登入RivenI lay in bed after dinner and a long shower, staring at the ceiling. The house was quiet now that Mom had gone to sleep in the guest room. My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t shut off. The memories from practice this afternoon kept replaying, no matter how hard I tried to push them away.When I had shown up at the rink earlier, I told the coach my ankle was fine. He asked if I was sure. I lied and said yes, that I was ready to practice. He told me to take it easy anyway. I nodded, laced up my skates, and stepped onto the ice with the team.At first it wasn’t too bad. But as we started drills — skating hard, passing, and shooting — my body began to betray me. My legs felt weak. My balance was off. Every time I pushed off, a strange wave of dizziness hit me. My Omega body was acting up again, worse than before. The fatigue, the sudden tremors in my muscles, the way my heart raced even though I wasn’t pushing that hard… it was terrifying.I tried to keep up. I really did. B
KaelMay arrived not long after I called her. The moment she stepped inside, she stopped in the doorway, eyes widening at the state of the living room.“What happened here?” she asked, looking around at the scattered bottles, the half-empty glass on the table, and the general mess I’d left in my haze. “Look at this place… it’s such a mess.”I stayed on the couch, too exhausted to stand. “I’m not feeling too good,” I admitted, voice hoarse.May’s expression softened immediately. She walked over and pressed the back of her hand to my forehead. “You’re burning up. Go to your room and rest. I’ll take care of everything out here.”I nodded weakly. “Thanks, May.”She helped me up and guided me to the bedroom. I hated messy places, and I hated even more that I’d let it get this bad. That was why I’d called her. I couldn’t even manage to call a cleaner right now.Once I was in bed, the exhaustion hit harder. My stomach growled loudly. I grabbed my phone and called May again.“What?” she answe
KaelI waited until Riven went to take a shower before I sat down on the couch with his phone. My blood was still boiling. Someone had been in his house. Someone had watched us.I dialed the number from the messages.It rang a few times before a slurred, masculine voice answered.“Who the fuck is this?” the man mumbled, clearly drunk.I kept my voice low and controlled. “You sent me some pictures earlier. I need to know why you’re stalking Riven.”There was a long, drunken pause. Then the man laughed — a sloppy, messy sound. “I should be the one asking who you are.”“You’ve been sending pictures and threats. Why?”More mumbling. The guy was so wasted he could barely form sentences. I could hear ice clinking in a glass in the background.Suddenly, the call ended. He hung up.“Fuck,” I muttered, gripping the phone tighter.The voice had been too slurry to recognize, but it was definitely a man. He sounded stupid — the kind of person who wouldn’t know how to properly hide his tracks. Tha
KaelWe were still kissing hard, mouths fused together in a messy, desperate clash. My hands gripped his waist, pulling him flush against me as our tongues slid hot and deep. Riven moaned into my mouth, fingers tangled tightly in my hair, tugging just hard enough to make me groan. The kiss was wet, filthy, and perfect — lips smacking, breaths ragged, bodies pressed so close I could feel every shiver running through him.My phone started buzzing on the pocket. Messages. One after another.I ignored it, kissing Riven harder, biting his bottom lip and sucking it into my mouth. He whimpered, hips rolling against mine, but the phone kept going off.Riven pulled back just enough to breathe, lips red and swollen. “Wanna check that?” he asked, chest heaving.“No,” I growled, already reaching for the hem of my shirt and yanking it off.The buzzing continued.“Really?” Riven sighed, moving back a little. “You should check that. Or at least put it on silent.”“Fine,” I muttered, frustrated. I gr
KaelI sat in my car for a long moment, engine still running, staring at the scene in front of Riven’s house. Riven was standing outside with his mom and Dex. The resemblance between him and his mother was obvious — same eyes, the same gentle tilt of the head when she smiled. My chest tightened. Should I go over there? Or should I just drive away and pretend I wasn’t here for him?Riven’s gaze met mine across the distance. He mouthed clearly, “Go, please. We’ll talk later.”I almost listened. My hand was already on the gear shift. But something in me refused. I turned off the engine, got out, and started walking toward them.Riven’s eyes widened. His mom noticed me first.“Hello,” she said politely, a warm but curious smile on her face.“Hi,” I replied, stopping a respectful distance away. “I’m Kael. I’m… Riven’s friend.”Riven groaned softly beside me, slapping a hand over his forehead. Dex looked completely shocked, eyes bouncing between us like he couldn’t process what he was heari
RivenDex stood there with a bright grin, holding up a small gift bag. “Hey! I brought you something.” He pushed the bag toward me. “Congratulations on finally leaving the hospital. How’s your ankle?”Before I could answer, Mom’s voice came from behind me. “Who is there?”Dex’s eyes lit up. “Your mom is in? Wait, let me catch up with her!”Dex slipped past me before I could stop him, walking straight into the living room like he owned the place. “Hey, Mrs. Ashford!”Mom looked up, and her face lit up with surprise. “Dex?” She blinked, then broke into a warm, familiar smile. “Oh my, Dex! Come on in. You’re looking strong as ever.”I closed the door slowly, leaning against it for a second. Mom had known Dex since the very beginning — he was one of the first people from the hockey world she met when I got scouted. They’d always gotten along well, and seeing them chat like old friends made something warm settle in my chest, even with everything else weighing on me.Dex grinned. “Thank you







