Dawn painted the old hockey rink blood-red as our convoy skidded to a stop at the edge of the cracked ice. The air was freezing, every breath visible. I slid off Ryker’s bike, my surgeon’s coat flapping open over the crimson dress beneath. The awakened curse thrummed in my veins like a second heartbeat, sharp and ready.
Leo was here. I could feel him through the faint thread connecting him to the bound hybrid.
Ryker stayed glued to my side, one massive arm banded around my waist. His golden eyes scanned the rink with lethal focus. “Stay close. If anything feels wrong, you run.”
The rogue Alphas dismounted behind us, their bodies tense, leather cuts creaking. The broken pact had turned them into walking storms. Kai’s hand brushed my lower back as he moved into position. Jax’s shoulder pr
