Semua Bab LOVING MR HOCKEY STAR: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Jaxon's POVThe sound of Maya hitting the floor cut through me like a silver blade. One moment she was standing there, destroying me with words colder than winter frost, and the next she was crumpling to the ground like a broken doll. My wolf howled in distress, every protective instinct screaming at me to get to her, regardless of what she'd just done to my heart."Maya!" I dropped to my knees beside her unconscious form, my hands hovering over her pale face. Up close, I could see the dark circles under her eyes, the way her cheeks had hollowed out. When had she gotten so thin? So fragile?"Someone call 911!" Professor Ronan shouted from behind me, but I was already scooping Maya into my arms. She felt so light, too light, like she'd been wasting away without anyone noticing."No time," I said curtly, standing with her cradled against my chest. "The medical center is faster."I pushed through the crowd of gawking students, their phones still recording every moment of this disaster. M

Ronan's POVThree hours ago, I'd considered Jaxon Cross my rival, my enemy, the one obstacle between Maya and me. Sitting across from him in my university office at midnight, I was beginning to see him as an ally I'd never expected."Tell me again what you found in her student file," Jaxon said, leaning forward with intense focus. His eyes were still red from exhaustion and emotional strain, but his determination was unwavering.I pulled up Lyra Brooks' academic records on my computer screen, my professor credentials giving me access to information that painted a disturbing picture."This is her third university in two years," I began, scrolling through the documents. "She was expelled from Shadowmere Academy for 'conduct unbecoming a student' though the details are sealed. Then she lasted exactly one semester at Crescent Falls before transferring here.""That's not normal," Jaxon observed, running a hand through his dark hair. "What kind of conduct gets you expelled but still allows

Maya's POVThe first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was white roses. Dozens of them, arranged in a beautiful crystal vase on the medical center's bedside table. Their sweet scent filled the small room, so different from the sterile hospital smell I'd expected.My head felt heavy, like it was stuffed with cotton, and my mouth was dry as sandpaper. The events of last night came flooding back – the campus mixer, the horrible things I'd said to Jaxon and Professor Ronan, the crushing weight of Lyra's ultimatum that had finally broken me.I'd done it. I'd destroyed the two relationships that meant everything to me to save their careers. The memory made my chest ache with fresh grief."Maya?" A gentle voice made me turn toward the door. Nurse Patty was checking her clipboard, a concerned smile on her face. "How are you feeling, honey?""Like I got hit by a truck," I croaked, struggling to sit up. "How long was I unconscious?""About six hours. You were severely dehydrated and exhausted.

Maya's POV I stared at my reflection in the dorm room mirror, trying to work up the courage to face what might be the most difficult conversation of my life. My mother had raised and protected me, sacrificed everything for me. Surely she couldn't know what Damien had been doing. Surely she would choose me over him when she learned the truth. But even as I tried to convince myself of her loyalty, doubt gnawed at my insides like a parasite. "Are you sure about this?" Quinn asked for the tenth time, pacing anxiously behind me. "Maybe you should wait for Jaxon and Professor Ronan. They said they'd be back soon." "No," I said firmly, applying lip gloss with shaking hands. "This is something I need to do alone. My mother deserves to hear this from me first, before anyone else gets involved." "But Maya.." "Quinn, please." I turned to face her, trying to project more confidence than I felt. "I need to know where my own mother stands before I can figure out what to do next." The drive t

Jaxon's POV Maya stood on the stairs above me, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder like a shield, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She looked like she'd been through a war and in many ways, she had. The girl I'd fallen in love with was trying to disappear again, and I'd be damned if I let that happen. "Move, Jaxon," she said, her voice hoarse with exhaustion. "I'm serious. I'm done with all of this." "So am I," I replied, not budging from my position blocking her path. "I'm done watching you run away every time things get difficult. I'm done letting other people make decisions about our lives." "Our lives?" Maya laughed bitterly. "There is no 'our lives,' Jaxon. There's your life as the future Alpha, and there's my life as the pack outcast with dangerous bloodlines. Those two things don't mix." "Says who?" I challenged, taking a step closer. "Says, my father? Says the High Council? Says everyone except the two people who actually matter in this equation?" "Says reality!"