Kayden

The third period was brutal. Both teams played like it was a game of survival. As soon as the puck dropped, the world narrowed down to the black disc and the ice.

​At least I got my first revenge of the night on Damian. He was the reason why Rhys couldn’t join us for this period, and pushing him down on the ice brought a satisfactory smirk to my face.

But that seemed to anger the bears as they circled me trying to put me in place.

​’’Watch the freak,’’ one of them growled, a big brute named something I didn’t care to remember. He tried to pin me against the boards, his stick jamming into my ribs, leveraging his weight to crush me into the glass.

​I saw him quickly and didn’t just dodge him; I spun around, my skates carving a jagged arc into the ice that sent a spray of frost into his face. I was faster than I had ever been, fueled by so many things tonight.

​I knew that I should be careful to avoid getting weak due to my suppressed heat, but I didn’t care—at least until I got what I wanted.

​Ten minutes in, I saw Jaxson breaking towards the slot. Two defenders were closing in on him like a vise. I moved quickly towards him, drove into the circle, and snapped a pass that hissed across the ice.

​’’Jax, now!’’ I roared.

​Jaxson caught the puck and hammered it home. It hit the back of the net above the Southbridge Bears’ head and the red light painted the ice in a crimson glow.

​1-1

"That’s my boy!" Jaxson screamed, skating straight at me. He pulled me into a brief, bruising hug that nearly lifted me off my skates, his gloved hand ruffling through my sweaty hair. "Amazing pass, Kayden. Thank you for that." His voice was filled with genuine pride.

I grinned despite the fire in my lungs and tapped his stick with mine. "All you, big guy." Then I skated toward Miller who gave me a solid thumbs-up.

The crowd, which had been lukewarm or worse toward me earlier in the game, erupted. Fans who had sat in judgmental silence now stood, screaming in celebration. The energy shift was palpable, like the arena itself had decided to back us.​

​After that goal, the Southbridge Bears started playing more aggressively. Damian appeared by my side trying to attack me, but I didn’t let him reach me.

​’’Is the pressure getting to you, Derek?’’ Damian hissed as we tangled in front of the net. ’’You are starting to smell a bit sweet. Are you going into heat, or are you just terrified of going back to the cell your daddy’s in?’’

​I frowned at his stupid attempt to stop me from playing harder. I didn’t answer with words; instead, I waited for the next play.

​When Philip took the puck and was skating towards their net, I skated towards him immediately, tightening my grip around my stick. I felt a sharp, blinding sting from my injured knuckle, but I didn’t let it affect me.

​’’Over here, Philip!’’ I shouted.

​Once Philip had his eyes on me, he passed the puck towards me.

​As soon as the puck was in front of me, the Bears defenders rushed towards me, but I dangled the puck through the first defender’s legs, making him look like he was skating on stilts. Then I pulled the puck back, shifted my weight, and snapped a shot that tucked into the top shelf so fast the Southbridge goalie didn’t even move his glove.

​2-1

The arena shifted. The judgmental murmurs were completely drowned out by the sheer, undeniable force of my play. I heard Soren scream my name from the crowd. Rhoda and Gabriella were also doing the same.

​This was it, I thought. We were close to winning the Cup.

​With ten minutes left, the pressure became more suffocating. The Southbridge Bears tried to break through our defense, but I didn’t let them. Every bone in my body ached, and my lungs felt like they were filled with broken glass, but I didn’t stop moving.

​They lunged at me in waves, clearly aiming to take me out the same way they’d sidelined Rhys—targeting knees, trying to catch me with my head down. But I’d watched them. I knew their tricks: the subtle hooks, the late charges, the way they used their size to intimidate.

​When the puck got into our hands again, it was Luca who had it. He saw how close Philip and I were to the net and whistled at me to catch it.

​Once I had the puck, I headed straight for their net. Damian saw me immediately and charged me. He didn’t even try to play the puck; he launched himself at my knees, but I saw it. I jumped, my skates clearing his blade by an inch, and as I landed, I wound up for a slap shot.

​The sound echoed like a gunshot. The puck didn’t just fly; it screamed, ripped past the goalie’s ear, and hit the iron at the back of the net with a deafening ping.

​3-1

I stood there for a second, my chest heaving, as I watched the puck at the back of the net. This was my second goal of the night and I couldn’t be prouder of myself.

​My teammates rushed towards me, lifting me while the crowd started rising. The fans who had looked at me with disgust and hadn’t cheered for me earlier started screaming my name. The name I had chosen for myself.

​"KAYDEN VALE! KAYDEN VALE! KAYDEN VALE!"

Hearing them call me by my chosen name reminded me of how far I had come, how I had done everything to become someone whose name will be highly recognized and now it was happening.

Kayden Vale is now a name that is making history. A name that changed my life for the better.