1. Declan

I'min position to shoot the puck into the goal when a tingle runs down my spine. She's here, my wolf tells me.

Who? my unicorn asks.

I don't answer either of them. I have to stay focused on the play. But I can't resist taking a quick glance around the arena where my team, the Atlantic City Devil Birds, is holding their first practice after the Christmas holidays. I don't see who I'm looking for. I don't see her.

"I don't have time for this," I mumble to myself. Well, to the two shifters inside of me who are insisting on having a conversation while I'm trying to freaking play hockey here. But since they are part of me, it still counts as myself.

Coach blows his whistle to stop the play.

"What was that, Mackenzie?" Coach Liam Morgan asks. "Are we keeping you from something important?"

"No, Coach," I reply. "I was telling myself I don't have time to second-guess. No thinking about it. I need to shoot when I get the puck."

"Good save, Mackenzie."

He doesn't look like he's buying it, but he lets it go. My wolf gets restless when I look around again. She is here. I know it. How? Why?

We reset the play and the puck has been fired at me when I see her at the glass. My mate. Miranda. My heart skips a beat, and I can picture my unicorn tossing his mane and giving an equine smirk. Told ya so, my wolf says.

The puck sails past me and ricochets off the boards. Reflexively, I slap the puck toward the goal when it hits my stick, but our goalie, Brick, catches it. Coach blows his whistle and skates toward me.

"Mackenzie, what the hell was that?" He's waving his clipboard in agitation. "The puck practically had an engraved invitation to hit your tape and you let it get past you."

"Randi," my teammate Carter calls out as he skates toward the glass where Miranda is standing. My Miranda.

Coach looks over his shoulder and follows Carter to the glass. I head that way but veer off to the bench and climb over the boards. At six feet and nine inches tall, it's more of a step than a climb. Miranda is next to the bench and I'm not letting the glass keep us apart. Her long, black hair falls like an onyx river down her back and I long to run my fingers through it. There is a pink tinge to her ivory complexion—I don't know if it's from the cold or excitement. The faint purple shadows under her lovely gray eyes have me worried. Isn't she sleeping? Is she worried about something? Is she sick? She's smiling and waving at Carter and Coach as I remove my helmet and drop it on the bench. She seems happy. When she notices me, her eyes widen with shock.

"Declan?" She moves to the half wall separating the stands from the bench. This is the practice arena, and the glass isn't as all-encompassing as it is in the main rink we use for games.

Wrapping Miranda up in a hug, I lift her off her feet and swing her over the half wall to my side. Laughing, she hugs me tightly and then leans back.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

A happy grin spreads across my face as I answer, "I play here. I'm a Devil Bird."

"You are?" Her brow furrows in confusion before a beautiful smile spreads across the lips I'd give anything to be able to kiss—to claim. "We are finally in the same place at the same time."

"I'm not even going to ask how you two know each other. Are you going to carry her around all day?" Carter, the jackass, asks with a smirk.

I realize I'm still holding Miranda a foot off the ground. She's five foot six. I have to lift her to be eye-to-eye with her at my normal height of six foot nine. I'm even taller when I'm in my skates.

"I haven't hugged her in almost two years. I'm making up for lost time," I say, still holding her in my arms.

"Well, she's our new roommate and you'll be sharing a bathroom with her. How about you put her down so the rest of us can hug her?"

I reluctantly lower her to stand on her own. "You're Randi?"

"Yeah, that's what everyone calls me. But you can keep calling me Miranda."

"That's okay?

"Yeah."

"Please let us know when you're done, Mackenzie. We'll wait," Coach says, his arms crossed over his chest. The way his jaw is ticking has me seeing extra skating drills in my future.

My cheeks heat even though we're in an ice rink.

"Go," she says. "I can't get fired on my first day." She gently pushes against my chest, a silent request to let her go. I back up a step, but my wolf is howling in my head in protest. My unicorn is more genteel in his reaction, but he's disappointed too.

"Fired?" I ask.

"Meet my new assistant, Randi Quinn," Coach calls out. "She is here to work. You—"He narrows his eyes at me."—are to let her do her job. No flirting."

Miranda's face turns pink, the color rising from her neck and into her cheeks, and she lowers her eyes. I respect Coach, but I want to punch him for embarrassing her.

"I take it you two know each other?" Coach asks.

Miranda nods. "We grew up together."

"You're Irish, and he's from Scotland. What's up?" Carter glares, his gaze snapping from me to Miranda and back again.

"Long story. I'll tell you later," Miranda says.

I grab my helmet and turn to go back on the ice.

"Your number is eighty?" Miranda asks with a laugh.

Buckling my chin strap before snagging my stick from where I left it leaning against the boards, I nod. "Aye, I told you I'd pick it if I ever played. It's been my number on every team I've been on."

I feel her eyes on me as I skate back to my spot to run the drill again. It's taking every ounce of my willpower not to turn my head and look at her. I can't help it, I'm weak. A quick glance shows me Miranda is back behind the protection of the glass. Good. Nothing can happen to my Miranda now that she's back in my life.

Carter skates up to me and taps my shin with the blade of his stick.

"Dude. I had no idea you and Randi knew each other. She's my best friend from college and arrived from New Zealand today. She is going to be in the spare room. She has nowhere else to go. Are you good with that?"

I can't stop the grin splitting my face. "Better than good. You can be my best man at our wedding."

Coach blows his whistle twice, never a good sign.

"You want to make the PHL All-Star Game, Mac, you're gonna have to stay focused. You too, Carter."

Coach's words light a fire under me. Now with Miranda here, I can see everything I want for my future, and the All-Star Game, along with the prize money offers, will help me get it.