All Chapters of Mated To The Hockey Alpha And His Beta: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Ethan's POV*The woods were never meant to be a sanctuary.I've known this from the beginning, even if Mila wants to believe we're safe out here. But my father's enemies are everywhere, and I can sense enforcers from our own pack drawing closer every day.For three days now, I've been fending off attacks without alarming her.Yesterday it was two rogues who caught our scent. I told Mila I was going to gather firewood and dealt with them quietly, far enough away that she couldn't hear the fighting.The day before that, it was a scout from another pack. I killed him before he could report back.Each time, I come back to the cabin with some excuse, and Mila believes me because she wants to believe we're safe.But I can smell them getting closer. More of them. And I know our time is running out.The bond I feel with her grows stronger every day. Not the mate bond – that belongs to Kai – but something deeper. Something I chose.I watch her sleep in the mornings, curled up against my chest,

Kai's POV*I'm losing myself.Every hour without Mila is pure agony. Amber claws at my insides constantly, demanding her presence, demanding I go to her."FIND HER! CLAIM HER! NOW!""I can't," I growl, pacing my room like a caged animal.My hands won't stop shaking. My vision keeps blurring. I can smell her scent everywhere even though she's not here, driving me fucking insane."WEAK! PATHETIC! FAILED HER!"I slam my fist into the wall so hard the whole room shakes.Twice now, I've managed to break free. The first time, I made it halfway to the compound gates before the enforcers tackled me. The second time, I actually shifted and tore through three of them before they brought me down with tranquilizers.I don't remember much after that. Just fragments. The taste of blood. The sound of bones breaking. Screaming.When I finally wake up this time, the scene around me is chaos.Guards are groaning on the ground. Some bleeding, some unconscious. The door to my room is hanging off its hing

Kai's POV*The day of the healing ritual arrives and I'm dragged into the chamber in chains.My body shakes with exhaustion. I haven't slept properly in days, haven't eaten in longer. Amber is half-mad inside me, clawing and snarling at everything.The chamber is deep underground, carved from black stone. Symbols I don't recognize cover the walls, glowing faintly in the torchlight.Dad stands over me, his face grim. Mom is beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks.For once, she doesn't fight him. She agreed to this ceremony."I'm sorry," she whispers to me. "I'm so sorry, but it's the only way.""Begin," Dad commands.The dark magic starts immediately, coiling around the room like smoke. It tastes bitter in the air, makes my skin crawl.Then it hits me.I scream as the shadows rip through me, tearing at something deep inside. It feels like my soul is being shredded.But slowly, painfully, Dad draws the corruption out.The suffocating pressure in my chest loosens. The constant noise

Kai's POV*I stare at the twin marks on Mila's neck, my mind reeling.Two claims. Two bonds. My mark and... his."Explain this to me," I say, my voice barely controlled. "Tell me how my brother's mark ended up on my mate's skin."Mila's hand flies to her neck, covering both marks."Kai...""Tell me!"She flinches at my tone, and I immediately hate myself for it. But I need answers."I can feel him in it," I continue, trying to keep my voice steady. "I can feel Ethan's presence in that mark. How is that possible?"She takes a shaky breath."He saved my life, Kai. When your father sent enforcers to kill me, Ethan got me out. He protected me when..." She pauses, pain flashing in her eyes. "When you chose duty over me."The words hit like physical blows."And you fell in love with him."It's not a question. I can see it in her face, smell it in her scent."I..." She struggles with the words. "I can't help loving him."Each word tears through me like a blade. Amber howls inside my head, wo

Mila's POV*For the past two days, Kai has been here with us, and the tension is unbearable.He's always lingering nearby, his wolf constantly surfacing. I can see it in the way his eyes flash gold when he thinks I'm not looking, in the way his hands clench when Ethan gets too close to me.He looks at me like I'm the only thing that matters in the world, and I feel the weight of his gaze constantly.Ethan is no better. The jealousy simmers under the surface, though he keeps it in check better than Kai does. But every time he tries to get close to me, Kai's rage spikes, threatening to boil over.I feel trapped, caught between them in a tug-of-war I never wanted to be part of."She's my mate," Kai growls for the hundredth time as we sit around the dinner table."And she chose me," Ethan responds, his voice tight with control."Before she knew what she was. Before she understood the bond.""The bond doesn't control her heart.""Doesn't it?"They're staring at each other across the table,