At Brookside University, some traditions are worth killing for.

Blair West knows how to handle hockey players. As a scholarship referee, she's used to breaking up fights, enforcing rules, and standing her ground against men twice her size.

But nothing prepares her for what she witnesses on the ice after hours.

A secret ritual. A circle of players. One possession. One truth.

And a team willing to do anything to keep outsiders silent.

Nolan Carver is the Wolves' most intimidating defenseman. At six-foot-five, he's built a reputation for collecting penalties, breaking rules, and never backing down. When he's ordered to find the intruder who witnessed First Ice, he knows exactly what's at stake.

Then he discovers it's Blair.

She's stubborn, fearless, and determined to expose what she saw. He's supposed to protect his team, even if it means lying to her.

But when questions about a missing student begin unraveling the Wolves' carefully guarded secrets, Blair and Nolan find themselves caught between loyalty and the truth.

The closer they get to each other, the more dangerous the game becomes.

Because someone at Brookside has already crossed a line that can't be undone.

And they'll do it again to keep their secrets buried.

FIRST ICE is a standalone dark college hockey romance with romantic suspense, dangerous secrets, morally complicated characters, and a guaranteed happily ever after.