The Axelridge Series Book 1 Finn's Slapshot
Chapter 1

(Chaptersong ‘The Middle’ by Jimmy Eat World)

FINN

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

I'm runninglate and can see the street car at the previous stop to mine. Hopping up on the sidewalk, I make a sharpright and head to the long station that will collect my hungover ass and takeme to work. I really gotta stop drinkingwith the guys.

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

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

I hear theding of the street car bell. Shit, it’smoving. I turn back around and pick upthe pace.

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

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

“Caught thegame last night. You cost me a hundredbucks.” The old man in his fifties leanson his rack.

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

He leansforward. “I bet against you.” He chuckles.

I point tohim. “Well see, there’s your mistakeright there. Never bet against theKing.”

The streetcar rumbles into the station behind me.

“Kingstrip, Finn.” He smirks.

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

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

“Alpha.” A lady says as I pass her

I smile andnod as I politely side step around her.

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

I slideinto an empty seat. “Uh, sorry. Thanks.”

A kid infront of me, spins around and stares.

I lookaround and smile back. “Hi.”

“You’reFinn Treznor!” He says in awe.

“Billy, sitdown.” The woman beside him turns tome. “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 toear. I reach up and rip the Axelridge SilverBullets baseball cap off his head.

I look atthe baseball logo. “Marcus wouldshit.” I grin. I put the cap in my teeth and write. “To my biggest fan, Billy…Finn, twoN's.” I say what I’m writing and glanceup. I smile with the black cap stickingout of my mouth. “Treznor.” I stick the pen back in the cap and hand thekid his hat back.

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

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

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

I pull itto a FaceTime and answer. “Griff, whatyou got?”

“Besidesthe worst hangover in history? You gottastop winning, man. My wolf can’t takeit.” He’s runs his hand through hisblonde messy, medium length hair.

“Nobodysays you have to drink an entire bottle of Jaeger.” I chuckle.

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

“What doyou need, Griffin?” I say to move thisalong.

“Hunters onthe other line.” He says.

“Oh, patchhim through.” I rub my short, brown hairto make myself look good. Hunter. One of my best friends and fellowtechie. He use to live here in my cityuntil he got a hankering for dry air, hotter than hell temperatures and zeroexcitement. Well, some excitement.

He pops onmy screen. His medium length black hairis now cut short and he looks less stressed. His blue eyes replace mine and we both grin. “Hunter! How’s the little lady. Keepingyou up all day?”

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

My browsshoot up. “Adam? Lainey had the baby.”

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

“Betterthan his old man.” I correct.

“You gotthat 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 lycantracking code and I have to say. Puregenius. Thanks man.” I say as the street car rocks.

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

“Holdon. Tunnel.” I say as I look up. The street car goes down its track and itbecomes dark. I lose signal. Hunt flicks on the screen while I wait forhim to come back. We rise up back intodaylight and Hunter comes back. “Ireally need to put signal boosters in these tunnels.”

“I can dothat for you.” Hunter offers.

“No, I’llget around to it.”

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

“Hunter,you know my answer.” I say withconfidence.

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

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

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

I give inbecause I’m a complete sucker for pups. “Yeah, ok. Let me check myschedule.”

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

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

“Iwill. Lainey’s already cold.” He laughs.

I huff alaugh. “I bet you warm her up goodthough.”

“Damnright. See ya, buddy.”

“Seeya.” I hang up and tuck my phone back inmy pocket.

I press myear bud and raise the volume. Picturesof two teens come on the screen.

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

Authoritiesare questioning whether these are indeed kidnappings or just runaways. Enforcer Chief, Theodore Hyde, had this tosay…’

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

“It is thebelief of this unit that these kids are rebellious and are following groups inthe city’s lower grids, to leave their homes and join gangs. From what this department has gathered, theevidence suggests they are not being kidnapped or meeting any other forms of foulplay. We believe these actions arevoluntary 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 kidnappingsto missing persons. Thank you.”

‘When askedwhat that would mean for the investigation, the Axelridge Enforcer unit refusedto elaborate to the press.

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

I pull outmy ear bud and chew my lip. This hasgone on long enough. Kids missing in mycity is not acceptable at all. As theirAlpha, I have to figure this out.

I look outat the passing skyscrapers and think. The question is how. Everythingwe'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 atrace.

I rub mychin as we make the next stop. My phonerings again. I pull it out and put it tomy ear.

“Where areyou?”

“I’m twostops away.” I answer.

“Good. When you get here, get down to themorgue.”

“Why?”

“We gotanother one.”

My jaw ticks. “When.”

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

I rub myforehead. “Since when do roguesswim.”

“Since lastnight.”

“OK. See you in 15 minutes.”

“Right.”

“Jax?” I stop him.

“Yeah.”

“Get asample of grey matter.” I breathe.

“Alreadydone.”

I lower myphone and hang up.

Missingteens, lycans and now rogues. I leanback 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 tinysmile crosses my face. To go back and seethe smile on one beautiful girls face. Ihave millions upon millions of dollars, but I’d give it all up for just oneday. One day to hear her laugh. Smell her scent. Live carefree. Just…be a damn kid again.

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

I could’vestopped it. I could’ve walked, but Ican’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’tkeep up…

“6^thstreet. Axelridge Security Complex.”

I get upand walk to the door. I hop off and internallygroan. The front steps of my Securityunit is covered in press. All here totalk about the missing teenagers, I imagine.

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

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

Likevultures, they swarm. I put on my Finn Treznor smile and proceed to do myjob.

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

The camerasflash and the questions fly. I answer onautopilot. I recite scripted answers Ihave to address concerns and fears.

I smile asthe flashes strobe and the lenses whizz.

My mindtakes me back to that first day.

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