Page 1 of Puck’N Enemy (Thunder Knights #2)

Logan

A moment of silence falls over the locker room as everyone takes a moment to gather themselves before the big game against the Silver Bears of Silverlake University. They’re one of our strongest opponents for the state championship this season, and everyone’s pumped up to win tonight.

I tighten the strap on my leg pad and exhale a long breath, trying to center my focus. Every game matters to me, but this particular one matters much more.

The rivalry between the Thunder Knights and the Silver Bears is legendary.

It has always been so since the teams were created.

Pulling my helmet lower, I stand up and look around at my teammates. They hold their captain’s gaze with absolute resolve.

“Are you guys ready to kick those Bears’ asses?” I ask, cracking a grin.

“Hell, yeah!” My teammates roar in unison.

My grin widens as sheer determination spreads through me.

My teammates and I walk out of the locker room and make our way onto the ice. Our home crowd welcomes us with roars and cheers, waving flags of blue and gold.

I let their fierce screams wash over me like armor.

“Let’s do this!” I cry out and skate over to my crease.

“Go Thunder!” my teammates roar behind me and spread out into formation.

Just as I’m settling down in my post, the Bears glide onto the ice.

The stadium breaks out in cheers, just as loud as the one we received. Their supporters have come to the game in droves, waving flags of green and silver.

I don’t notice anything out of the ordinary until the announcer’s voice echoes through the arena, calling out the starting lineup. My gaze flicks up, almost lazily, as the Bears’ captain leads his team onto the ice.

A familiar figure skates to the front, instantly grabbing my attention.

I focus on him and suddenly, time doesn’t just slow down. It splinters.

That stride. That jawline. That tilt of his head beneath the helmet.

It’s all too familiar.

It can’t be him...but it is !

Dylan fucking Larson.

Wearing the wrong colors, he stands with the opposing team, his eyes scanning the ice like he belongs here.

Rage bubbles inside me, swift and blinding. What the hell is Dylan doing here?

I’ve played the Silver Bears for the past three years, but I never saw him before. How the hell did he make his way onto the team and dare to appear before me?

I’ll always be by your side , Dylan’s voice whispers in my mind. I’ll always protect you and never let anyone hurt you. You, Logan, are mine.

Except, he never protected me. He hurt me so badly, I still have scars to remind me of his betrayal, both on my body and on my heart.

A wave of emotions crashes over me as memories flash before my eyes.

Shock, betrayal, and longing rise within me, disorienting me.

Dylan turns, finally facing me.

The moment his gaze meets mine, he freezes. Recognition, raw and immediate, flits through his eyes.

The referee blows his whistle, shattering the moment between us.

Taking a deep breath, I bring my focus back on the game but it’s hard when Dylan charges to the front. He’s playing fucking center for the Bears!

My grip tightens around my stick as my vision tunnels.

I barely hear Coach Sullivan barking from the bench or the roar of the Knights fans pounding against the glass. All I can think of is Dylan, chasing the puck in a green Bears jersey.

It’s incredible how he still wears his auburn hair in the same messy fashion. The style gives him a permanently wind-swept look that girls just eat up.

He locks into a fierce battle with Bastian, the Knights’ center, for control of the puck. Despite being slammed on the side by our defenders, Dylan’s face holds an infuriating calm while his eyes stay sharply focused on the puck.

It’s been years since I last saw him but he still looks painfully the same as before, except he’s slightly broader around the shoulders.

I tried getting in touch with him after he landed me in the hospital, but Dylan disappeared without a trace or an explanation for why he broke my body, my heart, and my trust.

How can he appear before me like nothing ever happened between us?

I spent every fucking day trying to forget him. And failing.

Dylan tears across the ice with Bastian hard on his heels. He maneuvers the puck toward me, determined to score a goal.

I swallow hard, forcing the storm of emotions down my throat.

No matter what he meant to me in the past, I’m the Thunder Knight’s goalie and team captain. I can’t let him score and give him another chance to beat me.

Dylan lifts his stick high and hits the puck.

My gaze locks on the fast-whizzing disc of black. Skating forward, I block the puck before it can cross into the net.

Cheers and roars erupt in the stadium as I hit the puck, sending it flying toward Henderson, our left forward. He takes charge of it and glides across the ice.

Dylan’s expression hardens as he gives chase to Henderson.

Henderson and Bastian get into formation, passing the puck between each other as they head toward the Bears’ goalie. Just as they’re about to score, Reece, the Bears’ defenseman, slams into Bastian, bringing him crashing to the ground.

The crowd lets out a collective wail as Dylan steals the puck from him.

But he doesn’t get very far.

Mitchikov, the Knights’ defenseman, attacks Dylan in retaliation.

My heart squeezes as Mitchikov’s stick lands hard on Dylan’s forearm. His face screws up in pain, sending a wave of cold through me.

Fuck. I shouldn’t be feeling sorry for him.

A minor hit like that shouldn’t matter in a game of hockey.

And yet, I’m watching Dylan, feeling as worried about him as I feel for my own teammates.

The Silver Bears are notorious for their violent tendencies. They’re one of those teams that’re least bothered with playing fair.

They don’t care about suspensions and penalties. As long as they can break and maim the players from the opposing team, they’ll happily do it.

A cold chuckle escapes me as I realize Dylan belongs with the Bears. He’s just as cold-blooded and ruthless as the rest of them.

I try to focus on the hate I feel for him but it doesn’t work.

Underneath all the rage and bitterness I feel, there’s a cursed, buried emotion that still makes my heart throb. I still want the fucker that broke me in the cruelest way.

My jaw clenches hard.

I hate Dylan for turning me into a fucking masochist.

Dylan shakes off the hit from Mitchikov and gets back into the rhythm of the game. Despite hating him, my eyes still track his every movement.

That’s because he’s the Bears’ fucking center , I try to reason with myself. I have to watch out for him. It’s my damn job as the goalie!

The game gets bloodier in the second period. Bastian gets knocked against the board so hard, I’m almost sure he can’t get up.

But there’s a reason Bastian’s our star center.

He’s a monster on the ice. No amount of hit or foul play can keep him down for long.

Bastian rises, making the stadium echo with his fans’ cheers.

I shout and cheer for him from my position, almost forgetting about Dylan.

But just as everyone’s attention is diverted, Dylan skates over to me.

“Hey,” he says, coming to a halt in front of me.

I freeze, astonished that he has the nerve to talk to me.

“Fuck off,” I mutter.

“Is that your new boyfriend?” Dylan asks, his gaze dark and impenetrable.

I stare at him, shocked at his audacity. “Bastian’s going to kick your ass,” I hiss. “Just wait and watch.”

“Hey, is there a problem here?” The right defenseman from the Bears’ team comes to a halt, glaring at me.

“Fuck you for hurting him,” I spit at him. “And a word of caution, Reece. Watch out for Mitchikov. He’ll want revenge after what you just did to Bastian.”

He flips me off and skates away.

Dylan frowns at his teammate. Turning back to me, he’s about to say something, but the screech of the referee’s whistle cuts through the chaos on the ice.

With no choice, he skates back to his position.

As the second period continues, Bastian and Henderson score three goals while I block all attempts from the Bears’ side.

I can’t help but feel pride for my teammates. They’re giving their best to this game.

If we stay focused, we have a real chance of winning tonight.

I soon fall into rhythm, blocking shots, shouting plays, and snapping at my defenders to follow Bastian, who’s become the sole target of the Bears. I try to ignore Dylan but it’s impossible when he’s a forward and keeps rushing up toward me with the puck.

At one point, I become so busy following the puck’s lightning-fast trajectory on the other side of the rink that I lose sight of the Bears who’ve suddenly taken to circling me.

I’m about to re-orient my focus but it’s too late.

Reece barrels toward me at blurring speed and, within a split second, collides with me. Hard .

White-hot pain lances through me as my leg crumples beneath me.

My helmet slams against the ice, the sudden impact blurring my vision. The roar of the crowd sounds horribly muffled like I’m underwater. Pain radiates down my left knee, leaving me gasping for breath.

I’ve taken a lot of hits playing hockey but this one’s among the worst of them. Lying on my back, I bite my bottom lip as the pain grows in intensity.

I try to sit up but the smallest movement leaves me panting and gasping.

Shit. How the hell am I going to play for the rest of the game?

Whistles ring out in the distance. Fans and people on the ice scream for something, but I can’t make out anything.

A referee shoves Reece away and kneels before me.

“Johnson, are you okay?”

A groan escapes me as I try to lift my head and focus on him.

“Don’t move,” the man says in a grim tone. “We’ll get someone to look at you immediately.”

My teammates gather around me, looking anxious. I want to tell them to focus on the game and not lose the momentum we’ve gained so far but all I can do is lie on the ice, gasping and groaning.

A group of paramedics soon rushes to my side.

Shit. This is bad.

There’s no way I’m going to be allowed to stay in the game in this condition. Desperation and disappointment cut through the haze of pain, making me realize the horrible truth.

A brace is being clasped around my neck while hands grab me and place me on a stretcher. Through the pain and chaos raging all around me, my eyes find him.

Dylan.

He’s standing away from the Bears and staring at me with a frozen look. His stick lies at his feet as he watches the paramedics carry me off.

Something about his horrified expression shakes something loose inside me.

Why does Dylan look like his world is falling apart around him?

He betrayed me and hurt me like no one ever could. He broke every promise he made me and disappeared from my life.

Dylan isn’t supposed to care about me. I mean nothing to him. So, why the hell does he look like he’s the one bleeding while I’m the one being carried away on a stretcher?