Pucked by Alphas: The Omega Hockey Tomboy

DOMINIC'S POV

My footsteps echoed through their pathetic excuse of a home as I stormed in, my jaw clenched so tight I could feel a vein pulsing in my temple. The air reeked of desperation and fear-exactly what I expected from someone who owed my family money.

"Jimmy Pierce." I didn't ask. I stated his name like the verdict it was.

The man who stumbled forward looked nothing like the confident businessman who'd approached my father six months ago. His eyes darted around the room like a cornered animal, hands trembling as he attempted to straighten his wrinkled shirt.

"Mr. Blackwood... I wasn't expecting you today." His voice cracked. Pathetic.

I raised an eyebrow, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably before responding. "That was rather the point. My father sends his regards." I pulled out the ledger from my jacket pocket, tossing it onto their coffee table. "And his bill."

This debt is long overdue, and I'm not leaving without something of value. These people are beneath me, but business is business.

Jimmy grabbed the paper with shaking hands, his face draining of color as he read the figure. His wife hovered nervously in the doorway, her knuckles white as she gripped the wooden frame.

"There must be some mistake," Jimmy stammered. "This is twice what I borrowed. The interest-"

"Is exactly what you agreed to," I cut him off. "You knew the terms when you signed."

"Please, Mr. Blackwood." Jimmy took a step toward me, hands outstretched in supplication. "I can offer you something else-a partnership in my new venture. It's going to be big, I swear. Just give me another month and-"

The crack of my fist connecting with his jaw echoed through the room. He crumpled to his knees, blood trickling from his split lip.

"I don't negotiate." I towered over him, adjusting my cufflinks. "And I certainly don't enter partnerships with men who can't honor their debts."

His wife rushed forward with a strangled cry. "Please don't hurt him! We'll find a way to pay, I promise!"

They're both on their knees now. Good. They should know their place.

"You had six months," I said, my voice dangerously soft. "My father was generous. I am not."

My gaze drifted around their living room-cheap furniture, faded carpet, nothing of value except... My attention caught on a silver-framed photograph on the mantel. I stepped toward it, ignoring their continued pleas.

The girl in the photo was stunning-raven hair cascading over one shoulder, eyes that seemed to challenge the camera, a slight curve to her lips that wasn't quite a smile. Something twisted in my chest as I picked up the frame.

"Who is this?" I demanded, not taking my eyes off her image.

The silence that followed was heavy with tension. I looked back to find Jimmy and his wife exchanging a panicked glance.

"That's our daughter," Jimmy finally answered, his voice tight. "Antalya."

"Antalya," I repeated, testing the name on my tongue. It tasted exotic. Intriguing.

A plan began forming in my mind-one that would satisfy the debt and give me something far more valuable than money.

I strongly feel that she is my mate. I was looking for her for years; finally, I found her.

"Where is she now?" I asked, turning the frame in my hands.

"She's at university," her mother blurted out. "Please leave her out of this. She knows nothing about the loan."

I smiled then, and watched them both flinch. "I think I've found my payment."

"No!" Jimmy struggled to his feet. "Take the house, take everything we own, but not our daughter!"

I signaled to Marco, my enforcer who'd been silently watching from the doorway. "Break his leg."

"Wait!" Jimmy cried out. "Please, Mr. Blackwood! She's innocent in all this!"

"Should have thought about consequences before you borrowed money you couldn't repay." I shrugged, unmoved by his tears. "One broken leg seems merciful, considering your debt."

The sickening crack that followed, accompanied by Jimmy's scream, didn't faze me. I was still staring at Antalya's photograph, memorizing every detail of her face.

"Have your daughter at my estate tomorrow," I instructed her mother, who was sobbing over her husband's crumpled form. "She'll work off your debt."

"What kind of work?" she asked fearfully.

I smiled. "That's between me and Antalya."

Before leaving, I crouched beside Jimmy, who was moaning in pain. "If you try to run, if you warn her, if you do any nuisance-I'll know. And next time, I won't be so merciful."

Outside, I breathed in the cool evening air, feeling strangely alive. The photograph pressed against my chest in my suit pocket, and I could almost feel her heartbeat matching mine.

"Soon," I whispered to myself, a promise and a vow. Antalya Andrews would be mine, no matter what it took.

ANTALYA'S POV

My heart hammered against my ribcage as the taxi pulled up to our modest family home. The twelve-hour flight from California had left me exhausted, but adrenaline coursed through my veins, pushing all fatigue aside. My mother's hysterical phone call still echoed in my ears-Dad had been in a terrible accident. Critical condition. Come home immediately.

I stumbled out of the taxi, barely remembering to grab my luggage before rushing toward the front door.

"Mom! Dad!" I called out, bursting inside.

The sight that greeted me stopped me cold. My father sat at our kitchen table, looking perfectly healthy aside from what appeared to be a fresh bruise on his face. No hospital bed. No critical injuries. Just him, drinking coffee with a haunted expression, while my mother wrung her hands nearby.

"What the hell is going on?" My voice came out as a strangled whisper. "You said Dad was dying!"

Mom stepped forward, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Antalya, sweetheart-"

"No!" I shouted, dropping my bags with a thud. "You lied to me! Do you have any idea what I went through? I thought Dad was going to die before I could get here!"

Dad wouldn't meet my eyes, staring down at his coffee mug like it held the secrets of the universe.

"I canceled my finals, bought an emergency plane ticket that cost three thousand dollars I don't have, and nearly had a panic attack on the flight!" My chest heaved with each ragged breath. "Why would you do this to me?"

"We had no choice," Mom whispered. "Please, just sit down."

I remained standing, crossing my arms. "Not until someone explains what's going on."

Dad finally looked up, and the defeated expression in his eyes sent a chill down my spine. Something was very wrong.

"Your father's leg is broken," Mom said softly. "But that's not why we called you home."

I narrowed my eyes, noticing for the first time the cast peeking out beneath the kitchen table. "What happened? And why lie about it being worse?"

My parents exchanged a look laden with dread.

"We've arranged your marriage," Dad said finally, his voice barely audible.

The room seemed to tilt around me. "You've what?"

"It's to the Alpha Alfonso's family," Mom rushed to explain, as if that somehow made it better. "To Alpha Dominic specifically. It's... it's payment."

"Payment?" I repeated incredulously. "Payment for what?"

Dad's face crumpled. "I borrowed money. For the restaurant. We were going to lose everything, and I thought I could turn things around."

"From who? The mob?" I laughed bitterly, but their expressions confirmed my worst fears. "Oh my god, you actually borrowed from criminals?"

"The Blackwood family," Mom whispered. "Alpha Dominic came yesterday to collect."

My knees weakened, forcing me to grip the back of a chair for support. Everyone knew about the Blackwoods-the most powerful werewolf family in the region, ruthless in business and worse in their personal dealings.

"This is insane," I hissed. "You can't just trade me like I'm property! I have rights. I have a life, a future-"

"You have a responsibility to your family," Dad cut in, a flash of anger briefly overtaking his shame. "This is the only way."

My mind raced, desperately searching for a way out of this nightmare. "I have a boyfriend! Vaiker and I have been together for eight months. He could be my mate!"

Mom scoffed, actually scoffed at my pain. "A human boy from your university? Don't be ridiculous, Antalya. This isn't some fairy tale where you get to choose. Alpha Dominic has chosen you."

"He doesn't even know me!" I shouted.

"He saw your picture," Dad said quietly. "And he... he decided then and there. It was you or our lives, sweetheart."

The implications of his words crashed over me like a tidal wave. This wasn't just an arranged marriage-it was coercion, extortion. My stomach churned violently.

"So you decided my life was an acceptable sacrifice?" My voice had gone deadly quiet. "Without even calling me first? Without giving me any choice at all?"

"What choice do any of us have?" Mom cried. "He broke your father's leg just for trying to negotiate! What do you think he would do to all of us if we refused?"

The walls seemed to be closing in around me, suffocating any hope of escape. My breathing came in short, painful gasps.

"I won't do it," I declared. "I would rather die than be forced to mate with some monster."

Dad slammed his hand on the table. "Don't talk like that!"

"Why not? If you're going to sell me off to save yourselves, then I might as well speak the truth!" Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "If you try to force this marriage, I swear I'll drink wolfsbane. Then what will you tell your precious Alpha Dominic?"

The color drained from both their faces.

"You don't mean that," Mom whispered.

"Try me." The words came out as a growl, my wolf rising to the surface in my distress. "I will never be his."

Hours later, I paced the confines of my childhood bedroom, now transformed into my prison. They'd taken everything-my phone, my passport, even my laptop. The door was locked from the outside, and my window had been nailed shut.

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass, staring out at the night sky. Somewhere out there was freedom, was Vaiker, was the life I'd been building for myself far away from pack politics and archaic traditions.

My fingers curled into fists as determination hardened in my chest. I wouldn't be a pawn in this game. I wouldn't be traded like cattle to pay my father's debts.

"I am not property," I whispered to my reflection. "And I will not be claimed."

I had until tomorrow to find a way out. Tomorrow, when the monster would come to collect what he believed was rightfully his. The thought of meeting Alpha Dominic-the man who had hurt my father, who had threatened my family, who now sought to own me-made my blood run cold.

I need to find a way to escape before the monster comes to take me.

ANTALYA'S POV

Dawn broke through the curtains, casting long shadows across my bedroom floor. I hadn't slept a minute, my mind racing with thoughts of captivity and forced mating. The walls of my childhood bedroom now felt like prison bars closing in around me.

I pressed my ear against the door, listening to my parents' hushed voices drifting up from downstairs.

"She has to understand," Mom whispered, her voice strained. "There's no other way."

"Maybe we should tell her everything," Dad replied, his tone defeated. "About what Dominic threatened-"

"No!" Mom hissed. "She's upset enough. If she knew the full extent..."

Their voices faded as they moved deeper into the house. I slumped against the door, sliding down until I hit the floor. The old wood creaked beneath me, a sound so familiar yet now part of my confinement.

"Some parents you turned out to be," I muttered, glaring at the locked door. "Trading your daughter to save yourselves."

With shaking hands, I pulled up the loose floorboard beneath my bed, retrieving the old phone I'd hidden there years ago when Mom had confiscated my first cell phone after catching me texting a boy after curfew. The irony wasn't lost on me-back then, talking to boys was forbidden; now, I was being forced to mate with one.

I pressed the power button, praying the battery still had some life. The screen flickered, then glowed dimly. Relief flooded through me.

"Thank the Moon Goddess for small miracles," I whispered.

My fingers fumbled as I connected to our home WiFi-thankfully, the password hadn't changed in five years. However, my hope quickly deflated when I realized I couldn't remember Vaiker's number. It had always been stored in my phone, which was now in my parents' possession.

"Damn it," I hissed, fighting back tears of frustration.

I couldn't call for help, but I could at least learn what I was up against. I pulled up the browser and typed: "Blackwood Family Alpha Alfonso."

The search results loaded slowly on the ancient device, but what I found made my blood turn to ice.

"No," I whispered, scrolling through article after article. "No, this can't be right."

The Blackwood family wasn't just powerful-they were notorious. Money laundering, extortion, mysterious disappearances of business rivals. And at the center of it all was Dominic, the family's enforcer and heir apparent. His cold eyes stared back at me from a news article about a charity event-a thin veneer of respectability covering something monstrous beneath.

But it was the forum posts from packmates that truly chilled me to the bone. I clicked on a thread titled "The Blackwood Curse."

"My brother worked as a maid in the Blackwood mansion," one user wrote. "She said women who get close to Dominic don't last long. Three girlfriends in five years, all dead from what they called 'natural causes.' But she swore they all complained of the same thing before they died-unbearable heat, like their blood was boiling from the inside."

I clutched the phone tighter, my hands trembling.

"It's the curse," another replied. "The Blackwoods made a deal with dark forces generations ago. They can't mate properly-they burn their mates from the inside out. That's why Dominic has never claimed a mate officially. They all die before the bond can fully form."

My free hand flew to my throat, suddenly feeling like I couldn't breathe. My parents hadn't just sold me into an unwanted marriage-they'd sentenced me to death.

"Those bastards," I choked out, tears finally spilling over. "They know. They have to know."

I continued scanning through posts, each one more disturbing than the last. Stories of women going missing, of hushed payoffs to families, of the strange heat that emanated from Dominic's touch.

A knock at the door startled me so badly I nearly dropped the phone.

"Antalya?" Mom called through the door. "I've brought you some breakfast."

I quickly shoved the phone under my pillow and wiped at my tears. "I'm not hungry."

The lock clicked, and Mom entered carrying a tray. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, but I felt no sympathy.

"You need to eat," she said, setting the tray on my nightstand.

I stared at her, wondering if she could see the newfound horror in my eyes. "Did you know?"

She frowned. "Know what?"

"About the women. The ones who died after being with Dominic."

Mom's face paled, confirming my worst fears. "Those are just rumors, sweetheart. Pack gossip."

"Don't lie to me!" I snarled, my wolf rising dangerously close to the surface. "Not anymore!"

She flinched at my tone. "We had no choice! Your father's debt-"

"Is worth more than my life?" I cut in, voice deadly quiet. "You're sending me to my death, Mom. Do you understand that? You've sacrificed your daughter."

"It won't be like that for you," she insisted, though doubt flickered in her eyes. "You're strong. Special."

I laughed bitterly. "Right. I'm sure that's what all the other dead girls thought too."

Mom stepped toward me, but I backed away. "Please, Antalya. Just meet him. Maybe the rumors aren't true. Maybe-"

"Get out," I whispered. When she didn't move, I screamed, "GET OUT!"

She left quickly, locking the door behind her. I collapsed onto my bed, mind racing with the horrifying reality of my situation. This wasn't just about being forced into a loveless marriage-this was life or death.

I had to escape. Not tomorrow, not tonight-now.

But how? The windows were nailed shut, the door locked. I was trapped like an animal awaiting slaughter.

I grabbed the phone again, mindlessly scrolling through the pack's social media feed, desperate for anything that might help. That's when I saw it-a promotional post for an upcoming event:

"NORTHERN TERRITORIES INVITATIONAL ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Male-only competition between packs. Winner takes glory and territory rights for hunting season. Registration closes tomorrow."

I stared at the screen, an idea forming in my mind. It was desperate, dangerous-but no more dangerous than staying here to be claimed by Dominic Blackwood.

"If only men can enter..." I murmured to myself, running a hand through my long hair.

The plan crystallized with startling clarity. I would stop being Antalya Andrews. I would become someone else entirely-someone Dominic could never find, someone who could escape across pack lines under the cover of competition.

My gaze drifted to the scissors sitting on my desk, then to the chest in the corner where my brother's old clothes still remained from before he left for college.

A grim determination settled over me. I was ready to sacrifice everything-my identity, my appearance, even my place in werewolf society-if it meant freedom from the deadly fate awaiting me.

"I'm sorry, Vaiker," I whispered to my absent boyfriend, "but I can't wait for rescue."