Page 124 of Puck Your Friend

My hoodie slides over my wrists, and I pull them back out of habit since the bonding. The silver bond marks on my skin shimmer in the low light. One on each wrist, my nape, and the left side of my neck. My scent carries theirs now: clove mixed with my brown sugar and vanilla.

I glance at our gallery wall in the living room where the bookshelf and bean bag used to be.

It’s full of camp photos and recent ones. A shot of Jace mid-dive during their last away game before the playoffs. Wes lacing up his skates. Logan in profile, laughing. The four of them holding up the Alpha cup together.

One frame in the center remains empty, waiting for the perfect photo. I’ve been waiting to show them the doc before I fill it.

The front door opens as the guys come back from the fishing trip I sent them on yesterday. It’s so relieving that we can be apart now for twenty-four hours without me going into a heat haze. That hasn’t happened since our bonding. My heats are normal now.

Logan’s first to enter. A six-pack of craft beer tucked under one arm. “Hey, Kie. I smell dip.”

I smile at him as he rounds the corner. “I made the good kind.”

Wes comes in from the kitchen. “We caught a bunch of catfish for dinner.”

Ford steps behind me. He kisses the top of my head. “Did you have a good time without us?”

I shrug. “I caught up on some reading and had my book club with Nancy and Lauren.” They’re the Omegas I met through Lyra.

Jace bounds in from the garage. “Rods put away.” He picks up the projector remote and offers it to me with a bow. “Your highness.” He gives me a quick kiss. “Missed you. I can’t wait to see the doc. I hope I look good.”

I roll my eyes. “You always do.”

We settle in with Logan on my right and Wes on my left. I curl between them, their warmth anchoring me.

The projector whirs to life and the room goes quiet.

The opening sequence rolls.

The documentary opens with the history of the Bears: where they came from, the terrible streak they’ve been on, and what comes next.

Then it cuts to locker room footage. Ford pulling tape off his wrist, Logan tossing a towel toward the bin. Jace teasing one of the rookies mid-warmup. Wes in the tunnel, adjusting someone’s helmet, mouthing something that never made it into the captions.

On-ice cuts. Saves and hits. A fight that didn’t escalate because Ford stepped between them. Jace’s glove flies high after the final win and freezes on screen.

My voice comes in over the top of a blank screen. We planned to hire a narrator for the final edit, but the League liked my voice. So we kept it as is. “This is what it looks like to fall. Not all at once, but over seasons. Slips in momentum, cracks in chemistry. Until the once leaders become last place.”

The screen shifts again.

Mic’d-up practice sessions.

Jace yelling, “You call that a stretch?”

Ford watches a failed play from the bench. Wes muttering encouragement under his breath to a rookie who’s one game away from getting cut. Logan laughing as he slams into the boards, then getting up as if it’s nothing.

The guys and I grab at the snacks. Logan opens one of the beers for me.

The pace slows. The music softens.

Their first interviews talking about where they’ve come from and the hopes for the future. Game footage of their wins and their two losses of the season. The momentum builds. We go through more about their history and callbacks to great players.

The whole thing weaves together and ends with their final interviews before the last game. How they felt leading up to the game.

Finally, over an hour later, the winning last play comes on screen. Their win and the crowd’s eruption. Interviews with fans and finally interviews with the Bears on the win and being back on top.

My voice fills the room. “Becoming great again isn’t about returning to who you were. It’s about becoming something stronger together.”

The screen fades to black.

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