Page 36

CHAPTER 36

Malakai

I’m not the kind of guy who sneaks around. If I want to know something, I usually just take the information I need. No hesitation. No bullshit.

But something about Nate has been off lately.

He’s been disappearing at weird times, dodging questions, acting shifty. And if there’s one thing I know about the Pantheon, it’s that when someone starts acting like they’re hiding something, they usually are .

So, here I am. Parked outside some quiet street near campus, watching Nate step into a dimly lit alley like he’s in some low-budget crime movie.

I squint. What the fuck is he doing ? Drugs? Unlikely. He hasn't been into even the mildest of substances.

Illegal gambling? Maybe. We all like a little gambling at times.

Secret society dealings? Possible. But, if it was so, I'd probably know.

As I'm trying to understand what's going on here, a figure steps into the alley with him.

And suddenly, everything makes way more sense.

Savannah.

Jason’s sister.

I exhale sharply, shaking my head. “Oh, this is stupid .”

I don’t move, though. I just sit back, watching as Nate leans in, murmuring something to her that makes her smile . A real one. Not the kind girls fake when they’re trying to be polite. The kind that means something.

And then, out of the blue?—

She kisses him.

Nate doesn’t hesitate. He grips her waist, pulling her close, deepening the kiss like he’s starving for it.

I raise a brow. Damn. Did not expect that.

I thought maybe they were just hooking up, but this? This has feelings written all over it. Which means…

Nate’s fucked .

Because if Jason finds out, he’s gonna lose his shit . The dude is notorious for being overprotective when it comes to his sister. I’ve literally seen him start a fight over a guy looking at Savannah for too long.

From what I know, things escalated after an ex of hers mistreated her. Now Jason is spying on her almost, making sure she isn't around any guy who can hurt her.

And Nate? Nate, who is making out with her in a dark alley, thinking no one is watching? Nate certainly isn't someone Jason would like to see his sister with.

I shake my head, grinning. This is gonna be messy . But instead of stepping in—instead of ruining their little moment—I push away from my car and head off into the night, laughing to myself.

Because if Nate wants to play a dangerous game—who am I to stop him?

A week after this, I'm at hockey practice. It's routine like always. Brutal, fast, relentless. Exactly the way I like it.

But today? Today, I have company .

Jason skates up beside me, keeping pace as we circle the rink. His expression is unreadable, but I’ve been around long enough to know when someone’s fishing for information.

I just don’t know why . Yet.

I tap my stick against the ice. “Something on your mind, Williams?”

He exhales, keeping his eyes ahead. “You been around Nate much lately?”

I slow slightly, glancing at him. “Here and there. Why?”

Jason shrugs, casual as hell. “Saw him talking to my sister the other day.”

Ah. There it is.

I force a neutral expression. “And?”

His eyes flick to mine, sharp and assessing. “And I don’t know why the fuck he was.”

I shrug, keeping my voice easy. “It's probably nothing.”

Jason doesn’t look convinced.

I don’t blame him. He’s overprotective as hell when it comes to Savannah, and if he’s asking about Nate, that means it’s been eating at him for days .

He exhales sharply, tapping his stick against the ice. “If you know something, just tell me.”

I smirk, shaking my head. “Relax, man. You think Nate’s got some grand plan to steal your sister?”

Jason doesn’t answer.

Which means that’s exactly what he’s thinking.

I chuckle. “Look, Nate’s a lot of things, but I doubt he’s trying to pull something. Maybe she asked him for help with something. Maybe she was asking about you .”

Jason huffs. “Maybe.”

He still doesn’t look convinced, but he drops it—for now.

I don’t give him anything else.

Because honestly?

This isn’t my story to tell.

After practice, I find Nate near the locker rooms, checking his phone with a very specific look on his face.

A look that confirms what I already knew.

I lean against the wall. “So. You and Savannah.”

Nate jolts, his head snapping up. “What?”

I smirk. “Dude, don’t play dumb.”

He exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Jason asked you, didn’t he?”

I nod. “Didn’t tell him shit, though.”

Nate relaxes slightly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. There’s… something going on.”

I raise a brow. “Define something .”

He hesitates. Then?—

“It started with Zack.”

I frown. “Zack, the football player?”

Nate nods, jaw tightening. “He was messing with her. Wouldn’t take no for an answer, kept showing up wherever she was, making her uncomfortable. She didn’t want to tell Jason because she knew he’d lose his shit and probably end up in jail.”

I grunt. Yeah, that tracks.

“So I stepped in,” Nate continues. “I made it clear to Zack that if he didn’t back the fuck off, he was gonna regret it.”

I arch a brow. “And?”

He smirks. “He backed the fuck off.”

I huff a laugh. “No shit.”

Nate shrugs. “After that, I kept checking in on her. Making sure she was okay. It wasn’t supposed to turn into anything.”

I tilt my head. “But it did .”

He exhales. “Yeah. And she feels the same way.”

I study him for a moment. He looks serious. Really serious.

This isn’t just some casual thing for him.

And that?

That makes it a problem .

Because Jason isn’t gonna take this well.

I smirk. “So, what’s your plan?”

Nate sighs. “No fucking idea.”

I chuckle, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Well, good luck with that .”

Because he’s gonna need it.

"Also... I knew Jason when we were kids."

I thought I knew everything about Nate.

The guy’s been my right hand for years . We’ve fought together, played together, won together.

But apparently, there are still things I don’t know.

And this?

This is a big one.

Nate leans against the locker, exhaling like he’s about to admit to murder . “I used to be best friends with Jason.”

I blink.

I stare at him, waiting for the punchline. The joke. Something .

But he’s serious.

And suddenly, everything clicks.

I fold my arms. “You’re fucking with me.”

He shakes his head. “I wish.”

I let that sink in for a second. Jason Williams—aka, the most by-the-book, morally righteous, good-boy hockey player on our team—was once best friends with Nate fucking Pierce .

I shake my head, still trying to wrap my head around it. “How the hell did that happen?”

Nate exhales, running a hand through his hair. “We grew up together. Same neighborhood. Our moms were close, so we were always around each other. We did everything together—skated in the winter, played street hockey, even went to church together.”

I snort . “You? In church ?”

He smirks. “Yeah, laugh it up. I was a good kid once.”

I raise a brow. “So what the fuck happened?”

His smirk fades slightly. “I changed. Jason didn’t .”

I don’t say anything.

Because I know what that means.

I know what it’s like to hit that crossroads—to stand at the edge of something darker and choose it anyway.

Some people stay in the light. Some people don’t .

Nate clearly didn’t.

I lean against the lockers, watching him. “How bad was the fallout?”

Nate lets out a bitter laugh. “Pretty fucking bad. Jason saw me getting into fights, running with the wrong people. One night, I got in deep with some older guys—shit went sideways , and Jason was the one who pulled me out.” He exhales sharply. “After that, he was done with me. Said he wasn’t gonna stick around and watch me destroy myself.”

I shake my head. “Jesus.”

“I told him I didn’t need his help. Told him if he wanted to go be a golden boy, he could do it without me.” Nate scoffs, shaking his head. “Haven’t been friends since.”

I let out a low whistle. “And now you’re in love with his sister.”

Nate groans, dropping his head back against the locker. “Yeah.”

“Damn, man.” I smirk. “You really don’t make things easy for yourself.”

He glares. “Like you have room to talk?”

Fair.

But still?—

This just made everything ten times worse .

Jason already wasn’t going to be thrilled about his little sister sneaking around with one of us. But now that I know there’s history ?

That this isn’t just about Savannah, but about old wounds and betrayal?

Yeah.

This is gonna be a fucking mess .

I shake my head. “So, I'll ask you again—what’s your plan?”

Nate exhales. “As I said earlier, no clue.”

"We'll see, I guess, huh?”

I don't want to jinx someone else's love life. Maybe Malakai 1.0—the version of me I was before Raven became my girlfriend—would have enjoyed laughing the hell out of this scenario. The new me though? I wish nothing but happiness for Nate.

If I'm to be more honest, I'm not completely opposed to some drama. It might help them get closer in the end, but everyone's story isn't going to be the same as mine.

Next evening, Raven and I are tangled together on the couch, her legs draped over mine, her head resting against my shoulder. The TV’s on, but neither of us are paying attention. My fingers trace lazy circles on her thigh; her hand is curled around mine.

It’s comfortable . Easy. Which is why the loud ass knocking at my door is annoying as fuck .

I groan, not moving. “Who the fuck?—”

Raven nudges me. “Go open it, grumpy.”

I grumble under my breath but haul myself up, unlocking the door.

Nate stands there, hands shoved in his pockets, eyes darker than usual.

And instantly, I know .

I step aside without a word, letting him in.

Raven sits up, immediately alert. “Nate?”

He exhales, dropping onto the chair opposite us, running a hand through his hair.

“She’s gone,” he says. “Savannah’s gone.”

Raven’s expression softens. “What happened?”

Nate leans back, rubbing his jaw. “She transferred. California. Said this wasn't working out.”

Raven gasps . “She left?”

He nods. “We talked. She made it very clear she doesn't want any contact between us. Said she realized we're not right for each other.” He scoffs, shaking his head. “And maybe she’s right. Maybe it’s for the best.”

But he doesn’t believe that.

Not really.

Raven moves closer, placing a gentle hand on his knee. “I’m sorry, Nate.”

He shrugs, looking anywhere but at us. “Shit happens.”

I watch him carefully. “And you ? You agreed to let her go?”

His jaw tightens. “Didn’t have a choice, man.”

That sits heavy .

Because I know Nate.

He doesn’t let go easily. Doesn’t quit .

So if he walked away, it’s because he really thought it was the only option.

Raven sighs, squeezing his knee. “I know this doesn’t help much, but… you did what you thought was right. That’s all you can do.”

Nate huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, well, 'right' fucking sucks .”

I lean forward, smirking. “So let’s make it suck less.”

He lifts a brow. “What?”

I stand, stretching. “We party .”

Raven groans. “Malakai.”

I glance at her. “What? You think moping is gonna help him?”

She sighs, but I catch the hint of a smile.

Nate snorts, shaking his head. “Yeah, nothing says ‘forget your heartbreak’ like watching you two make out all night.”

I smirk. “That’s fair.”

Raven laughs, swatting my arm. “We’re not that bad.”

Nate gives her a deadpan look.

She bites her lip. “Okay, maybe we are.”

I chuckle, clapping Nate on the back. “Fine. No excessive PDA.”

He snorts. “I don’t believe you.”

Raven grins, nudging him. “Come on, Nate. A night out might not fix things, but it might help .”

He exhales, glancing between us.

Then he smirks. “Alright. But if either of you gets too mushy, I’m leaving.”

Raven beams , grabbing her coat.

I smirk, tossing Nate a beer from the fridge.

Because yeah?—

Love’s a bitch.

But at least we don’t have to face it alone .