The Axelridge Series Book 1 Finn's Slapshot

(Chapter song ‘The Middle’ by Jimmy Eat World)

FINN

The horns honk as I jog across the busy four lane street to the street car stop. My suit jacket is flapping behind me as I jaywalk.

I'm running late and can see the street car at the previous stop to mine. Hopping up on the sidewalk, I make a sharp right and head to the long station that will collect my hungover ass and take me to work. I really gotta stop drinking with the guys.

“Hey, Trezner!” Someone yells from a car window and loud, obnoxious honking follows as I smile and wave.

I look ahead and almost smoke a couple of brunettes. “Whoop…Sorry!” I deke around and lay a charming smile on them as I walk backwards. They look back and smile, giggling. I give a little wave.

I hear the ding of the street car bell. Shit, it’s moving. I turn back around and pick up the pace.

“TREZNOR!” I grin as the newsstand guy has my to go coffee in his outstretched hand like a marathon.

I run up and stop. “Thank you.” I take a careful sip. “So good.” I smile.

“Caught the game last night. You cost me a hundred bucks.” The old man in his fifties leans on his rack.

I scrunch my brow. “How? I won and took MVP.” I hold out my hands.

He leans forward. “I bet against you.” He chuckles.

I point to him. “Well see, there’s your mistake right there. Never bet against the King.”

The street car rumbles into the station behind me.

“Kings trip, Finn.” He smirks.

“Not this King, Henry.” I hold my arms out as I back up. “Not this King.” I chuckle as I turn, run up the steps and board the car. I pause for a minute at the giant sign on its side with my face on it. The words “Treznor Slapshot" and “Get tickets at the box office in Axelridge Hammer Stadium”. I puff my chest a little and climb on the two car, red street train.

The car jostles as it starts up the road and I balance my way to a seat. It’s packed today with not a lot of empty seats. Some are standing in the aisle and I have to maneuver my way to the middle seats.

“Alpha.” A lady says as I pass her

I smile and nod as I politely side step around her.

“Good game, Alpha.” I bump a man and tips his hat.

I slide into an empty seat. “Uh, sorry. Thanks.”

A kid in front of me, spins around and stares.

I look around and smile back. “Hi.”

“You’re Finn Treznor!” He says in awe.

“Billy, sit down.” The woman beside him turns to me. “I’m sorry…He’s…He’s a fan.” Judging from her blushing cheeks, she is too.

I sit up. “Oh…uh…OK…” I reach into my inside jacket pocket and pull out a sharpie. I look the kid over and he’s grinning ear to ear. I reach up and rip the Axelridge Silver Bullets baseball cap off his head.

I look at the baseball logo. “Marcus would shit.” I grin. I put the cap in my teeth and write. “To my biggest fan, Billy…Finn, two N's.” I say what I’m writing and glance up. I smile with the black cap sticking out of my mouth. “Treznor.” I stick the pen back in the cap and hand the kid his hat back.

“Whoa! Mom look!” He slams himself back into his seat. She mouths thank you and I nod.

“Corey isn’t going to believe this!” He’s in complete glory.

I put my pen back in my pocket and my phone rings.

I pull it to a FaceTime and answer. “Griff, what you got?”

“Besides the worst hangover in history? You gotta stop winning, man. My wolf can’t take it.” He’s runs his hand through his blonde messy, medium length hair.

“Nobody says you have to drink an entire bottle of Jaeger.” I chuckle.

“Come on. I can’t let you win everything.” He chuckles back.

“What do you need, Griffin?” I say to move this along.

“Hunters on the other line.” He says.

“Oh, patch him through.” I rub my short, brown hair to make myself look good. Hunter. One of my best friends and fellow techie. He use to live here in my city until he got a hankering for dry air, hotter than hell temperatures and zero excitement. Well, some excitement.

He pops on my screen. His medium length black hair is now cut short and he looks less stressed. His blue eyes find mine and we both grin. “Hunter! How’s the little lady. Keeping you up all day?”

“Haha. No. Adam does that now.” He responds.

My brows shoot up. “Adam? Lainey had the baby.”

“Yep. A healthy Alpha like his old man.” He chuckles.

“Better than his old man.” I correct.

“You got that right. I don’t know, man. Vamp, Lycan and shifter. He’s going to be dangerous.” He says.

“Ladies, look out.” I smile. “Listen, I got your specs on the lycan tracking code and I have to say. Pure genius. Thanks man.” I say as the street car rocks.

“Hopefully, you can incorporate it into your weaponry. Get those bastards good.” He says.

“Hold on. Tunnel.” I say as I look up. The street car goes down its track and it becomes dark. I lose signal. Hunt flicks on the screen while I wait for him to come back. We rise up back into daylight and Hunter comes back. “I really need to put signal boosters in these tunnels.”

“I can do that for you.” Hunter offers.

“No, I’ll get around to it.”

“So, Finn. Owen’s been bugging…” He scratches his temple and scrunches his face because he knows this is a taboo subject for me.

“Hunter, you know my answer.” I say with confidence.

“I know, but at least look at the agreement. Come to Phoenix. Trust me. It’s way better than what Falcon Ridge could ever offer. We can work together.” He argues.

“No, you’ll just get Axelridge wrapped up in your crazy. No. The Vinelli family gives me enough to worry about.” I look up at the TV screen hanging from the ceiling of the street car. The news is on. I take out an ear bud and put it in my ear. It starts to play the audio from the newscast.

“Just come for a visit. You can see Adam.” Hunter says.

I give in because I’m a complete sucker for pups. “Yeah, ok. Let me check my schedule.”

He smiles. “Awesome. I’ll tell Owen. Hey, you good for those tickets?”

“Yep. First row by the penalty box like you asked. Bring a sweater.” I smirk.

“I will. Lainey’s already cold.” He laughs.

I huff a laugh. “I bet you warm her up good though.”

“Damn right. See ya, buddy.”

“See ya.” I hang up and tuck my phone back in my pocket.

I press my ear bud and raise the volume. Pictures of two teens come on the screen.

’14 year old Franklyn Conner and 15 year old Rebecca Slain are just the newest victims in the mysterious increase of missing teenagers in the city over the past six months.

Authorities are questioning whether these are indeed kidnappings or just runaways. Enforcer Chief, Theodore Hyde, had this to say…’

The older man takes a podium as reporters surround him. He rubs his silver sides and runs his fingers through his black hair as he prepares his statement.

“It is the belief of this unit that these kids are rebellious and are following groups in the city’s lower grids, to leave their homes and join gangs. From what this department has gathered, the evidence suggests they are not being kidnapped or meeting any other forms of foul play. We believe these actions are voluntary and they are purposely hiding from authorities. We won’t stop looking for them, of course, but to save resources, we have now scaled back the investigations from kidnappings to missing persons. Thank you.”

‘When asked what that would mean for the investigation, the Axelridge Enforcer unit refused to elaborate to the press.

As of today, 15 teenagers, between the ages of 13 and 19, have been declared missing with no indication on where they are or who may have allegedly lured them from their homes. More on this story at 6.’

I pull out my ear bud and chew my lip. This has gone on long enough. Kids missing in my city is not acceptable at all. As their Alpha, I have to figure this out.

I look out at the passing skyscrapers and think. The question is how. Everything we've done so far, has resulted in zilch. It’s like they fell off the planet. We may be 60,000 wolves, but it’s not like it’s New York City. That city can swallow a person without a trace.

I rub my chin as we make the next stop. My phone rings again. I pull it out and put it to my ear.

“Where are you?”

“I’m two stops away.” I answer.

“Good. When you get here, get down to the morgue.”

“Why?”

“We got another one.”

My jaw ticks. “When.”

“Last night. West side bridge. Finn, he tried to swim to the city.”

I rub my forehead. “Since when do rogues swim.”

“Since last night.”

“OK. See you in 15 minutes.”

“Right.”

“Jax?” I stop him.

“Yeah.”

“Get a sample of grey matter.” I breathe.

“Already done.”

I lower my phone and hang up.

Missing teens, lycans and now rogues. I lean back and look out the window. You know, there’s days when I wish could go back. When everything was just ice, pucks and girls.

A tiny smile crosses my face. To go back and see the smile on one beautiful girls face. I have millions upon millions of dollars, but I’d give it all up for just one day. One day to hear her laugh. Smell her scent. Live carefree. Just…be a damn kid again.

As much as I love the game, nothing compares to what I had. To this day I kick myself for letting it go. My love for the ice was too much. What I thought was a blessing, turned out to be a curse.

I could’ve stopped it. I could’ve walked, but I can’t. Hockey is in my blood. My city depends on it. I live it, breathe it. Sleep with it even. It’s everything I am. But, it’s huge. This life…It’s fast paced and if you can’t keep up…

“6^th street. Axelridge Security Complex.”

I get up and walk to the door. I hop off and internally groan. The front steps of my Security unit is covered in press. All here to talk about the missing teenagers, I imagine.

The streetcar dings its bell and I pull out my phone. It rings as I walk down the steps, passed the guard and across the lot.

“Jax. Make it an hour.” I hang up and pocket it.

Like vultures, they swarm. I put on my Finn Treznor smile and proceed to do my job.

If you can’t keep up with me, get out of the way because the life I lead will bowl you over like a trolley on the trolley tracks.

The cameras flash and the questions fly. I answer on autopilot. I recite scripted answers I have to address concerns and fears.

I smile as the flashes strobe and the lenses whizz.

My mind takes me back to that first day.

The first day the sun hit her beautiful face and I knew she was going to be mine…