Chapter 40: New Beginnings

6 months later.

Black Ridge University. Graduation day.

My cap was crooked. My heels were sinking in the grass. And I had a Moon mark on my neck that every camera, parent, and gossip wanted to zoom in on.

"Stop fidgeting," Nova whispered, fixing my cap for the third time. "You’re valedictorian. Act like it."

"I’m nervous," I whispered back. "What if I trip? What if I cry? What if—"

"Of a speech or of him?" Nova nodded to the ice.

Kai was in warm-ups. Ravens jersey. C on his chest. His hair damp, stick in hand, skating laps while NHL scouts sat in the stands with clipboards.

Championship game was in 2 hours. Same time as graduation.

Kai had refused to pick.

"Both," he’d said last night, pulling me into his lap. "I’m doing both. Because I’m not missing you graduate, and I’m not letting my team down."

"Greedy," I’d said.

"Yours," he’d said back.

Marisol was in the front row already crying. She had tissues and a camera and that look moms get when their kid is about to do something huge.

Mason was two rows back with a sign: *THAT’S OUR MOON*. He’d bedazzled it. Of course he did.

Elder Torren was there too. Quiet. Older. He’d resigned after the Gate and taken a teaching position at Black Ridge. He nodded at me when I saw him. No smirk. Just respect.

And in the Frost section: Vex. In a navy suit. Not her uniform. Her hair down. She clapped when the first names were called. When mine came up, she clapped too.

One by one, names were called. Business majors. Engineers. Then—

"Lila Chen. Bachelor of Statistics. Summa Cum Laude. Valedictorian."

My heart was in my throat.

I walked. The grass tried to kill me with every step. I took the diploma. The dean shook my hand. The crowd cheered.

And I looked up.

Kai was at the edge of the ice. Helmet off. Stick resting on the boards. Watching me.

The whole arena could see him. The Ravens captain, skipping warm-ups to watch graduation.

I mouthed *I love you*.

He mouthed *I love you back*. Then tapped his chest, right over his heart. Right over where my mark matched his.

After, it was chaos. Photos. Hugs. Marisol wouldn’t let go. "My baby. My brilliant baby."

"You’re crying on my gown," I said.

"I don’t care," she said.

Mason took 40 pictures. "For the pack archives," he said.

Nova filmed everything. "For blackmail later."

Then Kai was there. Skates off, jersey over a hoodie, hair still wet.

He grabbed my hand. "Come on."

"Where?" I asked, laughing.

"To win a game," he said. Like it was that simple.

The arena was packed. 10,000 people. Scouts in suits. Pack members in the front rows. Students with signs.

*Ravens vs Wolves. Championship.*

The energy was electric. I sat in the front row, behind the bench, with Marisol and Nova.

Kai played like his life depended on it. Because it did.

First period: 1-1.

Second period: 3-2 Ravens.

Third period: 4-2. 30 seconds left.

Kai had the puck. He deked two guys. Shot.

Goal.

The buzzer rang. The crowd went insane. Confetti. Screaming.

Kai skated straight to the boards. Right to me.

He didn’t care about the cameras. Didn’t care about the scouts.

He pulled me over the boards. Kissed me. Hard. In front of everyone. My mark on full display.

"We did it," he said against my mouth.

"We did," I said, breathless.

The team lifted him on their shoulders. The C on his jersey gleamed.

In the locker room later, it was chaos. Champagne. Yelling. Music.

Coach came in, face serious. "Kai. Scouts want to talk. Now."

Kai looked at me, still in my graduation dress under my jacket.

I nodded. "Go."

He squeezed my hand. "Wait for me?"

"Always," I said.

2 hours later, he came out. Jersey off. Hoodie on. Face blank.

The room went quiet.

"What?" I asked. My stomach dropped.

"I got drafted," Kai said. "Third round. The Frostbite."

My heart dropped. "That’s... that’s good, right? That’s huge."

"Yeah," Kai said. "But it’s 8 hours away."

Silence. The team looked at the floor.

"So what do we do?" I asked.

Kai pulled me into a hug. Right there. In the middle of the locker room. "We figure it out. Together. Like always."

He smelled like ice and sweat and him.

That night, back at the pack house.

No parties. No celebrating. Just us in the kitchen. The letter on the table.

"I’m Alpha first," Kai said. He was making tea. Hands steady but his jaw was tight. "The pack is here. Marisol’s getting older. Mason can’t run everything alone. I can’t leave for 8 months."

"I know," I said. I was sitting at the table, barefoot, diploma on the counter. "And I’m Moon. I’m staying too. Elder Torren stepped down. Marisol asked me to help with council meetings."

"So you’re saying no to the NHL?" Kai asked. He sat across from me.

"I’m saying we find another way," I said. "You defer. Play one more year here. Graduate. Then decide. Or I go with you on weekends. Or we do long distance for a season."

Kai laughed. But it was soft. "My Moon is stubborn."

"Your Moon is staying," I said. "With you. Where I’m supposed to be."

He came around the table. Knelt in front of me. Took my hands. "You’d do that? For me?"

"I’d do anything," I said. "But I don’t want you to resent me in 10 years."

Kai touched my mark. "I could never resent you. You’re the reason I’m still here."

He kissed my knuckles. Then my forehead. Then my mouth.

"Okay," he said. "We stay. One more year. Then we see."

Outside, the snow was falling. The same snow that used to mean Gates and blood and fighting.

But tonight it just meant quiet.

Kai pulled me to my feet. "Come on."

"Where?"

"To bed," he said. "You have a speech to write for the pack tomorrow. And I have practice at 5am."

"Both," I said.

"Both," he said.

Upstairs, he held me all night. Not because we were scared. But because we could.

And I lay on his chest listening to his heartbeat.

And for once the future was certain.