All Chapters of Carrying the Hockey Prince's Secret child : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Azrielle's POVThe mansion looked exactly the way Arthur's people had described it, sharp lines, tall gates, more glass than a building had any business having and I still stood frozen at the end of the driveway for a full ten seconds before I made myself walk toward the front door, because five years of planning had never once prepared me for what it would actually feel like to stand in this city again, breathing this air, closer to him than I'd let myself be since the night everything burned."You don't have to come in here with me," I said, not turning around, listening to Mireille's heels click against the stone behind me. "You should be back at the island with Asher.""Asher will be fine." She caught up, falling into step beside me, sunglasses pushed up into hair that was longer now than it had been on the island, a whole new woman stepping off that boat with me. "He's five, Az, not five months. He's basically running that estate himself at this point, ordering the staff around l

Azrielle's POV"Oh my goodness, Az." Mireille practically threw herself into the passenger seat, still buzzing, the second the car doors shut behind us. "You are *so* good. I give it to you – that in there was superb.""You mean when you told an entire hockey team that Declan was too shy to say hello?""I mean when you froze him solid with three words and didn't even blink." She clutched her chest like she was recovering from something. "'Point of correction, Captain.' I nearly applauded. I nearly stood up and clapped in that hallway, Az, do you understand the level of restraint I exercised for you today.""You barely exercise restraint buying groceries.""That's different, groceries have never wronged me personally." She grinned, still riding the high of it, launching straight back into a full reenactment. "'Anything you need from me, you direct through her.' Oh my god. I felt that in my soul. I am never letting you live down how good that was."Her phone buzzed before she could keep

Declan's POVCoach had us running double shifts by the second hour, and by the time we hit the third set of suicides, half the team looked ready to file a grievance with the league office."Coach, I'm begging you." Marcus doubled over at center ice, hands braced on his knees. "We have a game in four days, not a war.""Same thing," Preston called back, unmoved."I've lost feeling in my legs, Coach. Actual medical numbness.""Walk it off."I barely heard any of it. I kept running the drills clean, mechanical, my mind circling the same loop it had been stuck on since yesterday, the way her breath had caught watching me run that old feint, the flicker in her face before she smoothed it away, the exact, impossible familiarity sitting underneath a stranger's composure."King." Tobias skated up beside me during a break, breathing hard. "You've run that same drill four times without stopping. You good?""Fine.""You've got a face.""I don't have a face.""You've got the face you get when you'

Declan's POV"What are you doing here." The heavy door clicked shut behind her, cutting off the faint noise from the hallway. I was already stepping back, putting distance between us, distance she immediately tried to close."And why the hell did you barge in like that? Do you not understand what a closed door means?""That's harsh, Declan." Skye pouted, her hands already reaching for my arm again. "Is that a way to welcome an old friend?""We were never friends, Skye.""Ouch." She pressed a manicured hand to her chest, mocking injury. "And here I thought six years of history meant something.""Can you answer my question first." I caught her wrist before her fingers made contact, pushing it back toward her with a firm, unyielding pressure. With my other hand, I brushed off the spot on my jersey where she’d pressed herself against me. "And stop dodging it.""Why exactly can't I be here?" She tilted her head, all wounded innocence, though her sharp eyes tracked the closed door Azrielle

Azrielle's POV"What kind of nonsense." Mireille was still ranting the second our feet hit the pavement outside the bus. "Who does she think she is? Does she even know who you are? I am so pissed off right now.""Wow." I glanced at her. "That's new. I don't think I've ever seen you this irritated.""You're smiling." She narrowed her eyes at me, her hands waving wildly as we walked. "Uh-uh. Don't do that. Nobody messes with my best friend and gets off scot-free. I could've hit her in the face just to reset whatever's happening inside that skull of hers.""Oh, really." I fell into step beside her. "It's not too late, you know. They're still right behind us."She glared at me, but I shook my head before she could take the bait seriously."It's fine, Mireille. It's not like she hit me that hard, and more than that, it's not what we're here for. You don't want Arthur hearing we caused trouble at a team event.""Arthur isn't here, Azrielle, I am." She stopped in her tracks, grabbing my fore