Mated To The Ice Pack

Naeva Quinn

The cold slapped me in the face the second I stepped off the bus. Snowridge wasn’t playing around with the whole “eternal winter” thing.

Snow covered everything in sight. The trees, the sidewalks, even the rusty mailbox at the corner of the school entrance. The wind whipped hard enough to pass through my coat.

I adjusted my backpack and blew warm air into my gloves. It wasn't easy getting used to the sudden change in weather but I liked the new place anyway. Behind me, the bus roared back to life and pulled away. No turning back now.

Two students passed by, whispering. I caught the words “Vancouver” and “fists.”

Great. It hadn’t even been ten minutes and my reputation already made it to this frozen hell before I did. I clenched my jaw, had my eyes fixed on the glass doors ahead. I wasn’t here to fight. I wasn’t here to make new friends. I was here to finish senior year without anyone else ending up with a broken nose.

Inside, the hallway was warm but not exactly welcoming. A few lockers slammed shut. Students moved in small groups, giving me curious sideways glances.

“You’re Naeva Quinn, right?”

I turned. A woman stood by the office door. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties, stylish glasses, clipboard in hand.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m Ms. Decker. I’ll take you to your homeroom.”

She led me down the hall, heels clicking fast like she was late for something.

“I read your file,” she said over her shoulder. “You’re very bright. Top marks in everything but... behavior.”

I kept my mouth shut.

She opened the door to Room 113. A classroom half full of students looked up.

“Everyone, this is Naeva Quinn. She’ll be joining us for the rest of the year. Please make her feel welcome.”

I looked around the room. No one smiled. A guy with curly hair smirked. Another nudged his friend.

Ms. Decker gave me a schedule. “Oh—and Naeva, you’ve been placed in Academic Support.”

“Academic what?”

“Tutoring,” she said. “You’ll assist the hockey team.”

“What?” I blinked. “Why me?”

“You’re top of your class in every subject. And the team has... challenges.”

She left before I could argue. I slid into the only empty seat in the back and tried to disappear into my hoodie.

Across from me, someone muttered, “Bet she punches the whole team.”

I ignored it.

The day passed in a blur of introductions, weird stares, and snow-covered windows. My last period was labeled “Academic Support – Room 201.”

When I walked in, the room was quiet except for the hum of the heater. Five guys were already there, sitting like they owned the place.

Camden Wolfe sat near the window. Tall, broad shoulders, buzz cut, cold eyes. He didn’t look up when I entered.

Next to him, River Saint leaned back in his chair, hoodie pulled low, hands folded. His eyes met mine briefly. Though, it was expressionless.

Jax Ryder winked at me like we were in on some inside joke. He kicked his feet up on the desk.

Theo Bellamy sat near the chalkboard, flipping through a math book. Glasses. Sharp jaw. Way too serious for someone surrounded by chaos.

Cassian Lennox leaned on a cane, stretching his bad leg. He nodded at me. Friendly.

“Who’s the new girl?” Jax asked.

“The new tutor,” Theo answered.

Camden finally looked up. “Her?”

I dropped my bag on the desk. “Yes, me.”

“You won’t last a week,” he said flatly.

“Try me.”

Jax whistled. “She’s got teeth.”

River said nothing. He just kept staring. Not in a flirty way—more like he was trying to figure out what I was.

Theo cleared his throat. “We’re supposed to start with algebra.”

“Fine,” I said. I pulled out my notes and walked to the board. “Let’s start with something basic.”

Camden rolled his eyes.

Jax yawned loudly.

Cassian smiled. “Be nice.”

I wrote out an equation, keeping my back to them. Their energy was off. Not just athlete arrogance, it was something else. Heavy and tense. Like they were waiting for something to happen.

“Alright,” I turned. “Who wants to solve this?”

Everyone was quiet and River’s pencil snapped in half.

Everyone looked at him. He stared at me, jaw tight.

“You okay?” I asked.

He stood up. “I need air.”

And just like that, he walked out.

Camden’s chair scraped back. “Session’s over.”

“Seriously?”

He walked past me without a word.

Theo packed up. “Sorry. It’s not you.”

Cassian gave me a short nod. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Jax was the last to leave. He leaned in close. “Careful, tutor girl. You don’t know what you’re walking into.”

The door closed behind them and I sat back down with a racing heart. The room sounded too quiet.

Something was wrong with those boys. And somehow, I was in the middle of it.

As they left the room one by one, I gathered my books slowly, trying not to let how rattled I was show. My fingers were still cold even though the heater was humming behind me.

Maybe it was the sudden silence. Maybe it was how River just... broke his pencil and bailed like I’d triggered something deep.

The door creaked again. I looked up.

River was the last to leave. I had not realized he walked in to pick something.

He walked past me without a word, hoodie up, jaw clenched. But just as he passed, his arm brushed mine.

It felt like a jolt of electricity shot straight through my skin. My breath hitched and I froze.

It wasn’t like some casual touch. It was hot, intense like his body sparked something wild just under my surface. I swear my heartbeat skipped.

I blinked, trying to process it, but something inside me pulled toward him, like instinct leaned forward even when my mind screamed what the hell was that?

He stopped just past me. Slowly, I turned my head, eyes trailing over my shoulder.

He was looking back at me. And his eyes—goodness. They weren’t brown anymore. Or green. Or blue.

They were glowing silver.

Just for a second. Just long enough to know I didn’t imagine it.

Then he blinked. The glow vanished. And he walked out without a sound, like nothing happened.

I stood there in the middle of the empty room, spine prickling, my thoughts racing too fast to grab.

No one told me what kind of place Snowridge really was. But something told me I was about to find out.

I left school as fast as I could and hurried home. I didn’t say a word when I got home. Snow clung to my boots as I stepped inside, shaking from the cold and from... whatever that had been.

My mom called out from the kitchen, something about dinner. I ignored her. My dad peeked over the newspaper, but I walked right past him.

I didn’t trust my voice not to crack. My legs moved on autopilot, up the stairs, past the family photos, straight into my room. I locked the door, dropped my bag, and sat on the edge of the bed, my heart was still pounding like I was being chased.