Epilogue
The roar of the crowd engulfs me.
Twenty thousand people packed into this Chicago arena, every single one on their feet. The noise is deafening. Beautiful.
"Holy shit!" Mia grabs my arm, squeezing hard. Her eyes are huge, glued to the ice. "Did you see that?"
I saw it. Silas stealing the puck at center ice, feeding it to Felix who passed to Liam in one fluid motion. Poetry in motion.
The play happens so fast my brain can barely track it. But my body knows. The bond thrums with their exertion, their focus, their joy.
Liam takes the shot.
The puck flies past the goalie's glove. Red light. Horn blaring.
Goal.
The Lakeview Puckers take the lead with thirty seconds left.
I'm screaming. Can't help it. Mia's shrieking beside me.
On the ice, Felix crashes into Liam. Silas joins the pile. Brief celebration, they still have thirty seconds to defend.
But I can feel their confidence through the bond. They've got this.
"I can't watch," Mia says, covering her face. Then immediately peeking through her fingers. "Actually I can't not watch."
I laugh, breathless. My heart is pounding like I'm the one on skates.
The opposing team pulls their goalie. Six attackers versus five defenders. Desperation play.
Twenty seconds.
Silas wins the face-off. Gets the puck deep into their zone.
Fifteen seconds.
Their defenseman retrieves it, sends it back up ice.
Ten seconds.
Felix intercepts at the blue line. Instead of holding it, he shoots for the empty net.
The puck slides down the ice. I hold my breath.
It crosses the goal line.
The buzzer sounds.
Final score: 4-2.
The arena explodes.
I'm on my feet, screaming myself hoarse. Mia throws her arms around me.
National Champions.
The Lakeview Puckers just won the championship.
On the ice, the team pours over the boards. Sticks and gloves flying everywhere as they dogpile. Pure chaos and joy.
I can feel my alphas' overwhelming happiness, disbelief, triumph.
Tears blur my vision. Happy tears.
Six months ago, they were ghosts of their former selves. Skilled but empty, mechanically good but missing their spark. Now they've come back to life—stronger, brighter than they ever were.
Now they're National Champions.
"They did it!" Mia's still jumping. "Oh my God, they actually did it!"
The camera zooms in on the celebration. Felix's honey-brown eyes crinkling with joy. Silas's rare, devastating smile. Liam's quiet contentment.
My chest tightens with love so fierce it hurts.
"Come on." Mia tugs my hand. "Let's get down there."
We navigate through the crowd. Everyone's celebrating, high-fiving strangers, hugging people they've never met.
Mia's wearing her Puckers jersey, number 5. I'm in mine too, custom made with all three of their numbers on the sleeve: 19, 44, 71.
Security recognizes me at the barrier. One guard unhooks the rope.
"Congratulations," he says with a grin. "Your pack played incredible tonight."
"They really did."
We reach the tunnel entrance. The team is skating victory laps, holding the championship trophy high. Flashbulbs everywhere. Reporters crowding the ice.
I lean against the boards, watching. Committing this to memory.
They deserve this. They fought so hard for it.
Liam spots me first. His eyes find mine across the ice and something in his expression softens.
He skates over, stopping at the boards.
"Hey, lovely."
"Hey yourself, Champion." My voice cracks on the last word.
He reaches over the boards, hand cupping my face. "Thanks again for coming all the way to Chicago."
"Of course I came. Wouldn't miss this for anything."
The kiss is gentle.
When he pulls back, his eyes are bright. "Thank you."
Felix appears next, crashing into Liam from the side. "Did you see that empty netter? Beauty, right?"
"That was real poetry," I confirm.
He leans over the boards, stealing his own kiss. Enthusiastic, his hand tangling in my hair.
"Missed you," he says against my mouth.
"I'm right here."
"Not close enough."
Then Silas arrives. His gray-blue eyes lock on mine.
"Hi." Breathless. Grinning.
"Hi yourself."
He cups my face with both hands and kisses me hard. Possessive. Claiming me while cameras flash and the crowd watches.
I don't care now. Let them look.
When he pulls back, I'm dizzy. Smiling so wide my face hurts.
Mia whistles. "You four are disgustingly cute!"
Her phone buzzes. She checks it, smiles. "That's Noa." She hugs me quickly. "Go celebrate. I'll meet you later."
"You sure?"
"Positive. This is your moment." She squeezes my hand, then disappears into the crowd.
Felix grins. "Come with us. Trophy presentation, then we're getting out of here."
"And of course, we want you with us," Liam says, his eyes earnest.
"For all of it," Silas adds.
My throat goes tight.
* * *
5 months later
The kitchen smells like cinnamon and roasted vegetables.
I adjust the wine glasses on the dining table, making sure everything's perfect. Through the window, snow falls soft and steady over our chalet.
Home.
The word still catches me sometimes. I've been living here for months and I still can't believe how right it feels.
I handle all of Mia's legal work remotely now.
Contract reviews, conference calls, with the occasional court appearance that requires a flight back to the city.
And, of course, I still take on pro-bono clients.
Mostly for deserving people who can't afford legal help.
Those remind me why I became a lawyer in the first place.
But mostly? I'm here. In this chalet. With them.
"Naomi!" Felix calls from the kitchen. "Come taste this!"
I abandon the table and find him stationed at the stove. He's been teaching himself to cook over the past few months, and honestly? He's getting scary good at it. His butternut squash soup bubbles in a pot, his latest attempt at perfecting the recipe.
He holds out a spoon. "Tell me if it needs more sage."
I taste it. Rich and creamy with just the right amount of earthiness. "It's perfect."
"You sure? Because I could add—"
"Felix." I cup his face. "It's perfect. Stop fussing."
He grins, leaning down to kiss me. "Can't help it. First Christmas dinner with Mia and Elena's packs. Want everything to be good."
"It will be."
Liam appears in the doorway, carrying firewood, sweater dusted with snow. "Mia just texted. They're fifteen minutes out."
"Elena's pack too?" I ask.
"Twenty minutes. Traffic on Main Street."
Felix checks his watch. "Perfect. That gives me time to—oh shit, the rolls!"
He dives for the oven. I step back, letting him work.
Liam sets the firewood by the fireplace, then comes to stand beside me. His hand finds mine.
"You okay?" he asks quietly.
"More than okay." I lean into him. "This is really nice."
"Yeah." He kisses my temple. "It is."
Silas emerges from the hallway, hair still damp from his shower. Dark jeans and a burgundy henley that makes his eyes look more blue than gray.
"Need help with anything?"
"I've got it!" Felix calls. "Just stay out of my way!"
I move to stand beside Silas, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind.
"Everything alright?" he asks, hand covering mine.
"Yes, perfect. I'm just thinking how much I love this."
"The chaos?"
"The home. The ‘us‘. Everything."
He turns in my arms, cupping my face, his eyes soft. "I love it too. I love having you here."
"Even when I hog the rink during your morning practice?"
He smiles. "Especially then."
From the kitchen, Felix makes an indignant sound. "These rolls are perfect and no one's here to see them!"
"We'll see them," Liam calls back.
"Not the same!"
I laugh against Silas's chest.
This. This is what I never knew I was missing.
"I'm so glad I got trapped in that storm," I whisper.
"Me too."
Felix reappears in the doorway, flour on his cheek. "Okay, I need someone to—oh. Am I interrupting?"
"Never," Silas says, smiling.
We follow Felix to the kitchen. Liam's pulling roasted vegetables from the oven.
"Everything's ready," Liam says. "Thirty minutes before everyone arrives."
"We should open wine," Felix says.
"Shouldn't we wait for the guests?" I smile.
"We're hosting, angel," he grins. "We get to pre-game."
I laugh softly and Silas heads for the cellar. "I'll get the good Bordeaux."
While he's gone, Felix pulls something from behind the couch. A flat package wrapped in silver paper.
"Felix, we said no gifts until—"
"This isn't a Christmas gift. This is a 'we love you and wanted to do something' gift." He hands it to me. "From all of us."
I look at Liam. He's watching me with a soft expression.
"Open it," he says.
I unwrap the paper carefully. Inside is a frame.
It's from the championship game. The four of us on the ice, trophy between us. Felix laughing, arm around my waist. Liam looking at me with infinite tenderness. Silas behind me, chin resting on my head, eyes closed.
And me, smiling so wide it looks like my face might split. Pure joy.
"I didn't remember that, but I—I love it." My voice breaks.
"Opening gifts without me?" Silas grins, returning with the wine, and kisses my forehead. "Kidding. Glad you love it, angel, the team photographer finally sent it to us yesterday."
"And there's more." Felix points to the bottom corner.
The inscription reads "Trapped So We Could Be Found" in elegant script.
Tears blur my vision. "You guys—"
"We just want you to know," Liam says quietly. "Having you here… this is everything."
"You're everything," Felix adds.
I set the frame down and throw my arms around Felix. He catches me, laughing.
"Thank you," I whisper.
Then Liam, who holds me close. Then Silas.
"I love you," I tell them. "So much."
Silas pulls us tighter. "We love you too, angel. Always."
The fire pops and hisses. Snow falls soft outside.
I close my eyes, surrounded by them. My pack. My family.
My home.
***
THE END
Thank you for reading Naomi's story! If it brought you a smile, a quick rating or review would mean the world to me :)