#Chapter 98: On Thin Ice

I couldn’t shake the memory of Ella’s tears as I pushed through the biting wind toward the rink. The disaster at Thanksgiving hung refused to leave my mind, but I swear, I had to stay focused. Aaron had drilled it into my head—hockey first. Arthur was counting on me to fuck up big time. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. The frozen lake at Camp Fang glimmered under the weak winter sun. This wasn’t just any training camp; it was a trial by fire. Only the strongest came out on top. As captain, the weight of the team’s expectations was all on me. I scanned the faces of my teammates—the seniors, the nervous rookies, and Noah, my beta brother. Coach’s voice cut through the cold air, barking orders with the same ruthless precision that we were by now used to. “Push harder! No one wins by holding back!” His glare was a constant reminder that weakness wasn’t an option. Days bled into nights in a haze of grueling drills and punishing scrimmages. The ice became our battlefield, and each