Chapter 145 CHAPTER 146: Normal for Once

Chapter 145 CHAPTER 146: Normal for Once
REED’S POV

The heavy oak doors of the athletic office swung open, and I walked out holding a thick, glossy packet of papers in my hand. The hockey team received an invitation to participate in a major inter-school competition that would bring together some of the strongest teams in the region.

"What's that, Reed?" Kai asked, skating over toward the benches as practice wrapped up for the afternoon.

"An invitation," I said, flashing a grin as I tossed the papers onto the wooden bench. "The regional championship qualifier. Only the top elite teams in the entire state get an invite."

Everyone was excited because winning would bring recognition far beyond their school. The guys swarmed around the bench, shouting and high-fiving each other. This was massive. Winning this tournament meant scouts from national leagues, college recruiters, and elite pack academies would be watching our every move.

Normally, I would have been the loudest one in the locker room, screaming about how we were going to crush every opponent in our path. Reed should have been focused on preparing for the tournament, but his attention kept drifting back to Aria.

Even with the excitement buzzing in the air, my mind pulled away, wondering if she was safe, wondering what she was doing, and trying to push the heavy burden of her hidden past out of my thoughts.

Later that evening, I found her sitting on the stone wall outside the student union, reading a textbook for her history class.

When he told Aria about the competition, she was genuinely excited for him.

"A regional tournament?" she asked, looking up from her book with a bright, genuine smile. Her dark eyes sparkled with happiness. "Reed, that's huge! Congratulations!"

"Thanks, princess," I said, sliding down onto the wall right next to her so our hips pressed together. "It's a big deal. The whole team has been buzzing about it all afternoon."

The conversation felt refreshing because they spent time talking about something normal for once. No mysteries. No kidnappings. No enemies. Just hockey.

"Are you going to be traveling out of town for the matches?" she asked, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"Yeah, a couple of weekend games upstate," I replied, wrapping an arm around her waist. "It's going to be intense, but we're ready."

"You guys are going to destroy them," she said, teasingly poking my chest with her finger. "I've seen how hard you train. Nobody stands a chance against you."

Reed found himself enjoying the moment far more than he expected. For a little while, the dark clouds hanging over us vanished completely. There were no mysterious elders, no hidden envelopes, no underground syndicates. Just the two of us sitting in the evening sun, talking about regular college hockey stuff. It felt so good it almost scared me.

Later that week, he invited her to watch one of their training sessions.

"Come to the rink tomorrow afternoon," I told her while walking her back to her dorm later that night. "I want you to see how we prep for the regional qualifiers."

"I don't know, Reed," she hesitated, adjusting her bag strap. "You guys are always super focused during team practices. I don't want to be a distraction."

"You could never be a distraction," I murmured, leaning in to press a slow, warm kiss to her lips. "Please? Come watch."

She finally agreed with a soft smile.

The next day, Aria ended up spending time with the team and seeing a completely different side of him.

She sat up in the front row of the metal bleachers, wrapped in one of my spare letterman jackets. Instead of the protective mate constantly worrying about her, she saw the confident hockey captain everyone respected. I barked orders across the ice, executed fast, clean drills, and pushed my teammates hard to keep our momentum going.

When practice ended, I skated over to the glass, taking off my helmet and wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"Well?" I called out, grinning up at her. "Did I impress you, princess?"

She walked down the metal steps, stepping right up to the low glass divider with an impressed smile. "I have to admit... you actually looked like you knew what you were doing out there."

"I always know what I'm doing," I teased, leaning against the glass.

The experience brought them closer because she finally understood how important the sport was to him. She saw the passion and dedication behind the cocky attitude, and I saw the quiet pride shining in her eyes.

After practice, they spent time alone together.

We walked away from the noisy locker rooms, heading out toward the quiet walking trails behind the campus gymnasium. The sun was dipping below the tree line, painting the sky in deep shades of orange and purple.

The playful teasing gradually became flirtation, and Reed admitted that one of the things he wanted most was for her to attend every important game in the future.

"You know," I said, stopping on the path and turning to face her. I reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear. "When we go to the regional tournament next month, I want you in the front row. Every single game."

"Is that a command, captain?" she teased, her lips curving into a sweet, knowing smile.

"Absolutely," I whispered, stepping closer until there was no space left between us. "I want you there cheering me on. In fact, I want you at every single important game I play for the rest of my life."

Aria laughed about it, but secretly she liked hearing him talk about a future that included her.

She looked up at me, her dark eyes softening as the playful joke melted away into something deeply sincere. She reached out, resting her hands softly against my chest, gripping the front of my shirt.

"Every game, huh?" she whispered, her voice warm and steady.

"Every single one," I promised, leaning down to capture her lips in a deep, slow kiss.

She laughed about it, but secretly she liked hearing him talk about a future that included her.