C21 Twenty one

Adrian's POV

The locker room smelled like sweat, resin, and cold concrete. I tightened the laces on my skates, each tug a small exercise in patience and control.. control I desperately needed to exhibit.

Ethan appeared at my side, his eyes scanning me with that bothersome concern that always made my skin crawl.

"You okay, Adrian? You look like shit" he asked, leaning on the bench.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice sounded a bit off and clipped but it was none of his business. "Just getting ready."

He gave me a long look before nodding his head.

"And Mia? How is she holding up?" I calmly asked.

He exhaled slowly, trying to hide the sharp sting in his chest. "She's fine. Still... broken, I guess. Losing her brother hit her hard. But she's fine."

Ethan's hand went to his forehead in a gesture of helplessness. "I hate seeing her like this. But you... have you been able to get to the bottom of things?"

I shrugged, jaw tight. "Not yet. Whoever's behind this... they were good.. Too good. But I would find out."

Ethan nodded. "Good. Just... be careful."

I ignored the warning. I didn't need caution. I needed answers and focus and time away from that woman.

The ice rink gleamed under the bright lights as we stepped out. The scent of ice and equipment hit me, sharpening my senses, making every movement precise, every step a drill in awareness.

And then.. there she was.

Selena.

Her scent hit me first before I even saw her..

My pulse spiked despite myself. She wasn't in her usual outfit a a coat.. just a jumpsuit and a clipboard in hand, speaking with Coach Donovan.

The lake's lingering pull still hummed in my veins, like a phantom whisper I couldn't shake, even though I wanted to.

Ryan nudged the guys beside him. "Check her out. Damn, she looks like a milf," he muttered, grinning.

"Did you see her at the party the other day? She looked hot as fuck especially when she pulled off those moves.. she was giving hot.."

I froze and clenched my teeth. "Ryan behave yourself" I growled under my breath.

Ryan laughed quietly, elbowing the others. "..Step-mom vibes.. well... yeah. Holt. Come on admit it, she's hot is she not."

I spun toward him, jaw tight, trying to hide the flare of rage burning in my chest cause how dare he. "Focus on the ice, Ryan."

"Aw, Adrian, don't be so sensitive," Ryan smirked. "We're just stating facts. She has the body of a goddess despite her age.. Damn she has a way better physique than some of the cheerleaders"

I ignored him, forcing my attention back to the rink, but my eyes kept catching hers. Something was off. She looked... tired. Her movements were deliberate but slow, her eyes slightly shadowed. And the pull from the lake... it hadn't fully worn off.

Gods, I hated how aware I was of her, of every subtle twitch, every flicker of irritation in her eyes.

The warm-up drills began, skates carving the ice in crisp, clean lines. Ryan, of course, couldn't resist, whispering those stupid jokes again every time we passed by her.

I decided it was time to teach him a lesson.

"Ryan!" I barked, voice slicing across the rink. "Edge control! Watch your balance!"

His smirk faltered. "Whoa, hey.."

I spun my stick toward him during a drill, just enough to unbalance him.

He went down in a heap, sliding across the ice in a graceless tumble, cursing under his breath.

I skated past her, trying to mask the burn of jealousy and frustration coiling in my chest. But Ryan.. foolishly rolled over to her side, pretending to need assistance.

The sight sent a dangerous flare through me. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to look away, to focus on drills, on strategy, on anything but her.

Someone from the team muttered about Leila looking good in practice gear, trying to distract me, but my mind was elsewhere.

I noticed her again. Selena.

She was wiping sweat from her forehead, while checking a player's ankle, moving deliberately, despite the exhaustion I could see etched on her face.

"Water break!" I barked suddenly, making everyone skid to a halt.

The I calmly walked towards her..

She turned to me, eyebrows raised. "Finally," I muttered under my breath. Skating over, I found my tone sharper than intended.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, eyes locking onto hers. "And why are you acting like some paramedic? This is a hockey rink, not a clinic so what exactly..."

She straightened, clipboard in hand. "I came to meet your coach cause he called me this morning to speak with him. And when I arrived your team members complained that there was no paramedic in sight, so I decided to help. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

I frowned, hiding the sting that her presence always ignited. "You're not supposed to be here. You're not part of this world, Selena. And yet... you insisted on inserting yourself into it.. into my world."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Insisted? I'm just doing my job you see Adrian the world doesn't revolve around you and your annoying ego and unlike some people, I don't leave others to flounder."

My teeth clenched. Rock growled low in my chest. The lake... the pull of it... everything simmering between us... I hated that it made me aware of every inch of her, every faint blush, every twitch of irritation in her eyes.

"Job," I muttered, shaking my head. "Looking out for my team? This isn't your job. It's mine. Mine to control, mine to lead."

"And yet here you are," she countered, stepping closer, eyes sharp. "Arguing with me instead of focusing on your so called team or is it job."

I wanted to snarl. I wanted to shove her, curse her, demand she leave. But I couldn't. Not entirely. Not when the pull of the lake made my blood boil in ways I didn't want to admit.

"Enough," I snapped, reaching for my phone as a message flashed across the screen, hot and urgent.

I swore under my breath. "Meeting. Now.. On ice, all of you."

Selena blinked, mouth slightly open. "Well isn't this amusing?"

"Mind your tone," I barked. "Stay here and out of my way."

She stared at me, and I could see the mix of frustration and exasperation in her eyes. The combination made my chest tighten despite my attempts to suppress it.

"Fine," she muttered, arms crossing, cheeks flushed with anger.. and maybe something else.

I didn't look back as I stormed toward the locker room door, leaving her standing there, the chill of the ice and the heat of tension tangled between us.

The meeting was tense. I laid out strategy on our next game cause it turned out our next game had been brought forward, players reacted with equal parts awe and frustration at my intensity. My thoughts kept drifting back to Selena.

She shouldn't affect me like this. She shouldn't make my chest tighten, my mind race, my wolf restless.

And yet... every glance at her reminded me she was mine. My mate who was still my stepmother. The one I hated with every fiber of my being but couldn't deny.

As the meeting wrapped up, I felt it in my bones.. the day was far from over. A message came through on my phone. It was an invitation to a party.

I scowled. "Raymond."

Of course. He would be there. Smug. Safe. Charming. Everything I wasn't.

No wonder I woke up in a bad mood.

And Selena... would be near him, probably polite, professional, dangerously radiant.

I tightened my jaw, balling my fists. Rage, jealousy, and an unwanted heat coiled in me.

The lake's pull hummed in my veins like a warning. That night.. this party.. was going to be a battlefield.

And I would not lose control. Not of the team.. Not of the game.. Not of her.