Page 158 of Puck & Her Blades

I can finally move on.

Thirty seconds left of play…

Cygnus’ hand is squeezing mine so tightly that I think he may crush it.

We have everything to win but also, everything to lose.

The Institute would break him. It may even kill him.

“Fucking go for it,” I whisper under my breath.

I want to close my eyes but I can’t even look away.

Asher has the puck.

A defenseman is closing in on him, but Jackson shoulder checks him.

Asher is close to the goal.

Ten seconds.

Nine.

Eight…

The crowd are hollering. It’s deafening. The atmosphere is electric.

“Shoot,” Cygnus screams. “Shoot!”

Don’t miss…

Asher shoots for the goal.

The goalie scrambles to stop the puck, but it hits the back of the net.

My knees buckle, but Cygnus keeps me up by his hard hold on my hand.

Cygnus is screaming again, but this time, it’s wild whoops of joy.

Then sirens sound over the arena.

Finally, he lets go of my hand to dance around me.

The game is over.

Tears chase down his cheeks, but I know that they’re tears of joy by the happiness that floods me through the bond.

Adrenaline fueled with joy surges through me from my pack mates.

“They did it.” Cygnus drags me closer to the boards. “They won.”

“Now for the hard part,” I mutter.

I watch as the defensemen punch the air.

Jackson, Zev, and Asher raise their sticks in triumph, before dropping them. Then they pull off their helmets and gloves. They hurl them across the rink in victory.

Yet this isn’t the typical end to the Alpha Cup, where everyone’s expecting the Alpha Cup to be passed between each player, as they skate around the ice with it.

---