_Nathan’s POV_
The schedule had been up for days, but I still felt it like a weight when I walked into the locker room and saw the board.
Griffins vs Growlers. Home ice.
Theo dropped onto the bench beside me while I was taping my stick. “You’ve been quiet all week. More than usual.”
“I’m focused.”
“You’re somewhere else,” he said. “Is it the alliance stuff? Or Silvermane?”
I kept my eyes on the tape. “It’s a game. That’s all it is.”
Theo didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. The rest of the team moved around us with the usual pre-game noise — music, talk, the sound of gear being pulled on. I tried to settle into the routine. Skates, pads, jersey. The familiar weight of the helmet in my hands. My wolf was already restless, and I knew exactly why.
Miles would be on the other side
