LOGINSebastian POVThe wellness room was super peaceful. I was still really nervous. I stood with my back flat against the wall, holding Elliot securely against me from behind as his back rested against my chest. My left arm was wrapped around his waist, my large hand flat on his warm belly, while my eyes scanned the rows of exercise mats. I watched Elliot move gently on the blue exercise ball. He looked amazing. The pregnancy made him look strong and gentle at the same time, and everyone in the room was staring at him. I felt a burn in my chest whenever someone else looked at him, but I kept my eyes on the doors. The big wooden door opened a minute ago. A man in a hospital uniform was pushing a cart inside.At first, it looked like he was there to clean.The cart wheels squeaked on the floor.Then I looked at his feet.He was wearing shoes, but the way he walked was totally off. A guy pushing a cart should lean forward and dig his heels into the floor. This guy was gliding. His weight wa
Elliot POVIt took fifteen minutes of chaos for Black Shield to break into the side ambulance bay. Sebastian held his thick wool coat tightly over my head until the hospital walls finally blocked out the crowd and flashing cameras outside.The main lobby was a mess. Patients and hospital staff panicked as armed guards entered. Director Brown, a woman in a grey suit, stopped us near the elevators. Her face was red with anger."Mr. Wolfe, you can't just bring guards into a public hospital!" she shouted. Her voice shook as she blocked our path. "This is a place to heal, not a base. You're disrupting our patients."Sebastian stopped moving toward the elevators for a second. He stepped forward, towering over Director Brown. His golden eyes were cold."My mate is having a phase of his third trimester, Director," Sebastian said in a low, hard voice. "His blood pressure is spiking because your strike forced us out of our clinic. I'm not here to negotiate.""That doesn't give you the right to
Elliot POVThe heavy sliding doors of the entrance closed behind us, cutting off some of the noise from the street. As Sebastian's team moved past the security lines inside the bright building, my mind drifted back to the journey that brought us here.Just twenty minutes ago, the rain came down hard. It covered the windows of the SUV we were in. The tires made a humming sound on the road. I put my cheek against the window.The city was a blur as we drove by. We left the part of town where all the big banks are and got into the main streets. I looked at the sidewalks.A big yellow bus drove through a puddle and splashed water everywhere. A woman with an umbrella got mad at the bus driver. A man in an apron was sweeping the sidewalk in front of his bakery. Some college kids were sharing a cigarette under a roof.I smiled because it all seemed normal.My life has been really weird for a few months. I have been in cars and waiting rooms that feel like hospitals. I missed smelling the side
Elliot POVThe heavy silver trophy felt cold against my palm. I put it down on the metal desk with a clank. Dr. Cole didn't look at the award. He kept his eyes on his tablet screen, his face pale under the fluorescent lights of the tunnel office."What do you mean by a strike?" I asked, my hand on my stomach."It is a shutdown, Elliot," Dr. Cole said. He tapped the screen, showing a map of the city's medical districts. "The union stopped all healthcare staff at midnight. Private birthing pavilions, luxury wellness centers, and high-security clinics are all closed. The nurses and specialists walked out."Sebastian moved closer, his arm tight around my shoulder. His open black shirt rustled against my suit jacket. "My people own the St. Jude facility. The security guards report to me.""The guards can hold the doors, Sebastian, but there are no teams inside," Dr. Cole said, looking up with a serious expression. "No obstetricians, no surgical tech staff, nothing. The facility is empty."
Elliot POVThe clock was ticking away. We had forty-two seconds left. The air in the arena was really hot. It smelled bad. I was sweating a lot. It was dripping down my neck and into my grey shirt. I put my hand on my stomach. I could feel my heart beating fast under my suit jacket."Listen up!" I yelled. I slammed my marker on the board.The other players were standing around me. They were all out of breath. Their helmets had ice on them. The noise in the stadium was really loud. It was Game Seven. The score was tied."They think we will just hit the puck and run after it," I said. I drew an arrow on the board. "We are not going to do that. We are going to trap them in the middle. Miller, you need to go and stand between the circles. When their player crosses the line, you need to stop t
Sebastian POVThe big double doors of the arena storage bays slammed shut, cutting off the shouts of the crew. I pulled the bag over my shoulder, and it was really heavy. The wet pads were digging into my collarbone. My knees hurt from being on the ice for twenty-eight minutes. My lungs still felt the sting of the air. We won Game Four. It did not feel good. We played two games in a row. It was tough.I did not go to the team bus that was waiting near the exit."The car is waiting at the south gate," Aris said, coming out from behind a pillar. He fixed the thing in his ear. "The guys on the street made sure it is safe to drive. The road to the highway is clear.""Did Elliot take his medicine?" I asked.I walked past the people from the media,
Elliot POV The silence in the penthouse was a physical weight. The suspension hearing in New York had started three hours ago, and my phone sat dead on the kitchen counter. No texts from Kofi. No calls from Sebastian. I paced the length of the living room, my bare feet clicking against the hard
Elliot POV The frozen air of the Boston rink tasted like exhaust and damp concrete. I skated out for the first shift, the white home jersey clean against my chest armor. The crowd did not cheer. A low, sharp hiss of boos rolled down from the upper tiers the moment my skates hit the ice. They had
Elliot POV The electronic lock on the front door hummed, a heavy steel bolt sliding into the frame. The sound was a distant snap. Nothing mattered but the thick, pulsing anchor inside my body. Sebastian’s knot swelled deep within my pelvis, a hot wooden block plugging my core. The pressure was i
Sebastian POV The private jet hadn’t even taxied to a complete stop at the private terminal before I kicked the cabin door open. The cold rain hit my face, cutting through the thick layer of sweat on my forehead. I skipped the metal steps entirely, dropping four feet straight onto the wet tarmac







