- 14 hours ago
Dreamed Mate EPISODE
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00For six months, I've dreamed of surrendering to a wolf every night.
00:04Well, he was an alpha, actually.
00:05We lost ourselves in passion night after night.
00:08I didn't have a wolf, but I felt like I was bonded to him.
00:11After I got a boyfriend, he whispered in my ear,
00:14Break up with him, will you?
00:15I didn't want to refuse, but between moans, I forced the word out.
00:20No.
00:20But every dawn, I wake up unable to remember his name.
00:24Six months later, I finally found him.
00:26Good news, he's just as breathtaking as in my dreams.
00:29Bad news, he's my boyfriend's alpha brother, the ruthless hockey captain.
00:34Julian Blackwood told me to come home with him to meet his pack.
00:37When he told me that, he didn't ask for my opinion.
00:39Dress nice, something sexy.
00:42It's winter. Sexy isn't happening.
00:46You got a problem with that? So we can break up.
00:49He shrugged as if he didn't care at all.
00:51He knew I would never break up with him.
00:54I don't have money for new clothes.
00:56Sure is.
00:57He transferred $50,000 to my account.
01:00Take the money. I'm off to the party. Don't bother me.
01:02Then waved me off like a fly.
01:04Outside his private locker room, Julian was already joking around with his hockey teammates.
01:09Yeah, bringing her home. I bet Chloe must lose her mind.
01:12Would you think I'd actually like some wolf-less girl?
01:14She's just a prop to make Chloe jealous.
01:18Chloe and I were a thing for four years without meeting the parents.
01:21One month with this girl and I'm already introducing her?
01:24I'm sure Chloe would be lying naked on my bed when she finds out.
01:27He let out a cheeky whistle.
01:29His hockey buddy gave him a playful punch.
01:31What about your family's opinion?
01:33She's the kind of girl my brother can't stand.
01:35Her wolf hasn't even awakened.
01:37To him, she's barely a wolf at all.
01:39A month ago, Julian Blackwood, the school's dream boy, suddenly asked me to be his girlfriend.
01:44Everyone knew Julian had just broken up with his cheerleader girlfriend.
01:48Coming to me now meant one of two things.
01:51Rebound or entertainment.
01:53Either way, he has no sincere feelings for me at all.
01:56But I still said yes because I needed the money.
01:59To cover my mother's surgery costs, I'd been working hard.
02:02Then her condition got worse and I couldn't wait anymore.
02:06And right at that moment, Julian confessed me to be with him.
02:09The Blackwood Pack ran half the state.
02:12Old money, old bloodline, and a dynasty built on sports.
02:16I heard that Julian's older brother was the alpha heir.
02:19Right after he graduated, he was made captain of the Ridgemont Wolves,
02:23America's top-ranked state hockey team.
02:25If they snag the Stanley Cup this year, it'll be a three-peat.
02:29Julian played hockey too, but only in the uni.
02:32But I never cared about hockey.
02:33I cared about money.
02:35A wealthy playboy like Julian,
02:37whose routine was blowing through motorcycles and after-game parties.
02:41Just picking up the loose change he threw around would cover mom's entire surgery bill.
02:45But Julian didn't know any of that.
02:47He thought I was crazy about him.
02:49Julian booked first class.
02:50The moment we boarded, he slammed on his noise-canceling headphones.
02:54He forbade me from disturbing him.
02:56Fine by me, and I was asleep in minutes.
02:59Then something shifted.
03:00I was pressed against a man's chest,
03:02my skin burning hot.
03:04His hands rubbed my thigh.
03:05The dream again?
03:07How many times this month?
03:08Still not enough?
03:09You look beautiful today.
03:11Where are you going?
03:13To my boyfriend's pack.
03:15He went quiet for a long moment.
03:17I looked up and caught the dark current moving behind his eyes.
03:20You have a boyfriend?
03:21Yes.
03:22This man was an incredibly impressive man.
03:24Cold features, massive chest, broad shoulders, and a sharply tapered waist.
03:29A pure alpha.
03:30No wonder I kept indulging in this dream.
03:32Break up with him, will you?
03:34His voice was low and magnetic, laced with a hint of coaxing.
03:38Break up with him, will you?
03:39No.
03:41Why?
03:43Where did I fall short?
03:44Enough.
03:44More than enough.
03:45But who stays forever with a man from a dream?
03:50When you wake up, there's nothing left.
03:53Whether those words had stung him or not, he fell silent.
03:56The landing jolt pulled me back.
03:57Julian was staring at me, frowning.
03:59Aurora, are you feeling hot?
04:01I wiped the thin sweat from my forehead.
04:03I'm fine.
04:04That dream again.
04:05It had started about six months ago.
04:08About six months ago, this man began appearing in my dreams out of thin air.
04:11At first, they were ordinary dreams.
04:14Until one night, he appeared naked in my dreams.
04:17Perfect body.
04:18Exactly my type.
04:19And I could no longer hold back my desires.
04:22From that night on, we tangled together in my dreams.
04:25Night after night.
04:26Every time I tried to ask his name, it would all slip my mind the second I woke up.
04:30All I knew was that there's Omi thing drew me to the stranger.
04:34Like we were bonded.
04:35But that's impossible.
04:37I didn't have a wolf.
04:38I'd quietly seen the campus healer about it.
04:41It's just dreaming.
04:42Young wolves run hot, even unawakened ones.
04:46Perfectly normal.
04:48Fair enough.
04:48I had, after all, never so much as held a man's hand in real life.
04:52Your face is flushed.
04:53A little warm.
04:55Don't tell me you've never been on a plane.
04:57First time, actually.
04:59Thank you for the experience.
05:01I'm too honest.
05:02Julian's smirk died before it could form.
05:04A beat passed.
05:05Then, without thinking, he reached up and angled the air vent above my seat.
05:09Even he seemed startled by the gesture.
05:11Thanks.
05:12At baggage claim, Julian drifted away to take a call.
05:15Did you guys meet up with Chloe?
05:16Alright, we'll see her in a few days.
05:19Girlfriend?
05:20I'm breaking up with her right after.
05:21He spotted me coming closer and hung up fast.
05:24Aurora, a heads up.
05:26Yeah?
05:27In my family, mom and dad are easygoing.
05:30But be careful around my brother.
05:33Why?
05:34Is he scary?
05:36Julian looked at me strangely.
05:37I used to give him nothing but yeah and okay.
05:39Perfectly obedient.
05:40But I was almost at my goal now.
05:42I couldn't be bothered to act any longer.
05:44He's got a temper.
05:45Dominant.
05:46On the team, in the pack, what he says goes.
05:48My parents are actually a little scared of him.
05:49Just be careful.
05:50He hesitated, then added...
05:51And don't bring up the wolf-less thing.
05:52He's the strongest alpha in the West.
05:54A wolf-less girl like you, he'll kick you out.
05:56Julian only looked afraid and reverent at once when he talked about this brother.
05:59I had zero interest in the Blackwood pack politics.
06:02Julian frowned.
06:03Aren't you excited?
06:04Coming home with me?
06:07I said it with a completely blank face.
06:10Thrilled, a car met us and drove us to the Blackwood estate.
06:14Located on 280 acres of pine forest in the foothills outside the city,
06:19with miles of pack territory stretching out beyond it.
06:22Julian's parents were warm, exactly as he'd said.
06:25They fussed over me like I was already family.
06:28Until dinner.
06:29Cade came home.
06:31Julian's swagger died instantly.
06:32He stood rigid like a kid in trouble and murmured obediently.
06:35A voice deep and husky bringing me back to those hot dreams.
06:39Hey.
06:39Rough trip?
06:40And devastatingly familiar.
06:42I turned around.
06:44My whole body froze.
06:45It's him.
06:46The man I dream of every night.
06:48My heart pounded.
06:49And my wolf spoke for the first time.
06:53Cade, this is my girlfriend, Aurora.
06:55Welcome.
06:56Cade's gaze swept across my face.
06:58For half a second, his pupils dilated.
07:00He felt the bond, too.
07:01Then nothing.
07:02He was exactly as I'd dreamed, only in a hockey gear, helmet tucked under his arm.
07:07Maybe he'd just free from training, looking like a little mountain.
07:10But all I could picture was him naked, muscles rippling, body like a sculpture.
07:14By the time dinner started, he was wearing a white shirt.
07:17Droplets of water sliding from his wet hair down onto his chest.
07:21The damp fabric outlined the muscle beneath.
07:23Every voice in the room dropped a little lower.
07:26Julian became a different person entirely.
07:28During dinner, the conversation drifted to me.
07:30Aurora, Julian tells us you've never dated anyone before.
07:33That's right.
07:34Julian is my first.
07:36A girl as lovely as you and no one snatched you up?
07:39I don't believe it.
07:40I swallowed carefully and let my eyes drift toward Cade.
07:43He was cutting his steak as if he hadn't heard a thing.
07:45Of course he doesn't know me.
07:47It was only ever my dream.
07:48Maybe I once caught a glimpse of his photo on a sports highlight reel and wove him straight
07:52into my dreams.
07:53And who would ever want a wolfless girl as a baby?
07:56I could already picture him rejecting me.
07:58I steadied myself and leaned into the role.
08:00Honestly, I feel so lucky to meet Julia.
08:02He was amazing playing hockey.
08:04I've looked up to him ever since his freshman year.
08:07Our Julian has his rough edges, but he's got a good heart underneath.
08:11Would you take good care of him?
08:12Of course.
08:13I really do like him.
08:15No, I don't.
08:15I only care about the check you'll write at the end of this visit.
08:18Something brushed over me.
08:20A weight, like a gaze.
08:21I glanced up instinctively.
08:22Cade was on his phone, not even glancing at me.
08:25Had I imagined it?
08:26A few days passed at the Blackwood Estate, and I was almost used to it.
08:30Cade was rarely home.
08:31The team had two a days, even over break.
08:33When we did cross paths, he gave me a polite, distant nod.
08:36I grew more certain with every passing day.
08:39The dream was mine alone.
08:40What had happened the moment I'd first seen him?
08:42The awakening?
08:43The wolf stirring under my skin?
08:45I had pushed down hard.
08:46A fluke.
08:47The fever of the long flight.
08:48Anything.
08:49Wear this.
08:50The day to meet Chloe was approaching.
08:52Julian wasn't happy with what I'd prepared, so he had someone bring over a new outfit.
08:56A silk slip dress.
08:57Summer weight.
08:58He wanted me to wear those clothes and take photos with him, just to make his ex jealous.
09:03The estate had radiant floor heating, but I was still shivering.
09:07Julian didn't notice.
09:08He insisted on taking perfect couple photos to make his first love jealous.
09:11The next morning, I woke up with a full fever.
09:14Julian sniffed.
09:15Something smells sweet.
09:17Did you put on perfume?
09:18Heat washed me over, and I couldn't even find the strength to reply.
09:22But Julian couldn't have cared less about me.
09:24He was long gone, off drinking with his teammates.
09:27As he left, I heard him on the phone.
09:29She has to get sick now?
09:30She better not embarrass me when I meet Chloe in a couple of days.
09:32You got any other girls to come with us?
09:34Just in case.
09:35I was half delirious.
09:36The line between dream and reality blurring into nothing.
09:39The fever felt unusual, stirring a strange desire low in my abdomen.
09:44Wet, dark, and shameful.
09:47My throat was raw, so I dragged myself up to get water.
09:50Across the hall, the study door was open.
09:53I looked up.
09:54Cade was inside.
09:55Julian was out.
09:57His parents were running errands.
09:58Cade was supposed to be at team practice.
10:00Why was he still at home?
10:02There was only one explanation.
10:04I'm dreaming again.
10:05If it's just a dream, then it's easy.
10:07I don't feel...
10:08I ran my hands all over him, slipping them under his tight white t-shirt.
10:12He gasped, a beat late, and asked,
10:14Did you take your medicine?
10:17Yes.
10:17Rest, then.
10:18But I shoved him onto the sofa bed.
10:20I met someone today.
10:21He looks exactly like you.
10:23The heat between us making it impossible to think.
10:25But I know he's not you.
10:28How did you know?
10:29The moment I see that mole on your collarbone, I know I'm asleep.
10:33I reached up and began undoing his shirt buttons.
10:36That mole was familiar to me.
10:37In dreams, I'd nodded countless times.
10:40Perched on his legs, I let my fingers brush over it.
10:43Naughty little wolf.
10:45You're not sick.
10:46Cade kissed me, pinning me down.
10:48You're in heat.
10:48His hands roamed under my dress.
10:50He began to enjoy me.
10:52His body rose and fell against me, fierce, fast, and hard in every way.
10:57After that, I was almost dizzy from the intensity.
11:00He moved over me relentlessly, and even when it was over, I wanted more.
11:04This one wasn't like any dream before.
11:06It felt real.
11:07Way too real.
11:08And insane.
11:10But Cade suddenly stopped my hand.
11:12Didn't you say you like him?
11:13What?
11:14You said you really liked Julian.
11:17How do you know Julian?
11:18My brain detonated.
11:19All the subtle tension between us froze in an instant.
11:22I dug my nails into my thigh, and the pain jolted me awake.
11:26This wasn't a dream.
11:27It's reality.
11:28The man I had just climbed on top of was the actual Cade.
11:31He said my name.
11:33Lo.
11:33The sound of it curled through me.
11:35The wolf I'd been pretending hadn't woken up pressed against my ribs again.
11:39Six months of asking in dreams, and I finally have it.
11:42Your name.
11:43That line froze me all over again.
11:45What did he mean?
11:46Did he dream about it too?
11:48Then, a knock at the door.
11:49Cade?
11:50Have you seen Aurora?
11:53Julian?
11:54Why is he back?
11:56Cade?
11:57I thought I heard her voice.
11:58Are you in there?
11:59Nobody?
11:59All right, I'm coming in.
12:00My brain's short-circuiting.
12:02The handle turned.
12:04Julian stepped inside.
12:05Oh, hey.
12:06You're here.
12:08When did you get back?
12:10I felt bad leaving her alone.
12:13Hey, Cade.
12:14I checked the bedroom and Aurora wasn't there.
12:16You seen her?
12:17No?
12:18Cade's eyes dropped, calm as still water.
12:20Maybe the bathroom.
12:21I'll wait.
12:21At that exact moment, I was crouched beneath his desk, knees to my chest, my cheek almost
12:27pressed against the crease of his trousers, barely breathing.
12:30He'd barely opened his game when his nose wrinkled.
12:33Cade, why does your suddy smell like Aurora's perfume?
12:38Scented candle.
12:40What?
12:40You hate those.
12:42What happened to you?
12:43Julian still wasn't suspicious, but he stood up to look for it.
12:46He was almost around the desk.
12:51Cade's arm shot out.
12:53Leave.
12:54What?
12:55Take Nika to the groomer, he smells.
12:57That's Mrs. Wells' job.
12:58Cade looked up.
12:59One look.
13:01Unarguable.
13:01Are you going or not?
13:03Keep the change.
13:04Deal.
13:05He'll smell like a five-star hotel.
13:08Julian bounded downstairs.
13:10When the estate went quiet again, I crawled out from under the desk.
13:13Head still spinning, I cut straight to it.
13:15You had the same dream.
13:18It appears so.
13:20That's impossible.
13:21Can we compare timelines?
13:23First time, August 10th.
13:24You used me as your emotional garbage fizzle and talked for two hours.
13:27Sixth time, you said, hey, let me see the abs.
13:31Seventh time, September, things shifted between us.
13:34We-
13:35Stop.
13:35I get it.
13:36The information overload, combined with the fever, made the room tilt.
13:40The instant his skin brushed mine, my wolf surged forward again, almost knocked me sideways.
13:45You're awakened.
13:46I can feel your wolf now.
13:49Today.
13:51The minute I saw you.
13:52Don't think about it now.
13:54Rest.
13:54He carried me back to my room.
13:56In the hallway, we walked directly into Mrs. Wells.
13:59Her eyes went wide.
14:01She forgot to breathe.
14:02Alpha, is that-
14:03Is that Miss Aurora?
14:05I pressed both hands over my face.
14:07Cade said evenly-
14:08You know what to do.
14:09Polite tone.
14:10Absolute finality.
14:11Goodness.
14:11My eyes aren't what they used to be.
14:13Can't see a thing anymore.
14:15Mrs. Wells was already backing away.
14:17Mrs. Wells is discreet.
14:19She won't say a word.
14:20Get some rest.
14:21I was too exhausted to argue.
14:23That evening, Julian came back.
14:24Be functional in two days.
14:26I need you presentable when we see Chloe.
14:28He turned to go, then stopped.
14:31Wait.
14:31That smell.
14:32Cade's study has that same candle.
14:34I actually like it.
14:35Cade's on a road trip with the team.
14:37Away a tournament.
14:39Finally get a few days of breathing room.
14:41He left?
14:43Yeah.
14:44Around noon.
14:45Running from me, most likely.
14:46Cade didn't come back until the holiday break.
14:49When he did, he gave me the same distant, polite nod as always.
14:52As if nothing had happened.
14:54The good news was that now I have my wolf.
14:56A beautiful silver wolf.
14:58I like it.
14:59Then the day of the party came.
15:00Time for me to meet Cole.
15:03Julian dragged me to his team party.
15:05That's when I realized his team was really just his brother's second string squad.
15:09Far behind his brother.
15:10Julian walked into any room like he owned it.
15:13That energy radiated outward.
15:15I was immediately swept into the spotlight with him.
15:18So this is the girl you brought to make Chloe jealous?
15:21Bro, are you blind?
15:22She's prettier than Chloe.
15:24You're the blind one.
15:26Don't compare them.
15:27A wolf-less nerd compared with a pureblood?
15:29Come on.
15:31Does she know Chloe might come after her tonight?
15:35Julian said easily.
15:37Why would I warn her?
15:38The harder Chloe comes for her, the more it proves she's still hung up on me.
15:42Nobody goes home sober tonight!
15:44Be careful, Julian.
15:46Your brother finds out he'll bury you.
15:49Cade's got his own plans tonight.
15:51He's had a pack-arranged dinner with the Whitlock Airdis.
15:54My scattered thoughts suddenly sharpened.
15:56Of course.
15:57Cade.
15:58Captain of the Ridgemont Wolves.
16:00Heir to the Blackwood Pack.
16:02Powerful.
16:03Brilliant.
16:04The kind of elite the ordinary will never reach.
16:07The whole room leaned in.
16:09Julian was happy to deliver.
16:10He's been single forever.
16:11No idea what made him agree this time.
16:14Apparently she's gorgeous, and the packs are a perfect match.
16:17Does this mean we're getting a future Luna?
16:19The door to their private room swung open.
16:21Chloe's here!
16:22Welcome back, cheer captain!
16:24Julian's first love was stunning.
16:27Blonde hair, a tank top, and a tight mini skirt.
16:30And she despised me on sight.
16:32Surrounded by her cheer squad, she worked me into every conversation.
16:36Sideways, cutting.
16:37The tension thickened.
16:39I volunteered to go wash the fruit knives.
16:41While my hands were busy, my mind was running the numbers.
16:44Julian threw money around without thinking twice.
16:47I had never once asked him for anything directly.
16:49Just caught what fell through the cracks.
16:51And somehow, I had enough.
16:53The surgery was covered.
16:55Time to end this.
16:56I was still working out the words.
16:58When Chloe and her squad materialized behind me.
17:00Did you just roll your eyes at me?
17:02She dropped the princess act entirely.
17:04No.
17:04Liar, we all saw it!
17:06You're imagining things.
17:08I couldn't even be bothered to look at you.
17:10Why would I roll my eyes?
17:12Chloe's face went scarlet.
17:13Her friends rushed me, grabbing at my dress, tearing at the hem.
17:17This dress screams Julian's charity case.
17:19His taste is tragically bad.
17:21Tonight, you're going to find out exactly who you messed with.
17:24I've had enough.
17:25I'd had enough.
17:26Before they could ruin the fabric, I reached out and grabbed a fistful of Chloe's hair.
17:31Child's play.
17:32One smooth pivot, and I had her bent over the sink.
17:35Surprisingly easy.
17:37Now I see it.
17:39Julian really does have bad taste.
17:41I ran cold water directly onto her head.
17:43A little moment of clarity for her.
17:45Her squad stepped back.
17:46Go find Julian if you're upset.
17:48Don't come at me.
17:49Chloe gurgled something.
17:51Probably filthy.
17:52But the water was handling that, too.
17:55Chloe switched from cursing to wailing.
17:57The bathroom was close to their room.
17:59Julian and the others came running.
18:02Chloe broke free, soaking wet, and hurled herself into Julian's arms.
18:05Your girlfriend attacked me.
18:08That doesn't sound like Aurea.
18:10Julian!
18:11You didn't see her hold me under the faucet?
18:13We all saw it!
18:14Your ex-girlfriend just got attacked, and you're going to defend her?
18:17Under the pressure, Julian turned to me.
18:19His expression hardened.
18:22Aurora, apologize.
18:24Apologize.
18:25Hilarious.
18:27Apologize.
18:28Hilarious.
18:28I picked up the paring knife and walked toward Julian, one slow step at a time.
18:33The room went silent.
18:34Julian retreated until the back of his knees hit the couch, and he dropped onto it.
18:38I planted one heel between his legs.
18:40My black stiletto was a millimeter from things he'd miss very much.
18:44Time to settle our tab, sweetheart.
18:46I dragged the flat of the blade across his cheek.
18:48He flinched.
18:49Cold.
18:50You used me to make your ex jealous?
18:51Fine.
18:52I was using you too.
18:53We're even.
18:54But as of right now, we're done.
18:56Don't come near me again.
18:57Julian grabbed my ankle.
18:59What do you mean, using you too?
19:00It means exactly what it sounds like.
19:02Are you deaf?
19:02Aurora, do you not like me?
19:04Correct.
19:05I actively dislike you.
19:07In the dim light, something flickered across Julian's face.
19:10Confusion.
19:10Then something rawred.
19:11That's impossible!
19:12I am the hockey captain!
19:14The school's dream god!
19:16You mean a bench blotter?
19:18I drove the knife down.
19:19Julian went rigid.
19:20A beat.
19:21He realized the blade was embedded in the couch cushion beside him, not in him.
19:24Even this trip, it was about your family's money.
19:27Stop flattering yourself.
19:28Something changed behind me.
19:30The air shifted.
19:31A pressure rolled into the room.
19:32Undeniable.
19:33The kind only one alpha in the country could carry.
19:35I turned.
19:36Cade Blackwood stood in the doorway.
19:38He had heard everything.
19:40The light was dim.
19:41I couldn't read his face.
19:42Cade walked in.
19:43First, he draped his jacket over my shoulders.
19:45My dress had been torn at the seam.
19:47Chloe and her squad had seen to that.
19:49Then he went to Julian.
19:51Helped him up.
19:51Julian looked stunned.
19:53Like he hadn't quite landed yet.
19:54Someone nearby explained.
19:56Cade's back over at dinner and been at the same hotel.
19:59Perfect timing.
20:00You're finished.
20:01Chloe hissed as she passed me.
20:03The alpha hates gold deckers.
20:05Every she-wolf who's ever thrown herself at him has regretted it.
20:08I laughed to myself.
20:09She didn't need to tell me to run.
20:10I already knew.
20:11I wasn't naive enough to think Cade would take my side here.
20:14The dream was a dream.
20:16Julian was his actual blood.
20:18I set his jacket on a chair and walked out.
20:21That night, I left my phone's SIM card behind and took the first train home.
20:25There was a lot left to do.
20:26Get mom into surgery.
20:28Pick up shifts.
20:29Start over.
20:30I stayed busy.
20:31Only one thing was different.
20:33I actually started watching hockey.
20:35In the June postseason, Cade led his team to defend their championship.
20:39An epic three-peat.
20:40And Cade was the highest scorer for three seasons straight.
20:44In July, a classmate told me that Julian had shown up at finals week looking for me and
20:48was told I'd taken the rest of the semester remote.
20:50Apparently, he'd looked completely lost.
20:53I didn't understand it.
20:54Some kind of masochism?
20:55It didn't matter.
20:56Our paths wouldn't cross again.
20:57As for Cade, I never dreamed of him again.
21:01Months passed.
21:01I stayed home, working remote shifts, caring for my mother.
21:05The days were quiet.
21:06Then one morning, the call came through.
21:08I'd gotten the team PR assistant position at the Ridgemont Athletic Department.
21:12Full work-study stipend.
21:13Housing supplement.
21:14Enough to keep mom in the best ward.
21:17The Blackwood Pack endowed half the program.
21:19But the athletic department was huge.
21:21I didn't think much about who I might run into until the rink corridor.
21:24I walked in on my first day.
21:26Cade Blackwood was already inside.
21:28He was surrounded by coaching staff.
21:30The entire supporting crew had come down to meet him.
21:33My wolf stirred.
21:34Mate.
21:35That face.
21:36Sharp.
21:37Unreadable.
21:38A face that had appeared in my dreams more times than I could count.
21:42Seeing it now felt like surfacing from a long, strange sleep.
21:45The corridor was packed.
21:46Stop hovering.
21:47Go get the next briefing ready.
21:49I was already stepping back when Cade's voice cut through the room.
21:52There's room.
21:53Come in.
21:54He pulled me out of the crowd toward him.
21:56I went still.
21:57The corridor fell into silence.
21:59I was pressed almost against Cade's side.
22:02Supervisor, suddenly all smiles bowed and nodded as he introduced me.
22:06Top of her year.
22:07She'll be running media and logistics for the season.
22:10Cade didn't respond to that.
22:11He looked down at me.
22:12You lost weight.
22:13The observation landed without warning.
22:15Every coach in the corridor blinked.
22:17At lunch, Cade demonstrated exactly how far the Blackwood resources could reach.
22:22Catered meals delivered for every player and staff member.
22:25I ate my rice and left the rest untouched.
22:28The food was too good.
22:29Ingredients I couldn't afford.
22:31I wrapped the sides carefully.
22:33I'd bring them home to my mother.
22:34By mid-afternoon, the period cramps hit.
22:37The moment the clock struck five, I was the first one out of the staff exit.
22:41A hand shot through the closing door before it sealed.
22:44Long fingers.
22:45Precise.
22:46Aurora heart.
22:48Can we talk?
22:49Cade stepped in.
22:50Fifteen minutes later, I stepped into his private locker room.
22:53It was so intimate.
22:53I was almost swallowed by his scent.
22:56His gaze flicked to the wrapped takeaway container in my lap.
22:59Food wasn't to your claimings?
23:00I didn't answer the question.
23:02Is there something you needed, Captain?
23:03If this is about Julian, about some kind of apology, that's never happening.
23:07Not what I said.
23:08I just think that two people who've shared the same dream for six months deserve one honest conversation.
23:13There's nothing to say.
23:15I'm a gold digger.
23:16You're the blackwood, alpha-haired, we have nothing in common.
23:18I wouldn't be so sure.
23:19Cade smiled.
23:20He pressed me against the locker door behind him, his nose brushing mine.
23:24PR position you applied for.
23:26Three candidates.
23:27Better resumes.
23:28I overrode the panel.
23:29Ask yourself why.
23:30Before I could answer, a wave of pain bent me forward.
23:33I pressed a hand to my stomach.
23:34Said nothing.
23:35He took my hand.
23:36Do you need a hospital?
23:37No.
23:38He helped me sit on the bench and poured me a cup of hot water.
23:42Captain, that's your personal cup.
23:44I don't mind.
23:44Do you?
23:44The pain didn't soften my reflexes.
23:46So this is how you operate.
23:48A pack arranged she-wolf lined up at the estate and a dream girl on the side for variety?
23:51I don't have a fiancé.
23:52You went on an arranged dinner.
23:54Is that what's bothering you?
23:55I looked away.
23:56Cade pressed his lips together and kept his voice even.
23:59The Widock girl has treaty ties to my pack.
24:01I had no choice.
24:02But the moment I sat down, I told her I was already in love with someone else.
24:05The entire dinner was about pack business.
24:07Nothing else.
24:08Cade, what is the point of this conversation?
24:10You like money.
24:11He looked at me.
24:12Something warm in his eyes.
24:13Something deliberate.
24:14I have more than Julian.
24:16And I'm cleaner than he is.
24:17I've never been in a relationship.
24:19Aurora, consider me.
24:20I was fairly certain Cade Blackwood had lost his mind.
24:23This kind of directness was not something I had prepared for.
24:26And dragging his own brother in the process?
24:28Half a year gone.
24:29And a confession before we'd even said hello properly.
24:32Who does that?
24:33I took a moment.
24:34He didn't rush me.
24:35I ran through my list.
24:36I love money.
24:37I think it's more reliable than feelings.
24:39Perfect.
24:40No one in other packs has more of it than I do.
24:42I need someone in good shape.
24:43Lean muscle.
24:44Not too much, not too little.
24:45I'm a hockey player.
24:46No need to mention the muscles.
24:48You've confirmed it yourself.
24:49Repeatedly.
24:50In considerable detail.
24:51I had nothing to say.
24:52Cade brushed my face.
24:53His expression soft.
24:55And I know you felt it too.
24:56The bond.
24:58I guess that's why we ended up in the same dream.
25:00My wolf stirred, whispering in my mind.
25:02The moon goddess wills it.
25:04My cheeks burned.
25:05Cade added a few more things.
25:07He'd been standing in the doorway the night of the party.
25:09He heard everything.
25:11When he realized Julian and I had been performing, that there were no real feelings between us,
25:15he felt something that surprised him.
25:17Relief.
25:18He'd planned to deal with Julian's mess first.
25:20Then find me.
25:21But I was already gone when he turned around.
25:23He couldn't reach me.
25:24Neither could Julian.
25:25He spent months looking.
25:27Quietly.
25:28Carefully.
25:29He had the pack network and the resources.
25:31But he didn't want to come in like a force of nature and give me reason to disappear again.
25:36If she left, she had her reasons.
25:39I just have to make myself worth finding.
25:41He believed that.
25:42So he found me slowly.
25:44Then he asked, again.
25:46Will you consider me?
25:47I didn't hesitate.
25:48Yes.
25:48But one condition.
25:50I wasn't ready to go public.
25:51I wanted to keep my position at the department my own.
25:55Built on work.
25:56Not on who I was sleeping with.
25:57The moment people found out, everything I'd earned would be credited to him.
26:01Cade agreed to everything.
26:03He was remarkably easy to handle.
26:05In the dream, too.
26:06But sometimes, this man was a problem.
26:08Like during the team-wide meeting.
26:10Cade sat at the head of the room.
26:12Controlled.
26:12Barely glancing at his phone.
26:14The very picture of restrained alpha authority.
26:17And yet, no one in that room knew he'd just sent me a photo.
26:20Kneeling.
26:21In his full three-piece suit.
26:22Blindfolded.
26:23He wrote, took this last night.
26:25Thought you might like it.
26:26We are in the middle of a meeting.
26:27You don't like it?
26:28Oh, for the love of.
26:29Of course I liked it.
26:31Trouble came two weeks later.
26:33Someone knocked on my apartment door.
26:34I didn't check the peephole.
26:36I opened it.
26:37Julian Blackwood stood in the hall, holding an enormous bouquet.
26:41Aurora.
26:42I finally found you.
26:43The delight on his face was in direct proportion to my horror.
26:47I tracked down your middle school friend.
26:49She gave me your address.
26:52Is there something you need?
26:53Sheepish.
26:54A rare expression crossed Julian's usually careless face.
26:58I want us to start over.
26:59Almost shy.
27:00Before I could form a response, Cade appeared behind me in the doorway.
27:04Delivery?
27:04The brothers looked at each other.
27:06The world held its breath.
27:07Three seconds.
27:08Three very long seconds.
27:10Julian blinked.
27:11Cade, why are you here?
27:15Good question.
27:16Why was Cade here?
27:17Because he'd spent the night and enthusiastically demonstrated what the photo had only hinted at.
27:22But I didn't particularly want to share that.
27:24My mind moved fast.
27:26He's here to pick up some files.
27:28What?
27:28Captain Blackwood is overseeing the team.
27:30He needs game preparation documents, so he came in person.
27:33Where's his assistant?
27:35On leave.
27:36I delivered all of this completely deadpan.
27:38Cade looked at me.
27:39Something flickered in his expression.
27:41Faint.
27:41Wounded.
27:42I grabbed the empty folder off my desk and pushed it into his arms.
27:45Everything's in there.
27:46You can go now.
27:47And take your brother with you.
27:49Why do I feel like the trash being put out?
27:51Julian refused to leave.
27:52Naturally.
27:53He wedged himself in the doorway and launched into it.
27:56Aurora, I know I treated you badly.
27:58I've thought about it every day since you left.
28:00I cut things off with my ex.
28:01Completely.
28:02I want to do this properly this time.
28:03I swear.
28:04Give me one more chance.
28:05No.
28:05Why not?
28:07Because I never liked you.
28:09Julian showed up at the rink the next day.
28:11Within hours, the entire team knew he was there to win me back.
28:15He brought breakfast.
28:15He sent afternoon snacks.
28:17He stopped just short of offering to massage my shoulders at the bench.
28:21This was going to be a problem.
28:23At lunch, I pulled him into the equipment room and said it plainly.
28:26I want to work.
28:27Please stop disrupting my life.
28:29Julian wore the same team jersey as his brother, but he was clearly a size smaller.
28:34He didn't look nearly as solid.
28:36Okay.
28:36I'll tone it down.
28:38It's not about tone.
28:39Julian, live your life.
28:41Even if you stayed forever, my answer wouldn't change.
28:43I'm not leaving.
28:44Even if you don't want me, I'm staying.
28:46Something serious had settled into him.
28:48Aurora, after you left, I went through a long stretch of actually thinking about what I'd done.
28:53I want to make it right.
28:54I'll be good to you.
28:55A shatter passed the equipment room doorway.
28:57The alpha captain was, apparently, not above eavesdropping.
29:00I don't need you to make anything right.
29:02Everything you're doing right now is stepping directly on every single nerve I have.
29:06It's making me dislike you more, not less.
29:08It's making me dislike you more, not less.
29:10Julian looked like he'd been struck.
29:12He shuffled out, visibly deflated.
29:14He didn't notice Cade slip in the moment he was gone.
29:17The door closed.
29:18Cade had me pressed against the wall before I finished turning around.
29:21The equipment room had no lock.
29:23Anyone could walk in.
29:24I pushed at his chest.
29:25We're at work.
29:27Auroras, I'm happy.
29:29I'm happy.
29:30His heart was hammering.
29:31The muscle under my palm was, admittedly, quite something.
29:35His heartbeat.
29:35Right.
29:36Sorry for the momentary distraction.
29:38After the equipment room conversation, Julian pulled back.
29:41He went quiet.
29:42Haunted corners of the rink like a scolded golden retriever,
29:45stealing glances at me when he thought I wasn't looking.
29:48After a practice match for the backup squad,
29:50the team went out for a meal, and they invited me too.
29:53Cade came.
29:54Everyone assumed it was to babysit Julian.
29:56Someone suggested truth or dare.
29:59Julian picked dare.
30:00The room clamored to make him drink a toast with me cheek to cheek.
30:03Cade's expression closed like a shutting door.
30:05He was on his feet before anyone could process it.
30:09Aurora, sponsor wants to compare design boards.
30:11Right now, at the party?
30:13One sweep of his gaze, and every voice in the room extinguished itself.
30:18Beside the party hall, there was a small lounge section curtained off in red.
30:22The moment we were inside, Cade pulled me against him from behind.
30:25His breath was warm against my neck, distracting.
30:28Go public.
30:29Aurora, I can't keep doing this.
30:31Be good.
30:33Let me finish this campaign.
30:34I had my own plan.
30:35When the season launch campaign wrapped, the program had hinted at a permanent senior role.
30:40Then when everyone found out about us, they'd know I'd earned it, not stumbled into it.
30:44I wasn't going to be someone's trophy.
30:45My mother had fought through illness to put me through school,
30:48not for me to be a footnote in someone else's success story.
30:51I like my work.
30:52Give me a little time to make my work.
30:53Cade made a quiet sound of frustration, and bit my ear in retaliation.
30:57A sequence of kisses that made breathing an afterthought.
31:00There was a small dressing mirror mounted in the alcove.
31:03He tilted my chin up.
31:04Why are you shy?
31:04Look.
31:05In the glass, my lips were deep red.
31:07My eyes were somewhere far away.
31:08Outside, the banquet noise rolled on.
31:11Julian's voice was getting closer.
31:13What's taking them so long?
31:14I'll go check.
31:16The curtain snapped open.
31:17Nothing to see here.
31:18I was bent over a tablet.
31:19Cade stood with one hand in his pocket.
31:21Hey, we're waiting you.
31:23Come eat.
31:24Hmm.
31:25With everyone busy drinking, no one spotted the light lipstick stain on Cade's throat.
31:29When it ended, Julian offered to walk me home.
31:31I declined.
31:32Third time I'd made myself clear.
31:34We were done.
31:35We were done.
31:36And this time, I should tell you, I'm seeing someone.
31:39Julian blinked, the sobering kind of blink.
31:42Who?
31:42What are they like?
31:43Can I meet them?
31:44It has nothing to do with you.
31:45Julian looked wounded all the way to the door.
31:47A few days later, I was at the hospital.
31:49My mother was resting.
31:50I stepped out to the hallway to fill her water bottle,
31:53and found myself face to face with Cade.
31:55He looked genuinely surprised.
31:57A pack elder is admitted here.
31:58I came to visit.
31:59What are you?
32:00My mom's ward.
32:03She's been here long?
32:04Is it serious?
32:04Before I could answer, the woman in the next bed spoke up.
32:07That girl's been at her mother's side for years, bless her.
32:11Now that's a devoted daughter.
32:13Top university.
32:14Worked through school to cover her mother's surgery costs.
32:17Even now, she won't rest.
32:19Pays for the best nursing aid she can manage.
32:21Won't leave her mother alone.
32:22Another woman from across the board joined in.
32:25With barely enough to pay.
32:26Hiring a proper aid and still covering rent.
32:28She skips meals.
32:29That's what she does.
32:30You know those team catering boxes she brings in?
32:33She never eats them.
32:34Brings them home for her mom.
32:36Cade looked at me slowly.
32:37Shock moving through his face like weather.
32:40My mother was asleep.
32:41Cade and I stood at her bedside.
32:43When he finally did...
32:44That's why you needed the money.
32:46Yes.
32:47Your father?
32:48Not in the picture.
32:50It's always been just the two of us.
32:52She raised me through everything.
32:54It wasn't easy.
32:55You ate only rice and kept the rest for her.
32:58It's a good thing, actually.
33:00I owe you a thank you for the catering.
33:02No wonder.
33:04How did I not see this sooner?
33:06The hardest part is already behind us.
33:08After the night shift nurse arrived, we went downstairs.
33:11He made a few calls.
33:12His face was drawn.
33:13I looked into it.
33:14For her condition, the best course is a transfer to a specialist hospital in New York.
33:17Better care.
33:18Better outcomes.
33:19I know, but...
33:20I'll cover it.
33:21This wasn't pocket change.
33:22And I didn't want to owe anyone, even him, what I couldn't repay.
33:26Every arrangement I'd ever made, even with Julian, had been calculated.
33:31Cade read me before I could speak.
33:32What I'm about to say might be too much, too fast.
33:35And I know this isn't the right place for it.
33:37A pause.
33:40Aurora, be my mate.
33:43Run with me.
33:44Bond with me.
33:45All of it.
33:46I looked at him for a long, silent moment.
33:49He meant it.
33:49This was more sudden than the confession.
33:51Considerably more.
33:52You want to gamble your future on my mother's medical bills?
33:54Of course not.
33:55Because we're mates?
33:56Forget it.
33:57In a family as old as yours, blood comes first.
33:59I'm just an ordinary she-wolf.
34:01Cade was quiet and honest about it.
34:03I have my reasons.
34:05Selfish ones.
34:06Tell me.
34:06I'm in love with you.
34:07The kind that makes me want to keep you close out of everyone else's reach.
34:10I'll be honest.
34:11I've been thinking about it for weeks.
34:13If I claimed you, would Julian finally let go?
34:15I won't pretend it doesn't bother me.
34:17The way he looks at you.
34:18He's my brother, and I still want to rip it out of him.
34:20This was the first time Cade had said it outright.
34:22This possessiveness he'd been keeping on a short leash.
34:24I'd felt it before.
34:25In the careful way he watched me.
34:27In the way every show of control softened the moment he touched me.
34:30He wanted to win.
34:31Not against Julian, but for me, against everyone.
34:33Always.
34:34This is too big a decision to rush.
34:35Let me think.
34:36Take all the time you need.
34:37Extra nursing staff arrived at my mother's ward.
34:40Hired and arranged before I woke up.
34:41I quietly started seeing him less.
34:43I just didn't want him waiting on a decision I hadn't made yet.
34:46One evening, I came out of the hospital to find him at the street corner.
34:49He'd been waiting.
34:50I decided this was the moment.
34:52Six months of shared dreams isn't enough on its own.
34:54That can't be all of it.
34:56Cade thought for a moment.
34:57Because before I dreamed of you, I was certain I would spend my life alone.
35:01That's impossible.
35:02Your pack-arranged matches could circle the globe.
35:04Aurora, you have your struggles.
35:07So do I.
35:08I'm the eldest.
35:09Ever since I can remember, my only goal has been to be exceptional.
35:14To be the alpha the pack can rely on.
35:16Win the trophy.
35:17Carry the line.
35:18And?
35:19I don't know if you'll believe this, but I have spent my entire life performing for
35:22other people's expectations.
35:24Never once living for myself.
35:26I used to envy Julian.
35:27For what?
35:28His supercars?
35:29I've never raced.
35:30Barely touched drinks as a hockey player.
35:32I've never been reckless.
35:33Never.
35:34Before you, Aurora, I had never been in love.
35:36And before you, I had severe anxiety.
35:38I looked at him.
35:39He'd never said it out loud before.
35:41Not like this.
35:42No one in the family knew.
35:43There were stretches where I didn't sleep for days.
35:45My wolf wouldn't settle.
35:46He almost smiled.
35:47And then I started dreaming of you.
35:49You rambled about campus.
35:51A professor you didn't like.
35:52A stray cat that sat outside your dorm.
35:54Slowly, the anxiety began to loosen.
35:57I stopped needing the pills just to sleep.
35:59I started looking forward to nights.
36:01For the first time in years.
36:02The car had pulled into a parking structure.
36:04Engine off.
36:05Neither of us moved.
36:06And then, it became something more.
36:08I am, after all, an alpha with normal instincts.
36:11That made both of us quiet in a different way.
36:13The short version, Aurora.
36:14You gave me something to look forward to.
36:16You made me want a future.
36:17I blinked at him.
36:18So, how should you thank me?
36:20However you'd like.
36:22He leaned in and kissed me.
36:26An hour later, we were straightening ourselves out.
36:29The back seat was a little chaotic.
36:31Someone rapped on the window.
36:33We looked up.
36:34Julian Blackwood.
36:35He couldn't see inside.
36:37The tinting was too dark.
36:39But he knew whose car this was.
36:41He seemed to know I was inside too.
36:43He set his jaw and asked, through the glass.
36:46Aurora?
36:48Is he the one you're seeing?
36:49Cade lowered the window without hesitation.
36:51Both of us were in the back seat.
36:53Julian scanned the interior.
36:55His eyes went red at the edges almost immediately.
36:58How long?
36:59He sounded like he was pressing down on something about to break.
37:02Three months.
37:03At the least.
37:04And before that, longer than you'd like to know.
37:07You knew each other before?
37:10Technically speaking, you were the one who came after.
37:12Julian's hand went white-knuckled against the car door.
37:16You're both playing me.
37:19Not intentionally.
37:20Think of it this way.
37:22Cade and I met in the dreamscape first.
37:25Dreamscape?
37:26And I just conveniently brought you to him in person?
37:30More or less.
37:32Fantastic!
37:32Go to hell!
37:33Why did you just tell me?
37:35I did, Julia.
37:36I told you I was seeing someone.
37:40You didn't say it was Cade!
37:42Julian's fist hit the side of the car.
37:44Cade was already opening his mouth.
37:46I stopped him with a look.
37:48This is mine.
37:49Julian, I turned you down three times.
37:51Clearly, what gave you the right to know anything about my private life?
37:54My voice stayed quiet.
37:56But it landed.
37:57A year ago, you used me for a game you were playing with your ex.
38:01Did you tell me?
38:03The party.
38:04You knew Chloe would come for me.
38:07Did you say a word?
38:10When she and her friends tore my dress, what did you tell me to do?
38:14I let him sit with it.
38:16You told me to apologize to her.
38:18The words came back around, one after another.
38:23So no.
38:24You don't get to demand my transparency when you never gave me yours.
38:28Julian stood there, completely wrecked.
38:30Cade tossed him a set of bike key through the window.
38:33Race me.
38:34What?
38:35You want to race?
38:37Cade, you've never raced in your life.
38:40First time for everything.
38:42I understood then.
38:43The words between Julian and me were settled.
38:45What was left was something between brothers.
38:47And that wasn't mine to be part of.
38:49They brought me to some motorcycle track way out in the suburbs.
38:53I had no idea Blackwood even had one private track.
38:55Before they started, Julian said,
38:57If I win, you step back.
39:00Let Arona go.
39:01Cade didn't answer.
39:02The race started.
39:03Both of them floored it.
39:06The turn came fast.
39:08Their bikes were scraping the asphalt, almost grazing the ground.
39:12By the final lap, they were both practically half-shifted on their bikes.
39:17Cade was half a bike length behind Julian.
39:19But in the middle of the turn, Cade hit the throttle, lowering his body even more.
39:24His bike wobbled dangerously.
39:26It looked like he was about to crash.
39:28Julian broke first.
39:29You're going to kill yourself.
39:30Slow down.
39:30But Cade didn't.
39:32There was a flash of golden wolf light in his eyes.
39:35The next second, he shot past Julian through the turn.
39:39Julian panicked.
39:40His bike wobbled.
39:41And he went down.
39:42In a heartbeat, he shifted, landing on his feet just in time.
39:45He turned fully human and slammed his fists into the ground over and over.
39:49I lost.
39:50I completely lost.
39:53Cade walked over and hauled him to his feet.
39:56You asked me a question before we started.
39:59Here's my answer.
40:00He waited for Julian to look up.
40:03Everything else, I'd let you have it, but not her.
40:07Why?
40:10Because she's not a prize to give away.
40:12After that night, Julian disappeared.
40:14Word was he went back to New York.
40:17Kept to himself for a while.
40:18Then he stepped off the Ridgemont roster and enrolled in a graduate program abroad.
40:24He didn't actually like hockey.
40:25It was just one of his toys.
40:27He wanted it all.
40:28Just like me.
40:30Driven by the need to conquer.
40:32Maybe, finally, he'd figured out that those bikes and parties weren't going to make him into someone worth loving.
40:38Pack standing.
40:39Real skills.
40:40Those would.
40:42My mother transferred to a specialist hospital in New York.
40:46Better care.
40:47Better doctors.
40:49Better everything.
40:50Two years later, I went back to the Blackwood estate.
40:53This time, it was official as Cade's mate.
40:55Edward and Carol Blackwood were not even slightly surprised.
40:59We had our suspicions.
41:02Julian never looked at you like a mate should.
41:05But Cade, he went very quiet those days.
41:09And he's always quiet.
41:10Yes, but those days were different.
41:13I laughed.
41:14A little embarrassed.
41:15I'm sorry.
41:16For all of it.
41:18Don't be.
41:19Julian had to learn that lesson sooner or later.
41:22He needed to grow up.
41:24Carol took my hands in both of hers.
41:26And her eyes went soft.
41:27Aurora.
41:30She didn't say more.
41:31They already knew.
41:33About the anxiety and the sleepless years.
41:35They knew what had changed.
41:38Holiday shopping.
41:39Downtown New York.
41:41We ran into Chloe.
41:42She spotted me and her expression curdled.
41:45You've got nerve showing your face.
41:47I heard the alpha hate she-wolves who chase money.
41:50Every one of them has ended up...
41:51Cade's arm came around my waist from behind.
41:53Baby.
41:54What's she saying?
41:55I blink.
41:56Wide eye.
41:56She says you hate me.
41:57Is that true?
41:59Cade, I'm devastated.
42:01Look who learned to play sweet.
42:05Hate you?
42:07You're my one and only.
42:09Chloe glared for a moment.
42:11Stomped off and spun around.
42:13The arm around me didn't loosen.
42:15All right.
42:16I told him.
42:17Performance over.
42:18Cade pressed closer.
42:19Shameless.
42:20What did you just call me?
42:21Say it again.
42:22I stood on my toes close to his ear.
42:25Mate.
42:26He smiled.
42:27Eyes softening into something I had only ever seen directed at me.
42:31After that, life settled into a busy but fulfilling rhythm.
42:35Cade's team tore through the regular season, finishing at the top of the standings and securing
42:40the spot in the playoffs the following evening.
42:42Cade was named the regular season MVP while I finally found my place at the club.
42:46The playoffs opened to a sold-out arena and a banner dropping from the rafters.
42:51Three peak champions going for a court.
42:53Every outlet in the country ran the same headline.
42:56Can the Ridgemont Wolves do it again?
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