My Hockey Alpha Neighbor

Carol’s POV Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I’m shocked out of my reverie by the feeling of strong arms wrapping around my body. Somehow, I didn’t hear Aiden enter the bathroom. I quickly relax into his arms. 

“The shower’s big enough for two, you know,” he whispers against my neck. I shudder, pushing the strange dream out of my mind. 

“What are we waiting for, then?” I say. I step into the shower and beckon him closer with a 

finger. 

The shower starts innocently enough. Aiden and I help each other wash our hair, softly running our fingers across the other’s scalp. Then, our hands begin to wander. 

Soon enough, Aiden’s hand is tangled in my hair as he pressed into me from behind. His other hand is firm but gentle on my hip. Our moment of intimacy is brief, but no less satisfying, finishing with both Aiden and I panting heavily and slumping against the wall of the shower. 

It’s easy enough to clean off thanks to the location we picked. I step out, wrapping my hair in a towel and drying off my body. Once again, I’m shocked how easily Aiden can leave me satisfied. I quickly push away the thought – if I let my mind go down that path, I’ll get needy all over again. 

“Caroli 

I look up to see Aiden with a towel wrapped around his waist. The water droplets still trickling down his body make him glisten like a statue. I swallow hard. 

“Yeah?” 

Aiden runs a hand through his hair. “Have you heard about the training match my team’s gonna have? The one against the Cougars?” 

“Yeah, a little bit,” I say. 

“It’s not a huge event, Aiden says quickly. “It should be low–key.” He pauses for a moment. “Well – people have bought tickets, but it’s not a very big deal.” 

A fond smile tugs at my lips. I stand on my tiptoes and give Aiden a soft kiss. “I’d like to come.” 

Aiden brightens up. “Really?” 

I laugh. “Of course. I need to learn about hockey someday- why not start now?” 

Aiden gets ready and heads out to practice for the game. I have more time to relax and enjoy the day. Everything is starting to sink in now. So much has happened, it’s shocking to think it was only Saturday. 

Aiden sends a private driver to pick me up despite my insistence I wouldn’t need it. I stop by my apartment to gather a few things and some clothes. 

Upon Aiden’s suggestion, I decide to disguise myself as best I can. I throw on nondescript clothes, a thick scarf, sunglasses, and a mask. By maneuvering them around, I manage to cover most of my recognizable features. 

As the car is pulling up to the venue, my phone buzzes with a text from Aiden. 

Just warning you, it’s a bit more packed than expected 

“How much is “a bit“, exactly?‘ I text back. When I look up from my phone, I can see a huge crowd gathered out front of the 

stadium. 

the 

Is there even going to be enough space for everyone? I thank the driver for his trouble and slip out of the car. Aiden already Kave me detailed instructions on where to meet up with him, so luckily the line won’t be a problem for me. As I move past t crowd. I overhear a few snippets of conversation 

12:30 PM 

“Can you believe we’re really going to be only feet away from Aiden Cruz?!” 

“I’ve been thinking about this moment for weeks!” 

“Hey, do you think his new girlfriend is gonna be in the crowd?” 

“What! No way those rumors are true…” 

I pull the scarf up around my face. Maybe it did make sense that so many people were here. This was going to be Aiden’s first game as part of the club. Plus, romance rumors definitely stir up publicity 

I manage to find the back entrance. As soon as I knock, the door swings open and Aiden is there. With a big smile, he takes my arm and leads me into the athlete–only areas. 

The tour is preity short. According to Aiden, there’s more, but it all smells bad right now thanks to the sweaty hockey players. Eventually, we step into the lounge where the team gathers. 

There are about twenty hockey players all lounging around. Most of them are only half in their hockey gear right now. As Aiden and I enter the room, they look up at us. 

“Why’s she back here?” One of his teammates mutters. Aiden squeezes my hand. 

“I invited her,” he says. “This is my girlfriend, Carol. She’s my fated mate.” 

From what I remember, most of the team is made up of werewolves. That isn’t uncommon among professional sports teams. As soon as Aiden calls me his fated mate, I can feel a second wave of scrutiny focus on me. 

Werewolves can smell one another. That means they can definitely tell that I’m not one of them. Disbelief seems to wash over the team. I feel a pang of anxiety. 

After a moment of surprised silence, the team members mutter their congratulations. A few of Aiden’s teammates exchange meaningful glances. 

Aiden seems to notice my nervousness. He offers the group a confident smile. “I know that she’s a human. It surprised the of us, too. Regardless, I can assure you that she is my true mate.” 

e two 

I can tell not everyone feels particularly convinced, but the awkward situation is cut off by the sound of the overhead speakers crackling to life. 

“Team, the match is beginning in half an hour. Begin your final preparations.” 

Aiden gives me an apologetic smile and escorts me to a side door. “I’m sorry we couldn’t spend more time together. Here’s your ticket.” He hands me a small slip of paper. I tuck the ticket in my pocket and squeeze his hands. 

“You’re going to do amazing.” I lean up and give him a small kiss. His expression relaxes slightly. Satisfied, I head toward my 

seat. 

As I walk, I begin to slip off layers of my disguise and tuck them into my bag. All of the focus will be on the hockey game now. I feel like I can breathe again once I’m back in my simple base layer of a sweater and jeans, 

The view from my seat is incredible. I’m sitting only a few rows away from the hockey rink. Aiden was considerate enough to pick out a spot off to the side of the court, though. Any potential attention wouldn’t be directed my way. It’s the perfect ticket for me. I smile to myself and relax, excited to see Aiden play for the first time. 

The pre–game celebrations begin with several announcements and a few dances. The mascots for each team run around for a bit, which makes me laugh. The away team is from Durvey, a suburb of the city that has a bit of a rivalry with the club Aiden is a part of. Their mascot is the Cougars, judging by the dancing person in the cougar costume on the rink 

– 

Aiden’s team is generally considered the larger club in the city they even get to have the city name in their title. The team is called the Statford Freeze, and their mascot is an arctic wolf. I smile to myself. Maybe that’s a bit on the nose, I think.