Se connecterAria’s PovWith my arms wrapped tightly around Lucien’s neck, I hold onto him with everything I have as he carries me down the narrow back staircase.My face stays hidden against his shoulder because I can’t bear to look anywhere else.His blood is warm, soaking into my hands and staining my dress, but he doesn’t seem to care.Every step he takes makes him groan a little, telling me how much pain he’s in. Even so, he never slows down or loosens his grip on me.He keeps walking as if nothing in the world matters except getting me somewhere safe.Everything around me feels strange. The sounds are far away, almost like I’m underwater.My mind is numb, and it feels as though I’m no longer inside my own body.The only thing keeping me connected to reality is the steady beat of Lucien’s heart beneath my cheek and the strength of his arms holding me close.Instead of taking me outside to the parking lot or toward his car, he turns down another hallway.A few seconds later, he pushes open a h
Lucien’s PovI leave the locker room and head straight for the rooftop of the hockey arena. Right now, I just need somewhere quiet to clear my mind.The evening air on top of the Lowa Kings complex is cool against my skin.It carries the smell of rain that hasn’t started yet, mixed with the faint metal scent of the city far below.I push the heavy metal door open with my shoulder and step onto the wide concrete rooftop. The familiar silence wraps around me, calm and comforting.I didn’t expect to see Aria there, but here she is.Exactly on the same spot, like she is on some difficult days.She stands by herself with her shoulders stiff and her chin raised, ready to argue with me or simply stay quiet until the storm inside her finally settles.But the moment I step outside, my wolf reacts so violently that I almost lose my balance.Her scent reaches me first, and it all crashes into me like a fear, like she’s shading a tear.And beneath both of them is something much worse, a cold feel
Alexio’s PovAfter everything that happened and all the arguments we went through, we finally decided to begin the rehearsal.But even the ice doesn’t feel right beneath my skates today. Something about it feels strange, and I can’t shake the feeling.I press my skate blade harder into the ice than I need to and push myself forward.I race after a loose puck that one of the new recruits has just lost control of.The kid looks about nineteen or maybe twenty years old.He is tall, skinny, and still has the nervous look of someone who hasn’t proven himself yet.Every time he glances at me, it’s like he thinks I might snap at him if he gets too close.The rest of the main players have already finished their training and left the rink.Now it’s only me and these new faces the coaching staff keeps bringing in, acting like no one will notice that the team is changing.I hit the puck toward the boards with all my strength. It crashes against them with a loud bang that spreads through the near
Lucien’s POVThe locker room still smells of sweat, but now it also feels heavy with fear. I lean against the cold lockers with my arms folded and keep my eyes on Alexio.He hasn’t moved since Aria walked out. He is still standing in the same place, his body stiff. His expensive shirt is still creased where I grabbed him earlier.His hands are tightly balled into fists. Every few seconds, he looks at the door she left through, as if he is hoping she will walk back in and tell him none of it was real.I stay quiet and let the silence grow. Soon, it feels so heavy that no one can breathe comfortably.The few players still in the room shift nervously where they stand.Coach Hunter is frozen beside the whiteboard, still holding his clipboard without even realizing it. Nobody says a word.Everyone can feel that something has broken between us, and they all know exactly whose life is falling apart.I tilt my head and look at the bruise on Alexio’s jaw, the one I gave him last night. Under t
Aria’s PovThe moment I storm out of the locker room, anger burns through every part of me. I don’t even care where I’m going.I just need to get away from Alexio, away from the team, and away from the humiliation that still feels fresh in my chest.A few seconds later, I hear footsteps behind me, they are following me.And I walk faster, my sneakers scraping sharply against the floor as I make my way into the empty service hallway behind the locker rooms.The narrow corridor leads to an old equipment storage area that nobody bothers using after training hours.It is quiet, cold, and completely deserted, my heart pounds harder with every step.I try to put as much distance as possible between myself and the voices calling my name, but my legs still feel weak after everything that just happened.Before I can get very far, they catch up with me. Devesh reaches me first, and his hand wraps around my upper arm.His grip isn’t rough enough to leave a bruise, but it is firm enough to stop m
Lucien’s POVAlexio seems to believe I would never fight back, because I’m always quiet doesn’t mean I don’t know my right.He thinks I would never lay a hand on him.The moment I grab the front of his coat and pull him tightly toward me, the entire locker room explodes into chaos.“Lucien, that's enough!”“Stop it you guys!”“What are you both doing?”Voices rise from every corner of the room, Devesh and Callum react immediately.They rush between us with their hands raised, forcing themselves into the small space separating us.It looks like they’ve done this before, as if part of them expected things to get this bad.Tomasz quickly grabs Alexio by the shoulder and pulls him backward, making him stumble a full step away from me.Priest is talking so fast that almost no one can understand him.“We’ve got the qualifiers… you’ll both get suspended… Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you two?”His words all run together.“Enough of all this mess!”Coach Hunter’s voice cuts across th
ELLAAll the air drains from my lungs.Slowly, I turn, my brows knitting together as the realization hits. Did I seriously walk straight into the lion's den? Well in his case the wolf's den. Is there really no turning point for me? The thought feels unreal, like a cruel joke the universe decided
ELLAI realize I’m done the moment my face hits the water.Cold water rushes into my mouth and nose as laughter explodes around me. The sound is sharp, cruel, impossible to ignore. I can feel my backpack tugging at my shoulders, dragging me lower, pressing me into the shallow stone basin like the
ELLAI bend over the sink again, splashing cold water onto my face until my breathing finally slows down. When I straighten up and look at my reflection, I almost look like myself again.Almost.Whatever happened here hasn’t fully faded. My scent still clings to me, it's faint and unfamiliar, hang
ELLA“Just tell me what’s next.” I mutter under my breath walking behind him.I follow a step behind him, moving carefully so I don’t disturb the sleeping child curled against my chest.Every instinct I have is on edge. I’m walking deeper into the house of the same man who watched me be humiliated







