Page 14 of Never Bet Against A Hockey Player

“Fuck,” I groaned. She wasn’t wrong. I just hated the thought of Dhara struggling while I sat on my ass and watched.

“You’re a star hockey player, but at the end of the day, you deltas are all the same. Impulsive and possessive.”

“Well, if she needs the money,” I said, throwing up one hand as I glared at her.

“Okay, I’m getting out of this conversation, but I agree with what Kota said. Just be genuine. She’ll eventually feel comfortable enough to share. Then maybe her issue is something you guys can conquer together.”

She waved bye before she was gone, Kota looking after her like she walked on water.

I wished I could borrow some of his optimism right now, but I was already feeling out of sorts between this new city, a new team, and a new roommate.

Kota went on about the latest drama with the Narwhals. I nodded and did the best I could, but my heart wasn’t in it.

Thankfully, he had to leave for practice, and I had just arrived at the arena, so he said a quick goodbye.

I thought the Narwhals were my forever team. I’d planned to stay and told Kota that we’d play together until we retired.

Hell, after my rookie season and Greer Abbott retired, I was the star center. The one everybody talked about.

Until I wasn’t.

One slip-up at one game was all it took.

I’d heard the fans turning on me, and it was getting in my head. I was a better player than that, but it was hard to prove it when there was already so much angst against our players and our team. It felt like one problem after another.

It wasn’t like I asked for faulty skates and a rut a little too close for comfort.

I felt like I’d let everybody down. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t bounce back from it. The moment my mental health took the hit was the moment I knew I had to make a change.

It wasn’t that I was running from hockey, I was running from hearing forty thousand people cheer me on one day and turn on me the next.

I couldn’t give up what I loved, but I could put distance between me and the Narwhals.

The Renegades had a few players retire. The openings were there, and the moment my agent put my name in the ring, they were quick to snatch me up.

I wasn’t the only one who transferred, either. The infamous Conrad Flynn had come, too.

I was just glad to have another person who wasn’t from the tri-state area here facing the same thing I was.

Starting over after already making a name for yourself.

“How are you doing, rookie?” Fairgrave asked as I walked into the locker room. He shot me a teasing grin, taking any chance he could to goad me.

Despite the fact that we truly were rivals seasons ago, now we were teammates. There was no awkward hazing on this team. Just the usual teasing and shit talking.

It was already starting to feel like my team.

The new colors were growing on me, too. The deep scarlet and silver made my hair look even more fiery than usual.

“Good. Got settled in the new place,” I said.

They had what they called Hockey Row here in South Lake. It was what I expected a small-town version of sorority row to look like. Small, nondescript houses. Sometimes, the guys shared them and a few lived alone.

Conrad and I were sharing one with the third new guy, August Steele. We’d heard his name, but he hadn’t shown up yet. We were still in pre-season, and, apparently, he had some loose ends he had to tie up before flying in.

Conrad walked into the locker room, distracting Fairgrave for a minute.

“It’s the prince,” he sang out, sweeping his arm dramatically. At least we got equally teased here.