Chapter 66: The Puck Drops

Aveline’s pov

The black rubber puck rested in the referee’s hand, hovering over the ice.

Through the metal cage of my helmet, I locked eyes with Kieran Hampton. He so looked drained, his breathing ragged beneath his gear. He wasn't looking at Aveline. He was looking at the ghost of the girl he had fallen for over the summer, the girl who was now out for his blood.

The whistle shrieked. The puck dropped.

I didn't just try to win the draw; I launched myself forward with a level of raw, venomous aggression no one in this arena ever expected from my twin brother.

Kieran was completely thrown off his game. He hesitated for a second, his mind clearly spinning as his eyes frantically searched my face.

That single split-second was all I needed. I exploited his weakness, driving the blade of my stick under his, stealing the puck right from under him, and driving hard up the ice. I cut through the neutral zone, completely ignored the defensive line, and unleashed a brutal, lightning fast wrist shot at the net. The puck slammed into the top shelf before the goalie could even blink. He froze, completely paralyzed by the ssudden shot.

The scrimmage intensified immediately. The team scrambled, the sharp scrape of steel blades cutting into the ice echoing off the walls. Kieran refused to back down. He skated hard, trying to step up to defend his zone and close the gap between us. He was coming straight for me, expecting that i should dodge the hit.

Instead of avoiding contact, I dug my skates into the ice and charged straight into him.

I leaned forward, centered my weight, and threw my shoulder into Kieran’s chest. It was a massive, perfectly clean body check. The impact sent a shockwave through my bones, but the momentum was entirely mine. Kieran went flying backward, his gear slamming violently against the boards with a deafening crash.

The entire rink went silence. The players on the ice stood frozen, their jaws practically dropped. The team couldn't believe their eye the "fragile mascot" with a failing heart had just ruthlessly leveled the star captain.

Kieran sat on the cold ice his chest heaving as he stared up at me in absolute shock. I didn't offer him a hand. I didn't even blink. I just looked down at him with an absolute lack of human emotion.

Tweet!

Coach Hale’s whistle blew frantically, breaking the spell to switch lines.

I turned on my heel and skated back to the bench, completely unfazed, my breathing steady. The moment I crossed the threshold, the team swarms me. Guys were yelling, laughing, and clapping me on the shoulder pads in absolute disbelief and excitement.

"What the hell was that, Ash?!" Theo Mercer came over, hyped up but his eyes sharp with sudden suspicion. He gripped my arm, leaning in close. "Since when did you learn to skate like a pro? You just took down Hampton."

I let a casual, cocky grin slide onto my face" Turns out a summer of resting does wonders for the legs, Theo. I got tired of watching from the sidelines."

Theo laughed, but his eyes stayed narrow,

But my eyes weren't on Theo. I looked past the wall of teammates around me, straight across the ice.

Kieran was skating back slowly toward his own bench, picking up his dropped stick. His eyes were locked on me, burning with a desperate need to talk to me. He wanted answers. He wanted to scream. But the crowded wall of celebrating teammates standing between us made it completely impossible for him to get close.

I pulled my helmet off, keeping my dead eyes fixed on him. I was going to strip him of everything he loved.

The final buzzer vibrated through the arena, signaling the end of the scrimmage.

The scoreboard above the ice didn't lie. My line had completely dominated the rink. We didn't just win; we ran circles around the varsity starters. And it wasn't because my teammates were suddenly playing like NHL pros, it was because Kieran Hampton was a ghost of himself.

The star captain had been completely distracted, unfocused, and visibly terrified every single time our skates crossed paths. He spent the entire game pulling his punches, holding back his speed, and hesitating whenever he got near me. He was too busy trying to protect a girl to realize that the girl was actively trying to ruin him.

"Bring it in, boys!" Coach Hale’s voice boomed across the ice,

The team skated toward the center, forming a tight huddle around the coach.

Coach Hale tapped his clipboard against his thigh, his eyes scanning the group until they landed squarely on me.

"I've been coaching at Crestwood for twelve years," Hale began, his voice commanding the absolute silence of the room. "And I have never seen a medical comeback like the one I witnessed today. Carter, step forward."

I took a half-step out of the line "You showed real grit out there today. Genuine hockey talent," Hale announced, clapping a heavy gloved hand onto my shoulder pad. "The board originally wanted me to keep you on mascot duties for safety, but after today's performance, that would be a crime against this sport.

As of right now, Asher Carter has earned a real, permanent spot on the active starting roster."

immediately shouts and cheers Broke out. Milo Hayes whistled loudly, and several defensemen banged their sticks against the ice in approval. I forced a cocky, grateful smirk onto my face, nodding at the coach.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Theo Mercer watching me, his arms crossed over his chest,

But it was Kieran's reaction that mattered. The captain stood at the back of the huddle, his face completely pale, his hands gripping his stick so tightly.

"The rest of you, hit the showers," Coach Hale barked, as his eyes snapped toward the back of the group. "Hampton. Stay back. We need to talk. Now."

The team slowly went off the ice, whispering and glancing back over their shoulders. I skated past Kieran, our shoulders brushing lightly in the exit gate. I didn't glance him, but I could feel the heat radiating off his skin.

Behind us, Coach Hale’s furious voice already started to query the captain. “What the hell was that out there, Kieran? You looked like a lovesick rookie! You let a returning mascot walk all over you on center ice! If the professional scouts saw that sloppy performance today".

I didn't stay to hear the rest. I had a schedule to keep.

Reaching the locker room, I didn't wait for the rest of the guys to crowd the space. I changed, hitting the showers early to avoid the team entirely.

Ten minutes later, dressed in my clean Crestwood blazer and slinging my heavy gym bag over my shoulder, I quietly exited the locker room.

I had walked three steps down the hallway when someone suddenly jumped out from a dark hidden area where equipment was stored.

Before I could react, a massive, warm hand gripped my wrist with an unbreakable force, pinning me backward against the cold wall.

My bag hit the floor, I just looked up.

Kieran was standing directly over me, he was completely out of his mind with panic, his eyes across my face as if searching for the girl he had held over the summer. Right now, he was just a boy drowning in a secret he couldn't control.

He leaned in close, completely trapping me against the wall, his thumb pressing firmly into the pulse point of my wrist.

"What are you doing, Aveline?" Kieran whispered, his voice raw and completely broken with desperation.

"You're playing a game you can't win. You're going to destroy us both."

I looked directly into his eyes with a completely dead, emotionless eyes.

"Aveline is dead, Hampton," I murmured, Get your hands off my wrist before I show the coach exactly how his captain treats the new starter."