Chapter 2 2

CHAPTER TWO

VESPER

The scent wouldn't leave me alone.

It clung to the back of my throat, thick and wild, wrapping around my senses until I could almost taste it. My wolf had been restless ever since I'd caught it, pacing beneath my skin like she was hunting something I couldn't see.

But what?

I scanned the crowded cafeteria again, searching every face around me.

Nothing.

No male stood out. No one looked at me differently. There was no obvious source for the strange pull twisting inside my chest.

My wolf whined.

Mate.

I swallowed hard.

No.

That was impossible.

I wasn't ready for a mate. I didn't even want one.

So why did every instinct inside me insist that somewhere in this room was the wolf I'd been destined to find?

“Hey, what are you staring at?”

Vega's voice pulled me back.

I looked at my brother and found him grinning at me.

“Remind me to never piss you off.”

I let out a heavy sigh and dragged a hand down my face. My wolf was still pacing beneath my skin, restless and impatient.

“I know I should've ignored that idiot,” I admitted. “But it's been a long day, and he really tested my patience.”

“Hey, he had it coming.” Vega laughed. “Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't knee him in the groin after that line about you being something pretty to look at and fuck.”

I raised an eyebrow before speaking.

“I'm surprised you didn't rip his jaw off for disrespecting your sister.”

Vega shrugged. “Why should I? You've got claws and knees of your own, and I've seen you draw blood with both.” His eyes softened slightly. “Seriously, though, ignore him. You belong here just as much as any wolf in this Winter Claw. You were fierce on the ice today, Ves. Didn't let a single puck touch the back of the net.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You didn't even watch me. You were too busy trying to impress Dad, just like every other male here.”

“Okay, fine,” he admitted, holding up his hands. “I heard you played a clean game. And for the record, I don't need to impress Dad.”

“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that.”

Every single young wolf in the territory wanted to impress Tyler Cross. He wasn't just the founder of Winter Claw; he was a legend, an elite predator in the Lunar Hockey League who retired after our mother, his mate, died. Over the years, his reputation for turning raw young wolves into savage, unstoppable players had only grown. Winter Claw was his hunting ground for talent—at least for the ones he deemed worthy.

I looked down at my plate, but the sudden flare-up of my wolf had completely killed my appetite. I shoved the burger toward my brother and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Vega asked, instantly snatching the plate. He ate like an Alpha in his prime, but at least he kept his jaw shut while doing it.

“Back to the ice.”

“Ves, you have been training all day.”

“I don't care. My wolf is restless, and I need to skate it off.”

Night was falling, and the crisp, chilly air whipped through my fur as I crossed the grounds. The locker room was dead silent, and the arena itself was blessedly empty. I laced up my skates, slipped onto the ice, and let out a long breath as my blades bit into the smooth, freshly zambonied surface.

Strictly speaking, the coaches had warned us that the rink was off-limits after hours. But as the founder's daughter—and a wolf who refused to be chained—I didn't care about the rules. I had earned my place here, and I wasn't wasting a single second.

I was already moving across the ice when the sharp scrape of metal slicing against the surface made my ears twitch. I stopped and spun around, immediately realizing that someone else had invaded my rink.

He was wearing a camp jersey with the number one stitched across the back, completely focused on the puck as he glided effortlessly toward the far net. He was tall and broad-shouldered, moving with the deadly grace of a top-tier hockey player. Every instinct in me snarled. This was my ice.

“You're not supposed to be out here,” I called, my voice cutting through the cold air.

He executed a smooth pivot and turned to face me. My pulse betrayed me, jumping slightly as I took him in. He had messy dark hair, piercing and impossibly intriguing eyes, and lips that looked practically made for trouble. There was something confident and dangerous about him, the kind of aura that reminded me of an Alpha-in-training. A playful smirk was already spreading across his face.

“The rink is closed,” I said, skating right up to him and yanking off my helmet. I shook out my hair and locked my gaze onto his. “Coaches will have your head if they catch you.”

His bright eyes widened for a fraction of a second, a flicker of raw surprise crossing his face before melting into pure, unadulterated mischief.

“You're here,” he murmured, his deep voice carrying a dark warmth. “I would advise that you sit your ass down, princess. Hockey isn’t for you!”

I frowned. “What? Hockey isn’t meant for me, or you just don’t have the balls to watch a girl defeat you?”

He continued looking at me as though he'd just discovered something he hadn't expected to find. The intensity in his stare made my wolf shift beneath my skin, but I refused to let him see that he'd affected me.

“I'm special,” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I definitely won't argue with that,” he purred, his eyes flashing with a heat that made my skin itch.

Male wolves my age were supposed to be loud, brawling idiots, not drop-dead-gorgeous wolves who looked at me like I was the only piece of prey worth hunting.

“Right. Good. Bye then,” I said, turning on my heel.

“Hold on, special,” he called out softly, the low rumble of his voice hitting me right in the spine. “I didn't say I was leaving. If you want this ice all to yourself, you're going to have to win it from me.”

I whipped back around, narrowing my eyes. “Excuse me?”

“Simple rules,” he said with a grin, tapping his stick against the ice. “If I score on you, I get to stay. If you block me from scoring, I walk.”

A dangerous smile stretched across my face as my wolf bared her teeth inside my mind. “You really think you can score on me, male?”

His grin didn't fade. If anything, it became darker.

“I want to stay on this ice,” he said, taking a step closer until I could feel the heat radiating from his body despite the freezing air. “And I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want.”

“Why do you care so much?” I challenged, refusing to move back even an inch. “Is getting chewed out by the coaches really worth it?”

“Oh, I think I'm already in deep trouble,” he whispered, his smirk turning devastatingly sweet.

I rolled my eyes, fighting the heat rising into my cheeks. “Does that cheesy line actually work on female wolves?”

“Usually, no.” His eyes remained fixed on mine. “But I figured a guy falling in love at first sight might earn me some mercy.”

“You haven't fallen in love with me.”

“Are you kidding?” His grin widened. “I'm already selecting a lot for our mating ceremony.”

I let out a dramatic groan, though my heart did an embarrassing little flip. “Be serious for once.”

He released a soft, breathless laugh, but his gaze dropped to my lips before locking back onto my eyes. Something darker flickered across his expression for a moment, something that made him seem less like the playful boy standing in front of me and more like the dangerous wolf hiding underneath.

“You want to be serious?”

“Please.”

“Fine. The truth is, I made a terrible first impression on a certain legendary coach today.” He shrugged, his playful front slipping just enough to reveal the fiery drive beneath it. “And if I don't practice until my feet bleed, I'm done for.”

“Fine. You're on.” I tightened my grip on my stick. “But only to shut you up. And I should warn you, I'm on a hot streak today, and I don't plan to go easy on you, little wolf.”