Chapter 1

Piper’s POV

The air outside my apartment was cold enough to sting my cheeks, but it cleared my head just enough to remember where I needed to be; the hockey arena.

Rollins, my mate, had a game today.

Just the thought of him steadied the chaos in my chest. He was my anchor and the one thing in my life that made sense when everything else was a mess of unanswered questions and half truths.

By the time I got to the arena, the crowd was already thickened. Spectators from different packs sat on the bleachers, their voices buzzing with the kind of electric anticipation only hockey could stir.

Determined to get a spot at the front where I could see him clearly, I pushed my way through.

My breath was forming little clouds in the air and my pulse quickened with every chant of his name. He was the team captain and golden boy.

“Where is he?" I muttered, darting my eyes around the rink.

“Over there." Ember my best friend said, nudging me slightly.

Following her gaze, my eyes fell on him.

He was gliding across the rink like he was born with blades instead of feet. He was fast, sharp and untouchable as usual.

His jersey clung to his frame and his number, 24 flashed across the ice as he carved his path with effortless skill.

Standing there and watching him giving his best made my chest swell with pride. Heat bloomed in my veins as I pressed myself against the glass.

I was cheering louder than anyone else, because why not. Rollins Lancaster was my mate, my future and my everything.

The game ended with his team victorious. The cheers from the team supporters were so loud that it seemed like the roof was going to come down the next second.

My throat was raw from screaming his name and my palms were red from clapping. I couldn’t wait to see him so I could throw my arms around him and let him ground me the way he always did.

With a wide and cocky grin, he skated to the edge of the rink. Sweat had plastered his dark hair to his forehead.

My heart jumped in excitement. He was coming to me but then he didn’t.

He turned, his gaze locking on someone else.

It was Elsa, the head of the cheerleaders.

Grinning in anticipation, she leaned forward and to my horror, Rollins skated straight to her.

And as if that was not enough, he kissed her.

No.

No, no, no.

“What the fuck?" Ember whispered beside me..

My whole body froze as my nails bit into the glass making it seem like I could claw my way into the ice and drag him back.

But he didn’t even look at me, not even once.

His hands cupped her face like it belonged there, like it had always belonged there while the crowd howled and whistled in excitement.

The sound was deafening, but inside me, everything was silent, cold and hollow.

“Pip…” Ember was going to say something but before she had the chance to do so, I ran.

Not minding the discomfort I was causing to the people on my way, I clawed my way out of the arena and ran straight for the locker room.

I could have waited until the following day to confront him but I couldn't. Not when he just betrayed me in front of thousands of people.

The locker room reeked of sweat, cheap cologne, and victory. It was posted clearly on the door that non players were off limits but I didn’t care.

Fuming, I shoved the door open so hard that it slammed into the wall and the first sound that hit me was Rollins’ laughter filtering through the noise of his teammates.

He looked up when I stormed in and for a flicker of a second, I thought I saw guilt but then he smirked.

It was that damn smirk that used to make my knees weak.

“Piper,” he drawled, his voice slick with mockery. “I had to celebrate with my girl out there,” he said like he was telling me the sky was blue.

His friends snickered, muttering under their breaths as their eyes crawled all over me like scavengers.

With words clawing my throat, I couldn't help but stare at him. “Your girl? I’m your mate, Rollins, you know that.” I managed to speak when I found my voice.

“You know it.” I whispered, my eyes glistening with tears.

He leaned back against the bench, folding his hands behind his head. His current posture was that of pure arrogance.

“Mate?” He huffed, rolling his eyes. “You think I would claim someone like you?” He said and that instant, the laughter around him grew sharper and meaner.

My chest tightened and my tears were burning hot, but I refused to let them fall.

“What are you talking about?”

“You're nobody,” he said flatly. “A bastard with no father. You think that you're mate material, huh? No, Piper. You’re just… a mistake.”

The words cracked through me like a whip and I staggered backwards. His voice and words were claws.

They were tearing at everything I thought we were and everything I thought I was.

And then, with a cruel glint in his eye, he pushed himself up.

He stepped close enough that I could feel the heat of his breath when he spoke the words that shattered me completely.

“I, Rollins Lancaster, reject you, Piper Moore as my mate.”

Gasps echoed around the room, but I barely heard them.

My ears rang, my heart convulsed, and the bond, our bond snapped inside me with a pain so vicious that I nearly dropped to my knees.

Shaking my head, I tried to speak but the words refused to come out so I bolted towards the door.

The world blurred around me.

I didn’t remember leaving the arena, I didn’t remember how I ended up stumbling through the streets with tears streaking down my face and my chest heaving like I had been stabbed.

The rejection burned. It had torn through my soul and left only ash and emptiness behind.

After walking for a while, I raised my head and then saw a motel’s neon sign buzzing in the distance. It casted sickly red light across the cracked pavement.

I didn’t think, I didn’t plan, I just staggered toward it desperate to drown in anything but this pain.

The bar inside was dimly lit and the smell of spilled whiskey saturated the air.

It was perfect.

Pulling my feet, I made my way towards the counter and I slid into a stool. I ordered something strong, and kept ordering until the edges of my vision blurred and the ache in my chest dulled into something almost bearable.

Glass after glass went down my throat but I didn't stop or pause until the room began to spin and I welcomed the haze like a blanket.

But then it happened.

A pull hit me out of nowhere. It was sharp and magnetic, dragging me from my seat before I even realized I was moving.

My body moved on instinct, weaving down a narrow hallway.

The bond was faint but undeniable as it tugged me forward. My heart stuttered in my chest, pounding against my ribs as I stumbled to a door.

Without thinking, I pushed it open.

The room was dark, shadows swallowing the corners and the air was heavy with the scent of leather and something dangerously intoxicating.

My legs gave out, and I crashed on the bed. My head was spinning and my whole body was trembling.

And then, a voice.

A low, rough and masculine voice right next to me said the word I dreaded, “Mate.”