Sometimes your greatest competition becomes your greatest weakness.
Artemis: My father's plan was iron-clad: follow his path, no deviations. But Xavier shows me what it’s like to step out from behind the mask. Our relationship began in stolen moments: video calls between training sessions, care packages crossing state lines, hidden love letters during games.
On the ice, we're rivals. Off the ice, we're something electric, something dangerous. For the first time, I'm choosing my own destiny—and it leads straight to him.
Xavier: My brother's shadow has defined my whole life. Xavier Martinez, just another NHL legacy. Enter Artemis de la Peña. Star defenseman from an opposing team hundreds of miles away, he sees past my last name, past the expectations. When he challenges me on and off the ice, everything I thought I knew shatters. He’s the first person who sees me, truly sees me, and I think I like what he sees.
Lasairiona E. McMaster
