Fated Forever

Prologue

"Just slam into me harder, why don't you? Fucker."

Elijah glared at his best friend, to which the latter simply responded with a cheeky grin, seen clearly through his helmet.

"That's what your sister said to me last night," Noah smugly retorted, skating towards Elijah, further provoking the man.

"That's fucking disgusting— I don't want to know what you and Me— I can't even fucking finish that sentence," Elijah grimaced disgustedly, shoving at the idiot he called his best friend. "You're lucky Megan threatened to unleash Ma if we even dare lay a single hand on you— not that that's ever stopped me."

Isabella Knight was surely a force to be reckoned with. No one even dared cross her, not even their father, who was known to be one of the most powerful men in the world who started the Knight business empire— now retired, of course.

It had been 7, almost 8 years since he had been together with Megan, and by now, Noah was used to the Knight brothers' threats and overprotectiveness over the women in the family.

And by now, he knew that they were mostly just empty threats.

Most of the time.

Actually, scratch that— sometimes.

The first year, he was too scared to even show his face at the Knight residence. The second, Megan had managed to drag him to a few family functions, but of course. he would be met with deadly glares from all of the Knight men. The third year, he had managed to worm his way into Elijah's heart, and become best buddies with the least terrifying Knight brother.

Progress, right?

Well, let's just say, Xavier and Damien still terrified the fuck out of him.

The fourth-year and onward, well, he had been under Knight women's protection for the last 3-4 years now and life has been pretty much smooth sailing.

For the most part, anyway.

"Yeah, well, we all know that the women in your family are a force to be reckon with," muttered Noah, causing Elijah to murmur his agreement. "Especially, Mama Knight."

"Oh trust me, I know," murmured Elijah. "I've been on that receiving end plenty of times."

Before they could continue their conversation, the sound of their coach shouting at them caused them to turn around.

"Knight and Haynes— what the hell are you two doing standing around in the corner?" Shouted Connor Young, the now-retired former NHL star player and now, head coach for the L.A Kings. "We don't pay you millions to hold hands and make out. Get your asses back on the rink."

"You're just upset you're not getting any action from Leslie," Elijah smirked as he and Noah skated towards where everyone was gathered.

"Definitely getting more action than you, Knight," Connor retorted, causing the boys on the team to hoot and Elijah to roll his eyes. Sadly, the man wasn't wrong though.

"Jesus, don't gotta rub it in my face, Coach," muttered Elijah, causing Connor to chuckle.

"Just messing with you, kid."

Connor reached over, tapping Elijah's helmet, making the latter shake his head with a small smile playing on his lips. Elijah couldn't believe that the man he used to admire, and still admired, was now his hockey coach. Hell, Elijah could hardly believe that he was playing hockey professionally.

He remembered being starstruck the day Aurora, his sister-in-law, had invited and introduced her brother to the family. There, standing right in his kitchen, was the NHL star, and never in a million years would he had imagined standing in the same rink, joking around, with the man.