Icy Nights: Mated to The Three Alphas

ss

ubber mat. I don't remember unzipping the neck seal. My hands move o

g for a high-five. I remember walking toward the tunnel, heat scraping my th

into my palm. Red cuts through the sweat pooling there. My nose is bleeding again. I p

eft a heart around it. I stare at the heart. Looking inward would n

t been recycled through poly

nt room doo

e she

, grinning the same grin from the cafeteria. I step backwar

one," I s

you a costume. We figured you needed the f

st. My back hits steel wire. The ca

me

, mascot." T

lights buzz off bank by bank until only the strip ab

with the smell of my o

s and a bench bolted to the far wall. The mat smell

I try the lock. Then six

o give. My wrist pops. Sharp pa

s my jaw. The collar of my hoodie chokes me. I drag the zipper

dor. Voices. Male, mul

room door s

s drop. Someone laughs and the s

that hit

nna make us

p, both

ooking. Pine resin and cold stone cut through t

stay still, if I stay quiet, maybe they won't see me

next. "Seriously, did anyon

rd h

. Off. Like I

Martins.

the footsteps stop. Warm and sweet and dan

g. Someone's tape rips one slow strip a

that?" Jo

t." S

las

id do

Careful. Coming

My back hits steel and the c

ne's i

ight at

tep back.

wai

d step

s in

frame. His breathing comes ragged and too loud fo

h. Do

the ma

cked cage.

onah stops

ears. The whole door comes off in his hands. Bl

crashes into the far lockers a

ees are still up. M

orking fast. His knuckles drip.

says. "A

on

if that's M

to be and pull myself through. I need out of the suit. Out of the smell

he floor. Cool air hits my soaked hair.

e it off

s at his hands

s were ste

what the

acket is bent at a right angle. The padlock

reck stuff just bec

eyes have too much ligh

you o

stop. "Someone loc

ho

n't m

matt

and Cody Je

He looks at the d

he says.

room, Lila. She stops in the doorway and takes it in. Jonah breathi

says. "This

doesn't turn a

." She steps inside. "

as b

? Playing knight

bolts. I put a hand on the

ement. She runs her

ell," she says. "Ma

ywhere until we kno

n is that

made it

hasn't

in his pockets. Black tea and frozen earth reach me across the r

he vein under my jaw jumps. He

me, Jonah shifts his weight. He do

yone

thout raising his

tins

to Lila. "You.

an't j

way,

kward down the mat and the co

doesn'

li

ving her in

ins looks at Silas. The

at the door, then at me. He

ces. Jonah last, eyes o

or door cl

owers hums, water drips somewhere. My breath still comes t

ser. He stands where he

you h

N

se is bl

otic

h. I wait for the bark. T

me, Ma

I don't know how I wa

again. Softer. "We'

not the

kno

cold stone sit in the air between us. Something in my

•

la

shuts b

corridor until they fade. Then I cros

The padlock is still attached. The

that," Ma

kno

know his o

eyes on th

now what he j

s. "What doe

p my

nt isn't