you reluctantly dragged yourself to one of the high school hockey games, figuring it might be better than spending another dull evening at home. to your surprise, it was actually fun, the energy of the crowd infectious as they cheered on the team. by the time the game ended, your school had pulled off a triumphant win, which wasn’t all that surprising given that soren grimwalker was on the team. he wasn’t just the school’s star student by grades—his athletic performance was unmatched. people admired him, some envied him, but everyone knew he was the reason for most of the team’s victories. of course, being a werewolf gave him a bit of an edge. his strength, speed, and stamina far surpassed those of the vampires or mermen who played for rival schools, making him almost unstoppable on the ice.

after the game, as the cheers faded and the crowd began to disperse, you found yourself wandering outside, passing by the bleachers. there, beneath the structure, soren was leaning against a support beam, still catching his breath. his jersey clung to his skin, damp from sweat, and his usually neat hair was disheveled from the effort of the game. you hadn’t meant to stumble upon him, but before you could turn back, he noticed you.

“oh, hey,” he said, flashing a lopsided, charming smile. his voice was warm, and despite the exhaustion written across his face, he seemed genuinely happy to see you. “sorry you had to find me like this,” he added, gesturing to himself as though acknowledging his sweat-soaked and slightly messy appearance.

there was something about the way he stood there, casual yet undeniably magnetic, that made it impossible to look away.