All Chapters of MIDWINTER MATE: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The following morning, the atmosphere in the Riverside Duplex was thick with a new kind of tension.KOL“You’re… I can’t even find the words.”Diego cracked one eye open, catching Kol’s wide-eyed stare. With a slow, deliberate movement, the Alpha adjusted his position on the bed, offering an even more provocative view.“You were supposed to be my tutor,” Kol managed, though his voice was barely a breath.“Are you absolutely certain there isn't a different subject you'd rather master?” Diego’s voice was a low, gravelly rumble. Kol was practically hypnotized by the rhythmic motion of Diego’s hand. His pulse hammered against his ribs. Every instinct screamed at him to give in.Kol slid off the desk chair, his knees hitting the rug as he crawled to the edge of the mattress, positioning himself between Diego’s legs. “You’re impossible,” he muttered, his hands sliding up Diego’s powerful thighs to rest on his hips.“You know you—” Diego’s smug retort broke into a sharp, jagged moan as Kol t

"I'm sure you understand, with the way the Wolves dominate your life," Kol said, neatly shifting the spotlight away from his own academic burdens. He had never been one to enjoy having his struggles dissected. "You're constantly on the move with the team."Diego’s gaze dropped to his coffee. "The ice is... everything," he said, though there was a rare hesitation in his voice."What is it?" Kol asked softly."It’s just that it’s precarious," Diego admitted, the words beginning to spill out as if a dam had finally breached. "The game is brutal. I spend every shift wondering if a stray puck or a bad hit is going to end it all. One blown knee and the career is over." He let out a jagged breath. "The scouts and the front office have been breathing down my neck to go pro for years, but that was never the endgame I wanted."Kol leaned in, his curiosity piqued. He had always assumed Diego’s world began and ended at the blue line. "Then what do you actually want?"Diego shifted in the booth, a

Lucian caught my eye and tilted his head toward the others. "Go on, Lanka. Play their game. If you hit a losing streak, I’m the one taking the shots."With an Alpha like Lucian backing me, any lingering hesitation vanished. Not that I was truly afraid of them—I’d survived far worse than a dice game. I flashed him a grateful grin and turned to Serena with a challenging raise of my eyebrows. "Bring it on."Serena’s smile was thin, practiced. "I’m almost envious, Lanka. Even when Andrew isn't looking your way, you always have Lucian treating you like a prince."I didn't miss a beat, my smirk sharpening. "What’s the matter, Serena? Were you raised on a diet of nothing but air?"She blinked, momentarily stunned by the bite in my voice."How else could every word out of your mouth be so hollow and inflated?" I said, scooping up the dice. I rattled the cup and slammed it onto the mahogany table. "Your move."I lifted the cup. A six and a five.Serena’s expression soured. She shook her cup wi

"You're avoiding the subject," Kol said, pushing his half-eaten muffin away.Diego didn't look up from his coffee. The energy between them since the party at Lucas's place had been jagged, like a cracked windshield. They were sitting in the Golden Crust Cafe again, the morning light hitting the table in harsh, unforgiving streaks. Diego had skipped the session at Sunrise Dance Studio this morning, claiming he needed the extra sleep to recover from the bruising the Stallions had handed him."I'm just saying the brew here is starting to grow on me," Kol continued, trying to bridge the silence. "I can't believe I didn't have a regular spot before you dragged me out of the library.""You didn't exactly have a life outside of your textbooks before me," Diego countered. His voice was flat, devoid of its usual warmth."True." Kol took a gulp of his latte, the heat stinging his tongue. He didn't flinch; he needed the jolt. "I've been a zombie lately. My internal clock is completely trashed. I

Lucas Grant leaned back against the locker, a jagged grin splitting his face. “Is that why your stats have been in the gutter, Alvarez?”The room went tomb-quiet. In the Austin Wolves locker room, suggesting the Captain was slipping was like pulling the pin on a grenade. But Diego didn’t explode. He sat there, peeling off his sweat-soaked tape, and let out a breath that sounded like a weary growl.“Honestly? Yeah,” Diego confessed. The admission hung heavy in the humid air. “I’ve been unfocused. There’s a reason I’ve spent years keeping everyone at arm's length—no attachments, no dead weight. I knew getting invested would mess with my edge. But if the choice is between a guy and this pack...” He looked up, his quiet intensity pinning every teammate in place. “I choose the team. Every single time.”“That’s our Alpha!” Daniel Torres hooped, slamming his stick against the floor. A few others joined in, a chorus of “Alvarez! Alvarez!” breaking the tension until Diego waved them down.“Alr