Page 1 of The Trophy

CHAPTER 1

FIGHT CLUB

BLAZE

My job on the ice is to fight.

Plain and simple.

I’m a left winger—and a damned good one—but I’m expected to protect my teammates when a fight breaks out. It doesn’t stop there. I put pressure on our opponents, teaching them early on that if they’re rough with any of my Knights, there’s going to be hell to pay.

On occasion, I even start fights with that precise goal; to intimidate our adversaries into playing a clean game or suffer the consequences.

I’m well aware that collegiate hockey is very different than the pros. Here fights are prohibited when in professional hockey they’re an accepted part of the game. Within reason, of course.

As an enforcer, my fighting skills will be valued a lot more once I step onto NHL ice.

I keep repeating that to myself over and over as we split in two teams on this morning’s scrimmage.

If fighting isn’t allowed during games, it’s an absolute no-no during practice.

You should never be rough with your teammates. Not only because no one wants to get injured during training. We’re a team, we should always have each other’s backs on and off the ice. We should at least respect each other, if not be friends.

On paper, that makes total sense.

Then why is it that my hands are itching every time I lay eyes on Topher?

He’s the reason we’re here, practicing on the day after a victory in an away game. If Topher hadn’t pulled that ridiculous stunt last night and body checked me against the boards to steal the puck Luca had just passed to him, we wouldn’t be here. Not only did he cost us the only goal USC scored against us, he’s the reason we’re all being punished.

I could be waiting for Lakyn with breakfast in front of her place instead of suffering through an extra practice.

I wish our frat president was my only problem though.

Topher isn’t the only one I want to beat the crap out of. I accept Luca’s assist with a glare in his direction and skate toward Cash at breakneck speed.

My slap shot is so violent, I wouldn’t be surprised if it broke the net of the goal.

Hockey is usually a distraction from every day life, an excellent way to work off my pent up aggression, but today?

I wanna kick the asses of most of my teammates’. Topher’s for even thinking about that stupid bet.

The freshmen, the pledges and some of the second and third line seniors for backing him up.

What are we, the douchy frat boys in an 80s raunchy college movie? Gamma Delta Tau fits some of the traits of your typical fraternity, but I thought we were better than that.

There is also Cash and Luca.

They practically served the opportunity to Topher on a silver platter. They should have kept their mouths shut about last night. Luca let it slip that we all had sex with Lakyn, how could he be so naive? Or maybe he was just bragging? I haven’t known our new teammate for very long, so that’s a possibility. I must admit that I didn’t think he was the type though. Luca gets more pussy than most of us combined and until this morning, I’ve never heard him brag about it.

To be fair, I don’t think he was trying to brag, he was just arguing with Cash when he tried to call dibs on Lakyn.

So it’s equally our goalie’s fault for discussing our situation with Lakyn in the locker room.

You joined right in. You didn’t shy away from that conversation, too eager to stake your claim on Lakyn.

Shit.

I’d like to ignore the voice in my head that reminds me that I wasn’t exactly above reproach. I swear to God, having a conscience sucks.

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