Austin's POV 

The weeks after the fight with my mother blurred together. I’d thrown myself into tournaments, one after the other, using the ice to burn off what I couldn’t say out loud. My wolf liked the competition. It kept him sharp, hungry, but underneath, I carried the same heaviness every time I stepped off the rink.

I hadn’t seen Ruby since that night at the estate. Just her voice, drifting through the phone at odd hours, was all I had. Sometimes it was late, when I was holed up ...