Where The Ice Gives Way Chapter 32

**Charlotte**

That rotten smell hits me as soon as I walk out of Nanna’s. It’s faint at first—just a sour twist under the clean bite of snow and morning air. I wrinkle my nose and keep walking, but it follows me, drifting in and out like the wind can’t decide where to put it. For a moment, I wonder if it’s me again, if it’s my clothes, or the oil from the diner. I tug the strap higher on my shoulder and glance down at my shoes like I’m going to find the answer there. Shanti is quiet until I reach the end of the block. *Mate is close,* she whispers. My chest pulls in response, sharp enough that I stop. The feeling is so familiar now that it almost irritates me. I turn my head, scanning the street for black fur and dark eyes in the treeline, but nothing moves near the trees. No wolf, no shadow, just the diner sign glowing warm, and the street still mostly asleep.

Then I see Blake and Theo step out from beside Nanna’s, cutting around the corner in a half run. They look worse for wear in a subtle, alarming way. Theo’s hoodie has a tear along the sleeve, and there’s a smear of red at his mouth, and a thin line of blood on his knuckles. Blake’s shirt is ripped near the hem, and his jeans look scuffed with snow stuck in the seams. There’s tension in his shoulders that doesn’t belong to a normal morning. They freeze the second they realise I’m looking at them. For half a heartbeat, nobody moves. Then Theo straightens and slips into a casual stride. “Good morning, Charlotte,” Blake says, voice calm. It takes me a second to remember how to speak. “Uh. Hey?” I manage. Theo smiles, bright and effortless, like he isn’t bleeding. “Want a ride to school?” I stare at him. My eyes flick to the blood again, then to Blake’s ripped shirt. I don’t ask what happened, because it doesn’t feel like my place. Also, the last twenty-four hours have already stretched my brain too far. If I start asking questions, I’m not sure I’ll stop. “I’ll just walk,” I say quickly. “If I get in a car now, I’ll be too early.” Theo’s smile doesn’t falter. “That’s a weird excuse.”

“It’s not an excuse,” I mutter. Blake steps half a pace closer, and the pull in my chest answers instantly. Cedar and smoke wrap around me like warmth, and my breath catches before I can hide it. He speaks softer than Theo, less joking, more careful. “You could come watch practice for a bit,” he says. “That’s where Charlie went, right?” I blink, and he continues. “There’s always an early session.” The thought of seeing Charlie on the ice again makes my chest ease for a second. Then the thought of sitting in the stands with Blake’s scent around me makes it tighten again. “I don’t know,” I say, because I don’t. 

Blake stares at me, waiting for my answer, and there’s something in his expression that makes it harder to say no. It looks like he’s asking for a small piece of me and trying not to show how much it matters. I swallow. “Okay,” I say, before I can talk myself out of it. Theo grins and claps, already walking across the road. “Great. Love that.” Blake opens the back door for me when we get to the car, and I hesitate for half a second before sliding in. The seat is warm from the heater. The car smells clean and very masculine. Cedar and smoke threads through it like it’s soaked into the fabric. Blake gets in on the other side a second later, and the space between us suddenly feels too small. Theo climbs into the driver’s seat and glances back with a smirk. “Look at me. Chuffer.”

“Chauffeur,” Blake corrects automatically. Theo shrugs. “I said what I said.” The car pulls away from the curb with a soft crunch over snow.

I sit stiff at first, hands in my lap, staring out the window like that’s normal. I feel like I’m not in a car with a boy who shifted into a wolf in front of me last night—a boy whose fate decided to tie us together without asking permission. Shanti is quiet now, but I feel her presence like a weight at the back of my mind. She’s awake and listening, watching… I can feel it. I’m wildly aware of how close Blake’s knee is to mine. He’s turned slightly toward me, but he isn’t staring. He’s trying not to, which somehow makes it worse. My eyes keep drifting toward him anyway. His jaw is tight, and there’s a small cut on his knuckle that looks fresh. His hair is messier than usual the ripped edge of his shirt peeks out under his jacket. I sit there, quiet, and try to breathe like this isn’t really overwhelming. Mate, Shanti murmurs faintly, almost amused. I glance down at my hands, then realise I’ve been leaning forward slightly, like my body is trying to close the gap without my permission. I pull back, embarrassed, and Blake’s gaze flicks to me, then away again, like he noticed and didn’t want to make it a thing… The silence stretches.

Theo hums to himself up front like this is the most normal morning in the world. Like he didn’t just walk out from beside a diner with blood on his hand. The pull in my chest keeps tightening and loosening in waves, reacting to Blake’s presence… It seems to soften when I’m closer to him. I keep sneaking glances at him when I think he isn’t looking. His eyes find mine once and hold for half a second too long. My stomach flips when I hear a low sound from Blake’s chest. It’s like a deep, rumbling purr, almost like a growl but softer. It vibrates through him, through the seat, through the air between us. It startles me so badly I jerk back. “What was that?” I blurt. Blake’s eyes widen, then he looks down at his lap. Theo laughs from the front seat. “That would be Lex.” My cheeks burn. “Lex?” Blake’s mouth twitches like he’s trying not to smile. “My wolf… He likes you here with us.” My heart stutters. I look away fast, staring out the window again, but it doesn’t hide the heat in my face. It doesn’t hide the way Shanti stirs with quiet satisfaction. *Mine,* she whispers warmly. I swallow hard and press my fingers to my sternum again, trying to calm the pull, trying to calm myself. 

We drive through town toward the school with snow drifting across the road. And the whole time, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve just stepped into something I don’t know how to handle yet. Something warm and dangerous. Something that has been looking for me longer than I’ve been looking for it.