Page 1 of Ice King

CHAPTER 1

Ford

Seattle Sentinel:Ford ‘The Wolfman’ Kendrick: A Legend is Born

Portland Herald:Ford ‘The Wolfman’ Kendrick Lives Up to his Genealogy!

Vancouver Times:Is Ford ‘The Wolfman’ on his Way to the Vancouver Kingpins?

“We have a hot one tonight, ladies and gentlemen. With the score tied two to two and less than two minutes on the clock in the third period, it’s now or never for the Seattle Wild.”

Battling through a crosscheck in the corner, I swept the puck away from the boards. I had no intention of hesitating. The weight of the moment was intense, the crowd already on their feet in breathless anticipation. I sliced through the defenders, dangling the puck. The only sound were blades skimming acrossthe ice along with the brutal hammering of my heart against my ribcage.

While my legs were burning, the urgency kept me focused. On point.

I scanned the goalie’s eyes, the rush of the high thrilling.

This was what I lived for. There was nothing as important as winning the game.

And I was damn good at doing so.

Ticktock. Ticktock.

As I controlled the pace, the puck settled onto my blade while a grin slid ever so silently across my face. The goalie wouldn’t know what hit him.

A flash on my left hit my peripheral vision a split second before my entire world was thrown off kilter. The sound of the crowd that had been a dull roar shifted, skates digging hard into the ice.

I didn’t expect a hit, let alone a ride into the boards.

The crack of plexiglass was followed by a brutal thud of my shoulder pads a split second before the air was ripped from my lungs. All I could smell was the acrid stench of ice shavings mixed with the metallic taste of blood.

Everything drifted into both slow motion and utter chaos.

Unable to feel my legs, I slid to the ice, concentrating on the explosive sound as a fight broke out. The referee’s whistle was a scream drowned out by the thunderous roar of a furious crowd.

In those seconds, even as I tried to stand, the lights in the arena began to dim.

“Ford. Look at me. Shit. We need a medic!”

“Huh?” I managed while gasping for air.

“Somebody call 9-1-1!”

Shouts faded.

Screams echoed.

My mind was shutting down, my vision murky.

The forest.

Trees.

Darkness.

Animals.

Food.