Semua Bab THE PROWL OF THE ICE: Bab 11 - Bab 20

"I really don’t know if Evan is truly grieving, or if he’s just mourning the loss of his perfect little arrangement," I muttered, the words tasting like copper in my mouth.Sitting in the dim light of the Lunar Forensics Lab, I felt a wave of nausea. If my mother hadn't been under heavy sedation at the Sanctuary, I would have walked straight back to that ice rink and checked Evan into the boards with every bit of Alpha strength I had left. His 'apology' wasn't about love or regret. It was a cold calculation. After seven years, the investment was too high, and my bloodline was too valuable for him to let go easily.The man was a parasite, a scavenger who thought he could play the part of a traditional pack-leader while keeping a mistress on the side. He deserved to be cast out into the rogue sectors to see how his 'charitable' nature held up without a Quinn name to back him up."Just get to the rink, Evan," I told him over the phone, my voice like the cracking of winter ice. "I’m stayi

"So, Alpha Blackridge, do you just loom in shadows for a living, or do you actually have a report for me?" I asked, not bothering to look up from the digital inventory on my tablet.I could feel the weight of Ronan’s presence—a heavy, grounding pressure that smelled like a looming mountain storm. He didn't move. He just watched me work, his silence more loud than most men's shouting."I’m told your assistant is currently being treated at the Sanctuary," Ronan finally said, his voice a low vibration that seemed to hum in my very marrow. "I assume the medical report will be on my desk by sunset?""I've already filed the preliminary," I replied, finally meeting his storm-grey eyes. "She’s getting a tetanus shot. One of those relatives was wearing a silver-plated ring. It jagged her face pretty badly. How is the interrogation going? Or did you just come out here to check if I was crying in a corner?"Ronan’s mouth quirked—a ghost of a movement that made my pulse skip. He stepped closer, i

"Step back, Victor. You’re overstepping pack boundaries," I said, my voice vibrating with a growl I didn't bother to suppress.I shifted my weight, feeling the familiar pull of my inner wolf beneath my skin. My father, Victor Quinn, looked at me with that same cold, aristocratic disdain he’d used since I was a pup. He didn't see a renowned medical examiner; he saw a disappointment to the Quinn bloodline."I am your Alpha by blood, Jack! You will show me the respect our lineage demands," Victor hissed, his eyes flashing a brief, sickly amber. "The pack elders are asking why a Quinn is spending his nights in the Lunar Forensics Lab dissecting rogue carcasses when he should be defending our territory on the ice.""I defend this city in ways you can't even comprehend," I countered, pulling my arm out of his grasp. "And as for the ice, I play for the Grimford Harriers because I choose to, not because you need another trophy for the Quinn Family House. Now, it's late. I have an autopsy on S

"Step back, Evan. I’m not here for another one of your pathetic apologies," I said, my voice echoing like a low growl through the sterile corridors of the Grimford Medical Sanctuary.I watched Evan Mercer flinch, his eyes darting toward the floor. He looked every bit the weakling he was, a rogue who had traded his pride for a spot in Sienna’s shadow. My ex-boyfriend was a master of the double-cross, but today, my patience was thinner than the ice at the Alpha Stage Arena."Jack, please," Evan stammered, reaching out a hand as if to touch my sleeve. "I know I messed up. I shouldn't have let Sienna talk me into—""I don't care what Sienna talked you into," I interrupted, my blue eyes flashing with a spark of amber. "You betrayed your own blood. You’re a disgrace to the healers of this pack."Sienna Quinn stood behind him, leaning against the cold stone wall with a smirk that made my claws itch to come out. She looked at me not as a brother, but as a rival for the Quinn bloodline's inher

"Get in the truck, Jack."I had only managed to take three steps toward the transport shuttle when Ronan Blackridge’s hand clamped around my bicep. His grip wasn't just firm; it was possessive. He didn't look at me, his sharp jawline set as he stared toward the blacked-out SUV waiting at the edge of the Grimford Medical Sanctuary."I have my own ride back to the Blackridge Enforcement HQ, Alpha," I muttered, trying to shake him off, though my inner wolf let out a treacherous whine at the contact. "Besides, don't you usually hitch a ride with me to and from the rink just to annoy the coach?""Do you see me asking?" Ronan’s voice was a low vibration that seemed to rumble through the very pavement beneath my boots. "I have a vehicle today. Get in."I scowled, climbing into the passenger seat as the scent of cedar and cold rain—Ronan’s scent—filled my lungs."I heard the news," I said, leaning my head back against the leather. "Victor really did it, didn't he? After Silas Crowe was found,