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2026-04-12 03:21:52
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MIDWINTER MATE 36
DIEGO“Alright, he’s approaching,” Ethan Brooks murmurs, his eyes glued to his phone screen as he keeps watch.“Are you certain he hasn't caught wind of this?” Diego responds, his voice tight with an unfamiliar, gnawing anxiety.“One hundred percent. Valeria Cruz confirmed that he was completely oblivious. She led him to believe they were just grabbing a casual bite together.” Ethan steals another glance at his notifications.“How did you actually manage to get Valeria to cooperate?” Diego asks, genuinely curious. “I was under the impression she wanted to see me traded to a different continent.”“Well, fortunate for you, she has a bit of a soft spot for me,” Ethan says with a flash of his trademark cocky grin. “I put in the work to convince her that your remorse is authentic and that your only goal is to reconcile with Kol. She said if I’m willing to vouch for your character, she’ll grant you this one opportunity, but the final whistle is Kol’s to blow.” Ethan winces slightly. “She al
MIDWINTER MATE 35
KOLThe tremors in Kol’s hands were so intense that he nearly fumbled his phone while punching in his mother’s number. Valeria offered him a supportive, silent thumbs-up from the hallway as he retreated into the sanctuary of his bedroom, and he managed a fragile, grateful smile in return. His pulse was a frantic rhythm in his ears as the line rang repeatedly. He knew his mother should be awake; as a veteran night-shift nurse at Austin Memorial Hospital, she typically began her day around four in the afternoon to prep for a seven o'clock shift. It was currently five-thirty.He rested his palm instinctively over his lower abdomen, reclining against the headboard as the ringing continued. Just as he was certain the call would drop to voicemail, she answered. “Hello, sweetheart,” Daniela Reyes said, her voice warm and melodic. The familiar sound acted like a balm, sending a wave of relief through his chest. He realized, with a pang of guilt, that he didn't check in with home nearly enough
MIDWINTER MATE 34
DIEGO“You know I do,” Diego replied, his voice dropping into that familiar, quiet intensity. He locked eyes with Ethan, stripping away the defensive layers so his friend could witness the unvarnished truth. “Isn’t it glaringly obvious? My soul hasn't been on the ice since Kol and I became an item—not in any way that counts.” He shook his head, a look of genuine disbelief crossing his face. “There was a time when the Austin Ice Arena was the boundary of my entire universe. But he pulled back the curtain; he proved to me that the world is infinitely larger than a rink.”“I mean…” Ethan cast a wary glance around the locker room, ensuring the rest of the Wolves were occupied with their own gear. In this sanctuary of testosterone and grit, confessing that anything held more weight than the game was akin to high treason. “This was the ultimate objective, Diego! Dominating the state championships, hoisting the trophy as the captain… You’re telling me that fire has just burned out?”“It’s no
MIDWINTER MATE 33
DIEGOIt had been an agonizing ten days since the last time Diego had heard Kol’s voice—not that he was meticulously tracking the hours. Except, in reality, he was doing exactly that, and the rest of the team was starting to pick up on his fraying edges. Even Isabella had transitioned from her usual mockery to a strange, unsettling brand of pity, which only served to sharpen the blade of his guilt."Snap out of it, Diego," she said, leaning against the doorframe of the Alvarez Residence as he packed his gear for the afternoon skate. "Statistically, you were bound to father an heir eventually. Honestly, I couldn't have scripted a more dramatic twist if I’d tried." Diego shot her a look of pure exhaustion, but she simply tossed her hair and continued. "There is no more efficient way to sabotage a man’s trajectory than with a surprise pup," she added with a careless shrug.Diego shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping him as he rubbed his palms over his face, trying to clear the mental fog
MIDWINTER MATE 32
“You are going to have to find a new spot, though,” Valeria added, her pragmatic side returning.Kol felt the weight of reality settle back onto his shoulders. “I know,” he said with a touch of sadness. “I’m going to miss the hell out of our place, but I wouldn't dream of inflicting a newborn on you. I’ll figure out a path. I’ll likely have to move back to the Reyes family home and stay with my mom.”“I’ll be over every week!” Valeria promised, trying to maintain the high energy. “Don’t expect me to handle any biological hazards or diaper changes, but I’m definitely going to be the one to spoil them and squish those tiny cheeks.”“How are you so certain it’s a girl?” Kol asked with a grin, rubbing a slow circle over his stomach.Valeria shrugged casually. “Call it a wolf’s intuition.”“I have a feeling you might be right,” Kol agreed, looking down at the subtle change in his profile between his hipbones. He couldn't believe he’d dismissed the signs for so long, failing to recognize th
MIDWINTER MATE 31
KOLValeria Cruz allowed Kol to nearly pulverize her knuckles while the medical professional applied the translucent, chilled conductive gel across his lower abdomen. “Wow, that’s actually warmer than I anticipated,” Kol murmured, a nervous tremor in his voice.“We strive to keep the experience as pleasant as possible,” the nurse replied with a practiced, gentle bedside manner. “Alright, you’re going to feel a bit of firm pressure now.” She positioned the ultrasound transducer against his skin, sliding the device with rhythmic, sweeping motions as she searched for a clear image on the dark monitor.Valeria was visibly wincing, and Kol realized he had her hand trapped in a desperate, white-knuckled vice. He relaxed his grip an inch, and she mouthed a silent ‘Thank you’ toward him. He offered a small, apologetic smile in return. He felt a profound surge of gratitude that she had agreed to accompany him to the Austin Memorial Hospital for this. The thought of facing the cold reality of t
MIDWINTER MATE 22
DIEGOThe heavy silence of the Alvarez Residence usually feels like a fortress, but tonight, it’s a cage. It is well past midnight. Sleep should have claimed me hours ago, especially with a morning skate on the horizon, but instead, I’m paralyzed, anchored by the rhythmic, soft breathing of Kol bes
MIDWINTER MATE 21
Kol managed to keep Diego at a distance for several days. Valeria had pushed him to kill his phone the night after their blow-up, so they spent the evening inhaling salted caramel gelato and mocking cooking competitions until they passed out in the living room of the Riverside Duplex. By the next m
MIDWINTER MATE 19
"Total jerk," Valeria declared, her voice sharp as a blade. Kol remained motionless on the mattress, staring at her in a daze. "Is it really that taxing to keep his focus on the books instead of his urges? Does he even grasp how vital this grade is for your Food Technology honors track?""Honestly?
MIDWINTER MATE 17
"Drink the damn shot, Diego." Ethan shoved a glass of clear, cheap vodka into Diego's hand.The post-game air in the locker room was thick enough to cut with a dull skate blade. Nobody was talking. The 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stallions felt like a funeral. Usually, I'd be the one barking about the n
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