Juliette’s POV
The night felt too quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet.
The kind that tasted like warning, like breath held too long.
Ever since the black-eyed intruder left his mark by the arena—the same symbol burned into my past—I hadn’t slept, hadn’t even tried. Every shadow looked like him. Every distant sound felt like a message.
And tonight… something in the air pushed at me. Tugged at me.
Pulled me toward the forest.
I knew the pack wouldn’t like me going anywhere alone. After the last attack, they barely allowed me to walk to the washroom without an escort. The Blackridge Wolves might be the most ruthless NHL team on the ice, but off the rink? They acted like guard dogs hovering over a single bone.
And unfortunately… the bone was me.
I slipped out of the lodge anyway, ke
