- 8 hours ago
Dreamed Mate - S 2026 ✅ FULL [Eng Sub]
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?
00:16I didn't want to refuse, but between moans, I forced the word out.
00:20No.
00:21But 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.
00:32Brother!
00:32The 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.
01:11I bet Chloe must lose her mind.
01:12Would you think I'd actually like some wolf-less girl?
01:15She'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.
02:05And 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.
02:31But I never cared about hockey.
02:34I 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, my skin burning hot.
03:04His hands rubbed my thigh.
03:06The 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,
03:27and a sharply tapered waist.
03:29A pure alpha.
03:30No wonder I kept indulging in this dream.
03:33Break 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.
03:40No.
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.
03:58Julian was staring at me, frowning.
04:00Aurora, are you feeling hot?
04:01I wiped the thin sweat from my forehead.
04:03I'm fine.
04:04That dream again.
04:06It had started about six months ago.
04:08About six months ago, this man began appearing in my dreams out of thin air.
04:12At 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, night 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.
04:36But 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.
04:47Perfectly 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.
04:58First 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.
05:34Why?
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.
05:54Just a 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.
06:13Located on 280 acres of pine forest in the foothills outside the city with miles of pack territory stretching out
06:21beyond it.
06:22Julian's parents were warm.
06:24Exactly 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 and 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.
07:37A 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.
07:46It was only ever my dream.
07:48Maybe I once caught a glimpse of his photo on a sports highlight reel and wove him straight into my
07:52dreams.
07:53And who would ever want to wolf this girl as a man?
07:55I 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.
08:29Cade 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.
08:38The 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?
08:44I had pushed down hard.
08:46A fluke.
08:47The fever of the long flight.
08:48Anything.
08:49Wear this.
08:49The 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.
09:16Did you put on perfume?
09:17Heat washed me over, and I couldn't even find the strength to reply.
09:21But 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.
09:28She 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.
09:34I was half delirious, the 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.
09:52I looked up.
09:54Cade was inside.
09:55Julian was out.
09:56His parents were running errands.
09:58Cade was supposed to be at team practice.
10:00Why was he still at home?
10:01There was only one explanation.
10:03I'm dreaming again.
10:04If 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?
10:16Yes.
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.
10:27How 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.
10:47You'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.
11:06Way too real and 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.
11:25This 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.
11:42That 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?
11:49Have you seen Aurora?
11:52Julian?
11:54Why is he back?
11:56Cade?
11:56I thought I heard her voice.
11:58Are you in there?
11:58Nobody?
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.
12:12Hey, Cade.
12:13I checked the bedroom in Aurora.
12:15Wasn't there.
12:16You seen her?
12:17No?
12:17Cade'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,
12:25knees to my chest,
12:26my cheek almost pressed against the crease of his trousers,
12:29barely breathing.
12:30He'd barely opened his game when his nose wrinkled.
12:33Cade, why does your suddy smell like Aurora's perfume?
12:37Scented candle.
12:39What?
12:40You hate those.
12:41What happened to you?
12:43Julian still wasn't suspicious,
12:44but he stood up to look for it.
12:46He was almost around the desk.
12:50Cade's arm shot out.
12:52Leave.
12:54What?
12:54Take Nika to the groomer, he smells.
12:56That's Mrs. Wells' job.
12:58Cade looked up.
12:59One look.
13:01Unarguable.
13:01Are you going or not?
13:02Keep the change.
13:04Deal.
13:04He'll smell like a five-star hotel.
13:07Julian bounded downstairs.
13:09When the estate went quiet again,
13:11I crawled out from under the desk.
13:13Head still spinning,
13:14I cut straight to it.
13:15You had the same dream.
13:18It appears so.
13:19That's impossible.
13:20Can we compare timelines?
13:23First time, August 10th.
13:24You used me as your emotional garbage spizzle and talked for two hours.
13:27Sixth time, you said,
13:28Hey, let me see the abs.
13:31Seventh time, September.
13:32Things shifted between us.
13:34We-
13:34Stop.
13:35I get it.
13:36The information overload combined with the fever made the wound tilt.
13:40The instant his skin brushed mine,
13:42my wolf surged forward again,
13:43almost knocked me sideways.
13:45You're awakened.
13:46I can feel your wolf now.
13:49Today.
13:50The minute I saw you.
13:52Don't think about it now.
13:53Rest.
13:54He carried me back to my room.
13:56In the hallway,
13:57we walked directly into Mrs. Wells.
13:59Her eyes went wide.
14:00She forgot to breathe.
14:01Alpha, is that-
14:03Is that Miss Aurora?
14:04I pressed both hands over my face.
14:06Cade said evenly-
14:08You know what to do.
14:08Polite tone.
14:09Absolute finality.
14:10Goodness.
14:11My eyes aren't what they used to be.
14:13Can't see a thing anymore.
14:14Mrs. Wells was already backing away.
14:17Mrs. Wells is discreet.
14:18She won't say a word.
14:20Get some rest.
14:21I was too exhausted to argue.
14:22That evening, Julian came back.
14:24Be functional in two days.
14:26I need you presentable when we see Chloe.
14:28He turned to go,
14:29then stopped.
14:30Wait.
14:31That smell.
14:32Cade's study has that same candle.
14:33I actually like it.
14:34Cade's on a road trip with the team.
14:37Away a tournament.
14:38Finally get a few days of breathing room.
14:41He left?
14:42Yeah.
14:43Around noon.
14:44Running from me, most likely.
14:46Cade didn't come back until the holiday break.
14:48When he did,
14:49he gave me the same distant,
14:50polite nod as always.
14:52As if nothing had happened.
14:53The good news was that now I have my wolf.
14:56A beautiful silver wolf.
14:57I like it.
14:58Then the day of the party came.
15:00Time for me to meet Cole.
15:02Julian dragged me to his team party.
15:04That'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.
15:12That energy radiated outward.
15:14I was immediately swept into the spotlight with him.
15:17So this is the girl you brought to make Chloe jealous?
15:20Bro, are you blind?
15:22She's prettier than Chloe.
15:24You're the blind one.
15:25Don't compare them.
15:27A wolf-less nerd compared with a pureblood?
15:29Come on.
15:30Does she know?
15:31Chloe might come after her tonight.
15:35Julian said easily.
15:36Why would I warn her?
15:38The harder Chloe comes for her,
15:39the more it proves she's still hung up on me.
15:42Nobody goes home sober tonight!
15:44Careful, 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 Erdus.
15:54My scattered thoughts suddenly sharpened.
15:55Of course, Cade.
15:57Captain of the Ridgemont Wolves.
16:00Heir to the Blackwood Pack.
16:02Powerful.
16:02Brilliant.
16:03The kind of elite the ordinary will never reach.
16:06The whole room leaned in.
16:08Julian was happy to deliver.
16:09He's been single forever.
16:11No idea what made him agree this time.
16:13Apparently, she's gorgeous and the packs are a perfect match.
16:16Does this mean we're getting a future Luna?
16:18The door to their private room swung open.
16:21Chloe's here!
16:22Welcome back, cheer captain!
16:24Julian's first love was stunning.
16:26Blonde hair, a tank top, and a tight mini skirt.
16:29And she despised me on sight.
16:31Surrounded by her cheer squad,
16:33she worked me into every conversation.
16:35Sideways, cutting.
16:37The tension thickened.
16:38I volunteered to go wash the fruit knives.
16:40While my hands were busy,
16:42my mind was running the numbers.
16:43Julian threw money around without thinking twice.
16:46I had never once asked him for anything directly.
16:49Just caught what fell through the cracks.
16:51And somehow, I had enough.
16:52The surgery was covered.
16:54Time to end this.
16:55I was still working out the words
16:57when Chloe and her squad materialized behind me.
17:00Did you just roll your eyes at me?
17:01She dropped the princess act entirely.
17:03No.
17:04Liar!
17:04We 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?
17:11Chloe's face went scarlet.
17:13Her friends rushed me,
17:14grabbing at my dress,
17:15tearing at the hem.
17:16This dress screams Julian's charity case.
17:18His taste is tragically bad.
17:21Tonight, you're gonna find out
17:22exactly who you messed with.
17:24I'd had enough.
17:25I'd had enough.
17:26Before they could ruin the fabric,
17:27I reached out and grabbed a fistful of Chloe's hair.
17:30Child's play.
17:32One smooth pivot,
17:33and I had her bent over the sink.
17:35Surprisingly easy.
17:37Now I see it.
17:38Julian really does have bad taste.
17:40I ran cold water directly onto her head.
17:42A little moment of clarity for her.
17:44Her squad stepped back.
17:46Go find Julian if you're upset.
17:48Don't come at me.
17:49Chloe gurgled something,
17:50probably filthy,
17:51but the water was handling that too.
17:54Chloe switched from cursing to wailing.
17:57The bathroom was close to their room.
17:59Julian and the others came running.
18:01Chloe broke free,
18:02soaking wet,
18:03and hurled herself into Julian's arms.
18:05Your girlfriend attacked me!
18:07That doesn't sound like Aurea.
18:09Julian!
18:10You didn't see her hold me under the faucet?
18:12We all saw it!
18:13Your ex-girlfriend just got attacked,
18:15and you're going to defend her?
18:16Under the pressure,
18:17Julian turned to me.
18:18His expression hardened.
18:21Aurora,
18:22apologize.
18:23Apologize.
18:25Hilarious.
18:26Apologize.
18:27Hilarious.
18:28I picked up the paring knife
18:29and walked toward Julian,
18:31one slow step at a time.
18:32The room went silent.
18:34Julian retreated until the back of his knees
18:36hit the couch,
18:36and he dropped onto it.
18:38I planted one heel between his legs.
18:40My black stiletto
18:40was a millimeter
18:41from things he'd miss very much.
18:43Time to settle our tab,
18:45sweetheart.
18:46I dragged the flat of the blade
18:47across his cheek.
18:48He flinched,
18:49cold.
18:49You used me to make your ex jealous?
18:51Fine.
18:51I was using you too.
18:52We're even.
18:53But as of right now,
18:54we're done.
18:55Don't come near me again.
18:57Julian grabbed my ankle.
18:58What do you mean,
18:59using you too?
18:59It means exactly what it sounds like.
19:01Are you deaf?
19:02Aurora,
19:02do you not like me?
19:03Correct.
19:04I actively dislike you.
19:06In the dim light,
19:07something flickered
19:08across Julian's face.
19:09Confusion.
19:10Then something roared.
19:11That's impossible.
19:12I am the hockey captain!
19:13The school's dream god!
19:16You mean a bench water?
19:17I drove the knife down.
19:18Julian went rigid.
19:19A beat.
19:20He realized the blade
19:21was embedded in the couch
19:22cushion beside him.
19:23Not in him.
19:24Even this trip,
19:25it was about your family's money.
19:27Stop flattering yourself.
19:28Something changed behind me.
19:29The air shifted.
19:30A pressure rolled into the room.
19:32Undeniable.
19:32The kind only one alpha
19:34in the country could carry.
19:35I turned.
19:36Cade Blackwood stood in the doorway.
19:37He had heard everything.
19:39The light was dim.
19:40I couldn't read his face.
19:41Cade walked in.
19:42First, he draped his jacket
19:44over my shoulders.
19:45My dress had been torn at the seam.
19:47Chloe and her squad
19:48had seen to that.
19:49Then he went to Julian.
19:50Helped him up.
19:51Julian looked stunned.
19:52Like he hadn't quite landed yet.
19:54Someone nearby explained,
19:55Cade's back away and dinner
19:57and been at the same hotel.
19:58Perfect timing.
19:59You're finished.
20:01Chloe hissed as she passed me.
20:02The alpha hates gold deckers.
20:04Every she-wolf who's ever thrown herself at him
20:06has regretted it.
20:07I laughed to myself.
20:08She didn't need to tell me to run.
20:10I already knew.
20:11I wasn't naive enough
20:12to think Cade would take my side here.
20:14The dream was a dream.
20:15Julian was his actual blood.
20:17I set his jacket on a chair
20:19and walked out.
20:20That night,
20:21I left my phone's SIM card behind
20:22and took the first train home.
20:24There was a lot left to do.
20:26Get mom into surgery.
20:27Pick up shifts.
20:28Start over.
20:29I stayed busy.
20:31Only one thing was different.
20:32I actually started watching hockey.
20:34In the June postseason,
20:36Cade led his team
20:36to defend their championship.
20:38An epic three-peat.
20:39And Cade was the highest scorer
20:41for three seasons straight.
20:43In July,
20:44a classmate told me
20:45that Julian had shown up
20:46at finals week looking for me
20:47and was told I'd taken
20:48the rest of the semester remote.
20:50Apparently,
20:50he'd looked completely lost.
20:52I didn't understand it.
20:53Some kind of masochism?
20:54It didn't matter.
20:55Our paths wouldn't cross again.
20:57As for Cade,
20:58I never dreamed of him again.
21:00Months passed.
21:01I stayed home,
21:02working remote shifts,
21:03caring for my mother.
21:04The days were quiet.
21:05Then one morning,
21:06the call came through.
21:07I'd gotten the team
21:08PR assistant position
21:09at the Ridgemont Athletic Department.
21:11Full work-study stipend.
21:13Housing supplement.
21:14Enough to keep mom
21:15in the best ward.
21:16The Blackwood PAC
21:17endowed half the program,
21:18but the athletic department
21:19was huge.
21:20I didn't think much
21:21about who I might run into
21:22until the rink corridor.
21:23I walked in on my first day.
21:25Cade Blackwood
21:26was already inside.
21:27He was surrounded
21:28by coaching staff.
21:29The entire supporting crew
21:31had come down to meet him.
21:32My wolf stirred.
21:33Mate.
21:34That face.
21:36Sharp.
21:37Unreadable.
21:37A face that had appeared
21:39in my dreams
21:39more times than I could count.
21:41Seeing it now
21:41felt like surfacing
21:42from a long, strange sleep.
21:44The corridor was packed.
21:46Stop hovering!
21:47Go get the next briefing ready!
21:48I was already stepping back
21:50when Cade's voice
21:51cut through the room.
21:52There's room.
21:53Come in.
21:54He pulled me out
21:54of the crowd toward him.
21:55I went still.
21:56The corridor fell into silence.
21:58I was pressed almost
21:59against Cade's side.
22:01Supervisor suddenly
22:02all smiles bowed
22:03and nodded
22:04as he introduced me.
22:05Our assistant.
22:06Top of her year.
22:07She'll be running media
22:08and logistics for the season.
22:09Cade didn't respond to that.
22:10He looked down at me.
22:12You lost weight.
22:12The observation
22:13landed without warning.
22:15Every coach
22:15in the corridor blinked.
22:17At lunch,
22:17Cade demonstrated
22:18exactly how far
22:19the Blackwood resources
22:20could reach.
22:21Catered meals delivered
22:22for every player
22:23and staff member.
22:24I ate my rice
22:25and left the rest untouched.
22:27The food was too good.
22:29Ingredients I couldn't afford.
22:30I wrapped the sides carefully.
22:32I'd bring them home
22:33to my mother.
22:34By mid-afternoon,
22:35the period cramps hit.
22:36The moment the clock
22:37struck five,
22:38I was the first one
22:39out of the staff exit.
22:41A hand shot
22:41through the closing door
22:42before it sealed.
22:43Long fingers.
22:45Precise.
22:45Aurora heart.
22:47Can we talk?
22:48Cade stepped in.
22:49Fifteen minutes later,
22:50I stepped into
22:51his private locker room.
22:52It was so intimate.
22:53I was almost swallowed
22:54by his scent.
22:55His gaze flicked
22:56to the wrapped
22:56takeaway container
22:57in my lap.
22:58Food wasn't
22:59to your claimings?
23:00I didn't answer
23:00the question.
23:01Is there something
23:02you needed, Captain?
23:03If this is about Julian,
23:04about some kind of apology,
23:05that's never happening.
23:06Not what I said.
23:07I just think
23:08that two people
23:09who've shared
23:09the same dream
23:10for six months
23:11deserve one honest conversation.
23:12There's nothing to say.
23:14I'm a gold digger.
23:15You're the blackwood,
23:16alpha-haired,
23:16we have nothing in common.
23:17I wouldn't be so sure.
23:19Cade smiled.
23:19He pressed me
23:20against the locker door
23:21behind him,
23:22his nose brushing mine.
23:23PR position you applied for.
23:25Three candidates.
23:26Better resumes.
23:27I overrode the panel.
23:29Ask yourself why.
23:30Before I could answer,
23:31a wave of pain
23:31bent me forward.
23:32I pressed a hand
23:33to my stomach.
23:34Said nothing.
23:35He took my hand.
23:35Do you need a hospital?
23:36No.
23:37He helped me sit on the bench
23:38and poured me
23:39a cup of hot water.
23:40Captain,
23:41that's your personal cup.
23:43I don't mind.
23:43Do you?
23:44The pain didn't soften
23:45my reflexes.
23:45So this is how you operate.
23:47A pack arranged she-wolf
23:48lined up at the estate
23:49and a dream girl
23:49on the side for variety?
23:51I don't have a fiancé.
23:52You went on an arranged dinner.
23:53Is that what's bothering you?
23:54I looked away.
23:55Cade pressed his lips together
23:57and kept his voice even.
23:58The Widock girl
23:59has treaty ties to my pack.
24:00I had no choice.
24:01But the moment I sat down,
24:02I told her I was already
24:03in love with someone else.
24:04The entire dinner
24:05was about pack business.
24:06Nothing else.
24:07Cade,
24:08what is the point
24:09of this conversation?
24:10You like money.
24:11He looked at me.
24:11Something warm in his eyes.
24:13Something deliberate.
24:14I have more than Julian
24:15and I'm cleaner than he is.
24:16I've never been in a relationship.
24:18Aurora,
24:19consider me.
24:20I was fairly certain
24:21Cade Blackwood
24:21had lost his mind.
24:22This kind of directness
24:23was not something
24:24I had prepared for.
24:25And dragging his own brother
24:26in the process?
24:27Half a year gone
24:28and a confession before
24:29we'd even said hello properly.
24:31Who does that?
24:32I took a moment.
24:33He didn't rush me.
24:34I ran through my list.
24:35I love money.
24:36I think it's more reliable
24:37than feelings.
24:38Perfect.
24:39No one in other packs
24:40has more of it than I do.
24:41I need someone in good shape.
24:42Lean muscle.
24:43Not too much,
24:44not too little.
24:45I'm a hockey player.
24:46No need to mention the muscles.
24:47You've confirmed it yourself
24:48repeatedly
24:49in considerable detail.
24:50I had nothing to say.
24:51Cade brushed my face,
24:53his expression soft.
24:54And I know you felt it too.
24:56The bond.
24:57I guess that's why
24:58we ended up in the same dream.
24:59My wolf stirred,
25:00whispering in my mind.
25:01The moon goddess wills it.
25:03My cheeks burned.
25:04Cade added a few more things.
25:06He'd been standing in the doorway
25:07the night of the party.
25:09He heard everything.
25:10When he realized Julian and I
25:11had been performing,
25:12that there were no real feelings
25:14between us,
25:15he felt something that surprised him.
25:16Relief.
25:17He'd planned to deal with
25:18Julian's mess first,
25:19then find me.
25:20But I was already gone
25:21when he turned around.
25:22He couldn't reach me.
25:23Neither could Julian.
25:24He spent months looking,
25:26quietly,
25:27carefully.
25:28He had the pack network
25:29and the resources,
25:30but he didn't want to come in
25:32like a force of nature
25:33and give me reason
25:34to disappear again.
25:35If she left,
25:36she had her reasons.
25:38I just have to make myself
25:39worth finding.
25:40He believed that.
25:42So he found me slowly.
25:43Then he asked again,
25:45Will you consider me?
25:46I didn't hesitate.
25:47Yes,
25:48but one condition.
25:49I wasn't ready to go public.
25:50I wanted to keep my position
25:52at the department my own.
25:54Built on work,
25:55not on who I was sleeping with.
25:57The moment people found out,
25:58everything I'd earned
25:59would be credited to him.
26:01Cade agreed to everything.
26:02He was remarkably easy to handle.
26:04In the dream, too.
26:05But sometimes,
26:06this man was a problem.
26:07Like during the team-wide meeting,
26:09Cade sat at the head of the room,
26:11controlled,
26:12barely glancing at his phone.
26:13The very picture
26:14of restrained alpha authority.
26:16And yet,
26:17no one in that room knew
26:18he'd just sent me a photo,
26:19kneeling,
26:20in his full three-piece suit,
26:21blindfolded.
26:22He wrote,
26:23Took this last night.
26:24Thought you might like it.
26:25We are in the middle of a meeting.
26:26You don't like it?
26:27Oh,
26:28or the love of.
26:29Of course I liked it.
26:30Trouble came two weeks later.
26:32Someone knocked on my apartment door.
26:34I didn't check the peephole.
26:35I opened it.
26:36Julian Blackwood stood in the hall,
26:38holding an enormous bouquet.
26:40Aurora,
26:41I finally found you.
26:43The delight on his face
26:44was in direct proportion
26:45to my horror.
26:46I tracked down
26:47your middle school friend.
26:48She gave me your address.
26:51Is there something you need?
26:52Sheepish.
26:53A rare expression
26:54crossed Julian's
26:55usually careless face.
26:57I want us to start over.
26:58Almost shy.
26:59Before I could form a response,
27:01Cade appeared behind me
27:02in the doorway.
27:03Delivery?
27:03The brothers looked at each other.
27:05The world held its breath.
27:06Three seconds.
27:08Three very long seconds.
27:09Julian blinked.
27:10Cade,
27:11why are you here?
27:14Good question.
27:15Why was Cade here?
27:16Because he'd spent the night
27:17and enthusiastically demonstrated
27:19what the photo
27:20had only hinted at.
27:21But I didn't particularly
27:22want to share that.
27:23My mind moved fast.
27:25He's here to pick up some files.
27:27What?
27:27Captain Blackwood
27:28is overseeing the team.
27:30He needs game preparation documents
27:31so he came in person.
27:33Where's his assistant?
27:34On leave.
27:35I delivered all of this
27:36completely deadpan.
27:37Cade looked at me.
27:38Something flickered
27:39in his expression.
27:40Faint.
27:41Wounded.
27:41I grabbed the empty folder
27:42off my desk
27:43and pushed it into his arms.
27:44Everything's in there.
27:45You can go now
27:46and take your brother with you.
27:48Why do I feel like
27:49the trash being put out?
27:50Julian refused to leave.
27:52Naturally.
27:52He wedged himself
27:53in the doorway
27:54and launched into it.
27:55Aurora,
27:56I know I treated you badly.
27:57I've thought about it
27:58every day since you left.
27:59I cut things off
28:00with my ex.
28:00Completely.
28:01I want to do this
28:02properly this time.
28:02I swear.
28:03Give me one more chance.
28:04No.
28:05Why not?
28:06Because I never liked you.
28:08Julian showed up
28:09at the rink the next day.
28:10Within hours,
28:11the entire team
28:12knew he was there
28:12to win me back.
28:14He brought breakfast.
28:14He sent afternoon snacks.
28:16He stopped just short
28:17of offering to massage
28:18my shoulders at the bench.
28:20This was going to be
28:21a problem.
28:22At lunch,
28:22I pulled him into
28:23the equipment room
28:24and said it plainly.
28:25I want to work.
28:26Please stop disrupting my life.
28:28Julian wore the same
28:29team jersey as his brother,
28:31but he was clearly
28:31a size smaller.
28:33He didn't look nearly as solid.
28:35Okay.
28:35I'll tone it down.
28:37It's not about tone.
28:38Julian, live your life.
28:40Even if you stayed forever,
28:41my answer wouldn't change.
28:42I'm not leaving.
28:43Even if you don't want me,
28:45I'm staying.
28:45Something serious
28:46had settled into him.
28:47Aurora,
28:48after you left,
28:49I went through a long stretch
28:50of actually thinking
28:51about what I'd done.
28:52I want to make it right.
28:53I'll be good to you.
28:54A shadow passed
28:55the equipment room doorway.
28:56The Alpha Captain
28:57was apparently
28:58not above eavesdropping.
28:59I don't need you
29:00to make anything right.
29:01Everything you're doing
29:02right now is stepping
29:03directly on every
29:04single nerve I have.
29:05It's making me
29:06dislike you more,
29:06not less.
29:07It's making me
29:08dislike you more,
29:09not less.
29:09Julian looked like
29:10he'd been struck.
29:11He shuffled out,
29:12visibly deflated.
29:13He didn't notice
29:14Cade slip in
29:15the moment he was gone.
29:16The door closed.
29:17Cade had me pressed
29:18against the wall
29:18before I finished
29:19turning around.
29:20The equipment room
29:21had no lock.
29:22Anyone could walk in.
29:23I pushed at his chest.
29:24We're at work.
29:26Auroras,
29:27I'm happy.
29:28I'm happy.
29:29His heart was hammering.
29:30The muscle under my palm
29:32was, admittedly,
29:33quite something.
29:34His heartbeat.
29:34Right.
29:35Sorry for the
29:36momentary distraction.
29:37After the equipment room
29:38conversation,
29:39Julian pulled back.
29:40He went quiet,
29:41haunted corners of the rink
29:42like a scolded
29:43golden retriever,
29:44stealing glances at me
29:46when he thought
29:46I wasn't looking.
29:47After a practice match
29:48for the backup squad,
29:49the team went out
29:50for a meal
29:51and they invited me too.
29:52Cade came.
29:53Everyone assumed
29:54it was to babysit Julian.
29:55Someone suggested
29:56truth or dare.
29:58Julian picked dare.
29:59The room clamored
30:00to make him drink a toast
30:01with me cheek to cheek.
30:02Cade's expression
30:03closed like a shutting door.
30:04He was on his feet
30:05before anyone could process it.
30:07Auroria,
30:08sponsor wants to compare
30:09design boards.
30:10Right now,
30:11at the party,
30:12one sweep of his gaze
30:13and every voice
30:15in the room
30:15extinguished itself.
30:17Beside the party hall,
30:18there was a small
30:18lounge section
30:19curtained off in red.
30:21The moment we were inside,
30:22Cade pulled me
30:23against him from behind.
30:24His breath was warm
30:25against my neck,
30:26distracting.
30:27Go public.
30:28Aurora,
30:29I can't keep doing this.
30:30Be good.
30:31Let me finish this campaign.
30:33I had my own plan.
30:34When the season launch
30:35campaign wrapped,
30:36the program had hinted
30:37at a permanent senior role.
30:38Then when everyone
30:39found out about us,
30:40they'd know I'd earned it,
30:41not stumbled into it.
30:43I wasn't going to be
30:43someone's trophy.
30:44My mother had fought
30:45through illness
30:46to put me through school,
30:47not for me to be a footnote
30:48in someone else's success story.
30:50I like my work.
30:51Give me a little time
30:52to make my work.
30:52Cade made a quiet sound
30:53of frustration
30:54and bit my ear
30:55in retaliation.
30:56A sequence of kisses
30:57that made breathing
30:58an afterthought.
30:59There was a small
31:00dressing mirror
31:00mounted in the alcove.
31:02He tilted my chin up.
31:03Why are you shy?
31:03Look.
31:04In the glass,
31:04my lips were deep red.
31:06My eyes were somewhere
31:07far away.
31:07Outside,
31:08the banquet noise rolled on.
31:10Julian's voice
31:11was getting closer.
31:12What's taking them so long?
31:13I'll go check.
31:15The curtain snapped open.
31:16Nothing to see here.
31:17I was bent over a tablet.
31:18Cade stood with
31:19one hand in his pocket.
31:20Hey,
31:21we're waiting you.
31:22Come eat.
31:23Hmm.
31:24With everyone busy drinking,
31:25no one spotted
31:26the light lipstick stain
31:27on Cade's throat.
31:28When it ended,
31:29Julian offered
31:29to walk me home.
31:30I declined.
31:31Third time,
31:32I'd made myself clear.
31:33We were done.
31:34We were done.
31:35And this time,
31:36I should tell you.
31:37I'm seeing someone.
31:38Julian blinked.
31:39The sobering kind of blink.
31:40Who?
31:41What are they like?
31:42Can I meet them?
31:43It has nothing to do with you.
31:44Julian looked wounded
31:45all the way to the door.
31:46A few days later,
31:47I was at the hospital.
31:48My mother was resting.
31:49I stepped out to the hallway
31:51to fill her water bottle
31:52and found myself
31:53face to face with Cade.
31:54He looked genuinely surprised.
31:56A pack elder is admitted here.
31:57I came to visit.
31:58What are you?
31:59My mom's ward.
32:01She's been here long?
32:02Is it serious?
32:03Before I could answer,
32:05the woman in the next bed
32:06spoke up.
32:06That girl's been
32:07at her mother's side
32:08for years, bless her.
32:10Now that's a devoted daughter.
32:12Top university.
32:13Worked through school
32:14to cover her mother's
32:14surgery costs.
32:16Even now,
32:17she won't rest.
32:18Pays for the best
32:19nursing aid she can manage.
32:20Won't leave her mother alone.
32:21Another woman
32:22from across the ward
32:23joined in.
32:23Barely enough to pay.
32:24Hiring a proper aid
32:26and still covering rent.
32:27She skips meals.
32:28That's what she does.
32:30You know those
32:30team catering boxes
32:31she brings in?
32:32She never eats them.
32:33Brings them home for her mom.
32:35Cade looked at me slowly.
32:36Shock moving through
32:37his face like weather.
32:38My mother was asleep.
32:40Cade and I stood
32:40at her bedside.
32:41When he finally did...
32:43That's why you needed
32:43the money.
32:45Yes.
32:46Your father?
32:47Not in the picture.
32:49It's always been
32:49just the two of us.
32:51She raised me
32:52through everything.
32:52It wasn't easy.
32:53You ate only rice
32:54and kept the rest for her.
32:57It's a good thing actually.
32:59I owe you a thank you
33:00for the catering.
33:01No wonder.
33:02How did I not see this sooner?
33:05The hardest part
33:06is already behind us.
33:07After the night shift
33:08nurse arrived
33:08we went downstairs.
33:10He made a few calls.
33:11His face was drawn.
33:12I looked into it.
33:13For her condition
33:13the best course
33:14is a transfer
33:15to a specialist hospital
33:16in New York.
33:16Better care.
33:17Better outcomes.
33:18I know, but...
33:19I'll cover it.
33:20This wasn't pocket change
33:21and I didn't want
33:22to owe anyone
33:23even him
33:24what I couldn't repay.
33:25Every arrangement
33:26I'd ever made
33:27even with Julian
33:28had been calculated.
33:30Cade read me
33:30before I could speak.
33:31What I'm about to say
33:32might be too much
33:33too fast
33:33and I know this isn't
33:35the right place for it.
33:36A pause.
33:39Aurora.
33:40Be my mate.
33:42Run with me.
33:43Bond with me.
33:44All of it.
33:45I looked at him
33:46for a long
33:46silent moment.
33:47He meant it.
33:48This was more sudden
33:49than the confession.
33:50Considerably more.
33:51You want to gamble
33:51your future
33:52on my mother's
33:52medical bills?
33:53Of course not.
33:54Because we're mates?
33:55Forget it.
33:56In a family as old
33:57as yours
33:57blood comes first.
33:58I'm just an ordinary
33:59she-wolf.
34:00Cade was quiet
34:01and honest about it.
34:02I have my reasons.
34:04Selfish ones.
34:05Tell me.
34:05I'm in love with you.
34:06The kind that makes me
34:07want to keep you close
34:08out of everyone else's reach.
34:09I'll be honest.
34:10I've been thinking
34:11about it for weeks.
34:12If I claimed you
34:13would Julian
34:13finally let go?
34:14I won't pretend
34:15it doesn't bother me.
34:16The way he looks at you.
34:17He's my brother
34:17and I still want
34:18to rip it out of him.
34:19This was the first time
34:20Kate had said it outright.
34:21This possessiveness
34:22he'd been keeping
34:22on a short leash.
34:23I'd felt it before.
34:24In the careful way
34:25he watched me.
34:26In the way
34:26every show of control
34:27softened the moment
34:28he touched me.
34:29He wanted to win.
34:29Not against Julian
34:30but for me
34:31against everyone.
34:32Always.
34:33This is too big
34:33a decision to rush.
34:34Let me think.
34:35Take all the time
34:36you need.
34:36Extra nursing staff
34:37arrived at my mother's ward.
34:39Hired and arranged
34:39before I woke up.
34:40I quietly started
34:41seeing him less.
34:42I just didn't want him
34:44made yet.
34:45One evening
34:45I came out of the hospital
34:47to find him
34:47at the street corner.
34:48He'd been waiting.
34:49I decided this was the moment.
34:51Six months of shared dreams
34:52isn't enough on its own.
34:53That can't be all of it.
34:55Kate thought for a moment.
34:56Because before I dreamed of you
34:58I was certain
34:59I would spend my life alone.
35:00That's impossible.
35:01Your pack arranged matches
35:02could circle the globe.
35:04Aurora
35:04you have your struggles.
35:06So do I.
35:07I'm the eldest.
35:09Ever since I can remember
35:10my only goal
35:11has been to be exceptional.
35:12To be the alpha
35:13the pack can rely on.
35:15Win the trophy.
35:16Carry the line.
35:17And?
35:17I don't know if you'll believe this
35:18but I have spent my entire life
35:20performing for other
35:21people's expectations.
35:22Never once living for myself.
35:24I used to envy Julian.
35:26For what?
35:27His supercars?
35:28I've never raced.
35:29Barely touched drinks
35:30as a hockey player.
35:31I've never been reckless.
35:32Never.
35:33Before you Aurora
35:34I had never been in love.
35:35And before you
35:36I had severe anxiety.
35:37I looked at him.
35:38He'd never said it out loud before.
35:39Not like this.
35:40No one in the family knew.
35:41There were stretches
35:42where I didn't sleep for days.
35:44My wolf wouldn't settle.
35:45He almost smiled.
35:46And then I started dreaming of you.
35:48You rambled about campus.
35:49A professor you didn't like.
35:51A stray cat that sat outside your dorm.
35:53Slowly
35:54the anxiety began to loosen.
35:56I stopped needing the pills
35:57just to sleep.
35:58I started looking forward to nights
35:59for the first time in years.
36:01The car had pulled into
36:02a parking structure.
36:03Engine off.
36:04Neither of us moved.
36:05And then
36:05it became something more.
36:07I am after all
36:08an alpha with normal instincts.
36:09That made both of us quiet
36:11in a different way.
36:12The short version Aurora.
36:13You gave me something
36:14to look forward to.
36:15You made me want a future.
36:16I blinked at him.
36:17So
36:17how should you thank me?
36:19However you'd like.
36:20He leaned in
36:21and kissed me.
36:25An hour later
36:26we were straightening
36:27ourselves out.
36:28The back seat
36:28was a little chaotic.
36:30Someone rapped on the window.
36:32We looked up.
36:33Julian Blackwood.
36:34He couldn't see inside.
36:35The tinting was too dark.
36:37But he knew
36:38whose car this was.
36:40He seemed to know
36:41I was inside too.
36:42He set his jaw
36:43and asked
36:44through the glass.
36:45Aurora?
36:46Is he the one you're seeing?
36:48Cade lowered the window
36:49without hesitation.
36:50Both of us
36:51were in the back seat.
36:52Julian scanned the interior.
36:53His eyes went red
36:55at the edges
36:55almost immediately.
36:57How long?
36:58He sounded like
36:59he was pressing down
37:00on something about to break.
37:01Three months
37:02at the least.
37:03And before that
37:04longer than you'd like to know.
37:06You knew each other before?
37:08Technically speaking
37:09you were the one
37:10who came after.
37:11Julian's hand went
37:12white knuckled
37:13against the car door.
37:15You're both playing me.
37:17Not intentionally.
37:19Think of it this way.
37:21Cade and I met
37:22in the dreamscape first.
37:23Dreamscape?
37:25And I just
37:26conveniently brought you
37:27to him in person?
37:29More or less.
37:30Fantastic!
37:31Go to hell!
37:32Why did you just tell me?
37:33I did, Julia.
37:35I told you
37:36I was seeing someone.
37:38You didn't say
37:39it was Cade!
37:41Julian's fist
37:41hit the side of the car.
37:43Cade was already
37:44opening his mouth.
37:45I stopped him
37:46with a look.
37:46This is mine.
37:47Julian,
37:48I turned you down
37:49three times.
37:50Clearly,
37:50what gave you the right
37:51to know anything
37:51about my private life?
37:53My voice stayed quiet
37:55but it landed.
37:56A year ago
37:57you used me
37:58for a game
37:59you were playing
37:59with your ex.
38:00Did you tell me?
38:01The party.
38:03You knew Chloe
38:04would come for me.
38:05Did you say a word?
38:09When she and her friends
38:10tore my dress
38:11what did you tell me to do?
38:12I let him sit with it.
38:14You told me
38:15to apologize to her.
38:17The words came back around
38:19one after another.
38:21So no.
38:23You don't get to demand
38:24my transparency
38:25when you never gave me yours.
38:27Julian stood there
38:27completely wrecked.
38:28Cade tossed him
38:29a set of bike key
38:30through the window.
38:31Race me.
38:32What?
38:33You want to race?
38:35Cade,
38:36you've never raced
38:36in your life.
38:39First time for everything.
38:40I understood then.
38:41The words between
38:42Julian and me
38:43were settled.
38:44What was left
38:44was something
38:45between brothers
38:46and that wasn't
38:47mine to be part of.
38:48They brought me
38:48to some motorcycle track
38:49way out in the suburbs.
38:51I had no idea
38:52Blackwood even had
38:53one private track.
38:54Before they started
38:55Julian said
38:56If I win
38:56you step back.
38:58Let Arona go.
39:00Cade didn't answer.
39:01The race started.
39:02Both of them floored it.
39:04The turn came fast.
39:06Their bikes
39:07were scraping the asphalt
39:08almost grazing the ground.
39:11By the final lap
39:12they were both
39:12practically half shifted
39:14on their bikes.
39:15Cade was half a bike length
39:17behind Julian.
39:18But in the middle of the turn
39:19Cade hit the throttle
39:21lowering his body
39:22even more.
39:23His bike wobbled dangerously.
39:25Looked like he was
39:25about to crash.
39:26Julian broke first.
39:27You're gonna kill yourself.
39:28Slow down.
39:29But Cade didn't.
39:30There was a flash
39:31of golden wolf light
39:33in his eyes.
39:34The next second
39:35he shot past Julian
39:36through the turn.
39:37Julian panicked.
39:38His bike wobbled
39:39and he went down.
39:40In a heartbeat
39:41he shifted
39:42landing on his feet
39:43just in time.
39:44He turned fully human
39:45and slammed his fists
39:46into the ground
39:47over and over.
39:48I lost!
39:48I completely lost!
39:51Cade walked over
39:52and hauled him
39:53to his feet.
39:55You asked me a question
39:56before we started.
39:57Here's my answer.
39:59He waited for Julian
40:00to look up.
40:02Everything else
40:03I'd let you have it
40:04but not her.
40:05Why?
40:08Because she's not
40:09a prize to give away.
40:11After that night
40:11Julian disappeared.
40:13Word was
40:14he went back to New York.
40:15Kept to himself
40:16for a while.
40:17Then he stepped off
40:18the Ridgemont roster
40:20and enrolled
40:20in a graduate program abroad.
40:22He didn't actually
40:23like hockey.
40:24It was just
40:25one of his toys.
40:26He wanted it all.
40:27Just like me.
40:28Driven by the need
40:29to conquer.
40:30Maybe finally
40:31he'd figured out
40:32that those bikes
40:33and parties
40:34weren't going to make him
40:35into someone worth loving.
40:37Pack standing.
40:38Real skills.
40:39Those would.
40:40My mother transferred
40:42to a specialist hospital
40:43in New York.
40:44Better care.
40:46Better doctors.
40:47Better everything.
40:49Two years later
40:50I went back
40:50to the Blackwood estate.
40:52This time
40:52it was official
40:53as Cade's mate.
40:54Edward and Carol Blackwood
40:55were not even
40:56slightly surprised.
40:58We had our suspicions.
41:00Julian never looked at you
41:02like a mate should
41:03but Cade
41:04he went very quiet
41:06those days
41:07and he's always quiet.
41:09Yes
41:09but those days
41:10were different.
41:11I laughed
41:12a little embarrassed.
41:13I'm sorry
41:14for all of it.
41:16Don't be.
41:18Julian had to learn
41:19that lesson
41:19sooner or later.
41:21He needed to grow up.
41:22Carol took my hands
41:23in both of hers
41:24and her eyes went soft.
41:26Aurora
41:27thank you.
41:29She didn't say more.
41:30They already knew
41:31about the anxiety
41:32and the sleepless years.
41:34They knew what had changed.
41:37Holiday shopping
41:38downtown New York.
41:39We ran into Chloe.
41:41She spotted me
41:42and her expression
41:43curdled.
41:43You've got nerve
41:45showing your face.
41:46I heard the alpha
41:47hate she-wolves
41:47who chase money.
41:49Every one of them
41:49has ended up
41:50Cade's arm came around
41:51my waist from behind.
41:52Baby
41:53what's she saying?
41:54I blinked wide-eyed.
41:55She says you hate me.
41:56Is that true?
41:58Cade, I'm devastated.
42:00Look who learned
42:00to play sweet.
42:04Hate you?
42:05You're my one and only.
42:08Chloe glared for a moment,
42:09stomped off
42:10and spun around.
42:11The arm around me
42:12didn't loosen.
42:14All right.
42:15I told him.
42:15Performance over.
42:16Cade pressed closer.
42:18Shameless.
42:19What did you just call me?
42:20Say it again.
42:21I stood on my toes
42:22close to his ear.
42:24Mate.
42:24He smiled.
42:25Eyes softening
42:26into something
42:27I had only ever seen
42:28directed at me.
42:30After that,
42:30life settled into
42:31a busy but fulfilling rhythm.
42:33Cade's team
42:34tore through
42:35the regular season,
42:36finishing at the top
42:37of the standings
42:38and securing the spot
42:39in the playoffs
42:39the following evening.
42:40Cade was named
42:41the regular season MVP
42:42while I finally found
42:44my place at the club.
42:45The playoffs opened
42:46to a sold-out arena
42:47and a banner
42:48dropping from the rafters.
42:49Three peak champions
42:51going for a court.
42:52Every outlet in the country
42:53ran the same headline.
42:54Can the Ridgemont wolves
42:55do it again?