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Dreamed Mate is a captivating short drama blending werewolf romance, destiny, and supernatural love. When dreams begin revealing a mysterious Alpha and an unbreakable mate bond, fate pulls two souls together despite danger and betrayal. Watch the Full Episode (ENGSUB) to experience an emotional romantic fantasy drama filled with passion, suspense, and unforgettable twists.

#DreamedMate #WerewolfRomance #AlphaRomance #FatedMates #ShortDrama #DramaSeries #FantasyRomance #WolfShifter #FullEpisode #LoveStory #ShortFilm #ShortMovie #ENGSUB
Transcript
00:00For six months, I've dreamed of surrendering to a wolf every night.
00:04Well, he was an alpha, actually.
00:06We lost ourselves in passion night after night.
00:08I didn't have a wolf, but I felt like I was bonded to him.
00:12After I got a boyfriend, he whispered in my ear,
00:14Break up with him, will you?
00:16I didn't want to refuse, but between moans, I forced the word out.
00:20No.
00:21But every dawn, I wake up unable to remember his name.
00:24Six months later, I finally found him.
00:26Good news, he's just as breathtaking as in my dreams,
00:29Bad news, he's my boyfriend's alpha brother,
00:32The ruthless hockey captain.
00:34Julian Blackwood told me to come home with him to meet his pack.
00:37When he told me that, he didn't ask for my opinion.
00:40Dress nice, something sexy.
00:42It's winter, sexy isn't happening.
00:47You got a problem with that? So we can break up?
00:49He shrugged as if he didn't care at all.
00:52He knew I would never break up with him.
00:54I don't have money for new clothes.
00:57Sure is.
00:57He transferred $50,000 to my account.
01:00Take the money.
01:01I'm off to the party, don't bother me.
01:03Then waved me off like a fly.
01:05Outside his private locker room,
01:06Julian was already joking around with his hockey teammates.
01:10Yeah, bringing her home.
01:11I bet Chloe must lose her mind.
01:12Would you think I'd actually like some wolf-less girl?
01:15She's just a prop to make Chloe jealous.
01:18Chloe and I were a thing for four years without meeting the parents.
01:21One month with this girl and I'm already introducing her?
01:24I'm sure Chloe would be lying naked on my bed when she finds out.
01:27He let out a cheeky whistle.
01:29His hockey buddy gave him a playful punch.
01:32What about your family's opinion?
01:33She's the kind of girl my brother can't stand.
01:36Her wolf hasn't even awakened.
01:37To him, she's barely a wolf at all.
01:39A month ago, Julian Blackwood, the school's dream boy,
01:42suddenly asked me to be his girlfriend.
01:44Everyone knew Julian had just broken up with his cheerleader girlfriend.
01:48Coming to me now meant one of two things.
01:51Rebound or entertainment.
01:53Either way, he has no sincere feelings for me at all.
01:56But I still said yes because I needed the money.
01:59To cover my mother's surgery costs, I'd been working hard.
02:03Then her condition got worse and I couldn't wait anymore.
02:06And right at that moment, Julian confessed me to be with him.
02:10The Blackwood Pack ran half the state.
02:12Old money, old bloodline, and a dynasty built on sports.
02:16I heard that Julian's older brother was the alpha heir.
02:19Right after he graduated, he was made captain of the Ridgemont Wolves,
02:23America's top-ranked state hockey team.
02:26If they snag the Stanley Cup this year, it'll be a three-peat.
02:29Julian played hockey too, but only in the uni.
02:32But I never cared about hockey.
02:34I cared about money.
02:35A wealthy playboy like Julian,
02:37whose routine was blowing through motorcycles and after-game parties.
02:41Just picking up the loose change he threw around would cover mom's entire surgery bill.
02:45But Julian didn't know any of that.
02:47He thought I was crazy about him.
02:49Julian booked first class.
02:51The moment we boarded, he slammed on his noise-canceling headphones.
02:54He forbade me from disturbing him.
02:56Fine by me, and I was asleep in minutes.
02:59Then something shifted.
03:00I was pressed against a man's chest, my skin burning hot.
03:04His hands rubbed my thigh.
03:06The dream again?
03:07How many times this month?
03:09Still not enough?
03:10You look beautiful today.
03:11Where are you going?
03:13To my boyfriend's pack.
03:15He went quiet for a long moment.
03:17I looked up and caught the dark current moving behind his eyes.
03:21You have a boyfriend?
03:21Yes.
03:22This man was an incredibly impressive man.
03:24Cold features, massive chest, broad shoulders, and a sharply tapered waist.
03:29A pure alpha.
03:31No wonder I kept indulging in this dream.
03:33Break up with him, will you?
03:35His voice was low and magnetic, laced with a hint of coaxing.
03:38Break up with him, will you?
03:40No.
03:42Why?
03:43Where did I fall short?
03:44Enough.
03:45More than enough.
03:46But who stays forever with a man from a dream?
03:51When you wake up, there's nothing left.
03:53Whether those words had stung him or not, he fell silent.
03:56The landing jolt pulled him back.
03:58Julian was staring at me, frowning.
04:00Aurora, are you feeling hot?
04:02I wiped the thin sweat from my forehead.
04:04I'm fine.
04:04That dream again.
04:06It had started about six months ago.
04:08About six months ago, this man began appearing in my dreams out of thin air.
04:12At first, they were ordinary dreams.
04:14Until one night, he appeared naked in my dreams.
04:17Perfect body.
04:19Exactly my type.
04:20And I could no longer hold back my desires.
04:22From that night on, we tangled together in my dreams.
04:26Night after night.
04:27Every time I tried to ask his name, it would all split my mind the second I woke up.
04:31All I knew was that there's only thing drew me to the stranger.
04:34Like we were bonded.
04:36But that's impossible.
04:37I didn't have a wolf.
04:39I'd quietly seen the campus healer about it.
04:41It's just dreaming.
04:42Young wolves run hot, even unawakened ones.
04:45It's perfectly normal.
04:48Fair enough.
04:49I had, after all, never so much as held a man's hand in real life.
04:52Your face is flushed.
04:54A little warm.
04:55Don't tell me you've never been on a plane.
04:58First time, actually.
04:59Thank you for the experience.
05:01I'm too honest.
05:02Julian's smirk died before it could form.
05:05A beat passed.
05:06Then, without thinking, he reached up and angled the air vent above my seat.
05:09Even he seemed startled by the gesture.
05:11Thanks.
05:12At baggage claim, Julian drifted away to take a call.
05:15Did you guys meet up with Chloe?
05:17Alright, we'll see her in a few days.
05:19Girlfriend?
05:20I'm breaking up with her right after.
05:22He spotted me coming closer and hung up fast.
05:24Aurora, a heads up.
05:27Yeah?
05:27In my family, mom and dad are easygoing.
05:31But be careful around my brother.
05:34Why?
05:35Is he scary?
05:36Julian looked at me strangely.
05:37I used to give him nothing but yeah and okay.
05:40Perfectly obedient.
05:41But I was almost at my goal now.
05:42I couldn't be bothered to act any longer.
05:44He's got a temper.
05:46Dominant.
05:46On the team, in the pack, what he says goes.
05:48My parents are actually a little scared of him.
05:50Just be careful.
05:50He hesitated, then added...
05:52And don't bring up the wolf-less thing.
05:53He's the strongest alpha in the West.
05:54A wolf-less girl like you, he'll kick you out.
05:56Julian only looked afraid and revered at once when he talked about this brother.
06:00I had zero interest in the Blackwood pack politics.
06:02Julian frowned.
06:03Aren't you excited?
06:04Coming home with me?
06:07I said it with a completely blank face.
06:10Thrilled, a car met us and drove us to the Blackwood estate.
06:14Located on 280 acres of pine forest in the foothills outside the city,
06:19with miles of pack territory stretching out beyond it.
06:22Julian's parents were warm, exactly as he'd said.
06:25They fussed over me like I was already family.
06:28Until dinner.
06:29Cade came home.
06:31Julian's swagger died instantly.
06:33He stood rigid like a kid in trouble and murmured obediently.
06:35A voice deep and husky bringing me back to those hot dreams.
06:39Hey, rough trip?
06:41And devastatingly familiar.
06:42I turned around.
06:44My whole body froze.
06:46It's him.
06:46The man I dream of every night.
06:48My heart pounded.
06:50And my wolf spoke for the first time.
06:53Cade, this is my girlfriend, Aurora.
06:56Welcome.
06:56Cade's gaze swept across my face.
06:58For half a second his pupils dilated.
07:00He felt the bond too.
07:02Then nothing.
07:02He was exactly as I'd dreamed, only in a hockey gear, helmet tucked under his arm.
07:07Maybe he'd just free from training, looking like a little mountain.
07:10But all I could picture was him naked, muscles rippling, body like a sculpture.
07:15By the time dinner started, he was wearing a white shirt.
07:18Droplets of water sliding from his wet hair down onto his chest.
07:21The damp fabric outlined the muscle beneath.
07:24Every voice in the room dropped a little lower.
07:26Julian became a different person entirely.
07:28During dinner, the conversation drifted to me.
07:30Aurora, Julian tells us you've never dated anyone before.
07:33That's right.
07:34Julian is...
07:36my first.
07:37A girl as lovely as you and no one snatched you up?
07:39I don't believe it.
07:40I swallowed carefully and let my eyes drift toward Cade.
07:43He was cutting his steak as if he hadn't heard a thing.
07:45Of course he doesn't know me.
07:47It was only ever my dream.
07:48Maybe I once caught a glimpse of his photo on a sports highlight reel and wove him straight into my
07:52dreams.
07:53And who would ever want to wolf this girl as a man?
07:56I could already picture him rejecting me.
07:58I steadied myself and leaned into the role.
08:00Honestly, I feel so lucky to meet Julia.
08:03He was amazing playing hockey.
08:04I've looked up to him ever since his freshman year.
08:08Our Julian has his rough edges, but he's got a good heart underneath.
08:11Would you take good care of him?
08:12Of course.
08:13I really do like him.
08:15No, I don't.
08:16I only care about the check you'll write at the end of this visit.
08:19Something brushed over me.
08:20A weight, like a gaze.
08:21I glanced up instinctively.
08:23Cade was on his phone, not even glancing at me.
08:25Had I imagined it?
08:26A few days passed at the Blackwood Estate, and I was almost used to it.
08:30Cade was rarely home.
08:31The team had two a days, even over break.
08:33When we did cross paths, he gave me a polite, distant nod.
08:36I grew more certain with every passing day.
08:39The dream was mine alone.
08:40What had happened the moment I'd first seen him?
08:42The awakening?
08:43The wolf stirring under my skin?
08:45I had pushed down hard.
08:46A fluke.
08:47The fever of the long flight.
08:49Anything.
08:49Wear this.
08:50The day to meet Chloe was approaching.
08:52Julian wasn't happy with what I'd prepared, so he had someone bring over a new outfit.
08:56A silk slip dress.
08:58Summer weight.
08:58He wanted me to wear those clothes and take photos with him, just to make his ex jealous.
09:03The estate had radiant floor heating, but I was still shivering.
09:07Julian didn't notice.
09:08He insisted on taking perfect couple photos to make his first love jealous.
09:12The next morning, I woke up with a full fever.
09:14Julian sniffed.
09:16Something smells sweet.
09:17Did you put on perfume?
09:18Heat washed me over, and I couldn't even find the strength to reply.
09:22But Julian couldn't have cared less about me.
09:24He was long gone, off drinking with his teammates.
09:27As he left, I heard him on the phone.
09:29She has to get sick now?
09:30She better not embarrass me when I meet Chloe in a couple of days.
09:32You got any other girls to come with us?
09:34Just in case.
09:35I was half delirious.
09:36The line between dream and reality blurring into nothing.
09:39The fever felt unusual, stirring a strange desire low in my abdomen.
09:44Wet, dark, and shameful.
09:47My throat was raw, so I dragged myself up to get water.
09:50Across the hall, the study door was open.
09:53I looked up.
09:54Cade was inside.
09:56Julian was out.
09:57His parents were running errands.
09:58Cade was supposed to be at team practice.
10:00Why was he still at home?
10:02There was only one explanation.
10:04I'm dreaming again.
10:05If it's just a dream, then it's easy.
10:07I don't feel...
10:08I ran my hands all over him, slipping them under his tight white t-shirt.
10:12He gasped, a beat late, and asked.
10:14Did you take your medicine?
10:17Yes.
10:17Rest, then.
10:18But I shoved him onto the sofa bed.
10:20I met someone today.
10:21He looks exactly like you.
10:23The heat between us making it impossible to think.
10:26But I know he's not you.
10:28How did you know?
10:29The moment I see that mole on your collarbone, I know I'm asleep.
10:33I reached up and began undoing his shirt buttons.
10:36That mole was familiar to me.
10:38In dreams, I'd nodded countless times.
10:40Perched on his legs, I let my fingers brush over it.
10:44Naughty little wolf.
10:45You're not sick.
10:46Cade kissed me, pinning me down.
10:48You're in heat.
10:49His hands roamed under my dress.
10:51He began to enjoy me.
10:52His body rose and fell against me, fierce, fast, and hard in every way.
10:57After that, I was almost dizzy from the intensity.
11:00He moved over me relentlessly, and even when it was over, I wanted more.
11:04This one wasn't like any dream before.
11:06It felt real.
11:07Way too real.
11:08And insane.
11:10But Cade suddenly stopped my hand.
11:12Didn't you say you like him?
11:14What?
11:14You said you really liked Julian.
11:17How do you know Julian?
11:18My brain detonated.
11:20All the subtle tension between us froze in an instant.
11:22I dug my nails into my thigh, and the pain jolted me awake.
11:26This wasn't a dream.
11:27It's reality.
11:28The man I had just climbed on top of was the actual Cade.
11:31He said my name, Lo.
11:33The sound of it curled through me.
11:35The wolf I'd been pretending hadn't woken up pressed against my ribs again.
11:39Six months of asking in dreams, and I finally have it.
11:42Your name.
11:43That line froze me all over again.
11:45What did he mean?
11:46Did he dream about it too?
11:48Then, a knock at the door.
11:49Cade?
11:50Have you seen Aurora?
11:53Julian?
11:54Why is he back?
11:56Cade?
11:57I thought I heard her voice.
11:58Are you in there?
11:59Nobody?
11:59All right, I'm coming in.
12:01My brain's short-circuiting.
12:02The handle turned.
12:04Julian stepped inside.
12:05Oh, hey.
12:06You're here.
12:08When did you get back?
12:10I felt bad leaving her alone.
12:13Hey, Cade.
12:14I checked the bedroom in Aurora.
12:15Wasn't there.
12:16You seen her?
12:17No?
12:17Cade's eyes dropped, calm as still water.
12:20Maybe the bathroom.
12:21I'll wait.
12:22At that exact moment, I was crouched beneath his desk, knees to my chest,
12:26my cheek almost pressed against the crease of his trousers, barely breathing.
12:31He'd barely opened his game when his nose wrinkled.
12:33Cade, why does your study smell like Aurora's perfume?
12:38Scented candle.
12:40What?
12:41You hate those.
12:42What happened to you?
12:43Julian still wasn't suspicious, but he stood up to look for it.
12:46He was almost around the desk.
12:51Cade's arm shot out.
12:53Leave.
12:54What?
12:55Take Nika to the groomer, he smells.
12:57That's Mrs. Wells' job.
12:58Cade looked up.
12:59One look.
13:01Unarguable.
13:02Are you going or not?
13:03Keep the change.
13:04Deal.
13:05He'll smell like a five-star hotel.
13:08Julian bounded downstairs.
13:09When the estate went quiet again, I crawled out from under the desk.
13:13Head still spinning, I cut straight to it.
13:15You had the same dream.
13:18It appears so.
13:19That's impossible.
13:21Can we compare timelines?
13:23First time, August 10th.
13:24You used me as your emotional garbage fizzle and talked for two hours.
13:27Sixth time, you said, hey, let me see the abs.
13:31Seventh time, September.
13:33Things shifted between us.
13:34We...
13:35Stop.
13:35I get it.
13:36The information overload combined with the fever made the room tilt.
13:40The instant his skin brushed mine, my wolf surged forward again, almost knocked me sideways.
13:45You're awakened.
13:46I can feel your wolf now.
13:49Today.
13:51The minute I saw you.
13:52Don't think about it now.
13:54Rest.
13:55He carried me back to my room.
13:56In the hallway, we walked directly into Mrs. Wells.
13:59Her eyes went wide.
14:01She forgot to breathe.
14:02Alpha, is that...
14:03Is that Miss Aurora?
14:04I pressed both hands over my face.
14:06Cade said evenly.
14:08You know what to do.
14:09Polite tone.
14:10Absolute finality.
14:11Goodness.
14:11My eyes aren't what they used to be.
14:13Can't see a thing anymore.
14:15Mrs. Wells was already backing away.
14:17Mrs. Wells is discreet.
14:18She won't say a word.
14:20Get some rest.
14:21I was too exhausted to argue.
14:23That evening, Julian came back.
14:24Be functional in two days.
14:26I need you presentable when we see Chloe.
14:28He turned to go, then stopped.
14:30Wait.
14:31That smell.
14:32Cade's study has that same candle.
14:34I actually like it.
14:35Cade's on a road trip with the team.
14:37Away at tournament.
14:38Finally get a few days of breathing room.
14:41He left?
14:43Yeah.
14:44Around noon.
14:45Running from me, most likely.
14:46Cade didn't come back until the holiday break.
14:49When he did, he gave me the same distant, polite nod as always.
14:52As if nothing had happened.
14:54The good news was that now I have my wolf.
14:56A beautiful silver wolf.
14:58I like it.
14:58Then the day of the party came.
15:00Time for me to meet Kole.
15:03Julian dragged me to his team party.
15:05That's when I realized his team was really just his brother's second string squad, far behind his brother.
15:10Julian walked into any room like he owned it.
15:13That energy radiated outward.
15:15I was immediately swept into the spotlight with him.
15:18So this is the girl you brought to make Chloe jealous?
15:20Bro, are you blind?
15:22She's prettier than Chloe.
15:24You're the blind one.
15:25Don't compare them.
15:26A wolf-less nerd compared with a pureblood?
15:29Come on.
15:31Does she know Chloe might come after her tonight?
15:35Julian said easily.
15:37Why would I warn her?
15:38The harder Chloe comes for her, the more it proves she's still hung up on me.
15:42Nobody goes home sober tonight!
15:44Be careful, Julian.
15:46Your brother finds out he'll bury you.
15:49Kade's got his own plans tonight.
15:51He's had a pack-arranged dinner with the Whitlock Airdis.
15:54My scattered thoughts suddenly sharpened.
15:56Of course.
15:57Kade.
15:58Captain of the Ridgemont Wolves.
16:00Heir to the Blackwood Pack.
16:02Powerful.
16:03Brilliant.
16:04The kind of elite the ordinary will never reach.
16:06The whole room leaned in.
16:08Julian was happy to deliver.
16:10He's been single forever.
16:11No idea what made him agree this time.
16:13Apparently she's gorgeous, and the packs are a perfect match.
16:17Does this mean we're getting a future Luna?
16:19The door to their private room swung open.
16:21Chloe's here!
16:22Welcome back, cheer captain!
16:24Julian's first love was stunning.
16:26Blonde hair, a tank top, and a tight mini skirt.
16:29And she despised me on sight.
16:31Surrounded by her cheer squad, she worked me into every conversation.
16:36Sideways, cutting.
16:37The tension thickened.
16:38I volunteered to go wash the fruit knives.
16:41While my hands were busy, my mind was running the numbers.
16:44Julian threw money around without thinking twice.
16:46I had never once asked him for anything directly.
16:49Just caught what fell through the cracks.
16:51And somehow, I had enough.
16:53The surgery was covered.
16:54Time to end this.
16:56I was still working out the words.
16:57When Chloe and her squad materialized behind me.
17:00Did you just roll your eyes at me?
17:01She dropped the princess act entirely.
17:03No.
17:04Liar, we all saw it.
17:06You're imagining things.
17:08I couldn't even be bothered to look at you.
17:10Why would I roll my eyes?
17:12Chloe's face went scarlet.
17:13Her friends rushed me, grabbing at my dress, tearing at the hem.
17:17This dress screams Julian's charity case.
17:19His taste is tragically bad.
17:21Tonight you're gonna find out exactly who you messed with.
17:24I'd had enough.
17:25I'd had enough.
17:26Before they could ruin the fabric, I reached out and grabbed a fistful of Chloe's hair.
17:31Child's play.
17:32One smooth pivot, and I had her bent over the sink.
17:35Surprisingly easy.
17:37Now I see it.
17:38Julian really does have bad taste.
17:40I ran cold water directly onto her head.
17:43A little moment of clarity for her.
17:44Her squad stepped back.
17:46Go find Julian if you're upset.
17:48Don't come at me.
17:49Chloe gurgled something.
17:51Probably filthy.
17:52But the water was handling that too.
17:53Chloe switched from cursing to wailing.
17:57The bathroom was close to their room.
17:59Julian and the others came running.
18:01Chloe broke free, soaking wet, and hurled herself into Julian's arms.
18:05Your girlfriend attacked me.
18:07That doesn't sound like Aurea.
18:10Julian!
18:10You didn't see her hold me under the faucet?
18:12We all saw it!
18:14Your ex-girlfriend just got attacked, and you're going to defend her?
18:16Under the pressure, Julian turned to me.
18:19His expression hardened.
18:21Aurora, apologize.
18:23Apologize.
18:25Hilarious.
18:27Apologize.
18:27Hilarious.
18:28I picked up the paring knife and walked toward Julian, one slow step at a time.
18:33The room went silent.
18:34Julian retreated until the back of his knees hit the couch, and he dropped onto it.
18:38I planted one heel between his legs.
18:40My black stiletto was a millimeter from things he'd miss very much.
18:44Time to settle our tab, sweetheart.
18:46I dragged the flat of the blade across his cheek.
18:48He flinched, cold.
18:49You used me to make your ex jealous?
18:51Fine.
18:51I was using you too.
18:53We're even.
18:54But as of right now, we're done.
18:56Don't come near me again.
18:57Julian grabbed my ankle.
18:58What do you mean, using you too?
19:00It means exactly what it sounds like.
19:01Are you deaf?
19:02Aurora, do you not like me?
19:04Correct.
19:05I actively dislike you.
19:06In the dim light, something flickered across Julian's face.
19:09Confusion.
19:10Then something raw.
19:11That's impossible.
19:12I am the hockey captain.
19:14The school's dream god!
19:16You mean a bench blubber?
19:18I drove the knife down.
19:19Julian went rigid.
19:20A beat.
19:20He realized the blade was embedded in the couch cushion beside him, not in him.
19:24Even this trip, it was about your family's money.
19:27Stop flattering yourself.
19:28Something changed behind me.
19:30The air shifted.
19:30A pressure rolled into the room.
19:32Undeniable.
19:33The kind only one alpha in the country could carry.
19:35I turned.
19:36Cade Blackwood stood in the doorway.
19:38He had heard everything.
19:39The light was dim.
19:40I couldn't read his face.
19:42Cade walked in.
19:43First, he draped his jacket over my shoulders.
19:45My dress had been torn at the seam.
19:47Chloe and her squad had seen to that.
19:49Then he went to Julian.
19:50Helped him up.
19:51Julian looked stunned.
19:52Like he hadn't quite landed yet.
19:54Someone nearby explained,
19:56Cade's back over to dinner in the middle of the same hotel.
19:59Perfect timing.
20:00You're finished.
20:01Chloe hissed as she passed me.
20:02The alpha hates gold decors.
20:05Every she-wolf who's ever thrown herself at him has regretted it.
20:07I laughed to myself.
20:08She didn't need to tell me to run.
20:10I already knew.
20:11I wasn't naive enough to think Cade would take my side here.
20:14The dream was a dream.
20:16Julian was his actual blood.
20:17I set his jacket on a chair and walked out.
20:20That night, I left my phone's SIM card behind and took the first train home.
20:24There was a lot left to do.
20:26Get mom into surgery.
20:27Pick up shifts.
20:28Start over.
20:29I stayed busy.
20:31Only one thing was different.
20:32I actually started watching hockey.
20:34In the June postseason, Cade led his team to defend their championship.
20:38An epic three-peat.
20:40And Cade was the highest scorer for three seasons straight.
20:43In July, a classmate told me that Julian had shown up at finals week looking for me
20:47and was told I'd taken the rest of the semester remote.
20:50Apparently, he'd looked completely lost.
20:52I didn't understand it.
20:53Some kind of masochism?
20:55It didn't matter.
20:55Our paths wouldn't cross again.
20:57As for Cade, I never dreamed of him again.
21:00Months passed.
21:01I stayed home, working remote shifts, caring for my mother.
21:05The days were quiet.
21:06Then one morning, the call came through.
21:08I'd gotten the team PR assistant position at the Ridgemont Athletic Department.
21:12Full work-study stipend.
21:13Housing supplement.
21:14Enough to keep mom in the best ward.
21:16The Blackwood PAC endowed half the program.
21:18But the athletic department was huge.
21:20I didn't think much about who I might run into until the rink corridor.
21:24I walked in on my first day.
21:26Cade Blackwood was already inside.
21:27He was surrounded by coaching staff.
21:29The entire supporting crew had come down to meet him.
21:32My wolf stirred.
21:34Mate.
21:35That face.
21:36Sharp.
21:37Unreadable.
21:38A face that had appeared in my dreams more times than I could count.
21:41Seeing it now felt like surfacing from a long, strange sleep.
21:44The corridor was packed.
21:46Stop hovering.
21:47Go get the next briefing ready.
21:48I was already stepping back when Cade's voice cut through the room.
21:52There's room.
21:53Come in.
21:54He pulled me out of the crowd toward him.
21:56I went still.
21:57The corridor fell into silence.
21:58I was pressed almost against Cade's side.
22:01Supervisor suddenly all smiles bowed and nodded as he introduced me.
22:05Our assistant.
22:06Top of her year.
22:07She'll be running media and logistics for the season.
22:09Cade didn't respond to that.
22:11He looked down at me.
22:12He lost weight.
22:13The observation landed without warning.
22:15Every coach in the corridor blinked.
22:17At lunch, Cade demonstrated exactly how far the Blackwood resources could reach.
22:22Catered meals delivered for every player and staff member.
22:25I ate my rice and left the rest untouched.
22:27The food was too good.
22:29Ingredients I couldn't afford.
22:30I wrapped the sides carefully.
22:32I'd bring them home to my mother.
22:34By mid-afternoon, the period cramps hit.
22:36The moment the clock struck five, I was the first one out of the staff exit.
22:41A hand shot through the closing door before it sealed.
22:44Long fingers.
22:45Precise.
22:46Aurora heart.
22:47Can we talk?
22:48Cade stepped in.
22:49Fifteen minutes later, I stepped into his private locker room.
22:52It was so intimate, I was almost swallowed by his scent.
22:55His gaze flicked to the wrapped takeaway container in my lap.
22:59Food wasn't to your claimings?
23:00I didn't answer the question.
23:01Is there something you needed, Captain?
23:03If this is about Julian, about some kind of apology, that's never happening.
23:07Not what I said.
23:08I just think that two people who've shared the same dream for six months deserve one honest conversation.
23:13There's nothing to say.
23:14I'm a gold digger.
23:15You're the Blackwood, alpha-haired, we have nothing in common.
23:18I wouldn't be so sure.
23:19Cade smiled.
23:20He pressed me against the locker door behind him, his nose brushing mine.
23:23PR position you applied for.
23:25Three candidates.
23:27Better resumes.
23:28I overrode the panel.
23:29Ask yourself why.
23:30Before I could answer, a wave of pain bent me forward.
23:32I pressed a hand to my stomach.
23:34Said nothing.
23:35He took my hand.
23:35Do you need a hospital?
23:36No.
23:37He helped me sit on the bench and poured me a cup of hot water.
23:40Captain, that's your personal cup.
23:43I don't mind.
23:44Do you?
23:44The pain didn't soften my reflexes.
23:46So this is how you operate.
23:47A pack-arranged she-wolf lined up at the estate and a dream girl on the side for variety?
23:51I don't have a fiancé.
23:52You went on an arranged dinner.
23:53Is that what's bothering you?
23:55I looked away.
23:56Cade pressed his lips together and kept his voice even.
23:58The Widock girl has treaty ties to my pack.
24:00I had no choice.
24:01But the moment I sat down, I told her I was already in love with someone else.
24:04The entire dinner was about pack business.
24:06Nothing else.
24:08Cade?
24:08What is the point of this conversation?
24:10You like money.
24:11He looked at me.
24:12Something warm in his eyes.
24:13Something deliberate.
24:14I have more than Julian.
24:15And I'm cleaner than he is.
24:17I've never been in a relationship.
24:18Aurora, consider me.
24:20I was fairly certain Cade Blackwood had lost his mind.
24:23This kind of directness was not something I had prepared for.
24:25And dragging his own brother in the process?
24:27Half a year gone.
24:28And a confession before we'd even said hello properly.
24:31Who does that?
24:32I took a moment.
24:33He didn't rush me.
24:34I ran through my list.
24:36I love money.
24:36I think it's more reliable than feelings.
24:38Perfect.
24:39No one in other packs has more of it than I do.
24:41I need someone in good shape.
24:43Lean muscle.
24:44Not too much, not too little.
24:45I'm a hockey player.
24:46No need to mention the muscles.
24:47You've confirmed it yourself, repeatedly, in considerable detail.
24:51I had nothing to say.
24:52Cade brushed my face, his expression soft.
24:54And I know you felt it too.
24:56The bond.
24:57I guess that's why we ended up in the same dream.
24:59My wolf stirred, whispering in my mind.
25:02The moon goddess wills it.
25:03My cheeks burned.
25:05Cade added a few more things.
25:06He'd been standing in the doorway the night of the party.
25:09He heard everything.
25:10When he realized Julian and I had been performing, that there were no real feelings between us,
25:15he felt something that surprised him.
25:17Relief.
25:17He'd planned to deal with Julian's mess first, then find me.
25:20But I was already gone when he turned around.
25:22He couldn't reach me.
25:24Neither could Julian.
25:25He spent months looking, quietly, carefully.
25:28He had the PAC network and the resources, but he didn't want to come in like a force of nature
25:33and give me reason to disappear again.
25:35If she left, she had her reasons.
25:38I just have to make myself worth finding.
25:41He believed that.
25:42So he found me slowly.
25:44Then he asked, again,
25:45Will you consider me?
25:46I didn't hesitate.
25:48Yes, but one condition.
25:49I wasn't ready to go public.
25:50I wanted to keep my position at the department my own.
25:54Built on work, not on who I was sleeping with.
25:57The moment people found out, everything I'd earned would be credited to him.
26:01Cade agreed to everything.
26:02He was remarkably easy to handle.
26:04In the dream, too.
26:05But sometimes, this man was a problem.
26:08Like during the team-wide meeting, Cade sat at the head of the room,
26:11controlled, barely glancing at his phone.
26:13The very picture of restrained alpha authority.
26:16And yet, no one in that room knew he'd just sent me a photo,
26:19kneeling, in his full three-piece suit, blindfolded.
26:22He wrote,
26:23Took this last night.
26:24Thought you might like it.
26:25We are in the middle of a meeting.
26:27You don't like it?
26:28Oh, or the love of it.
26:29Of course I liked it.
26:30Trouble came two weeks later.
26:32Someone knocked on my apartment door.
26:34I didn't check the peephole.
26:35I opened it.
26:36Julian Blackwood stood in the hall, holding an enormous bouquet.
26:41Aurora, I finally found you.
26:43The delight on his face was in direct proportion to my horror.
26:46I tracked down your middle school friend.
26:48She gave me your address.
26:51Is there something you need?
26:53Sheepish.
26:53A rare expression crossed Julian's usually careless face.
26:57I want us to start over.
26:58Almost shy.
26:59Before I could form a response, Cade appeared behind me in the doorway.
27:03Delivery?
27:04The brothers looked at each other.
27:05The world held its breath.
27:07Three seconds.
27:08Three very long seconds.
27:09Julian blinked.
27:11Cade, why are you here?
27:14Good question.
27:15Why was Cade here?
27:16Because he'd spent the night and enthusiastically demonstrated what the photo had only hinted at.
27:21But I didn't particularly want to share that.
27:23My mind moved fast.
27:25He's here to pick up some files.
27:27What?
27:28Captain Blackwood is overseeing the team.
27:30He needs game preparation documents, so he came in person.
27:33Where's his assistant?
27:34On leave.
27:35I delivered all of this completely deadpan.
27:37Cade looked at me.
27:38Something flickered in his expression.
27:40Faint.
27:41Wounded.
27:41I grabbed the empty folder off my desk and pushed it into his arms.
27:45Everything's in there.
27:46You can go now.
27:47And take your brother with you.
27:48Why do I feel like the trash being put out?
27:50Julian refused to leave.
27:52Naturally.
27:53He wedged himself in the doorway and launched into it.
27:55Aurora, I know I treated you badly.
27:57I've thought about it every day since you left.
27:59I cut things off with my ex.
28:01Completely.
28:01I want to do this properly this time.
28:03I swear.
28:03Give me one more chance.
28:04No.
28:05Why not?
28:06Because I never liked you.
28:08Julian showed up at the rink the next day.
28:10Within hours, the entire team knew he was there to win me back.
28:14He brought breakfast.
28:15He sent afternoon snacks.
28:16He stopped just short of offering to massage my shoulders at the bench.
28:20This was going to be a problem.
28:22At lunch, I pulled him into the equipment room and said it plainly.
28:25I want to work.
28:27Please stop disrupting my life.
28:28Julian wore the same team jersey as his brother, but he was clearly a size smaller.
28:33He didn't look nearly as solid.
28:35Okay.
28:36I'll tone it down.
28:37It's not about tone.
28:38Julian, live your life.
28:40Even if you stayed forever, my answer wouldn't change.
28:42I'm not leaving.
28:44Even if you don't want me, I'm staying.
28:46Something serious had settled into him.
28:48Aurora, after you left, I went through a long stretch of actually thinking about what I've done.
28:52I want to make it right.
28:53I'll be good to you.
28:54A shatter passed the equipment room doorway.
28:56The alpha captain was, apparently, not above eavesdropping.
28:59I don't need you to make anything right.
29:01Everything you're doing right now is stepping directly on every single nerve I have.
29:05It's making me dislike you more, not less.
29:07It's making me dislike you more, not less.
29:10Julian looked like he'd been struck.
29:11He shuffled out, visibly deflated.
29:13He didn't notice Cade slip in the moment he was gone.
29:16The door closed.
29:17Cade had me pressed against the wall before I finished turning around.
29:20The equipment room had no lock.
29:22Anyone could walk in.
29:23I pushed at his chest.
29:25We're at work.
29:27Aurora, I'm happy.
29:28I'm happy.
29:29His heart was hammering.
29:31The muscle under my palm was, admittedly, quite something.
29:34His heartbeat.
29:35Right.
29:35Sorry for the momentary distraction.
29:37After the equipment room conversation, Julian pulled back.
29:40He went quiet.
29:41Haunted corners of the rink like a scolded golden retriever.
29:44Stealing glances at me when he thought I wasn't looking.
29:48After a practice match for the backup squad, the team went out for a meal, and they invited me too.
29:53Cade came.
29:53Everyone assumed it was to babysit Julian.
29:55Someone suggested truth or dare.
29:58Julian picked dare.
29:59The room clamored to make him drink a toast with me cheek to cheek.
30:02Cade's expression closed like a shutting door.
30:04He was on his feet before anyone could process it.
30:08Aurora.
30:09Sponsor wants to compare design boards.
30:10Right now, at the party, one sweep of his gaze,
30:14and every voice in the room extinguished itself.
30:17Beside the party hall, there was a small lounge section curtained off in red.
30:21The moment we were inside, Cade pulled me against him from behind.
30:25His breath was warm against my neck, distracting.
30:27Go public.
30:28Aurora, I can't keep doing this.
30:31Be good.
30:32Let me finish this campaign.
30:33I had my own plan.
30:34When the season launch campaign wrapped,
30:36the program had hinted at a permanent senior role.
30:39Then when everyone found out about us, they'd know I'd earned it.
30:41Not stumbled into it.
30:43I wasn't going to be someone's trophy.
30:44My mother had fought through illness to put me through school.
30:47Not for me to be a footnote in someone else's success story.
30:50I like my work.
30:51Give me a little time to make my work.
30:52Cade made a quiet sound of frustration and bit my ear in retaliation.
30:56A sequence of kisses that made breathing an afterthought.
30:59There was a small dressing mirror mounted in the alcove.
31:02He tilted my chin up.
31:03Why are you shy?
31:04Look.
31:04In the glass, my lips were deep red.
31:06My eyes were somewhere far away.
31:08Outside, the banquet noise rolled on.
31:11Julian's voice was getting closer.
31:12What's taking them so long?
31:13I'll go check.
31:15The curtain snapped open.
31:16Nothing to see here.
31:17I was bent over a tablet.
31:19Cade stood with one hand in his pocket.
31:21Hey, we're waiting you.
31:22Come eat.
31:24With everyone busy drinking,
31:25no one spotted the light lipstick stain on Cade's throat.
31:28When it ended, Julian offered to walk me home.
31:31I declined.
31:32Third time I'd made myself clear.
31:33We were done.
31:34We were done.
31:35And this time I should tell you,
31:37I'm seeing someone.
31:38Julian blinked.
31:39The sobering kind of blink.
31:41Who?
31:41What are they like?
31:42Can I meet them?
31:43It has nothing to do with you.
31:44Julian looked wounded all the way to the door.
31:46A few days later, I was at the hospital.
31:48My mother was resting.
31:50I stepped out to the hallway to fill her water bottle
31:52and found myself face to face with Cade.
31:54He looked genuinely surprised.
31:56A pack elder is admitted here.
31:57I came to visit.
31:58What are you?
32:00My mom's ward.
32:02She's been here long?
32:03Is it serious?
32:04Before I could answer,
32:05the woman in the next bed spoke up.
32:07That girl's been at her mother's side for years.
32:09Bless her.
32:10Now that's a devoted daughter.
32:12Top university.
32:13Worked through school to cover her mother's surgery costs.
32:16Even now she won't rest.
32:18Pays for the best nursing aid she can manage.
32:20Won't leave her mother alone.
32:21Another woman from across the ward joined in.
32:24With barely enough to pay.
32:25Hiring a proper aid and still covering rent.
32:27She skips meals.
32:28That's what she does.
32:30You know those team catering boxes she brings in?
32:32She never eats them.
32:34Brings them home for her mom.
32:35Cade looked at me slowly.
32:37Shock moving through his face like weather.
32:39My mother was asleep.
32:40Cade and I stood at her bedside.
32:42When he finally did...
32:43That's why you needed the money.
32:45Yes.
32:46Your father?
32:47Not in the picture.
32:49It's always been just the two of us.
32:51She raised me through everything.
32:53It wasn't easy.
32:54You ate only rice and kept the rest for her.
32:57It's a good thing actually.
32:59I owe you a thank you for the catering.
33:01No wonder.
33:03How did I not see this sooner?
33:05The hardest part is already behind us.
33:07After the night shift nurse arrived, we went downstairs.
33:10He made a few calls.
33:11His face was drawn.
33:12I looked into it.
33:13For her condition, the best course is a transfer to a specialist hospital in New York.
33:16Better care.
33:17Better outcomes.
33:18I know, but...
33:19I'll cover it.
33:20This wasn't pocket change.
33:22And I didn't want to owe anyone, even him, what I couldn't repay.
33:25Every arrangement I'd ever made, even with Julian, had been calculated.
33:30Cade read me before I could speak.
33:31What I'm about to say might be too much, too fast.
33:34And I know this isn't the right place for it.
33:37A pause.
33:39Aurora.
33:40Be my mate.
33:42Run with me.
33:43Bond with me.
33:44All of it.
33:45I looked at him for a long, silent moment.
33:48He meant it.
33:48This was more sudden than the confession.
33:50Considerably more.
33:51You want to gamble your future on my mother's medical bills?
33:53Of course not.
33:54Because we're mates?
33:55Forget it.
33:56In a family as old as yours, blood comes first.
33:58I'm just an ordinary she-wolf.
34:00Cade was quiet and honest about it.
34:02I have my reasons.
34:04Selfish ones.
34:05Tell me.
34:05I'm in love with you.
34:06The kind that makes me want to keep you close out of everyone else's reach.
34:09I'll be honest.
34:10I've been thinking about it for weeks.
34:12If I claimed you, would Julian finally let go?
34:14I won't pretend it doesn't bother me.
34:16The way he looks at you.
34:17He's my brother, and I still want to rip it out of him.
34:19This was the first time Cade had said it outright.
34:21This possessiveness he'd been keeping on a short leash.
34:23I'd felt it before.
34:24In the careful way he watched me.
34:26In the way every show of control softened the moment he touched me.
34:29He wanted to win.
34:30Not against Julian, but for me, against everyone.
34:32Always.
34:33This is too big a decision to rush.
34:34Let me think.
34:35Take all the time you need.
34:37Extra nursing staff arrived at my mother's ward.
34:39Hired and arranged before I woke up.
34:41I quietly started seeing him less.
34:42I just didn't want him waiting on a decision I hadn't made yet.
34:45One evening, I came out of the hospital to find him at the street corner.
34:48He'd been waiting.
34:49I decided this was the moment.
34:51Six months of shared dreams isn't enough on its own.
34:54That can't be all of it.
34:55Cade thought for a moment.
34:56Because before I dreamed of you, I was certain I would spend my life alone.
35:00That's impossible.
35:01Your pack-arranged matches could circle the globe.
35:04Aurora.
35:04Aurora, you have your struggles.
35:06So do I.
35:07I'm the eldest.
35:09Ever since I can remember, my only goal has been to be exceptional.
35:13To be the alpha the pack can rely on.
35:15Win the trophy.
35:16Carry the line.
35:17And?
35:17I don't know if you'll believe this, but I have spent my entire life performing for
35:21other people's expectations.
35:23Never once living for myself.
35:25I used to envy Julian.
35:26For what?
35:27His supercars?
35:28I've never raced.
35:29Barely touched drinks as a hockey player.
35:31I've never been reckless.
35:32Never.
35:33Before you, Aurora, I had never been in love.
35:35And before you, I had severe anxiety.
35:37I looked at him.
35:38He'd never said it out loud before.
35:40Not like this.
35:41No one in the family knew.
35:42There were stretches where I didn't sleep for days.
35:44My wolf wouldn't settle.
35:45He almost smiled.
35:46And then I started dreaming of you.
35:48You rambled about campus.
35:50A professor you didn't like.
35:51A stray cat that sat outside your dorm.
35:54Slowly, the anxiety began to loosen.
35:56I stopped needing the pills just to sleep.
35:58I started looking forward to nights.
36:00For the first time in years.
36:01The car had pulled into a parking structure.
36:03Engine off.
36:04Neither of us moved.
36:05And then, it became something more.
36:07I am, after all, an alpha with normal instincts.
36:10That made both of us quiet in a different way.
36:12The short version, Aurora.
36:13You gave me something to look forward to.
36:15You made me want a future.
36:16I blinked at him.
36:17So, how should you thank me?
36:19However you'd like.
36:21He leaned in and kissed me.
36:25An hour later, we were straightening ourselves out.
36:28The back seat was a little chaotic.
36:30Someone rapped on the window.
36:32We looked up.
36:33Julian Blackwood.
36:34He couldn't see inside.
36:36The tinting was too dark.
36:37But he knew whose car this was.
36:40He seemed to know I was inside, too.
36:43He set his jaw and asked, through the glass.
36:46Aurora?
36:47Is he the one you're seeing?
36:48Cade lowered the window without hesitation.
36:50Both of us were in the back seat.
36:52Julian scanned the interior.
36:54His eyes went red at the edges almost immediately.
36:57How long?
36:58He sounded like he was pressing down on something about to break.
37:01Three months.
37:02At the least.
37:03And before that, longer than you'd like to know.
37:06You knew each other before?
37:08Technically speaking, you were the one who came after.
37:11Julian's hand went white-knuckled against the car door.
37:15You're both playing me.
37:18Not intentionally.
37:19Think of it this way.
37:21Cade and I met in the dreamscape first.
37:24Dreamscape?
37:25And I just conveniently brought you to him in person?
37:29More or less.
37:31Fantastic!
37:31Go to hell!
37:32Why didn't you just tell me?
37:34I did, Julian.
37:35I told you I was seeing someone.
37:39You didn't say it was Cade!
37:41Julian's fist hit the side of the car.
37:43Cade was already opening his mouth.
37:45I stopped him with a look.
37:47This is mine.
37:48Julian, I turned you down three times.
37:50Clearly.
37:50What gave you the right to know anything about my private life?
37:53My voice stayed quiet.
37:55But it landed.
37:56A year ago, you used me for a game you were playing with your ex.
38:00Did you tell me?
38:02The party.
38:03You knew Chloe would come for me.
38:06Did you say a word?
38:09When she and her friends tore my dress, what did you tell me to do?
38:12I let him sit with it.
38:14You told me to apologize to her!
38:17The words came back around, one after another.
38:22So no.
38:23You don't get to demand my transparency when you never gave me yours.
38:27Julian stood there, completely wrecked.
38:29Cade tossed him a set of bike key through the window.
38:31Race me.
38:33What?
38:34You want to race?
38:36Cade, you've never raced in your life.
38:39First time for everything.
38:41I understood then.
38:42The words between Julian and me were settled.
38:44What was left was something between brothers.
38:46And that wasn't mine to be part of.
38:48They brought me to some motorcycle track way out in the suburbs.
38:51I had no idea Blackwood even had one private track.
38:54Before they started, Julian said,
38:56If I win, you step back.
38:58Let Arona go.
39:00Cade didn't answer.
39:01The race started.
39:02Both of them floored it.
39:05The turn came fast.
39:07Their bikes were scraping the asphalt, almost raising the ground.
39:11By the final lap, they were both practically half-shifted on their bikes.
39:15Cade was half a bike length behind Julian.
39:18But in the middle of the turn, Cade hit the throttle, lowering his body even more.
39:23His bike wobbled dangerously.
39:25Looked like he was about to crash.
39:26Julian broke first.
39:28You're gonna kill yourself.
39:29Slow down.
39:29But Cade didn't.
39:30There was a flash of golden wolf light in his eyes.
39:34The next second, he shot past Julian through the turn.
39:37Julian panicked.
39:39His bike wobbled.
39:40And he went down.
39:41In a heartbeat, he shifted, landing on his feet just in time.
39:44He turned fully human and slammed his fist into the ground over and over.
39:48I lost!
39:49I completely lost!
39:52Cade walked over and hauled him to his feet.
39:55You asked me a question before we started.
39:58Here's my answer.
39:59He waited for Julian to look up.
40:02Everything else I'd let you have it, but not her.
40:05Why?
40:08Because she's not a prize to give away.
40:11After that night, Julian disappeared.
40:13Word was, he went back to New York.
40:15Kept to himself for a while.
40:18Then he stepped off the Ridgemont roster and enrolled in a graduate program abroad.
40:22He didn't actually like hockey.
40:24It was just one of his toys.
40:26He wanted it all, just like me, driven by the need to conquer.
40:30Maybe finally he'd figured out that those bikes and parties weren't going to make him into someone worth loving.
40:37Pack standing.
40:38Real skills.
40:39Those would.
40:41My mother transferred to a specialist hospital in New York.
40:45Better care.
40:46Better doctors.
40:48Better everything.
40:49Two years later, I went back to the Blackwood estate.
40:52This time, it was official as Cade's mate.
40:54Edward and Carol Blackwood were not even slightly surprised.
40:58We had our suspicions.
41:00Julian never looked at you like a mate should.
41:04But Cade, he went very quiet those days.
41:08And he's always quiet, yes, but those days were different.
41:11I laughed, a little embarrassed.
41:14I'm sorry.
41:15For all of it.
41:17Don't be.
41:18Julian had to learn that lesson sooner or later.
41:21He needed to grow up.
41:22Carol took my hands in both of hers, and her eyes went soft.
41:26Aurora, thank you.
41:29She didn't say more.
41:30They already knew.
41:31About the anxiety and the sleepless years, they knew what had changed.
41:37Holiday shopping, downtown New York.
41:40We ran into Chloe.
41:41She spotted me and her expression curdled.
41:44You've got nerves showing your face.
41:46I heard the alpha hate she-wolves who chase money.
41:49Every one of them has ended up...
41:50Cade's arm came around my waist from behind.
41:52Baby, what's she saying?
41:54I blink, wide-eyed.
41:55She says you hate me.
41:56Is that true?
41:58Cade, I'm devastated.
42:00Look who learned to play sweet.
42:04Hate you?
42:06You're my one and only.
42:08Chloe glared for a moment, stomped off, and spun around.
42:12The arm around me didn't loosen.
42:14All right, I told him.
42:15Performance over.
42:17Cade pressed closer, shameless.
42:19What did you just call me?
42:20Say it again.
42:21I stood on my toes, close to his ear.
42:24Mate.
42:25He smiled.
42:26Eyes softening into something I had only ever seen directed at me.
42:30After that, life settled into a busy but fulfilling rhythm.
42:34Cade's team tore through the regular season, finishing at the top of the standings and securing
42:38a spot in the playoffs the following evening.
42:41Cade was named the regular season MVP, while I finally found my place at the club.
42:45The playoffs opened to a sold-out arena and a banner dropping from the Raptors.
42:50Three peak champions going for a court.
42:52Every outlet in the country ran the same headline.
42:55Can the Ridgemont Wolves do it again?
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