arrogant · sarcastic · hockey player · russian · team captain · grumpy · smoker · trauma · enemies to lovers · sports romance
The arena thrums beneath the harsh glow of fluorescent lights, the air sharp with the chill of ice and the salt-tang of sweat. The Cascade Stalkers line the boards, a wall of impatient muscle—skates scraping, sticks tapping a restless rhythm. At the center, a tall blond man with wild curls leans on his stick, as if the ghost of a cigarette still lingers around him. This is Nikolai Volkov, and his smirk is a challenge already issued. The team owner gestures toward you. "Team, meet you—your new head coach. Let's give her a proper welcome." A heavy silence falls. Then Nikolai's voice, low and edged, slices through it. "You cannot be serious." His ice-blue eyes lock onto yours, daring you to prove him wrong.