ANMELDEN"You played center?"I stared at the glowing tablet, paralyzed as the commentators dissected how Brandon Cole had snatched the captaincy the moment Luke Navarro was sidelined. Luke hadn't just been a star defender; he was the engine of the Navarro Memorial Stadium until he vanished from the ice, reappearing as a gritty safety only after the power shift.Brandon never uttered a word about Luke’s history as a leader.The stench of secrets was starting to choke me. I killed the feed, shoved the remote into the furs, and stormed down the corridor. I had stayed out of Luke’s private territory since the move, but my inner wolf knew exactly where his scent was strongest.I didn't knock. I slammed the door back and froze. Luke was propped against the headboard, a silver laptop balanced on his thighs and black cords running from his ears.He looked up, startled. My heart did a traitorous, erotic twitch. He was wearing glasses. Thick, dark frames that made him look intelligent and dangerous all
"Luke’s got a bit of a bite to him, doesn't he?" Victor leaned back, eyes tracking where our fingers had just been entwined.I let out a huff, a small smirk playing on my lips. "Only when he’s being poked. I think he was just gauging your scent. Seeing if you were a threat to the den.""Right." Luke gave a singular, sharp nod, his brow furrowing as he looked at me. "Did I pass the sniff test?"I grinned, the tension in my chest loosening. "Well, you didn't shift and tear his throat out for being a flirt, so... I’d call that a win. Probably.""Hmph. Good to know.""Don't sweat it," I added, stepping deeper into the kitchen. "Victor probably knew exactly what your deal was before he walked in. My parents have likely broadcasted every word of our 'mating' arrangement to the entire northern territory by now."Luke let out a low, pained groan, muttering something about the Moon Goddess's mercy. I flashed him a sympathetic wince—I knew exactly how fast news traveled in a pack—just as we squ
The trio of massive wolves stared me down with predatory intensity until the one in the center broke the silence. "Holy hell, nobody mentioned the rookie was this damn elite."I gripped my bowl of cereal, my hackles rising instinctively. "Excuse me?"The one on the right stepped into my personal space. "We’re here on behalf of Cass.""Oh." I shifted my weight, trying to mask my defensive stance. "I’m pretty sure he’s still dead to the world—"They surged past me into the foyer, ignoring the warning growl vibrating in my chest. "Hey! Back the hell up. Who are you people?"The one on the left—a mountain of a man with silver-tipped fur—cracked his knuckles. "We're his kin."A dry snort echoed from the hallway. "Liar, Diego. You don't share a drop of my blood."I turned to see Cass stumbling into the common area, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He was a mess of bedhead and bare skin, wearing nothing but a pair of thin athletic shorts that hung low on his hips. No shirt. The morning light hi
As Victoria extended the second vial toward him, Luke's head snapped back."Wait, what the hell is this?" Luke demanded, his brow furrowing as he stared at the glass. "Why are you handing me one? I'm not the one getting poked and prodded."Victoria flashed a sharp, knowing grin. "You’re already in the building, 'bubby.' Wouldn't you rather have your blood confirmed clean? Or do you want to wonder, like Cass has to?"Luke's eyes darted toward me, then back to his sister, his jaw tightening. "I don't leave things to chance. I’ve never gone into a knot without protection.""Appreciate the visual," I snapped, my eyes narrowing into a glare. "For the record, I thought I was safe with my bond and what I assumed was a loyal mate. Turns out, I was a damn fool.""I wasn't taking a shot at you," Luke started, then he huffed and looked toward the ceiling. He leaned in toward Victoria, dropping his voice to a low, gravelly hiss that still vibrated through my sensitive ears. "You actually have to
"You look like you're heading to an execution," Luke muttered, his voice a low rumble as he leaned against the obsidian-tiled counter of the Pacific Health Clinic.I didn't answer. I couldn't. The freezing wind of the Navarro Peaks had spent the morning scouring my skin, and my lungs felt like they were filled with ice shards. I’d always been cautious—our pack taught us that blood was sacred and a bond was absolute. Why had I been mindless enough to think Brandon Cole felt the same? Now I was paying the price for my own pathetic trust.I pushed through the heavy clinic doors, a disheveled wreck. My hair was a chaotic nest, and my heavy winter cloak was sliding off one shoulder. I expected the receptionist to bark at me, but the lobby was eerily quiet.One older wolf sat in the corner, nursing a broken wrist. At the far end of the long stone counter, Luke Navarro was deep in conversation with a nurse.I froze. My breath hitched. He looked different today—lethal. He wore a crisp, white
"My mother mentioned my uncle Carlos used to retch whenever his wolf was restless," Cass muttered, his voice scraping against the tiled walls. "My parents brought him up last night when—""I recall," Luke interrupted, his shadow stretching across the small bathroom as he offered a plastic cup."Right." Cass took the water, his fingers brushing Luke's. The contact sent a jolt through him. "Thanks." He took a long swig, swishing the lukewarm liquid around to cut the copper taste of bile before he could stomach a real swallow.Luke didn't move. He stood there like a sentinel, a physical weight in the small space that anchored Cass even as it sent his pulse into a frantic gallop. Cass couldn't figure out how to navigate the sudden intimacy of the moment, so he grabbed his toothbrush. He focused on the mechanical motion, trying to scrub the shame away. When he finished, Luke was still there, arms locked over his broad chest, shoulder propped against the frame of the door."Look, I know wha
"I'm sleeping on your crash pad."Luke didn't even look up from his screen. He just shifted his weight in the armchair, his massive frame making the old wood groan. "The couch is yours. Isabella crashed in my room an hour ago. I'm displaced."Cass froze, half-off the cushions. "Oh hell. Luke, I’m s
"Is he still in there?" Luke’s father, Ricardo, barked into the phone, his voice a jagged saw against Luke's ear."He's here," Luke said. He didn't look at Cass, who was huddled on the shared apartment sofa, but he felt the boy's flinch. "And he's staying.""You listen to me, Lucas," Ricardo growle
"Get your claws off him, Brandon," Luke growled, his voice vibrating with a sub-sonic warning that made the locker room benches rattle.Brandon Cole didn't flinch. He kept his hand clamped tight on Cass’s shoulder, his fingers digging into the expensive silk of Cass’s shirt. "He's a Castillo, Navar
"You’re late," Luke barked, the icy wind of the North Ridge whipping through his hair as he stepped out of the Hamilton History Building.His twin sister, Isabella, didn't even look up from her phone. She leaned against the stone archway, her Navarro Memorial Stadium jacket dwarfing her small frame







