Nina
The room felt tense as Enzo left to talk to Matt, leaving only Lori, Jessica, Luke, and me behind
“Geez.” Luke said once we were alone. “Everything alright?”
I sighed, shrugging. Whatever was between Matt and Enzo was between them, and I wouldn’t pry. Whatever it was, though, I knew that they would work it out. But as we sat there, I realized that I needed to tell my friends about my dad’s spy. If the spy was watching them, too, then they deserved to know.
“Listen, guys,” | began, my voice low and serious, “there’s something else I need to tell you.”
Lori and Jessica exchanged curious glances while Luke furrowed his brow in concern. “What’s going on, Nina?” Lori asked softly.
I took a deep breath and looked around the room before continuing. “My dad… he admitted to something tonight,” I said. “He told me that he’s had a spy watching me. I’m not sure who it is, but I thought you guys deserve to know.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed as he processed my words. “Why is he spying on you?” he asked.
Luke’s question made me rethink my conversation and argument with my father earlier. His words still kept whirling around my mind, and they still stung. “He said I can’t be trusted,” I said.
*That I might put myself in danger.
And… maybe he’s right. But it still sucks.”
“I’m sure you feel betrayed,” Jessica said quietly.
I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I do. I wish he had just talked to me sooner instead of sending a spy after me, and now it’s got me questioning every interaction I’ve had, every strange moment that I’ve encountered recently.”
There were a few moments of silence between us as we all processed this information. I felt awful for dragging my friends into this. All I could hope now was that we could find this spy and send them back to my father. I had to make him see that I was not going to roll over and let him invade my privacy like this.
“You know.” Luke suddenly said,
“we’ve been seeing this yellow-eyed wolf
recently all over Mountainview. It’s an elusive little bugger, though. We haven’t been able to catch it, or even get close.”
As Luke spoke, my heart began to race. A yellow-eyed wolf… That sounded familiar. As I began to piece it together, my eyes widened with recognition.
“I saw a yellow-eyed wolf one night,” I said, my voice trembling. “It was in the middle of the road when I was driving home from the hospital, right after Jessica’s accident. I thought it was Edward, but… maybe it wasn’t.”
“Maybe, Luke said, hopping down from where he had been perched on the desk. “We’ll keep an eye out for it. Maybe we can catch it and find out where it came from.”
Subtlenly, Jessica gasped, causing all of us to whirl around in surprise. Her eyes were wide, her hand clamped over her mouth.
“What?”. Lori said. “What is it, Jess?”
“!.. I forgot about that until you just mentioned it,” Jessica said shakily. “It was foggy whenever I tried to remember, but now it’s like I can picture it. The day of my car crash, a dog ran out into the road, and I swerved. It was a wolf
-a wolf with yellow eyes.”
Silence settled over the room as we absorbed this revelation. Lori spoke up, her voice filled with concern. “What could this mean?” she asked.
Luke and I exchanged glances, both of us unsure of the Implications. It seemed odd for a potential spy that my father had sent to do something like cause a car crash, but maybe it was an accident.
But maybe it was more than that. Maybe we were all wrong.
“I’m not entirely sure.” I admitted. “But we need to keep this in mind and be vigilant.”
Just as we were about to discuss the matter further. Enzo and Matt returned to the room, their expressions indicating that they were on better terms now. Enzo looked exhausted, and he turned to me.
“Nina, do you want to go home?” he asked softly, looping his arm around
I nodded, feeling relieved to leave the tension of the room behind. Since our truck was not here, Matt kindly offered to give us a ride home. We said our goodnights to the others and, after a brief car ride, arrived at home after what had felt like an eternity of being away. Visit Job n i b .co m to read the complete chapters for free. As Enzo and l entered our home a little while later, I let out a soft sigh of relief. “I know it hasn’t really been all that long, but I’m glad to be home,” I admitted with a soft chuckle.
Enzo turned toward me, his thumb brushing my cheek gently. “Are you sure about this, Nina?* he asked, his voice filled with concern. “About staying home during the pregnancy instead of going to the werewolf realm?”
I nodded, biting my lip as I looked into his eyes. “Yes,” I said with determination. “Staying home feels like the right decision. And it’s not just because I’m upset with my father, you know. It’s a lot of different reasons.”
“I understand,” Enzo replied gently. “If this is what you want, what you feel is right, then I won’t try to change your mind.”
His words made me smile, but I couldn’t deny the fact that the subject of his job popped into my mind. If he still went to the city, that could change things; although I was determined not to live in the werewolf realm for the duration of the pregnancy regardless. “And what about your job?” l asked.” You still need to report Mila, don’t you?”
Enzo sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his expression conflicted. “I’mplanning on calling Tim in the morning.” he said. “We’ll see how it goes, but be prepared for the possibility that I might lose the job.”
Looked at him with a mixture of concern and support. “How will you feel if that happens?” I asked.
Enzo thought for a moment before responding. “I’d be sad, of course,” he admitted, but Mountainview has become my home, even though I never thought I’d be saying this just a couple of years ago. I want to be here with you at the end of the day.”
I smiled, touched by his words. “I’ll support your decision no matter what,” I assured him. “That’s what we’re here for, remember?”
Enzo smiled back at me, his eyes filled with warmth and affection. “And hey,” he said, “maybel can follow my dreams right here, right where I belong: coaching the hockey team, being with my wife and baby, and being the Alpha that our pack needs.”
I nodded and stood on my tiptoes to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek. He leaned into the kiss, and I could tell he needed the comfort tonight. So did I.
Without another word, I took his hand and began to lead him upstairs so we could wash off the turmoil of the evening and get some much-needed sleep.
As we began to head upstairs to get ready for bed, Enzo asked me one last time, his voice filled with concern, “Are you sure you want to stay here, with that… evil spirit, or whatever it is, following you?”
I reached for the amulet around my neck and smiled softly. The memories of standing beside my sister’s grave floated back through my mind, and I realized that that feeling of lightness in my belly still hadn’t lifted. Somehow, I felt as though even If I wasn’t wearing this amulet, l’d still be safe.
And somehow, I knew…
That the shadow entity wouldn’t be a problem any longer.
Enzo
I remember that morning vividly, the sunlight trickling through the curtains as I sat at the kitchen table, my phone in hand. It was a day heavy with decisions, the kind that could alter the course of my life.
The fateful Moon Goddess Festival party had happened just a couple of days ago, and Nina and I had been home since then. It felt good to be back in Mountainview, back where we both truly belonged
Something had shifted after that party, though. Well, everything had shifted, really.
For some reason, something had changed in Nina. I had expected her to be distraught over running from her father’s house and being at odds with her parents, and she was, to an extent. But something else was different about her.
She seemed lighter, happier somehow. She had seemed that way ever since I had found her in the woods at the party, standing over her sister’s grave Whenever I asked her about it, though, she just said, with a smile on her face, that she had gone out there to enjoy the stars.
It didn’t matter, though. She was happier than she had been in a long time, and in turn, that made me happy.
But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed after the fateful party.
I had begun to rediscover my passion for being the Alpha to our ragtag little pack, putting aside my reservations about what it meant to be the always-stoic and all-powerful Alpha.
My last conversation with Matt still rang In my ears, a reminder that what had happened with Mila didn’t make me less of a man, nor did it make me less of an Alpha. I had been seeking validation in other ways, like the approve/of the Alpha Council: but it had been in vain
There would be no pleasing them, not if I also wanted to stay true to myself and to the people I cared the most about.
I knew l had to call Tim, just as I had promised Nina. It was time; I had been stalling for long enough. The weight of what happened with Mila still hung over me like a dark cloud. Her unexpected advance and the subsequent threat when I rejected her had left me feeling uneasy and conflicted, but it was time to finally face the music and handle it, even if it meant my career taking an unexpected turn.
After all, that was what an Alpha did; he faced adversity, even when the future was unknown and terrifying.
Nina was upstairs, probably still asleep. I felt a surge of protectiveness towards her, especially considering her pregnancy and everything else we were dealing with. Taking a deep breath, I dialed Tim’s number. The phone rang, and my heart raced with each tone.
“Hey, Enzo!” Tim answered after just a few rings. “How’s it going?” He shot me a grin through the FaceTime call. His voice was chipper, completely unaware of the turmoil I was feeling right now. I could see that he was in his office at the arena.
“Hey, Tim,” I started, my voice more hesitant than I intended. “Do you have a minute?*
“For you? Always,” Tim said with a chuckle. “I hope you’re calling because you’ve made a decision on the offer to start working early. Clock’s ticking, you know?™
I swallowed. Truthfully, I had been thinking about it. And regardless of the outcome of this conversation, I had decided not to start early. I wanted to stay here, with my wife, as long as I could-I wanted to be there for her throughout the pregnancy.
“Well, I have been thinking about it,” I said, “but Tim, there’s something that I need to tell you.”
“Sure.” Tim said, sounding a bit apprehensive now. “What’s up?”
“Tim. I…”
Just as I was about to swallow.my pride and finally delve into the incident with Mila, a sudden commotion interrupted me.
The screen on my phone shifted, and suddenly, the entire hockey team came into view. There they were, all crowded together, faces beaming with excitement. The sight of them, so full of life and enthusiasm, gave me a moment’s pause.
“Enzo! We miss you, man!” one of the players shouted, his voice echoing through the phone.
“Yeah, coach, can’t wait to have you back!” another chimed in.
I managed a weak smile, feeling a pang of longing for the team I had actually come to care for. “I miss you guys too,” I said, my voice steady despite how I felt.
But then…
Mila stepped into frame, and it was as if her presence created a sudden chill in the room I was sitting in, even though she was miles and miles away.” Yeah, we all miss you, Enzo,” she said, her voice dripping with a coy sweetness that didn’t reach her eyes.
I felt a cold knot form in my stomach. The memory of her grabbing my wrist, the threat veiled behind her words, flashed vividly in my mind. I struggled to maintain my composure, aware of every eye on the team fixed on me.
Tim’s voice broke through my thoughts. “So, what were you saying, Enzo?” Thesitated, my resolve wavering under the weight of their expectant gazes.
The words I had rehearsed so carefully seemed to vanish, leaving me grappling for something. anything, to say. I couldn’t tell Tim now, not when the whole team-Mila included, was standing right there.
My voice trailed off, and in that moment, I felt my wolf stir. He was angry with me. Hell, I was angry with myself. But as Mila’s cold, calculating eyes met mine through the phone screen, I felt my resolve crumble into ash.
There was that glint in her eyes again. A flash of something, a color that was almost but not quite human. It was gone in an instant, leaving me reeling and wondering if what I had just seen was real or just my imagination.
“Earth to Enzo?” Tim teased, a grin spreading across his face.
“Cat got your tongue, Enzo?” Mila chimed in, her voice smooth like butter.
“Nothing, it’s just… I’m still considering the offer,” I finally managed to stammer out, feeling like a coward with each word.
Tim smiled, a look of understanding in his eyes. “Oh, alright. Well, don’t take too long, Enzo. We all want you back.”
As the call ended, I sat there, feeling the sting of my own silence. I had been so close to revealing the truth about Mila, but in the end, I couldn’t do it. The loyalty I felt towards the team, the connection we had built, the glint in her eyes… it all held me back.
Even as I sat there in the dimly lit kitchen, Mila’s stony gaze lingered relentlessly in my mind. For that brief moment, I could have sworn I saw a flash of color in her eyes. It was quick, almost imperceptible, but it was there.
Was it a trick of the camera, or something more? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
I sat there for a long time, lost in thought. The kitchen felt colder now, the morning light less comforting. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had let myself down, let Nina down. I should have spoken up, should have stood up for what wes right, I was.. a coward, not fit to be an Alpha.
But fear and uncertsinty, and something in that mysterious doctor’s eyes, had held me back.