The Assistant Coach (BOOK 1: OMEN KING SERIES)

|𝟼𝟻|

Kohl Warren

"Kateb. Put. It. Back." Leia says, her voice cutting through the air like ice. Kateb jumps and quickly places the hockey puck back on the ice, which elicits a chorus of laughter from everyone around us.

But not me. No, I'm too busy staring at Leia, my stunning girlfriend. Her curly hair is pulled back into a sleek low ponytail, each bounce of her curls as she skates sending a jolt of electricity through me.

She's dressed in a form-fitting black Nike compression shirt and black jeans, accentuating her small waist and curvaceous figure.

I can't help but smile as I glide around the cones, marveling at the sight of my girlfriend who looks like she belongs on the cover of a magazine.

The mere thought of that Henson Parker guy makes my jaw clench in anger. I know Leia claims he doesn't like her, but I'm not buying it. I mean, come on, just look at her. Who wouldn't be drawn to her beauty and charm? My girlfriend is the kindest-

"Oww!" I hear Kateb shout as Leia smacks him in the head with her hockey stick. She's just fixing his hair, isn't she just so adorably kind.

Wait. Why the fuck is she fixing his hair? I narrow my eyes as I pat myself for my phone. How fast can Seth get here from D.C?

"Good work fellas, you've improved," The principal's voice booms through the arena, echoing off the icy walls.

We all stop on the ice, the blades of our skates making a sharp scraping sound as we turn towards the grand doors. The principal stands there, a big grin on his face as he claps enthusiastically.

Coach Johnson suddenly jumps up from his seat, the whistle around his neck swinging wildly.

"Keep going, don't get distracted," he barks out, his voice filled with urgency. Leia shakes her head in amusement, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she laughs at the chaos.

"I just stopped by, you can continue," Principal Turner continues, his tone jovial.

He singles out Leia with a nod of approval. She gives a thumbs up, her face beaming with pride, and I can't help but grin at her enthusiasm. The other guys follow suit, offering their own gestures of approval.

As the principal leaves, Coach Johnson goes back to his usual routine, pulling out his phone and scrolling through YouTube videos. He skates lazily around the ice, occasionally

glancing up to check on our progress. "You're all going to finals," Leia announces with a mischievous grin, causing us all to exchange looks of confusion.

We had only just made it into the playoffs, so how in the world are we suddenly heading to the finals?

"Are you pulling our legs?" Ronald questions, but Leia's eerie smile silences him instantly.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened, but Coach Johnson received an email saying you all are going to finals," Leia shrugs nonchalantly.

The news has us erupting in cheers, and I playfully slap Owen's helmet, earning a glare from him. I move on to Ant and then Tim, repeating the gesture.

In that moment, I can't help but think about how much I want to kiss Leia. We had agreed to keep our relationship separate from hockey, so I resist the urge.

Instead, I wink at her, and she returns the energy with a smile.

"That's it for practice, oh and finals are tomorrow," Leia announces casually, as we all exchange shocked looks.

How could she forget such an important detail, dropping it on us like a bombshell? Tomorrow? That's quick.

Tim can't help but interject, "Wait, what?"