All Chapters of Rejected By My Hockey Alpha: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

Penelope's POV The championship tournament becomes my escape from complicated feelings. On the ice, everything is simple. There's the puck, the goal, my teammates. Win or lose, succeed or fail. No gray areas, no confusion. Off the ice, with Timothy, everything is complicated. We advance through the tournament bracket. Beat Silverpaw in the semifinals. Beat Mooncrest in the quarters, now we're facing Frostfang in the finals. Of course we are, because the universe has a sense of humor. "This is going to be weird," Isla says during practice the week before the championship game. "Playing against your mate's team." "He's not my mate," I say automatically. Then correct myself, "I mean, he is, but we're not together, I mean we are together but not like that right now, you know what it’s a bit complicated." "Right," Isla says as she gives me that look, the one that says she thinks I am going crazy. "You're just partners

Timothy's POV Three days after Penelope's championship win, I show up at her apartment with breakfast. Not takeout this time. Actual homemade food that I cooked myself. She opens the door in pajamas, hair messy, looking confused. "Timothy? What are you doing here?" "Bringing you breakfast," I say, holding up the containers. "I made pancakes. Well, I tried to make pancakes. They're a little burnt but edible." Penelope stares at me for a moment. Then she laughs. "You made me burnt pancakes?" "It's the thought that counts, right?" I ask hopefully. She lets me in. We eat the slightly burnt pancakes at her kitchen table, and she only makes fun of my cooking skills a little bit. "Why are you really here?" Penelope asks after we finish eating. "Because I want to do this properly," I say. "The courtship thing. Learning about each other. Building something real." "We barely know how to be frie

Penelope's POV Kissing Timothy changes everything and nothing at the same time. We're still partners in pack leadership. Still living separately. Still taking things slow. But now there's this. His mouth is on mine when we say goodbye. His arm around my waist during pack meetings. The way he looks at me like I'm the only person in the room. It's terrifying and wonderful in equal measure. "You're glowing," my mother observes one morning over breakfast. "Things are going well with Timothy?" "Yeah," I admit. "Really well, actually." "I'm glad," she says as she reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. "You deserve happiness, sweetheart. Both of you do." "What if I'm making a mistake?" I ask, the fear still sits in my chest sometimes. "What if he hurts me again?" "Then you'll survive it," my mother says simply. "Because you're strong. But I don't think he will. That boy looks at you like you hung the moon."

Penelope's POV Moving in with Timothy properly takes longer than expected. Not because I'm having second thoughts, but because combining two lives is complicated. I have my apartment lease. He has a massive house full of memories. We both have routines, preferences, habits that need to mesh. "What if we get a new place?" Timothy suggests one evening. We're sitting on his couch, surrounded by moving boxes. "Something that's ours." "Can we afford that?" I ask. "Between pack expenses and" "I have money from before," Timothy interrupts. "Savings, investments my mother set up years ago. Money Marcus never touched because he didn't know about it." "You want to buy a house," I say slowly. "I want to buy our house," Timothy corrects. "Somewhere between Frostfang and Bloodfang territories, so neither of us feels like we're giving up anything." The idea is appealing. A fresh start in a space that belongs to both o

Timothy POV "Let me finish," I say gently. "You've given me so many chances. More than I deserved. You've been patient while I learned how to be a real partner. You've challenged me to grow, to change, to be worthy of you." I take a deep breath. "Six months ago, you told me to ask you properly when I was ready. To make it romantic, to make it count. So I'm asking now." I let go of her hands and dropped to one knee as Penelope's hands flew to her mouth. I pull out my grandmother's ring. "Penelope Hale, you saved my life, my soul, and my pack. You've given me the greatest gift possible—a second chance, will you do me the honor of saving my future too? Will you marry me?" Tears are streaming down Penelope's face. She's nodding before I even finish the question. "Yes," she says, voice breaking. "Yes, of course yes." Relief floods through me so intense I almost can't stand. I slip the ring onto her finger with shaking