Where The Ice Gives Way (Charlotte and Blake) novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178 Mate Island

Emily

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Theo scrolls through the television with the kind of focus I am sure people have when disarming explosives. I sit at the little table with a spring roll in one hand and my knees tucked carefully under the chair, watching as bright boxes move across the screen. There are so many. Movies, shows, documentaries, sports channels, pack news, old classics, new releases, things with glowing titles and dramatic music

playing before he even clicks into them.

My old pack had a television in the communal room, but most of the time, the higher–ranked families controlled what played, and I

wasn’t welcome there. At home, we had a small DVD player and a box of old discs Mum bought second–hand from a market. Half of them skipped, and one had the wrong movie inside the case. Dad always said that made it more exciting. This feels ridiculous in comparison. A

whole world of stories sitting inside one remote.

Theo glances at me. “Okay, don’t judge me for this.”

“That sounds like something people say right before I should judge them.”

He points the remote at me. “You’ll love this. I saw Blake watching it with Charlotte.” I take another bite of my spring roll as he clicks

into an app with a silver moon symbol in the corner. “What’s that?” I ask.

“A supernatural streaming service,” he says, like that is a normal sentence.

I blink. “There’s a supernatural streaming service?”

“Yeah. You have to be registered to use it.” He types something in with the remote. “It’s mostly pack dramas, vampire court nonsense,

witch cooking shows, documentaries about ancient bloodlines, and reality TV that should probably be illegal.”

I stare at him, and he grins. “Welcome to culture.”

The screen loads into rows of shows I have never heard of. There is one about witches opening a bakery. One about unmated Alphas

renovating abandoned cabins. One called Vampire Heiress, which looks deeply dramatic. Theo scrolls past all of them until he lands on a

bright, sun–soaked title with palm trees, gold lettering, and a group of people standing around a pool in almost no clothing. Mate Island.

I lower my spring roll slowly. “What is that?”

Theo’s smile turns wicked. “Art.”

The show opens with sweeping shots of a massive beach house sitting on an island somewhere warm and expensive. There are sparkling

pools, white lounges, big fire pits, and far too many people walking in slow motion while pretending they don’t know they’re being

filmed. A female with glossy black hair steps onto the screen in a tiny pink bikini and says she’s looking for someone loyal, mature, and

ready for commitment.

Theo snorts immediately. “She picks the worst male in the house by episode two.”

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Chapter 178 Mate Island

I look at him. “You’ve watched this before?”

“I saw Charlotte watching it,” he says defensively, making me laugh.

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The next scene shows a line of men by the pool, all shirtless and muscled. The host explains that every contestant has taken suppressant blockers so their wolves can’t identify true mate bonds or scent matches too strongly. The point is to see if compatibility can happen through personality alone. “That sounds strangely wholesome,” I say.

Theo chokes on a noodle. “Give it thirty seconds.”

Thirty seconds later, one of the males tells two different females they are his “most meaningful connection” within the same five–minute

conversation.

“Oh,” I say.

Theo points his chopsticks at the screen. “That one is Jaxon. Spelled with an X.” He rolls his eyes. “He’s a total dick, but is funny to

watch.”

The episode keeps going, and somehow it gets worse and better at the same time. Lisa cries because Rocco, whom she met four hours ago,

kissed Stacey during a whipped–cream challenge. Then Enzo is causing drama because he’s torn between Stacey, Lisa, and Amy.

Apparently, he has “too much heart to give.”

Theo leans back in his chair. “That man has the emotional depth of a teaspoon.”

I cover my mouth, laughing around a mouthful of rice.

Theo catches me up on who everyone is while we eat. He tells me which couples are fake, which ones are doomed, which ones Charlotte

loved until the male screwed it up, and which female he thinks should leave the island and find someone worthy.

“She should not trust him,” I say, pointing at the screen as Jaxon with an X leans in close to Sara. “His face is doing too much.”

Theo pauses with a dumpling halfway to his mouth. “How is his face doing too much?”

“Just look at it!”

Theo nods slowly. “Hmm. You’re right. That is a suspicious amount of face.”

I eat more than I planned to, stealing one more spring roll when Theo pushes the container closer. When we are both done, Theo packs

the leftovers into the tiny fridge under the desk, and the next episode starts. On–screen, everyone gathers around the fire pit for

something called a “mate match ceremony,” where they choose who they want to share a bed with. I’m deeply invested at this point as I

climb onto the left side of the bed and tuck myself against the pillows. I gasp, and Theo runs back out of the bathroom where he was

washing the forks. “What did I miss?!”

“Lisa chose Rocco!”

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Chapter 178 Mate Island

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