"They don't really… do that. Not since they came back." She sighs. "They barely leave except for official games. They live about twenty-five minutes up the mountain. The road's plowed, but take my SUV. It has four-wheel drive."
She's already digging in her bag. Keys land in my palm before I can protest.
"Mia, I can't just take your car. I already have a rental and—"
"Come on." She waves me off. "After dragging you here on short notice, it's the least I can do. Your rental is what, a city hatchback? It'll cry halfway up the first hill. Trust me."
She's probably right about that. I curl my fingers around the keys. "Fair enough. Anything else about them I should know before I drive into the wilderness?"
"Don't let them charm you." Her voice goes flat, serious. "They're gorgeous, they're alphas, and they know exactly what effect they have on people. Especially omegas."
"Well, I'm a professional." I pull a small pill case from my bag and flip it open, showing her the blue tablets. "And I came prepared."
Mia's eyes widen. "Are those… DuoBlocks? I haven't seen those since the last baking festival. Did you know Elena took them for years?"
"What?" I stare at her. "But those aren't meant for long-term use. I take them only in specific situations where multiple alphas are involved."
"Yeah, well, probably good you treat them like occasional tactical gear," Mia says. "Suppressants are already rough on your system. I can't imagine what a drug that also acts as a scent blocker does."
"I can only guess…" I slip the case back into my bag. "Anyway, how do I actually get there? Can you text me the address so I can plug it into Maps?"
"I can text it, but it won't show up," Mia says, grimacing. "Their place isn't listed."
"Okay, well… maybe there's a gas station nearby? A convenience store I can pin?"
"Nope." She laughs. "Once you leave town, it's trees, snow, more trees, more snow. This is Lakeview, not Manhattan. But it's simple: just follow Canyon Road until you hit their gate. You can't miss it. It looks like someone airlifted an Aspen luxury lodge onto the mountain."
I pocket the keys with a sigh. No GPS. This just gets better and better...
"Don't worry, okay?" Mia catches my expression and squeezes my arm. "There's only one road, so you can't get lost. You'regoing to drive up there and have them eating humble pie by dinnertime."
Damn right I will.
"I should probably head out now if I want to make it on time, though," I smile slightly. "Walk me to your car?"
"With pleasure." Mia grins, looping her arm through mine again. "Those three have no idea what's about to hit them."
Chapter three
Silas
The roar of the crowd cuts out mid-chant.
For a second, I think I’ve gone deaf. Then I blink awake and realize the TV’s gone to sleep, screen black, my reflection staring back at me.
Neck kinked. Shoulder numb. Game remote still in my hand.
I push myself upright on my bed and jab the play button.
The screen flickers back to life.
There we are. Younger. Faster. The arena packed, a sea of jerseys and foam fingers. Felix’s hair is longer, flying as he streaks down the ice. Liam threads through defenders like they’re traffic cones. And I'm at the center, barking orders.
Score bug on the screen: 3–2. Final. Our win.
The night everything changed.
The camera cuts to us in a huddle at center ice, helmets off, grinning like idiots while the commentators scream about dynasties and legacies and “these three alphas have it all.”
