“You’re driving this harder than usual,” he observed.
“We don’t need distractions,” I replied.
Jax joined us as we rotated out, eyes moving briefly toward the stands before returning to center. “There’s plenty of those lately.”
He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to.
Across the ice, Logan absorbed a check along the boards and stayed on his skates. No retaliation. No comment. He skated back into position as if nothing had happened.
Chase noticed it too. “He’s been quiet all week.”
Theo adjusted his gloves and watched Logan before answering. “That won’t last.”
Coach blew the whistle again.
“King. Take the next rotation.”
I did.
During scrimmage, I kept the shifts tight and the lines moving. No one stayed out long enough to drift. No one had room to start side conversations between plays.
During water break, Jax leaned his forearms on the boards beside me, eyes still tracking the ice.
“Logan’s been too quiet,” he said again.
I didn’t pretend not to know who he meant. “Yes.”
Chase followed my line of sight toward Logan. “Elise keeping him leashed?”
“For now,” I replied.
Theo adjusted his grip on his stick. “How long does that last?”
We’d all seen Logan absorb a hit without reacting. No shove. No chirp. No flare. Restraint wasn’t in his wheelhouse.
“Elise contains him to an extent,” I answered. “But Logan doesn’t stay contained for long.”
Jax’s jaw hardened. “You think he’ll make a move?”
“If he does,” I said, keeping my voice calm, “it won’t be random.”
Chase’s eyes flicked toward me. “And if that move is toward Mila?”
I didn’t hesitate. “He makes even the slightest move against her,” I replied, “we bury him.”
Theo nodded. “Fine. For now, we’ll just observe.”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “For now.”
Across the ice, Logan finally looked up. Not at me. At the stands. At the exit.
The leash was still on. But it wasn’t tied to us.
“He makes a move, we handle it then,” I said, even though every instinct pushed me to act first. But it wasn’t the right time. “Not before.”
Theo glanced back toward the ice. “Better to choose the moment than react to it.”
We finished the last set without anyone breaking formation.
