker room was far from the wild cheers echoing around the rink and outside. It felt empty, like we were apparitions wandering through the middle of a party that wasn't meant for us. The truth was, we didn't feel like celebrating. Who celebrates getting their asses kicked? I got it. A win's a win, but that didn't mean we had to pretend we weren't all feeling like we'd just been run over by a train. Multiple acctually. Coach was pacing, trying to ramp everyone up. "We pulled through! That's what matters! You dug deep, and you found a way to win!" The guys were just staring at the floor, nursing their bruises. I could see the frustration in the set of Cam's shoulders, the way Adrien kept rubbing at his ribs. Even Kris, usually quick with a grin or a joke, was quiet, his eyes dark with something he wasn't sharing. Bear didn't play
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 81. Cryptic
I looked at the plate of eggs in front of me, absentmindedly pushing them around with my fork, not particularly interested in eating. My body felt like one giant bruise, every muscle aching from the beating we had taken in that damn game.Around me, the guys weren't doing any better. They looked battered, their faces drawn and spirits crushed.We were supposed to be the best, but last night, we got our asses handed to us, plain and simple.Bear sat across from me. "Th..they w...were like a d...amn freight train," he muttered."More like a wrecking ball," I corrected, shoving my plate away. "We trained our asses off, and they made us look like we'd just crawled out of the Little League."Jules leaned back in his chair. "I'm telling you, it didn't make sense. There was no way they got that good overnight. We've faced them before. They were never that fast or that coordinated. Something changed."Kris had been uncharacteristically quiet. "You think… you think they let us win?" It was ri
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 82. Congratulations
I couldn't take it anymore. The cryptic talk, the uncertainty, the feeling that we were being played like pawns on some massive, invisible chessboard. I was done with it. Coop's bullshit speech in class had been the last straw.I turned back and found him walking down the hall. "Coop!" I shouted. He didn't stop, just kept walking like he hadn't heard me. That only pissed me off more. "Coop, damn it! I need to talk to you!"He finally turned around, his calm demeanor like a slap in the face. "What's up, James? Something on your mind?""Something on my mind?" I echoed, my anger flaring. "Yeah, you could say that. What the hell is going on? Why won't anyone tell us what's really happening? First, we get our asses handed to us by a team that wasn't supposed to be anywhere near that good. Then he starts talking like we're about to be thrown into some kind of war zone, and now you're acting like everything's fine when it's obviously not!"Coop looked at me, and something in his eyes made m
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 83. Large Chunks of my Hair
After finding Jules all beaten up, there was no way I was leaving him alone. When I insisted he sleep in Adrien's room with us, Jules didn't argue. He was too shaken, too quiet. I'd been crashing in Adrien's room for the past few nights. Not that we ever discussed it. But there was something about being close, especially after everything we'd been through. Adrien said it was because he was worried about sleepwalking. I let him believe that, but deep down, I knew I needed to be there just as much as he needed me. He hated being lonely, and for whatever reason, I felt like I needed him around right now. Alec had been acting strange, too, and the last thing I wanted was to deal with his unpredictable behavior in the middle of the night.Adrien was already in bed, lying on his back. He stared at the ceiling like it held the answers to whatever haunted him. I helped Jules settle into the extra bed, trying not to let the sight of his bruised face get to me. Every time I looked at him, an
Hockey Alphas - Pawns For Pucks 84. I'll Fix It
Adrien returned from Cam's room looking like he'd seen a ghost. He stood there, the color drained from his face. "Cam's gone," he said. "His backpack, snow boots, everything. It looks like he left on purpose."Still sitting on the bed, Jules looked like he might pass out. The air in the room felt thick, almost suffocating. None of this made sense. Why would Cam leave in the middle of the night, cutting her hair before disappearing?"We need to figure out what's going on," I said, trying to stay calm. "Something's off."Before anyone could respond, the door swung open, and Kris rushed in with Bear and Alec close behind. "We just got a notification from the student messenger," Alec said. "There's a mandatory assembly in the gym in an hour and a half. Full uniform."The tension in the room spiked instantly. An assembly, now of all times? It felt like we were being herded into something we weren't prepared for."We don't have time for this," Adrien muttered. "But we don't have a choice e
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.
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
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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.
