Luke chokes on his champagne. "The whole team?" he sputters, eyes watering. "Like, all of them?"
"Not the whole team," I clarify quickly. "Just... his pack."
"His pack," Luke repeats slowly. "As in, Malloy, Lawson, Copeland, Vinogradov, and McKinney? That pack? TheCore Five?"
I nod, suddenly finding my champagne absolutely fascinating. It's news to me they had an official name.
"Holy shit." Luke collapses into one of the plush seats, staring at me like I've just announced I'm secretly royalty. "That's... wow. I thought it was just Darren. How did that even happen?"
"It's complicated," I say, which might be the understatement of the century.
"And new," Jessica adds, coming to my rescue. "Very new. So maybe cool it with the third degree, honey?"
Luke holds up his hands in surrender. "Wow. Right, sorry. It's just... wow. The Core Five. That's like... wow."
"You said 'wow' three times," Jessica points out dryly.
"Because it's wow-worthy!" Luke defends, then turns to me with a more controlled expression. "But seriously, that's great, Lexie. They seem like good guys. From what I've read. And seen. On TV."
I can't help but laugh at his earnest attempt to be supportive while clearly freaking out internally. "They are good guys," I assure him.
The conversation is mercifully interrupted by the announcement of the starting lineups. The lights dim, and spotlights sweep across the ice as the arena erupts in cheers. The energy is electric, thousands of fans on their feet as the Grizzlies skate out one by one.
I find myself holding my breath when they announce Darren's name, watching as he glides onto the ice with that quiet intensity that first drew me to him. He looks powerful in his gear, a force to be reckoned with despite the omega designation that supposedly should make him less imposing.
As if Darren Malloy could ever be anything but formidable.
The game itself is a blur of speed and skill that I can barely follow. Luke tries to explain the finer points—offsides, icing, power plays—but most of it goes over my head. I focus instead on watching Darren, the way he positions himself on the ice, the skilled movements as he blocks shots and clears the puck.
"He's really good," I murmur during a break in play.
"One of the best defensemen in the league," Luke agrees, his initial starstruck awkwardness giving way to genuine enthusiasm as he explains Darren's stats and accomplishments. “He more than makes up for his lack of alpha aggression with technique and positioning. Always in the right place at the right time.”
I try not to consider how applicable those words are to Darren's skill off the ice as well. Always in the right place at the right time, indeed.
The Grizzlies score first, Zayn dancing through defenders to flip the puck over the goalie's shoulder, and the arena erupts. I find myself on my feet, cheering along with Jessica and Luke, caught up in the collective joy of the moment.
"That was beautiful!" Luke shouts over the noise. "Did you see that move? The way he deked around that last defender?"
I nod, though honestly, it happened so fast I barely registered it. What I did see was the way Zayn immediately turned to bump gloves with Darren, who had started the play with a perfect pass. The easy camaraderie between them, even if it doesn't always translate to off the ice, the seamless teamwork that speaks to years of playing together.
The opposing team, the Tigers, according to the scoreboard, tie it up in the second period, and the mood in the arena shifts. I find myself genuinely invested in the outcome, gasping when Darren takes a hard hit along the boards, exhaling in relief when he pops right back up and continues playing.
"He's tough," Luke comments, noticing my reaction. "Always has been. That's why they call him 'The Brick.'"
The third period is a nail-biter. Tied 1-1 with minutes ticking down, both teams pushing for the go-ahead goal, Luke explains excitedly. The Grizzlies have several close chances. Dmitri rings one off the post, Jax just misses on a rebound, but nothing finds the back of the net.
Until Aidan makes a spectacular save at one end, and the puck quickly transitions up ice. Darren to Jax to Zayn, back to Jax, who fires a shot that the Tigers' goalie stops but can't control. Then it pops out to Dmitri, who scores it with five minutes left on the clock.
The arena explodes. Jessica screams in my ear, Luke pumps his fist and high-fives a stranger next to him, and I'm jumping up and down like I've been a hockey fan my entire life instead of for approximately two hours.
The final minutes are excruciating. The Tigers pull their goalie for an extra attacker, peppering Aidan with shots. One heart-stopping scramble in front of the net has me clutching Jessica's arm so tightly she winces, but somehow the puck stays out.
When the final horn sounds, the Grizzlies' 2-1 victory secured, the relief and joy in the arena is audible. And almost deafening. Players pour off the bench to mob Aidan, helmets and gloves flying as they celebrate.
"That was amazing," I breathe, surprised by how emotionally invested I've become in such a short time. "I had no idea it was so intense."
"Welcome to hockey," Luke grins, clapping me on the shoulder. "They were something else tonight, though. I've never seen them all so on fire, working together like that."
