Mabel’s POV
"Last one, I promise!" I grinned, peeling the last potato with a sense of accomplishment.
Tina nodded, glancing over from the stove where the marinated steaks were sizzling. "Good. Take a breather. You’ve done enough."
The sound of the oven fan whirring was the only background noise as I dumped the potatoes into boiling water. The garlic mashed potatoes would be perfect. I could practically taste them.
As the vegetables for the salad rested in their bowl, Tina glanced at me, her hands working through the next set of dishes with a calm, practiced motion. She started telling me more about Zane’s past.
"He was a handful growing up," she said, her eyes briefly distant as she stirred a pot. "Always sneaking out, avoiding practice, and goofing off when he should’ve been focusing. He had talent. Enough to be a genius, if he’d applied himself."
I leaned against the counter, trying to pictur
Mabel’s POV “Hold still, Iver. You’ll bruise worse if you move.”I pressed the ice pack tighter against his leg. He sat on the stretcher with that crooked grin that made me want to roll my eyes.“There’s no need to be so careful,” he said. “The doc numbed me up good. I can’t feel a thing.”I shot him a look. “The numbness will fade. If I hurt you now, you’ll feel it later.”He chuckled and shook his head, watching me with lazy amusement. For someone injured mid-match, he seemed far too relaxed.Everyone else stayed locked on the game. Ronan barked orders. Trav rushed along the sideline, medical kit open. The roar of the crowd rolled over us, but here, in this pocket, it felt like Iver and I were cut off from the noise.He leaned forward suddenly, dropping his voice. “Where’d you disappear last night? One second we were dancing,
Zane’s POV “You should find her and make sure she’s fine.”I kept my voice sharp over the mind-link, but Vivian’s answer came back cool.“What about her?”My fingers curled into fists under the table. Every muscle in my chest itched to move, to do something. “Vivian.”“She’s a big girl,” she said. “I’m sure she’s fine.”“You’re disobeying me?” My aura slipped, a warning pulse that made nearby Alphas glance my way. I forced it down before anyone noticed too much.Vivian stiffened. Brave, stubborn, but not stupid. She knew one wrong move could split me from Tyler, and none of us wanted that.Still, she wasn’t giving me what I needed. Not about Mabel.“Calm down, Alpha,” Vivian said with an even tone, her words more formal now. “You don’t want your guests suspectin
Mabel’s POV“Coach, wait up!”Ronan froze mid-step as a teenage girl hurried toward him, her ponytail bouncing. She was clutching something against her chest like she couldn’t wait to drop it.Ronan squinted past her, as if expecting someone else. “Where’s Rosie?”The girl’s cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry, Coach. My sister… she found her mate last night.”His shoulders sagged. “So she won’t make it?”She shook her head, guilt flashing in her eyes. She shoved the bundle into his hands, muttered an apology, and darted away before he could say anything else.Ronan stared down at the scraps of cloth and ribbons she’d left behind. His jaw tightened as he dragged his feet to the bench. He dropped onto it with a groan. “I hope this isn’t a sign for the rest of the day.”I leaned closer to Nena. “Who&rsq
Mabel’s POV"Iver, quit yelling my name like that," I said, grinning anyway as I spotted him waving at me from the field.He looked sharp in his dark gray jersey with the silver wolf outline, number seven on the back. The low divider kept us apart, but the way he waved made it feel like we were only steps away.I raised a hand in return, hoping his voice hadn’t cut through the noise too much. Music thumped in the background, laughter rolled across the seats, and yet Iver still managed to draw attention.Predictably, Finch caught it first. He jogged over, wearing the same jersey with a bold number five. His smile stretched wide."Good that you made it.""I said I’d come cheer, didn’t I?" My voice carried fine without shouting.From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ronan look up. He scanned the crowd, spotted me alone, and motioned me over. His mental link must have nudged the others, because the
Zane & Mabel’s POV"Where is Mabel?" I snapped, my voice sharper than I meant.Vivian looked up from her plate of quiche, fork halfway to her mouth. "Why should I know?"I gritted my teeth. "I asked you to take her to the festival."She gave me a shrug. "Are you expecting me to skip breakfast and neglect my duties because Mabel needs company?"Heat rushed up my neck. I could feel the growl rumbling in my chest. "Vivian, did your courage grow overnight because I let you slide after she got drunk last night?"Her face paled. She set the fork down quickly. "I apologize, Alpha. I did tell her I’d go with her, but we didn’t set a time. I planned to check once the guests were settled."Not good enough. I pushed back from the table and stalked toward the kitchen.Tina was by the window, sipping coffee, eyes unfocused."Where is Mabel?" I demanded.She blinked. "She left for
Mabel’s POV“Patient with what? You’re not making sense.”Zane’s arms stayed locked around me, his voice low against my ear. “There are things I need to explain. Not now. Just… don’t leave until I do. Promise me that.”I tilted my head, trying to read his face. His eyes gave nothing away, only a tension he didn’t bother to hide. “Fine. When you’re ready, you know where to find me.”His breath warmed my neck. “Thank you, Mabel.”I froze. His tone wasn’t casual. It was raw. The kind that settled into my chest and refused to leave. I wanted to ask what he was hiding, but if I pushed, he’d shut down. So I let him hold me, soaking in the heat of his body like it was the last time I’d get it.By the time I slipped out of the study, the house was buzzing. Laughter, footsteps, dishes clinking in the kitchen. Guests filled the