A Prey Among Predators

The vast and white-painted visitors locker room is filled with most of the team as they dress up and talk amongst one another. Standing in front of his area of the bench by the opening is Clayton. With a scowl, he fastens his helmet.

“Where are those bears?” He huffs as he messes to snap one of the straps onto his helmet. “Why did I even recruit bears?” The strap snaps; he drops his hand. “They’re so slow!”

“Hey, there’s not even a ten-mile speed difference between you and Hartsy!” Brett points out from the other end of the room, sitting on the bench without his top equipment.
Clayton narrows his eyes and growls at him, his ears pushed back. He snaps his teeth at him before turning away.

Brett chuckles at his reaction before reaching down to tie his skates.

Carter emerges from the opening with his bag and leg pads. In haste, he wades through the crowded room.

“Sorry we’re late,” he exclaims, “we had breakfast and-and lost track of time—!” He halts in front of the bench and glances at everyone else before landing his eyes on his coach. “Coach, you just dress up way too quickly.”

Clayton gathers up his gloves. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.” He then marches off toward the opening.

Before he could make the turn into the walkway, Nolan whips around the corner and breezes by him. Clayton halts dead in his tracks, capturing Nolan’s long ears with his sight. He turns his head to follow his new teammate.

The rest of the team quiets their chatter and stares at Nolan as he crosses the room. They all follow him with their eyes as he settles down next to Carter on the bench.

From the other side of the room, Clayton aims his scrunched eyebrows at him. “Weren’t you a polar bear yesterday?”

“You’re a shapeshifter!” Kale exclaims with bright eyes.

Clayton shoots him a glare. “Those things don’t exist!” He chucks his glove at him.

Kale bats it before diving onto the foam flooring to clutch onto it.

Carter turns to the coach. “Coach, he’s—”

“I’m a rabbit,” Nolan forces out. “I lied when I said I was a polar bear.”

Brett leans forward and eyes him with a smirk. “I knew it. I KNEW you were rabbit.”

Nolan freezes, pressing his eyes ahead to avoid eye contact. His ears are facing front and his tail is showing all white.

“Your scent gave you away. But I didn’t say anything.” Brett slides his eyes up to Clayton.

Clayton steps up toward him. “Okay, cool, just don’t tick any of us off, bunny.” He then swoops down to nab his glove from Kale, whirls around, and stalks around the corner of the opening.

Nolan’s eyes turn sharp at the direction his coach exited. His ears slightly flatten.

“Yeah…” Carter grimaces at the opening before turning to his friend. “Coach is kinda...closed-minded. Like he even has a rabbit’s foot as his lucky charm—”

“I don’t need to be reminded of that—!” He tenses, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Hey, Patty—” Brett reaches behind Carter to place a warm hand on his shoulder. “—chill, you got the skill, so you can get his respect. He’s a cool guy once you get that.”

Nolan whirls his head to him with a frown. “Easy for you to say, you’re a canine!”

He removes his hand to shrug. “Eh...yeah, you do have a point.”

Carter eyes his friend with raised eyebrows. “Everybody knows now, so…” He shrugs.

Nolan huffs and dips his head. “I guess I gotta prove myself then.”

“You already proved yourself to me, so you can surely prove yourself to Coach.” Brett stands up with his shoulder pads in his hands and slips it over his head.

Nolan perks up at him. “Really?”

He pops out from his shoulder pads with a smirk. “Oh, for sure.”

Notes