SWNOVELS Chapter 2
2000
The school bell rings and the halls fill to the brim with teenagers. Sounds of lockers opening and closing, try to compete with the sounds of laughing, yelling and gossip.
Axelridge High. The best prep school in the city. With the best sports program in the country.
This also the school where I make my break. The big one.
I close my locker. “I’m telling you. I feel it, Pete. The majors are coming.”
“Of all the thousands of forwards, you think you’re getting the draft.” My best friend and teammate Peter Kirkland slaps me on my back.
I smile. “Yeah, why not? I’m Finn Treznor.” I say with a cool voice.
We walk down the hall to our next class.
“The draft don’t take 17 year olds, Finn.” My other friend Trevor Arthur bumps my shoulder into Pete. I bump him back.
“My birthday is a week after the draft. I think they’ll take special consideration. My stats are the best in the league.”
“Why? Because daddy says so.” Peter snorts.
I furrow my brow. “No. My record. My father has nothing to with this.”
“Right. It’s not like he couldn't buy you a pick.” Trevor snips.
“My dad wouldn’t do that.” I adjust my back. “He barely acknowledges I exist off the ice.” I mumble.
We push open some doors and walk to the other side of the sports zone. The jock hall. All sports are down here. It’s a gauntlet of baseball, soccer, hockey, basketball and football. In any other American school, you probably wouldn’t see such a diverse mix, but being so close to the Canadian border, the city’s school board wanted to include the popular sports of both countries.
This brings football and hockey to the forefront. Probably something they should have thought through in my opinion.
“No. I’m getting in on my own merit. The committee won’t allow my dad to influence it.” I say.
I keep a watchful eye on the kids down this hall.
One in particular, Craig Hubert. Football Quarterback for the Axelridge High Tigers. Stupid name for a team full of shifters.
I like mine. The Axelridge Wolverines. Minor league ‘farm' team. The best in the league, with the exception of this year.
We’ve been struggling at the bottom this season. Other teams have stepped up their games and we have to fight. As captain, I’ve been fighting hard, but it doesn’t help when I have guys like Craig busting my balls every day.
He hates hockey players. He thinks we got no skill. Really, he’s jealous. His pansy ass couldn’t make a hit going 30 miles an hour on a pair of blades. So, he does what he does best. Picks fights. Jokes on him, hockey breeds scrappers. He wants to push on me, go for it. I broke knuckles for less.
I probably don’t help matters. I kind of poke the bear. Especially when it comes to the unwritten rule.
Nobody touches the cheerleaders.
It’s the dumbest rule on the planet. The footballers think they own them. Like they aren’t people. Most of the girls love that possessive crap, but some don’t. Those that don’t, don’t last on the squad. It’s not because of their leader though.
I stop in mid step when I hear the giggling and shouting coming in from the doors to the field. They must have been practicing late.
My face softens and the hall dissolves away as I see her. Her smile brightens everything. Her long auburn hair shines in the sun. Her lightly tanned skin glows and her brown eyes sparkle as she giggles.
“April.” I whisper as the butterflies do loops in my stomach.
My hands get clammy and my heart thumps as I watch her open her locker and toss her red, white and black pom poms in. She pulls her hair into a bun, while her full, pink lips with sparkle lip gloss laughs at her friends. She bends over and ties her runner. Her legs look so soft. I’ve touched them so many times in my dreams.
“Just talk to her, dude.”
Peter’s voice, pulls me out of my dream. “No…I can’t.”
I continue to walk with my head down. I walk past the group of girls, side eye them and she looks my way. Her eyes hit mine and I turn away fast. “She’s a cheerleader.”
“So. What? You stuck on that fucked up rule? Really? I thought you were the fabulous, Finn Treznor.” Trevor quips.
“I already have Craig breathing down my neck for hockey. I don’t need to make it worse. Besides, he wants her. What Craig wants, Craig gets.” I mumble.
Trevor leans to my ear. “Did you not say this was your year?”
“Yeah.” I side eye him.
Peter hits my chest. “Talk to her. If she says screw off, screw off, but pining like this isn’t doing you any good. You need to lead both on and off the ice. So…lead.” He points behind us.
I look at both my friends. I suck in a deep breath and blow it out. The bell rings through the halls. “OK. I’ll talk to her at lunch, but if Craig kicks my ass…”
Pete wraps an arm around. “Well be there. Laughing our damn asses off.” He smirks.
I shove him and he skips some steps as he laughs.
“Hi. I’m Finn.”
“Hi. The names Finley.”
“My names Finn. Can I sit here?”
I shake my head as I walk into the cafeteria. “I’m a fucking idiot.”
The Cafe is full and the lineup for food is huge. Normally, I eat my lunch outside, but today I’m making an exception.
I walk toward the line and see the smooth, flawless legs. There she is. She’s eating with her friends.
I look at the line, then at April. By the time I get food, she could be gone.
No. Come on, Trezner. You’re a beast. A monster. A leader. You can do this. Just like facing the goalie. Just make your play and go in with determination. You do this, you’ll score. I really want to score.
I gather every ounce of courage I have and walk in her direction. My eyes are glued to her. I’m not even thinking. This is all action.
I wipe the sweat off my palms on my jersey as I get closer. I can smell her. The sweetest smell I’ve ever smelt. Wild flowers. She flips her hair and smiles. In slow motion, her head turns to me and our eyes lock. A smile grows on my lips and I see hers grow too. I think, I’m doing it. It’s happening.
Then my nose slams into a hard chest. I scrunch it as I back up and raise my head. Fuck.
“Hey, pylon. How’s it going?” Craig smirks as his douchebag friends laugh behind him.
“Craig.” I grumble. I spin around to leave, but he grabs my arm and spins me back.
He puts a hand on my nape and looks at me. “I didn’t tell you to leave, ice dancer. I want to know what you think you were doing eyeing up April?”
I narrow my eyes and rip his hand off. “I wasn’t.”
“The drool on your shirt says different, twinkle toes.” He slaps his friends hand and laughs as I burn with irritation and anger.
A little context for those who don’t know Craig. He’s an Alpha. A big one. Easy two inches taller than me. I have more muscle than he does though due to hockey’s need for power.
Craig is the Alpha son of a neighboring pack. He moved here 3 years ago and now thinks he owns the place.
My dad, Alpha Edward Trezner, is Alpha of Axelridge. I am his only child and Alpha son. So it’s not like I can call my Alpha on him to get him to stop. I just have to prove I’m better because he’s on my home ice.
His friend rubs his blonde buzz cut and he pushes him away.
He turns his large square jaw to me. “Now. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, beta, about the rules.”
I feel my wolf rise at the insult. “No. You don’t.”
“Good. The last thing April wants is a no talent, ice jockey sniffing around her panties.” He thumps his finger in my chest as he says his words. He crosses his arms and looks to friends. “He probably couldn’t get it up anyway. It’s probably shriveled to a raisin.” He cracks a laugh and his friends to do. “Ain’t that right, princess.” He smirks.
The room stopped. My wolf rose and my eyes glowed. My fist balled and I lost control. I didn’t know I did it until I did. I hauled off and landed a punch right to the side of his head. In true hockey fashion, he hit the ground and I straddled him. I grabbed his shirt and I landed three more punches until teachers came.
They struggled to separate us as Craig yelled in my face. “I’ll fucking kill you, you dick!!” He grabbed me and tried to swing, but a custodian grabbed his arm.
“I’m a dick?! Who’s the bitch on the floor?!” I scream back as his shirt is tore from my fingers and I’m dragged away.
I fight the teachers as they pull me back. “Let me go! Let me go!”
“Craig!”
In my tunnel vision, I see April fall to his side and check him over. She shoots me a look of disgust and turn to Craig with a bloody nose.
If this was ice side, I’d be facing ejection. Since it’s school, I really don’t give a shit. Let’s have a brawl.
His friends look scared being betas. They won’t touch an Alpha fight no matter who that Alpha is. That’s wolf rule number one. Don’t fuck with Alphas unless you’re prepared for it.
The teacher holds my arms. “Mr. Trezner! Enough!” Being an adult, I have to stand down, but that’s only because I’m still identified as a pup. One more year and that won’t stand. Especially if my father hands me my title file for the pack.
I continue to pull, but slowly draw back after registering that April is looking at me like I’m a psycho.
I stop completely and wipe the spittle off my lips with my sleeve.
“Mr. Hubert. Go see the school nurse.”
He stands and wipes the blood off his face with his shirt.
April has his arm and asks him if he’s OK.
He rips his arm out of her hands. She looks offended at this. He shoots daggers my way. “I’m fine.” He grits.
He steps toward me and points in my face. “This isn’t over.” He growls.
He bumps my shoulder and walks out with his friends in tow.
My face fills with apology as I look at April.
She looks me up and down with her arms crossed. She lifts her chin, spins around and goes back to her friends. They immediately look at me and start whispering.
“Mr. Trezner, principals office. Now.” The teacher points and I give April one last look. I close my eyes and turn.
I’m escorted to my doom. They’ll call the last person I want to see right now.
My father.