Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kellan

I left her place later than I meant to. The apartment felt smaller with her in it, all soft curves and that stubborn look she got when she was hurting but refused to say it out loud.

The drive home took twenty minutes. I thought about the way she had looked at me when I said she had to come. She was tired, but she still fought me, and that stubborn set of her mouth stayed in my head.

My place sat on the broader edge of town, the part where the houses mixed with a few human families. It was not the fancy side, and it was not near the royal palace either.

That place was a few miles farther in, all stone and guards and the kind of silence that made my skin crawl. Most of the younger wolves lived out here in town because it was cheaper and louder and easier to breathe.

I parked, went inside, and dropped my keys on the counter. The arm still ached from the last fight, but I ignored it. I pulled out my phone and ordered the dress.

It was green and made of soft fabric, something that would sit right on her hips and show what Ryder had been too blind to want. I did not expect her to wear it, and I did not even expect her to show up. But if she did, I was going to make sure every single person in that rink knew she was with me now. I paid for the order, set the phone down, and stood in the kitchen for a long time while the quiet of the house pressed in around me.

I slept like shit because every time I closed my eyes I saw her face again. I woke up early, drove to the training grounds, and got into the locker room with the rest of the team. The match was the usual setup.

It was hockey style but harder, and it was only for the strong kids. Alphas’ sons, betas with real power, and the royalty brats who thought the ice belonged to them filled the two teams. I was on one side and Ryder was on the other. We had not been on the same side in years because we did not like each other enough for that.

I was tired, but I knew I had to focus. The locker room was loud with people talking, laughing, and throwing gear around. Someone turned on music, and another guy started singing badly just to annoy everyone else. A helmet flew across the room, and somebody shouted for them to stop acting like children.

I sat on the bench and slowly laced my skates. My hands were moving, but my mind was somewhere else. I kept thinking about her. I wondered if she had slept at all. I wondered if she was still upset. I wondered if she had changed her mind about coming today.

Across the room, Ryder laughed at something one of his friends said. His voice made me look up for a second. He looked relaxed like he did not have a care in the world. That only made me more annoyed. He caught me looking and smirked before turning away. I looked back down and finished tying my skates.

The room slowly became quieter as everyone got ready. Players stretched, checked their sticks, and talked about today’s match. A few of them were already making bets on which team would win. Others were arguing about who would score first. It was the same thing every week.

We hit the ice for warmups while the stands were already filling. Pack members, some ranking wolves, and a few elders who liked to pretend they still ran things took their seats. I skated a few laps and tested the arm. It held, but only barely.

Ryder was across the rink with his team, and he was talking to Solia who sat in the VIP section like she owned it simply because she was the Luna to be. She caught my eye and gave me that little smile she used to give when we were still together. I looked away because whatever had been between us was finished a long time ago.

The whistle blew for the start, and we lined up. The puck dropped, and the first period turned into the usual mess of checks and sticks and growling. I scored once, and Ryder answered soon after. He hit harder than he needed to every time he got near me, so I hit back just as hard. The crowd liked it. They always did when the two of us went at each other.

Halfway through the second period I was skating back to the bench for a line change when I saw her. She walked in wearing the green dress, and I almost missed the boards. The fabric sat on her the way I knew it would.

It was soft and fitted enough that every curve showed hips, waist, and the full shape of her that Ryder had laughed at in front of everyone. She kept her head up even though I could see the way her hands twisted the little bag she carried. She looked around once, found the VIP section, and started that way.

My wolf slammed against my ribs so hard I had to lock my jaw to keep from shifting right there on the ice. He was possessive and hungry and ready to rip into anyone who looked at her wrong. I forced a breath through my nose and skated over to the boards before I did something that would get me benched.

She reached the barrier about the same time I did. Up close the dress looked even better. The color made her skin warmer, and her hair was down. She smelled like herself under the nerves.

“You came,” I said. My voice came out like whisper.