Liam jolted awake with a gasp, heart pounding violently against his ribs. He'd had a nightmare.In the dream, he had been on the ice, stick in hand, when a brutal hit had shattered his arm completely. The doctors had delivered the verdict with grim faces: career-ending injury. No more hockey. No more captaincy. No more purpose. The crowd had faded into silence as he was carried off the ice, useless and broken.The pain in his real arm yanked him fully into consciousness. A deep, throbbing ache radiated from his elbow, sharp and unrelenting, as if someone was twisting a knife inside the joint. He winced hard, instinctively trying to shift positions to relieve the pressure, but the movement only made it worse. A low, pained groan escaped his throat before he could stop it.Beside him, Raphael stirred immediately. The mattress dipped as he sat up, voice rough with sleep but instantly alert.“Liam? What’s wrong?” Raphael’s hand was already reaching out in the dark, gently touching Liam’s
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