เข้าสู่ระบบIf there was one thing Mac knew about Lukas Hanley, it was that the man loved his family.They could argue for hours, curse each other over the phone, or go months without talking, but the second something mattered, really mattered, Lukas would tear the world apart to protect them. It was part of what made him so damn loyal, and also what made him dangerous when pushed.One of Mac’s first memories of Lukas was during their rookie year at college, back when he was still getting to know his teammates.Some loudmouthed defenseman had made a crude joke in the locker room, something about what he’d do if he ever met ‘Hanley’s hot sister’. Lukas hadn’t even blinked before driving the guy into a row of lockers so hard the clang echoed across the room. Mac could still remember the stunned silence that followed, the flash of fury in Lukas’s eyes.That was the moment Mac decided the guy was going to be his best friend.Lukas was a great guy. A little rough around the edges, stubborn as hell, bu
The house had finally settled into a rhythm, the kind of rhythm only a newborn could dictate. Between the creaks of the old floorboards and the faint crackle of the baby monitor, Lukas had stopped checking the time altogether. Night bled into morning, and sleep was a myth neither he nor Aiden seemed to miss much.They took turns when Ell needed sleep, though most of the time they went together. Lukas didn’t mind the disturbance, didn’t mind the quiet shuffle through the hall or the dim glow of the nightlight as they entered the room to check on Theo. He’d never thought he’d enjoy this, being needed by something small, fragile, and loud, but he did.Aiden was a natural. Lukas caught himself staring more than once as the doctor changed Theo’s diaper with calm efficiency, humming softly like he’d done this a hundred times before. When Lukas offered to try, it went almost okay—until the kid decided to pee mid-change.Lukas froze, blinking down in disbelief. “He—he just pissed on me.”Aide
They barely made it through the door before Lukas turned, ready to pounce, but Aiden was already there, closing the space between them. Caging him in.Lukas’s back hit the wall, and then Aiden’s mouth was on his, hot and demanding, his body pressed flush against him. The air left Lukas’s lungs in a rush, a low sound tearing from his throat as Aiden kissed him like he’d been holding back for years.The doctor tasted like pure, unadulterated pleasure, and Lukas wanted to drown in it.Aiden’s hands were everywhere, skimming his sides, gripping his hip, sliding up under his shirt to touch bare skin.“Fuck,” Lukas breathed as they broke apart for air, his head tipping back against the wall. “You gonna get me pregnant now, doc?”Aiden smiled against his jaw, breath hot. “I'm going to try.”Lukas groaned as Aiden’s hand came up to cradle his neck, thumb stroking just under his jaw. Every press of lips against his skin, every inhale and exhale shared between them felt different now.Lukas til
Lukas was hurting.His shoulder throbbed, his knuckles burned, and there was a hollow ache sitting heavy in his chest. He’d just beaten the shit out of his best friend, or at least, the guy he’d always thought was his best friend. He didn’t know how to make it right. Punching Mac a few times hadn’t made him feel any better. If anything, it had only left him emptier.Looking down at the tiny creature in his arms, everything shifted.The world seemed to tilt around him, his breath pausing as he stared at that small, perfect face. His world got a little wider, and something inside him, something he hadn’t realized was caged, started to crumble.Aiden was going to have one of these? A tiny, perfect version of himself. And Lukas had thoughtlessly agreed to stand by, to play the role, to be the placeholder. Someone who could be swapped in and out as needed. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t watch Aiden fall in love with someone else while pretending to be the warm-up act.He looked at Aiden, t
Aiden tightened the last screw on the crib, leaning back to admire his work. The little thing was sturdy. White wood with soft edges and a brand-new smell that clashed with the faint scent of antiseptic and baby powder in the room. He’d had it delivered at short notice, a rush order brought straight to Lukas’s mom’s house.Ell delivered a few weeks before her due date, so she hadn’t even put together the crib at her house yet, and understandably, she didn’t want to go back there tonight anyway.Kara and Ell were curled together in the same bed across the room, the baby nestled in Ell’s arms. All three out cold, breathing steady and shallow.The house was finally quiet after the chaos.Aiden crouched beside the bed, careful not to wake them, as he gently eased the baby from Ell’s arms. The tiny body shifted but didn’t stir. He smiled faintly, adjusting the blanket around the little boy before laying him down in the crib. When he turned back, Ell’s eyes had opened just slightly, heavy w
The name hit him like a blow to the ribs.Mac.It echoed in his head, pounding with each beat of his pulse.Mac, his teammate. His best friend since college.Mac, who he thought of as a brother.Mac, who’d spent Christmas and Thanksgiving with his family every damn year.Mac, who’d been there for every high and every fight on the ice.Mac, who he’d helped hook up with dozens of puck bunnies.He thought of the girls in the bars, the hotels, the giggling phone calls, the smug grins.That was just Mac.Except Mac had made Ell one of them.He’d turned her into another name, another story, and then left her like this. Raising a baby he’d never even mentioned.Lukas’s jaw clenched until it hurt. He could taste metal. His whole body shook with anger that had nowhere to go, raw and violent and protective all at once.Mac would pay for this.With blood.And no amount of it would be enough.Lukas’s phone buzzed again. Among the flood of team messages, celebrations about landing home, ending the







