Kael insisted I bundle up properly, wrapping a thick gray scarf around my neck himself while I pulled on gloves.

“You know, I can dress myself,” I said, laughing.

Kael smirked, tucking the scarf in snugly. “I know. But this way I get to touch you longer.”

I shoved his shoulder playfully, but I was smiling too hard to mean it.

We left the mansion behind and walked through the streets like normal people. Just two adults.

The city's main square buzzed softly with life, kids sledding down the small park hill, couples holding hands, the warm scent of spice and broth wafting from food stalls. Kael pointed toward a noodle cart with a red paper lantern swaying gently in the breeze.

“There,” he said. “That’s where you get the best hot noodles in town.”

“You sound suspiciously confident.”

“I’m always confident.” Kael winked

I rolled my eyes. “Is that an Alpha thing?”

“Nope,” he said, tugging my hand. “It’s a Kael thing.”

We reached the cart, and the owner, a short, fat man in a furry cap, lit up the moment he saw Kael.

“Kael!” the man exclaimed. “Haven’t seen you in months!”

Kael grinned. “Been busy. This is Sasha, my girlfriend.”

I didn't expect that and I didn't know where a smile came from either.

The man gave me a knowing smile. “So this is the woman finally cracking the Ice Lord’s heart, eh?”

I blinked. “Ice Lord?”

Kael rubbed the back of his neck, laughing. “It’s an old nickname. Ignore him.”

“I will not,” I said, smirking. “Ice Lord. Wow. Do I get a nickname?”

The vendor raised a brow. “If you survive the spicy broth, maybe.”

We ordered two large bowls and sat at a small wooden bench nearby. The steam from the broth fogged the air around us. Kael watched me like a hawk as I took my first bite.

I coughed immediately.

He roared with laughter.

And it was most definitely very annoying in my opinion.

“Oh my God, that’s lava,” I choked.

“Spicy lava,” Kael agreed, clearly enjoying my suffering. “Worth it, though, right?”

I narrowed my eyes, taking another slurp even as tears welled in them. “I’m going to regret this later.”

He wiped the corner of my mouth with a napkin. “I’ll take care of you later.”

I looked away quickly, trying not to melt into the snow. That voice, that promise, he didn’t need to mean it in any way other than warm tea and blankets, but something deep in me hoped he did.

After the noodles, we walked along the park path, hands swinging between us.

“Tell me something you never tell anyone,” I said.

Kael thought for a moment. “I hate full moons.”

I blinked. “What?”

“They hurt. The change always feels like dying a little. Everyone romanticizes it, but for some of us? It’s pain. Control. Restraint.”

I touched his hand gently. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “You asked for truth.”

We wandered into a small bookshop where Kael bought me a poetry collection, just because I admired the cover. Then we stopped at a tiny music store, where Kael air-drummed to classic rock and made the clerk laugh so hard he gave us both free picks.

We were laughing. We were normal.

It was... nice.

Really nice.

“I needed this,” I said as we headed back.

Kael squeezed my hand. “ Yes you do, you don't have to keep working"

"You're their Luna, so rest when ever you want to okey " Kael said with a soft smile that melted my heart.

I stirred at him for what seems like forever.

How can someone be this cute ... I thought to my self

Just then his voice brought me back to reality “ Admiring me right ” he smirked.

“ How did you .... Are you a fucking mind reader Kael " I said out loud making him laugh harder than the last time.

Though his laugh was getting on my nerves,I still found it extremely cute.

*** On the ice***

The team was already on the rink when we arrived. The glass fogged slightly from the humidity of the locker rooms, the ice freshly cleaned, its surface a silver-blue mirror.

Kael switched gears instantly. He pulled his mask over his face, gloves tight, skates laced.

"Alpha mode I muttered".

The arena was quiet but tense. The opposing team had arrived early, and there were whispers of scouts in the stands. This wasn’t just a regular game.

I stood at the sidelines, clipboard in hand, pretending not to notice the way Kael kept glancing at me. His eyes flicked toward me before each face-off, like I was a lighthouse in the middle of his storm.

The game started with a brutal pace. Blades tore across the ice. The crowd roared with each hard hit. I couldn’t tell if it was sport or war actually.

Kael moved like a shadow, fast, unrelenting. He scored the first goal with a clean, vicious snap of his wrist that echoed across the arena.

Lucien played too, aggressive and graceful. He didn’t look at me, not once. But I saw the edge in him, sharper than usual.

Second period. Kael took a brutal hit, crashing into the boards. My heart stopped.

But he stood. Shook it off. Met my gaze through the glass and nodded once. I exhaled.

*************************************************

After the game, the energy buzzed high. Kael disappeared into the locker room while I gathered my things. I lingered in the hallway, waiting for him.

The corridor lights flickered once.

I froze.

The chill hit first. A sudden drop in temperature that didn’t make sense, not even in a rink.

Something passed with a flash.

A shape....no, a shadow, slipping past me down the hall. Not walking. Gliding.

I turned sharply.

Nothing.

“Hello?”

No response. Just silence, deep and strange.

I backed slowly toward the wall, heart thudding.

Something was wrong, definitely.

And for the first time in days, I felt utterly alone, I really needed Kael by my side now.

“ what's wrong "

I turned to see Lucien who gave me a weird smile. I almost flinched.

"Don't creep at me that way again" I said about to leave... But then I realized.

Wait a minute isn't it supposed to be just Kael inside... Where did Lucien come from