Where The Ice Gives Way Chapter 26

**Blake**

Charlie is still standing where he left off, shoulders tight, eyes tracking the hallway like he’s trying to hear through walls. Theo leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking far too entertained for the situation we’re in. Dad lowers his hands slowly and exhales once. “Alright, boys,” he says. “Outside.” Theo straightens like he’s been waiting for this sentence his whole life, while Charlie’s head snaps toward Dad warily. Dad doesn’t give him space to argue. He turns and walks toward the back door, as if the decision is already made. We follow. Snow lies thick across the yard, untouched except for a few boot prints and a scatter of ash near the fire pit. My breath fogs as Lex paces, still keyed up from Charlotte’s fear and Charlie’s grip on her hand. Dad steps off the porch and turns to face us. “We’re going to handle this the way a pack should,” he says, voice calm. Then his gaze slides to Charlie as he stiffens. Dad’s voice drops lower, and the Alpha in him steps forward. “Shift.” The word hits like a physical force, and Charlie’s body jerks. His eyes widen, shock flashing across his face as his muscles lock and then… give. He shifts instantly. Bones crack in the cold air, and his clothes tear. Charlie drops to his hands and knees in the snow, and fur bursts through his skin, dark and thick. His wolf is bigger than I expected. Not as big as Lex, but close enough. His eyes are green, even in wolf form, as he lifts his head and lets out a low snarl, confused and furious and humiliated. Lex lifts his own head, hackles rising. Dad’s brows lift slightly. “Hm,” he says, inspecting Charlie’s wolf. “Interesting.” Theo steps up beside me, rubbing his hands together like a kid about to watch fireworks. “Oh, this is going to be good.” Dad gives Theo a look that says, "shut up" without words, then focuses on the two wolves in front of him. “Alright,” he says. “You’ve got an issue. Sort it out.” Charlie’s wolf snaps his head toward me, and Lex surges forward. “Non-lethal,” Dad adds, tone hardening. “Or I step in and put you both in your place.”

I let Lex take control, because this isn’t something I can talk my way through. Charlie doesn’t know what he is, but his wolf does. His wolf knows exactly what a mate is. His wolf knows exactly what Lex and I want. Charlie’s wolf circles, ears pinned back, tail low but tense. He’s here to defend his sister, and Lex understands that, but he still doesn’t like it. Lex moves, circling wide, head low, eyes locked. Charlie’s wolf mirrors him, matching every step, muscles bunching under his coat. Then we clash like a storm. Charlie’s wolf hits Lex’s shoulder, and they go down in a spray of snow, rolling, grunting, claws digging for purchase. Lex twists and throws Charlie’s wolf off, then Charlie surges back, snapping at Lex’s neck without landing it. Theo’s laugh bursts out behind us, short and delighted. Lex pushes harder. This is for our mate, for the chance to try. Charlie’s wolf is strong. Stronger than he has any right to be for someone who has never been pack raised. He fights on instinct, raw and stubborn, all protect and no strategy. He’s desperate, and it shows. Lex takes the desperation and turns it. He feints, pivots, and uses his body’s weight like a weapon without using his teeth. Charlie’s wolf lunges, and Lex sidesteps, slamming his shoulder into Charlie’s ribs and sending him skidding in the snow. Charlie’s wolf scrambles back up, snarling, eyes wild—Lex advances, head lowered, tail stiff, a clear message in every step. I’m not here to hurt her, but I will not be denied. Charlie’s wolf charges again. Lex meets him, and the impact knocks both of them sideways. They grapple, bodies pressed, breath steaming, and then Lex finds the angle. He hooks Charlie’s wolf with his shoulder, twists, and drives him down. Lex plants his weight with one paw across Charlie’s chest, teeth bared, close enough to end it but not biting. Charlie’s wolf thrashes once, then stills. I feel the exact moment Charlie submits. It’s a release in the air. A drop in resistance. A reluctant acceptance that says I hear you, I see you, I’ll stop fighting you like you’re the enemy. Lex eases back instantly.

He rolls off and steps away, chest heaving, fur dusted with snow. Charlie’s wolf stays down for a second longer, breathing hard, then pushes up onto shaking legs. Dad’s voice cuts through the cold. “Enough.” Both wolves obey. Charlie’s wolf shifts back first, body snapping into human form in the snow with a grunt of pain and shock. He sits there, shirtless, breath coming in harsh pulls, eyes blown wide like he’s just been dragged through a nightmare. I shift back too, hands shaking, chest tight, Lex still prowling just under my skin. Theo appears at Charlie’s side with a bundle of clothes. He tosses Charlie a pair of track pants and a hoodie. Charlie catches them with stiff fingers and drags them on fast, jaw clenched. I step closer and hand him the extra shirt Theo brought out for me. My voice comes out rough. “I don’t want to hurt her, Charlie,” I say. “I just want to protect her. Just like you.” Charlie’s gaze drops to the snow at his feet. For a second, he looks younger, stripped back and exposed. “She’s all I’ve ever had,” he admits quietly. “For as long as I can remember, it was her and me against the world. I don’t know how to be anything but that.”

The words hit hard because I understand them. I can see it in how he stands between her and everything, even me. Dad steps forward then, boots crunching, his presence steadying the air. “Can we agree we’ll work on it, boys?” I don’t hesitate. “Yes, Alpha.” Dad nods once, and Charlie lifts his head, swallows hard, then forces the words out as if they cost him a very valuable piece of his soul. “I can try… Alpha.” Dad’s mouth twitches with an almost smile. He claps both of us on the back and steers us toward the house. “Good,” he says. “Now let’s answer some of those questions you’ve probably got about how this all works.” We walk back inside, snow clinging to our pants and our breath fogging in the doorway. He’s agreed to try and work with me on this. It’s one small step forward.