Chapter 1
Jackson
My fingers wrap around the waxed white laces of my skates, the rough texture biting into my skin as I yank them tight. It’s going to be a tough practice, especially since we made it to Regionals.
And then there's the fact that those fucking Serpents made it too. The thought of facing off against them, againsthim, makes my blood boil. The memory of my knuckles connecting with Killian Blackwell's jaw, the satisfying crunch of bone against bone, and the sight of his blood splattering across his face, is still fresh in my mind.
I should've done more than just punch him. I should’ve wrapped my hands around his throat and squeezed until the life drained from his eyes. Maybe then he'd finally learn to keep hisfucking mouth shut. However, I would’ve been suspended for the rest of the season . . . for the rest of my college career.
Probably should’ve just signed the entry level contract with Winnipeg.
But I still wanted to be the big fish in the little pond, and they felt I could develop more. So, it was a mutual decision not to sign the contract after the draft. However, I doubt they’d follow through if I got arrested for murder.
Connor Walsh, our team captain, strolls over and plops down on the bench next to Alexei, my roommate and our top defenseman. “Eli still mad at you?”
Alexei shakes his head, his expression stoic as ever. “He got over it.”
Viktor, our goalie and Alexei's cousin, lets out a bark of laughter. “He's mad at him for something else now.”
I glance down at my wrist, flexing my fingers experimentally. The ache is still there, a dull throb that serves as a constant reminder of what happened last week. “And Alexei just fucks the tantrum right out of him.”
My roommate pins me with a glare. “Maybe you should stop staying in the room when my boyfriend and I have sex.”
I meet his gaze head-on, unflinching. “I live there too, fuckhead.”
It's an old argument, one we've had a thousand times before. And it always ends the same way, with neither of us willing to back down. I'm not about to get kicked out of my own damn dorm room just so Alexei can get his rocks off with Eli.
Definitely won’t mention it’s kind of hot watching them fuck.
Not that I'm into guys. At least, I never thought I was. Never looked at Viktor that way. But there's something about Alexei and Eli’s dynamic, something that intrigues me.
And maybe I’ve perused a few gay porn sites. That did as much for me as threesomes have been lately, aka—not much.
How’s it even possible to get bored of sex?
“Your hand getting any better?” Connor’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
“Eh, still sore.”
Viktor throws his hands up, his expression one of exaggerated frustration. “Can't believe I missed all the fun having to guard Feisty Mouse.”
Our goalie is a bit unhinged. Not as much as our other friend, Zach Knight, who’s one cold fuck. But Viktor is like a sociopath on crack some days.
While he might be complaining, we all know he enjoys spending time with his new best friend, latching onto him like an obsessive hellhound. They even have their own little group chat they call Bottoms Up.
“Blackwell got what he deserved,” I say.
And he did.
The Serpent’s captain has been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember, always there, always pushing, always trying to get under my skin. We’ve been at each other’s throats since the day he showed up at hockey camp back when we were kids.
Seeing as he was from Massachusetts, I thought I’d never see him again. But over the years we’d play against each other at tournaments, and more often once we started playing at the junior level.
Now we’re on rival college teams, only a handful of miles from one another.
We’ve always been on opposite sides of the ice.
Always fighting.
