Chapter 2 THE GOLDEN CAGE

My body felt like it had been dismantled and put back together by someone who lost the instructions.

I sat on the wooden bench in the locker room, staring at the scuffed floor tiles. My collarbone throbbed with a dull pain that matched the rhythm of my heartbeat. Damon delivered a check to me during the scrimmage which functioned as a hit and a declaration of intent.

You don't belong here.

The goalie walking past the unstrapped pads told the rookie, "Nice hustle, rookie." The Captain’s eyes were burning a hole in your jersey all practice.

I forced a dry laugh. "Let him burn."

I waited until the room cleared out. I always waited. I couldn't risk showering with the Alphas. The steam loosened the adhesive on my patches, and the nudity was a risk I couldn't take. My body had become slimmer with some areas developing softness that my gym workouts could not conceal.

I changed into my oversized hoodie which I fastened by pulling the strings to cover my neck. I exited the building by pushing through the heavy double doors while carrying my bag into the cold night air.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I winced. Please don't be the hospital. Please don't be a bill collector.

I pulled it out. A notification from the University Housing Office glowed on the screen.

The University Housing Office issued an urgent notice regarding housing reassignment for student Noah Vance.

I stopped walking under a flickering streetlamp, my breath hitching in the cold air.

The announcement informed me that due to unplanned structural repairs in Scholarship Hall B, I had to move immediately. Please report to Building C, Suite 402, to collect your keycard.

Building C?

I read it twice.

Students who received scholarships like me lived in "The Barracks" which consisted of decaying brick buildings situated at the campus periphery that emitted a foul odor of mold and old beer. Building C served as the "Athlete’s Village." The facility operated as a glass-and-steel fortress which billionaire alumni financed. The building contained marble floors and private gyms and armed security.

The expense exceeded my scholarship by ten times.

The situation had to be a mistake, I thought. Or maybe... maybe a miracle?

I would save eight hundred dollars per semester if I didn't have to pay for the Barracks. That amount covered two weeks of chemotherapy medication for Lily.

I adjusted my bag and started walking. Hope, fragile and dangerous, fluttered in my chest.

I reached Building C. The building stood over the campus like a spaceship. The doors opened automatically with a quiet whoosh to reveal a lobby that emitted a scent of lavender and money.

The receptionist didn't even look up from her screen when I approached. She just slid a sleek black keycard across the polished counter.

The receptionist said, "Suite 402. Fourth floor. Penthouse level. You must pay fifty bucks to replace it if you lose between-.

I took the card. It felt heavy in my hand. Cold.

I took the elevator up while I tracked the ascending numbers. 1... 2... 3... 4.

The hallway was silent. The thick carpet absorbed my sneaker sounds while I walked. I found door 402 at the end of the hall.

I held the card to the reader. Beep. Click.

The lock opened. I opened the door to enter the room.

The hope in my chest died instantly.

The first thing that hit me wasn't the view of the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The space featured two main components which included a large leather sofa and a kitchen island made from granite.

It was the smell.

The scent hit me with the force of a physical wave as it brought forth the heavy and suffocating odor of winter rain and burnt cedar and pure and aggressive dominance.

The Alpha scent marked his territory wherever he traveled. The scent activated a biological alarm system in every single cell of my body.

The scent of a predator.

My knees buckled. I grabbed the doorframe to stay upright.

A deep voice echoed from the shadows with the words, "You're late.

I froze. I looked toward the living room.

Damon Sterling was sitting on the couch.

He was wearing grey sweatpants and a tight black t-shirt that strained against his chest. He held a tablet in one hand while drinking a protein shake from the other. He looked completely, terrifyingly at home.

He remained seated without standing. He turned his head to face me while maintaining his gaze with his steel-grey eyes.

The words, "Welcome home, roomie," left his lips.

I dropped my bag. Thud.

I turned away from him with the words, "No," I whispered, taking a step back. "No way.

Damon set the tablet down. He stood up, unfolding his massive frame. He walked toward me, moving with that lazy, lethal grace of a big cat.

As he mocked, "I expected a 'thank you,' he said, "I just upgraded you from a rat hole to a penthouse.

I couldn't breathe because the air in the room had become too thick with his pheromones. The room had become too thick with his pheromones, so I couldn't breathe. "You did this?

Damon admitted that he had accomplished something important by pulling some strings. He crossed his arms while standing a few feet away from her. "I told the Housing Director that the Captain needs to keep a closer eye on the team's weakest link.

"Who is the weakest link?" I yelled to him. "I'm the fastest skater on the line.

Damon argued that, "Speed means nothing if you shatter like glass. Your game tapes showed Vance that you didn't take hits. You don't screen the goalie. You play like a scared little kid.

He took another step. I backed up until my heels hit the door.

Damon said, "I will fix you." Damon said he will transform me into a weapon. We train together. We eat together. You have to eat according to my schedule.

He pointed to a door on the left side of the room. That door leads to your room.

He pointed to a door on the right. That door leads to my room.

He pointed to the door in the middle.

The bathroom is located in the middle which he pointed to while displaying a cruel smirk on his lips. The setup features two doors which lead to one shower space for shared use.

My blood ran cold.

A shared bathroom.

Shared steam. Shared towels. Shared air.

The humidity in that bathroom would remove my patches if I took a shower. My scent—my Omega scent—would fill that small, tiled room. If he walked in... if the lock failed...

"I can't stay here," I said, panic rising in my throat. I reached for the door handle. "I'll sleep in the gym. I'll sleep on a bench. I'm not staying here."

Damon laughed. The sound he made did not bring any happiness. It produced a negative emotional effect.

He spoke to her in a gentle voice. The woman should leave the room after she reads Clause 14 of her scholarship contract.

I stopped what I was doing. The person I met raised his eyebrows at my confused expression.

Damon perfectly recited the rule that required athletes to accept their designated housing because they would face punishment for noncompliance with team requirements. The violation of this rule would result in immediate funding termination.

He approached me while he held his hand against the wall which stood beside my head. He created a situation that prevented me from leaving his proximity.

Noah, if you exit that door, your sister's hospital check will bounce tomorrow morning. The oxygen left my body.

He understood everything about me except for my financial situation and the secret of Omega. He used his knowledge of my weak points to create maximum pain.

The woman I faced had more power than I could handle while I showed my hatred. I wanted to scream because I hated him. His eyes showed determination to go through with his plan. He was not making a false threat.

Lily required the money which I needed.

I released the door handle. I let my hand drop down to my body.

I spoke the word which I had been holding inside me. The word escaped from my lips.

Damon said his choice was correct.

The body contact he made with the wall created a cold feeling throughout my body. The warmth of his body left me.

The time you must return home is set at 10 PM. He returned to his couch after making the announcement that all lights must be turned off at 11 PM. The team gathers at 0500 hours for training. Arrive before the start time.

I stood there for one second, while my body shook with fear. The luxury suite felt like a prison cell. The marble floor felt like ice.

I took my bag and went to my room. I shut the door with force and locked it. I used a heavy chair to create a barrier which I placed under the door handle.

I buried my face in my hands while I sat on the bed. I sat down on the bed while I covered my face with my hands. I was stuck in a cage with a wild animal that wanted to destroy me. The worst part of the situation came after I told you the main problem.

My traitorous heart was racing—not just from fear, but from the electric, terrifying thrill of being so close to him.