Ice Cold Alpha

I stare out the window at the huge domed stadium ahead. Flags flutter in the breeze, a wolf’s head emblazoned on them and the words “Ridgewood Howlers~.”

Who the fuck thought of a name like that?

I glance over at my beta, who is sitting next to me. “Tell me again, Nathan. Why am I doing this?”

His lips curve upward in the vaguest hint of a smile. This whole charade is amusing him. I wish I could say the same.

“Because you’ll be the first shifter to own a mixed-species hockey team. Besides, it’s good business sense. Do you know how much they charge for a season ticket for these games?”

I sigh. “No, Nathan, and I don’t really care. It’s not like the pack is short of money with our current business portfolio.”

Nathan shakes his head and smiles. “It’ll be good for the pack too. What better way to forge alliances than to have different pack members in one team?”

I raise an eyebrow. “I’m not going to be the first hockey team owner to witness a bloodbath on the ice, am I?”

Nathan chuckles. “No. Their headgear suppresses their wolf. All the helmets are lined with silver so they’re on an even footing with the human players.”

My wolf grumbles at the thought, and I don’t disagree with his sentiment. To be cut off from him would be inconvenient at best, which prompts my next question.

“What if they get injured?”

“They just need to remove the headgear,” he replies. “Their wolf will heal them, and they’ll be back on the ice in five.”

I nod, and the car comes to a halt. My driver, Ethan, gets out and opens the door, bowing as he does.

I doubt that the human players will be quite so formal, but I only intend to come here a few times during the season. Just to show my face.

Today I’ll be paraded in front of the team so they know who the new owner is. Then I’ll have to sit through an hour and a half of hockey.

I step out of the car and wait for Nathan to follow. When he doesn’t, I look back inside the car. He’s sitting there, smirking.

“You little shit. You’re not coming, are you?”

He chuckles. It’s a good thing he’s my best friend as well as my beta. No one else would get away with taking the piss out of their alpha.

“Someone has to hold the fort back at the pack. I think they’ve organized a hotel for you here as well. I sent some of our warriors over, just to be on the safe side.”

I roll my eyes. This is pretty much neutral territory, but you can never be too careful. Not that I’m not capable of looking after myself, but it’s frowned upon for shifters to shift in the middle of a human city.

That doesn’t stop the rogues, but not even they would be foolish enough to go head-to-head with an alpha.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Nathan. I’m going to make you pay for this.”

I hear him laugh as Ethan closes the door.

“I expect to see you here after the game,” I remind him.

“Of course, Alpha.” Ethan bows, then gets back in the car. He’ll be driving Nathan back to the airport. The flight is only a couple of hours. Nathan will be sleeping in his own bed tonight, while I’ll be staying in some grotty hotel.

I walk across the concourse toward the large stadium. A man is heading toward me. I sniff the air. Human.

When he gets a little closer, I recognize him. The head coach of the team I just bought.

“Mr. Shadowborne, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says.

I sigh. “That’s Alpha Shadowborne.”

He forces a smile. “Of course, my apologies, Alpha Shadowborne. I’m Gerry Watson, head coach of the Howlers.” He gestures toward the monstrosity of a building in front of us. “Let me show you around and introduce you to the players.”

I’ve barely taken a couple of steps when I hear a commotion near the side entrance of the building. I sniff the air again. Two shifters, a female and a male. The female is in tears, and the male doesn’t seem to be that bothered.

“Please, Wyatt. I don’t understand why!”

He backhands her across the face with enough force that she falls to the ground, and then he walks away, heading inside the building.

My wolf growls in my chest. He doesn’t like that. Meanwhile, the coach just shrugs, like seeing one of his players hit a girl is a common occurrence.

“Ignore that, Alpha. It happens all the time. Girls throwing themselves at the hockey players. Especially young Wyatt Trueman. He’s our star player. Sometimes they don’t know when to back off.”

He doesn’t appear the slightest bit concerned about what just happened. That irks me more than a little. Perhaps I need to be looking around for a new coach.

I ignore him and walk over to the girl. As I approach, I can scent that she isn’t wholly a shifter.

She glances up, but as soon as she sees who I am, she lowers her head. “Sorry, Alpha. I didn’t mean—”

I put my fingers under her chin and slowly tilt her head up so I can get a better look at her face.

I know who she is immediately. Any ranking shifter would. She takes after her father. Black hair and sapphire-blue eyes. Just like Alpha Miles Stormwood.

What the hell is his daughter doing here? The Stormwood Pack is miles away.

Blood trickles from a split in her lip, and I gently wipe it away with the pad of my thumb. A pretty little face like that shouldn’t be sporting a split lip, and no man—werewolf or human—should be the cause of it.

Then I realize exactly why she’s here.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Anything to keep Alpha Stormwood’s dirty little secret away from his mate and luna. Except what Miles Stormwood did is no secret, and Raven Stormwood is the living proof.