The Secret

_Elsa’s POV_

The storage room door slammed shut behind us, and Caleb’s mouth was on mine before I could even catch my breath. His hands roamed my body with a hunger that made my knees weak, pressing me against the cold stone wall like he couldn’t get close enough.

“Caleb,” I gasped between kisses, my fingers clutching at his letterman jacket. The smell of sweat still clung to him from hockey practice, mixed with that cologne that drove me crazy.

“Shh,” he murmured against my lips, his voice rough with need. “Don’t talk. Just let me…”

His hands tangled in my hair, tilting my head back so he could trail kisses down my throat. I melted into him, my body responding to his touch the way it always did—like he was the only man in the world who could make me feel this alive.

But even as passion clouded my thoughts, I couldn’t forget why I’d asked him to meet me here tonight.

“We need to talk,” I whispered, trying to pull back slightly.

“Later,” he said, his lips finding that spot on my neck that made me shiver, his hand moving to push my panties to the side. “Right now I just need you.”

“Caleb, please.” I placed my hands on his chest, gently pushing him away. “This is important.”

He sighed, finally stepping back but keeping his hands on my waist. His green eyes were dark, pupils dilated with desire and something else, stress. The championship game was tomorrow night, and I knew the pressure was getting to him.

“What is it, Elsa?” he asked, his voice softer now. “You sounded urgent when you asked me to meet you.”

I took a shaky breath, gathering my courage.

“Tell him.” My wolf, Amy, urged.

“I can’t do this anymore. The sneaking around, the hiding, pretending we barely know each other when anyone else is around. It’s killing me.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened. “We’ve talked about this—”

“For two years!” I interrupted, my voice rising slightly before I caught myself and lowered it to a whisper. “Two years, Caleb. Two years of stolen moments in storage rooms and empty classrooms. Two years of watching you smile politely at other she-wolves while I serve drinks at pack functions like I’m invisible.”

“You’re not invisible to me,” he said quietly.

“But I am to everyone else. And sometimes I wonder…” I trailed off, suddenly scared to voice the fear that had been eating at me.

“Wonder what?”

“If I’m just convenient for you. A secret you can keep hidden away until you’re ready to find a real mate.”

The change in Caleb’s expression was instant and fierce. His hands tightened on my waist, and his eyes flashed with something dangerous.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice low and sharp. “Don’t you ever think that. Don’t you ever doubt what you mean to me.”

“Then prove it,” I said, my heart hammering in my chest. “Stop hiding us. Tell your parents. Tell the pack. Make this real.”

Caleb was quiet for a long moment, his eyes searching my face. Then he cupped my cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing across my skin with infinite gentleness.

“You want me to prove it?” he asked softly.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

“I love you,” he said, and the simple words hit me like a physical blow. “I love you, Elsa. Not because you’re convenient or available or easy to hide. I love you because you’re brilliant and kind and you see right through all the Alpha bullshit to who I really am underneath. I love you because you make me want to be better than I am.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. “Caleb….”

“I’m not finished.” His other hand came up to frame my face, forcing me to look at him. “You want to know what’s going to happen tomorrow night? After we win the championship—and we will win—I’m going to walk into that celebration party and I’m going to make an announcement. In front of my parents, in front of the pack council, in front of everyone who matters.”

My breath caught. “What kind of announcement?”

“I’m going to tell them about us. About how we’ve been together for two years. How I’ve already chosen my mate, and it’s you.” His thumbs brushed away the tears that had started to fall. “I’m going to tell them that I don’t care about bloodlines or politics or any of the other garbage they keep trying to shove down my throat. You’re the only one I want, Elsa. You’re the only one I’ll ever want.”

I stared at him in shock, hardly daring to believe what I was hearing. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious. Tomorrow night, I’m going to claim you in front of everyone. Publicly. Officially. And if anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me.”

“But what about your parents? They’ll be furious. They’ve been pushing you toward Crystal Owen all season.”

Caleb’s expression hardened. “My parents will learn to deal with it. I’m going to be Alpha someday, which means my choice of mate is my decision. Not theirs.”

“What if they disown you?”

“They won’t.” His voice was confident, but I caught a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “They need me. The pack needs me. And once they see how happy you make me, once they realize you’re not going anywhere, they’ll come around.”

I wanted to believe him. Goddess, I wanted to believe him so badly it hurt. But the fear was still there, gnawing at me.

“What if you lose tomorrow night?” I asked quietly. “What if the team doesn’t win the championship?”

Something dark flashed across Caleb’s face. “We’re not going to lose.”

“But what if you do? Will you still—”

“We’re not going to lose,” he repeated, his voice harder now. “I won’t let that happen. I can’t let that happen.”

I studied his face, seeing the tension there, the stress of expectation pressing down on him. “Caleb, the pressure you’re under—”

“Is exactly why I need you to stop pushing me about this right now,” he said, cutting me off. “I know you’re scared. I know you want reassurance. But I need you to trust me and let me focus on tomorrow night’s game. Because if we don’t win, if I don’t prove to everyone that I’m strong enough to lead this pack, then my announcement won’t matter. They’ll never accept you.”

His words stung, but I could see the logic in them. The championship game was everything to him, to his future, to our future.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I didn’t mean to add to your stress.”

Caleb’s expression softened immediately. “Don’t apologize. You have every right to want more. You deserve more. And after tomorrow night, you’re going to get it. I promise.”

He pulled me close, holding me tight against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, fast and strong, and I let myself lean into his warmth.

“One more day,” he murmured into my hair. “Just give me one more day to make everything perfect for us.”

“Okay,” I whispered. “One more day.”

We stood there in comfortable silence for a moment, just holding each other. Then Caleb pulled back and gave me that crooked smile that made my heart skip.

“You should probably get back before someone notices you’re missing,” he said.

I nodded reluctantly. “What about you?”

“I need to review game tape one more time. Coach wants us to be perfect tomorrow night.” He picked up his hockey bag from where he’d dropped it by the door. “The whole pack is going to be watching. Half the territory’s rival packs too. It’s the biggest game Moonstone has played in decades.”

“You’re going to be amazing,” I said, meaning every word. “You always are.”

“We’ll see.” He kissed me one more time, soft and sweet. “Wear something beautiful tomorrow night, okay? Something worthy of the future Alpha’s mate.”

With that, he was gone, leaving me alone with my racing heart and the promise that tomorrow night, everything would change.

Twenty-four more hours of pretending we were nothing to each other. Twenty-four more hours of being nobody.

After that, I would finally be his. Officially, publicly, completely.

I just had to make it through one more day.