LOGINElliot POVThe cold hit me first.It went through my clothes, making my skin prickle and my joints hurt. I blinked hard because my eyelids felt heavy and my vision was blurry. A single bright light above me slowly became clear. The noisy media room from the arena was gone. I wasn't in the room or the armored SUV. The air didn't smell like cedar; it smelled like ground, old metal, and cleaner.I tried to move to ease the pressure on my back. A loud metal sound stopped me. My left wrist was tied to the armrest of a wooden chair with a thick plastic tie. The plastic dug into my skin as I pulled against it. It didn't budge.My heart started racing when I panicked. I looked down at my body. My hands were on my pregnant belly. The black suit jacket I wore for the press conference was gone. I was left with my white shirt, which was wet with sweat. My stomach hurt from the stress and panic."Hey!" I shouted. My voice was dry and barely echoed off the walls. The sound died down in the air.The
Sebastian POVThe glass window of the security box shook violently as the explosion's sound wave hit the stadium walls.In a split second, the bright lights in the arena just died.The security monitors in front of my desk went dark, their screens turning into squares.I did not wait. My hand went to the holster under my left arm. I pulled out my gun, the cold metal feeling in my hand.Twenty minutes ago, I was with Elliot in the room behind the stage. His belly was big and round against my stomach as I hugged him from behind. I buried my face in the side of his neck. Smelled the cedar scent to keep him calm before the reporters came."I have guards, baby," I whispered to him, kissing his temple. "Just make your statements. Keep it short. Then we go home."Elliot leaned his head back on my shoulder, his hands on top of mine on his belly. "I know, hubby. I am ready. Our baby wants this to be too."Now that feeling of safety was gone. I felt a spike of panic.The backup generators did n
Elliot POVThe medical monitor by my bed made a clean beep. Dr. Cole took the sensor off my finger. Turned to Sebastian."The test results are good," Dr. Cole said. He put his tools away in a leather case. "The gas did not hurt the baby or me. The medicine. Stopped the bad stuff. The baby is okay. My contractions are gone."I sat up in bed. Leaned against the wooden headboard. The cabin was like a house hidden deep in the valley with stone walls and guards all around."See?" I said to Sebastian. "I told you I am fine."Sebastian did not look happy. He stood by the bed holding the rail. His shirt was still torn from the stuff that happened at the hospital. "You almost had the baby too early, Elliot. Devereux used a trick in a public place. You need to stay in this bed.""Devereux wants to scare me," I said. My voice got louder as I swung my legs out of the blankets. My feet hit the floor. "If I hide in this cabin and let my team lose, he wins. I am not going to let that bad guy take th
Sebastian POVThe gym went dark for a second as the white gas hit my face. I blinked hard, my throat burning from the taste of copper and artificial vanilla. I didn't care about the burn. I pulled Elliot's body close to my chest as he shook from the first wave of weird muscle spasms."Don't breathe," I growled, my voice rough.I grabbed my wool coat from the floor next to the blue exercise ball. I quickly pulled it over Elliot's head and shoulders, tucking the edges under his chin to block the vapor. He gasped against my chest, his fingers gripping my shirt tightly."Sebastian," he choked out under the wool. "My back... it's locked.""I've got you, baby," I said.I hooked my arm behind his knees and my left arm under his shoulders. I lifted his frame off the floor in one smooth motion. Even though Elliot is an athlete with a muscular build, he didn't feel heavy in my arms. My instincts made his weight feel like nothing as I held him close.Elliot hid his face in the crook of my neck,
Sebastain POVThe wellness room was super peaceful. I was still really nervous. I stood with my back flat against the wall, holding Elliot securely against me from behind as his back rested against my chest. My left arm was wrapped around his waist, my large hand flat on his warm belly, while my eyes scanned the rows of exercise mats. I watched Elliot move gently on the blue exercise ball. He looked amazing. The pregnancy made him look strong and gentle at the same time, and everyone in the room was staring at him. I felt a burn in my chest whenever someone else looked at him, but I kept my eyes on the doors.The big wooden door opened a minute ago. A man in a hospital uniform was pushing a cart inside.At first, it looked like he was there to clean.The cart wheels squeaked on the floor.Then I looked at his feet.He was wearing shoes, but the way he walked was totally off. A guy pushing a cart should lean forward and dig his heels into the floor. This guy was gliding. His weight was
Elliot POV It took fifteen minutes of chaos for Black Shield to break into the side ambulance bay. Sebastian held his thick wool coat tightly over my head until the hospital walls finally blocked out the crowd and flashing cameras outside.The main lobby was a mess. Patients and hospital staff panicked as armed guards entered. Director Brown, a woman in a grey suit, stopped us near the elevators. Her face was red with anger."Mr. Wolfe, you can't just bring guards into a public hospital!" she shouted. Her voice shook as she blocked our path. "This is a place to heal, not a base. You're disrupting our patients."Sebastian stopped moving toward the elevators for a second. He stepped forward, towering over Director Brown. His golden eyes were cold."My mate is having a phase of his third trimester, Director." His voice was low and hard. "His blood pressure is spiking because your strike forced us out of our clinic. I'm not here to negotiate.""That doesn't give you the right to break ou
Sebastian POVThe camera's red lens went dark. The room was silent for one second. Nobody moved.Then everything changed.Aris ran into the living room. His tablet was flashing warning bars."The main sports teams just lost their control," Aris said, staring at his tablet. "So many people are watch
Sebastian POV The concrete corridor under the stadium made a metallic sound as the security gates rattled. Eighty thousand voices still rumbled through the ceiling. Down here, it sounded different. It sounded like a trap closing. Reporters filled the space between the locker room and the exit. Ca
Elliot POV The puck flew off my blade. It whistled past the goalie's blocker and struck the inside upper twine of the net with a sharp ping.The red light exploded behind the glass.The stadium erupted into madness. Eighty thousand people screamed simultaneously. The sound waves vibrated through t
Elliot POV The weight of Sebastian's words hung in the freezing air between us. It was sharper than the sub-zero wind cutting through the stadium.If we lose this game, Devereux wins the narrative.I looked at the linesman's hand. I blocked out the eighty thousand screaming fans. I also blocked ou







