LOGINJASPER’S POVI gripped my hockey stick tightly, taping the handle while sitting on the wooden bench inside the locker room. My muscles ached from head to toe, and my mind felt completely fried. Jasper was struggling to balance everything going on in his life.Between hockey, family responsibilities, protecting Aria, and the growing mystery surrounding her, it felt like there weren't enough hours in the day.Every time he thought things were finally calming down, something new happened. One minute we were celebrating a championship win, and the next Cole was finding altered birth registries, Zane was digging into international syndicates, and Aria was being followed by strange men outside campus.The only thing keeping him sane was hockey.Whenever he stepped onto the ice, he could focus on something simple for a change. There were no hidden documents, no mysterious pack elders, and no mercenaries—just a puck, a net, and the cold snap of the rink."You ready out there, Jasper?" Kai ask
COLE’S POVThe heavy smell of old dust and aged paper filled my bedroom as I stared down at the open files spread across my desk. Cole couldn't let the investigation go no matter how many warnings he received.The old wolf's words from the diner—stop searching before somebody notices what you are doing—kept echoing in the back of my mind. But instead of scaring me off, it had the exact opposite effect. Ever since the old wolf told him to stop digging into Aria's past, he had become even more convinced that he was getting close to something important."Still at it?" Kai asked, walking into my room and tossing a bottle of water onto my desk. He crossed his arms, looking down at the scattered papers with a tired frown. "You haven't slept properly in three days, Cole.""I'll sleep when we know who is trying to hunt our mate," I muttered, not looking up from the screen of my laptop.Every free moment he had was spent searching through records, contacting old pack members, and comparing inf
ARIA’S POVI stared out the classroom window, my fingers tapping a nervous, erratic rhythm against the wooden desk. Aria couldn't stop thinking about the stranger she saw after school. Even though she managed to get away safely and the brothers came when she called them, she couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling from her mind.Every time she walked through the school hallways, she found herself looking around more than usual. Whenever she heard footsteps behind her, she automatically turned around, half expecting to see that man in the grey jacket staring right back at her.It annoyed her because she had worked so hard to stop living in fear after Bianca's attack. I had spent weeks sweating in the gym, learning how to throw a proper punch, building up my confidence, and trying to feel safe in my own skin.She hated feeling weak again. She hated feeling like someone could be watching her at any moment."Aria? Are you listening?" Professor Vance asked, tapping his dry-erase marker ag
ARIA’S POVThe glow of my laptop screen was the only light in my dark dorm room as the clock blinked past midnight. Aria finally decided to investigate the name she found in the document.I had the faded paper pulled out right beside my keyboard, the name Valerie Vance staring back at me like a silent challenge. I spent several days searching online records, library archives, and anything else she could access without attracting attention.I clicked through encrypted public databases, cross-referenced old pack registries, and dug through historical town records during every free period between classes. Most of her searches led nowhere, but she refused to give up."Come on," I muttered under my breath, clicking on a digital newspaper archive from fifteen years ago. "There has to be something."Eventually she found an old article mentioning the same name.I leaned forward, my eyes straining to read the grainy, scanned text on the screen. The information was incomplete, the edges of the
REED’S POVThe heavy oak doors of the athletic office swung open, and I walked out holding a thick, glossy packet of papers in my hand. The hockey team received an invitation to participate in a major inter-school competition that would bring together some of the strongest teams in the region."What's that, Reed?" Kai asked, skating over toward the benches as practice wrapped up for the afternoon."An invitation," I said, flashing a grin as I tossed the papers onto the wooden bench. "The regional championship qualifier. Only the top elite teams in the entire state get an invite."Everyone was excited because winning would bring recognition far beyond their school. The guys swarmed around the bench, shouting and high-fiving each other. This was massive. Winning this tournament meant scouts from national leagues, college recruiters, and elite pack academies would be watching our every move.Normally, I would have been the loudest one in the locker room, screaming about how we were going
BIANCA’S POVI paced back and forth across my bedroom floor, my heels clicking sharply against the hardwood. My phone was gripped so tightly in my hand that my knuckles had turned pure white. Bianca was becoming increasingly desperate.Everything I had built, everything I owned, and every bit of social standing I possessed had completely vanished into thin air. Her reputation was damaged, her relationship with Zane was practically destroyed, and the brothers openly ignored her now.Whenever I walked past the cafeteria tables at school, people either looked away or whispered behind their hands. Zane wouldn't even look at me in the hallways, acting like I didn't exist. And the Steel brothers? They didn't even bother threatening me anymore; they just treated me like a speck of dust beneath their boots.She hated watching Aria become closer to everyone while her own life continued falling apart.Aria was everywhere. She was walking with the hockey team, laughing in the courtyard, and wear
ARIA’s POVMy body was on fire. My lips were swollen, throbbing from the brutality of his kiss. Every place he'd touched—my waist, my ass, my throat—burned like he'd branded me with his hands. The towel hung loose around me, barely covering anything, and I could still feel the ghost of his grip on m
ARIA’s POVThe suitcase handle dug into my palm as I dragged it across the driveway. My arms ached, but I refused to ask for help. Not now. Not when everything felt so wrong."Aria, hurry up!" Mom called from beside the sleek black car. Her voice had that excited edge I'd been hearing for weeks now.
ARIA’S POVI opened my eyes slowly, immediately blinded by the harsh, bright fluorescent lights shining directly above my head. I blinked a few times, trying to focus, and the sterile smell of bleach and rubbing alcohol instantly filled my nose. I found myself lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by
ARIA’S POVI sat in the passenger seat of Zane’s car, fingers twisting in my lap, and I still couldn’t believe any of this was real. The guy I used to watch from the bleachers during hockey practice, the one I had dreamed about for so long, was right next to me. Driving. Talking to me like we did







