Where The Ice Gives Way Chapter 127

**Blake**

“We won!” Theo shouts, right in my ear.

“No shit,” I laugh, shoving him back. Charlie skates toward us, face flushed, eyes bright behind his cage, and Joey grabs him, shaking him by the shoulders.

“New kid scored in his first game,” Joey yells. “Absolute weapon.”

Charlie laughs like he doesn’t know what to do with that much praise. He looks half-dazed, half-ready to cry, but he keeps smiling anyway.

I skate over and hook an arm around his neck, pulling him in hard. “That was a hell of a goal.”

He huffs a breath, grinning. “Good pass.”

“Good finished.” I wink at him.

Theo bangs his stick against the ice. “Group hug!”

“Don’t,” I warn.

He does it anyway.

The boys pile in, laughing and shoving, helmets knocking together, the whole team riding the high of the win. Coach whistles from the bench, trying to pull us into order, but even he’s smiling.

We line up and shake hands with the other team. Their captain nods at me, jaw tight but respectful. Then we skate off, sticks tucked under arms, shoulders sore, legs heavy, every part of me buzzing. The locker room is chaos. Gear hits the floor, and the music gets turned on loud. Theo starts retelling his own steal near the boards with extra details that absolutely did not happen. Joey throws tape at him. Charlie sits on the bench in front of his stall, still smiling down at his gloves. I clap him on the shoulder as I pass. “Get used to it.”

He looks up at me. “To what?”

“Winning.”

His grin comes back in full force. “Yeah. I could do that.”

Coach comes in and gives us the speech he likes to give when we’ve done him proud. He points at Charlie and tells him it was a smart shot. Charlie sits straighter under the praise, but his ears go a little red. I feel it in my chest. He needed this. And damn it feels good seeing my brother get it.

Then the locker room door opens, and Dad steps in. That tends to happen when the Alpha walks into a space full of wolves. He looks over the room, eyes landing on the boys one by one, then on me. His mouth tips up. “Good bloody game, boys.” The team erupts all over again, and Dad laughs and steps aside. Charlotte appears behind him.

She’s wearing my jersey, cheeks pink from the cold, eyes bright in a way that hits me harder than any check on the ice. She stands in the doorway like she isn’t sure she’s allowed in. Then she sees me. I barely have time to brace before she runs across the room and jumps into my arms. I catch her easily, one arm under her thighs, the other around her back, and she wraps herself around me, not caring that I’m sweaty and still half in my gear. “You won,” she says, laughing against my neck.

I hold her tighter. “We did.”

“I saw you scored.” She grins.

“So did Charlie.”

She pulls back enough to kiss me quickly, before her smile takes over again. “I know. I screamed.”

“I heard.”

“You did not.”

I grin. “Felt it, then.”

Her face softens, and her fingers curl against the back of my neck. Around us, the boys start making noises. Theo coughs loudly. “Get a room”

Charlie appears beside us, helmet off, hair damp and wild. Charlotte reaches one hand toward him without letting go of me. “You scored,” she says, voice cracking a little.

Charlie’s smile shakes at the edges. “Yeah. It was pretty good, right?”

“I’m so proud of you.” She whispers, and he steps in. She leans from my arms to grab him too, pulling him into an awkward half-hug while I’m still holding her. Charlie laughs and wraps an arm around her shoulders.

Dad watches from the doorway, beside Coach, who claps his hands. “Alright, lovefest later. Showers. We’ve got a fundraiser to get to, and I don’t want any of you showing up smelling like this room.”

Mum’s voice calls from the hall. “I second that. Hurry up!”

The boys groan, but start moving. I set Charlotte down carefully. Her feet hit the floor, but she stays close, fingers hooked lightly in my jersey. “I’ll be five minutes,” I tell her.

Her brows lift. “Five?”

“Ten,” Theo calls.

“Five,” I repeat, glaring at him.

Charlotte smiles. “I’ll wait outside.”

I lean down and kiss her quickly, because I can. Who wouldn’t want to kiss their girl after a win like that? “Don’t go far.”

“I won’t.” She steps back toward Dad, still smiling.

I shower fast, listening to the adrenaline from my team. Their voices bounce off the tile, the boys are laughing, arguing over plays, reliving every second like we didn’t just live it. Charlie gets pulled into three different conversations before he even gets his gear off. He looks overwhelmed, but good overwhelmed. I think he’s in his element right now. I dress in clean clothes, shove my wet gear into my bag, and run a towel through my hair. When I step outside, Charlotte is waiting near the wall with Mum, Dad, Annabelle, and Jessica. Charlie comes out behind me, and Jessica’s eyes go straight to him. Subtle as a fire alarm. Charlotte sees it too and hides a smile.

The cold hits my damp hair as we step out into the morning. The sky is pale, and the snow on the ground catches the light. People are still leaving the rink, calling congratulations as they pass. Someone claps Charlie on the shoulder, and he looks back at me like he can’t believe this is real. Charlotte slips her hand into mine, the bond warms, and everything in me settles. “Ready to have some fun now, pretty girl?” I ask. 

She looks up at me with the cutest smile. “I’ve already been having fun, but I’m up for some more”, she says softly.

I smile and bring her hand up, pressing my lips to her knuckles before lacing our fingers together again. She leans a little closer into my side as we walk, and I tighten my grip on her hand, guiding her toward the car. Right now, with her beside me and my family around us, I feel ten feet tall.