Chapter 7 Strawberries and Cream

Blake

By the time we pull into my driveway, Charlie has gone quiet again. He follows us up the path, hands in his jacket pockets, shoulders slightly hunched against the cold. Mum opens the door before we even knock. “Blake,” she says first, like she’s checking I’m still in one piece. Then her gaze lands on Charlie, and her smile softens into something welcoming. “You must be Charlie.” Charlie blinks, clearly unsure of how she would know that. “Yeah. Hi.”

“I’m Mara,” Mum says, stepping aside. “Come in, you’ll freeze out there.” Dad appears behind her, wiping his hands on a tea towel. He looks Charlie over in the same quick way all alphas do, subtle and assessing, but his voice stays friendly. “Gareth,” he says, holding out his hand. “Good to meet you.” Charlie shakes it. Then his eyes flick past them into the house. Theo nudges him forward. “Shoes off. She will kill us if we track snow in.” Charlie slips his shoes off fast, lining them neatly beside ours. It’s a small thing, but it tells me more than his words do. We move into the kitchen, where Mum is already pouring hot chocolate for everyone. “So,” she says, leaning on the counter. “When did you move to Wellington?” Charlie wraps his hands around the mug and shrugs once. “Yesterday.” Dad’s eyebrows lift slightly. “That’s recent.”

“Yeah.”

Mum tries again, gently. “And you start school tomorrow?”

“Yep.”

“Wellington High can be a bit much when you’re new,” Theo says, opening the fridge. “But you’ll be fine. Hockey helps.” Charlie’s mouth twitches like he wants to smile, but it doesn’t quite stick. “That’s the plan.” Mum’s gaze flicks to his jersey that’s half tucked under his jacket. “You play a lot?”

“Whenever I can.”

“And where did you come from?” Dad asks, still casual, but his eyes don’t miss anything. Charlie shrugs again. “South. A few towns back.” It’s just enough to answer the question without answering it. Mum nods like that’s normal. “And your parents, are they settling in alright?” Charlie’s shoulders stiffen for a second, then it’s gone. “My dad’s fine,” he says. “And your mum?” Mum asks, voice soft. Charlie stares down into the mug. “Mum died when I was younger.” Silence settles in the kitchen. Mum doesn’t push. She nods once. “I’m sorry, love.” Charlie gives yet another small shrug, like he’s simply shrugging off snow. “Yeah.” Dad shifts the conversation before it gets heavy. “What does your dad do?” Charlie’s answer is smooth and clearly practised. “Whatever he can. He moves around for work.”

“Trade work?” Theo asks. “Yeah,” Charlie says. “Stuff like that.” Mum’s gaze flicks to mine for half a second. Her expression stays calm, but her eyes speak volumes. It’s not going to be easy to get anything out of him.

I steer us away before Charlie starts shutting down entirely. “Come on,” I say, easy. “Let’s go to the entertainment room. Theo will cry if no one plays him.” Theo snorts. “I do not cry.”

“You cry,” I tell him, and he flips me off, which makes Charlie laugh. Downstairs, Theo fires up the Xbox, and I hand Charlie a controller before I throw myself onto the couch. He holds it like it’s weird and looks at the buttons for a second too long. “You play?” Theo asks, already grinning. “Yeah,” Charlie says too quickly. Then his character walks straight into a wall. He laughs once and fixes his grip. He learns fast, but it’s clear he doesn’t do this often. Maybe ever. I watch Charlie more than I watch the game. The way he sits on the edge of the couch. The way he checks the clock without meaning to. The way he never fully relaxes. Mum pops her head in after a while. “Charlie, you’re welcome to stay for dinner if you’d like.” Charlie springs up so fast the controller nearly drops. “Oh shit. I’ve got to get home. It’s getting late.”

“I can drive you,” I say immediately, but he shakes his head. “Nah. Don’t worry about it. I’m just down the road. It’s no big deal.” I don’t like that answer, but I walk him to the door anyway. The snow is falling thicker now and catching in his hair. He pulls his hood up. “See you tomorrow,” I say. “Yeah,” he replies. “See you.” Then he walks off into the dark, boots crunching, footprints filling with snow almost as soon as he makes them. I watch until I can’t see him anymore. I want to follow him… but I don’t.

A few hours later, Lex still will not settle. I’m lying in bed staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet. My body is tired, but my mind isn’t. Lex paces under my skin like he’s trapped. Mate. Mate. Mate. I sit up, done with being still. I get dressed and slip outside. The air is brutal, cold enough to sting my lungs. I shift behind the garage, bones snapping, fur spilling out, and then Lex is running. We track Charlie’s scent. It winds along streets and fences, down toward the older part of town. It fades in places where wind has scattered it, but it’s there. It leads us forward. Then the wind turns, and I’m hit with strawberries and cream. Lex lifts his head, breath shuddering, and then he veers without hesitation. We cut into the woods.

The scent gets stronger with every stride, threaded through cold air. Then small footprints appear in the snow, and I follow them. The trees thin and the ground opens. The lake lies frozen under the moon. It stretches wide and pale, scarred with old cracks and refrozen seams. Wind has swept sections clean, leaving exposed ice that catches the light. I slow at the tree line and crouch low behind the trunks, holding my breath. She’s there. My mate. Out on the ice, alone, moving as if she belongs to winter itself. She wears a thin sweater and ridiculous shorts. Her worn skates catch the moonlight when she turns. Her hair is long and light, swinging behind her as she builds speed. Then she spins, like a literal goddess. The lake makes a soft pop somewhere beneath her, a warning sound that tightens every muscle in my body, but she doesn’t flinch. She keeps moving, blade carving a clean circle, breath coming out in small white bursts. Moonlight catches her face when she turns, and something in my chest shifts so hard it feels like it could crack too. I go still behind the trees. Lex goes silent inside me, like even he knows to shut up.

My world narrows to her. The way she holds herself. The way she trusts the ice. The way she looks like she’s been doing this forever. She doesn’t know I’m here, but I know. That’s my mate. Fate has reached into my chest and grabbed hold of my heart. I stay there, frozen behind the trees, unable to disturb this perfect moment, watching her skate across thin ice. The world has finally decided to show exactly what it has been keeping from me. She is perfect.