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My Hockey Alpha chapter 406

Nina

“He’ll be okay, Nina. I promise.”

Jessica’s voice came through the phone loud and clear, reassuring as ever. But despite her insistence, I just wasn’t buying it.

“I just… I feel like something is going to go wrong,” I found myself saying. “Is that crazy?”

“Yes. Yes, it is.” That was Lori that time. She was sitting in the background of the FaceTime call, eating a peanut butter sandwich. Normally, her matter-of-fact attitude would have made me laugh, but not today.

“Lori,” Jessica hissed, smacking her in the leg. “Rude.” I let out a soft sigh. “No, no, she’s right,” I said. “I’m just hormonal, I think. The doctor warned me of this. He’ll be home first thing in the morning.”

“And he’s staying home this time?” Jessica asked. “He’s not taking the job after all, is he?”

“I think he’s staying.” I paused, biting my lip. It broke my heart a bit that he wasn’t taking his dream job, but it had ultimately been his decision to turn it down. Maybe it would be for the best. “Is it bad that I’m a little relieved?” | blurted out.

Jessica and Lori shrugged in unison. “It’s not bad,” Lori said. “You’re pregnant. Oh, and your life is like one big movie. You never know when danger is on its way.”

Now, I finally laughed. Lori was right; sometimes, it felt as if the moment one thing cleared up, more danger found its way to me. I felt like a magnet sometimes, always attracting some sort of drama. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, really.

“Yeah,” I finally said. “Maybe it’s for the best if we’re together during this pregnancy.”

“Honestly,” Jessica chimed in, “he should be with you throughout the pregnancy anyway. We know you love your independence, Nina, but he made a good decision in sticking with you instead of taking that job. You need each other right now.”

I let out another sigh. Once again, my friends were spot on. Enzo and I did need each other at the end of the day, and maybe it wasn’t so wrong for me to feel relieved that he was staying. I just felt like a bit of a fool for pleading with him to take the job when he had expressed his reluctance earlier.

Maybe then, if I had only let him carve his own path and make his own choices instead of strong-arming him into ‘ following his dreams’, none of this would have happened.

“Yeah,” I finally said, chuckling wryly. “I guess you’re right.”

The day passed with no word from Enzo. I kept checking my phone, hoping that maybe he would text or call at some point, but he never did. Figuring that he was busy, though, I decided not to bother him, instead opting to spend the day avoiding the heat and watching movies inside.

The sun had just finished its nightly descent behind the horizon, and I was curled up cozily beneath a blanket in bed, watching an old movie on my laptop that I had seen a hundred times before.

It was a comfort movie of mine, a cheesy romance about a professor and her PhD student. I was laughing along to a scene, tears in my eyes and a half-eaten bowl of popcorn sitting beside me.

And that was when it happened.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a sudden, frantic tweeting followed by sharp tapping erupted just outside the window. Popcorn went flying, and I felt my heart pound in my chest.

Whirling around, I spotted a familiar red bird pecking violently at the glass pane. Her usually melodic chirps came out shrill, almost panicked.

It was Daphne. Something was very wrong.

I rushed over and fumbled with the latch, finally flinging the window open. Daphne immediately fluttered inside, circling the room in a red-feathered frenzy before shifting abruptly back into her petite human form, her ginger hair falling haphazardly into her eyes.

“Oh Nina, thank god!” She rushed over to me and grasped my shoulders in both hands, her eyes wide with dread. ” The wolf, he’s outside!”

My blood turned to ice. “W-What?” I  stammered. “You mean the yellow-eyed one?”

Daphne nodded grimly. She grasped my wrist, yanking me out of sight of the window.

“He’s been lurking for a few hours now,” she said, her voice dropping to an ominous whisper.

My eyes widened. “What? And you didn’t tell me?” I hissed.

Daphne swallowed. “He lurks a lot,” she said. “Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so I just watched him. But then… he’s not alone anymore, Nina…” Daphne’s voice trailed off, a shudder quaking her body. She began chewing her nails nervously.

I furrowed my brow and grabbed her by the shoulders, willing her to gather her wits. “What do you mean, he’s not alone?”

She took a deep breath. When she spoke, her words tumbled out like an avalanche. “He was alone all this time, but then… All of a sudden, a bunch of other wolves emerged from the woods. A dozen of them, including the yellow-eyed wolf, just surrounded the house. Nina, I think they’re planning a break-in.”

My lungs constricted, my palms turning clammy at this information. A dozen wolves, surrounding the house?

They must have known that Enzo was gone. But why were they coming for me? Were they Crescents?

“Did they see you?” I asked frantically.

Daphne quickly shook her head. “No, thankfully. I don’t think they know about me at all.”

“Good.” I bolted across the room, fumbling around for my cell phone with trembling hands. I figured that if I could just call Luke and the others, they could send backup. If the house was surrounded, then that meant there was no way out for me; even if I shifted, I doubted I could outrun a dozen wolves all on my own.

But Luke, Matt, and the rest of the pack-they could be here in just a few minutes. They could help.

However, before I could dial Luke’s number, a high-pitched squeal suddenly filled the air, emanating from nowhere and everywhere at once. I cried out, dropping the phone to cover my ears.

“No no no, not now!” Daphne shouted over the piercing sound.

The lights flickered once, twice-then they went out completely, plunging the house into darkness. At the same instant, all noise ceased except the frantic pounding of my heart. No clocks ticking. No familiar hum of the refrigerator.

Just dead silence, and pitch blackness save for the dim light of the moon streaming in through the window.

I felt my way back to Daphne’s side, gripping her shoulders tightly. “The landline,” I whispered, half-crazed. ” It has to work still. If we can just get downstairs-”

Daphne’s large, round eyes reflected the small stream of moonlight filtering in through the window. They held a sorrow that squeezed the breath from my lungs.

“They’ve cut the power, Nina. We’re stranded.”

My knees wobbled dangerously. No, it couldn’t be. How had we let this happen? Who were these wolves, and what the hell did they want with me, with my home?

Suddenly, a guttural howl sounded somewhere from beyond the treeline, echoing in the dark night like a warcry.

The wolves had just marked their target.

Enzo

I was just sitting at the hotel bar, trying to smooth out my nerves before I tried calling Nina, when I suddenly felt a delicate hand on my shoulder and an all-too-familiar voice.

“Well, well… fancy meeting you here, Enzo.” I turned, and that was when I saw her: Mila.

“Mila?” I asked, jumping up without even really meaning to. “What are you doing here, in my hotel?”

She paused for a moment, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before she took a deep breath and spoke. ” Can we talk?” she asked. “I heard you came to town, and…

I wanted to clear the air.”

I was silent for a moment, weighing my options. My wolf bristled inside of me; a warning.

“No,” I said firmly. “No, I don’t want to talk. Please, just… leave me be.”

But Mila was steadfast in her attempt. She took a step forward. I had nowhere to go with the bar right behind me, so I was trapped. “Please,” she said softly. “Listen, Tim told me what you said, and… I realized that I was really awful for what I did. But I’d like a chance to explain.”

She paused then, taking in a sharp breath as she gazed up at me. “Please,” she repeated.

I stared at her for a few moments longer, unsure of what to say. Part of me wanted to tell her to buzz off, but another part of me actually wanted to hear her out. We were in a public place, after all. Maybe it would be okay to just talk to her.

“Fine,” I  growled, sinking back down onto my stool.”

You’ve got thirty seconds to explain yourself.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, she perched on the stool beside me. I studied her face, searching for any sign of insincerity. But her striking eyes were shining with remorse. She seemed sincere so far, at least.

“Go on,” I urged, folding my arms across my chest. ”

Clock’s ticking.”

Mila nodded and drew in a breath. “Listen, I… I know that what I did the last time you were here, the way that I tried to force myself on you, the way I threatened you, was awful of me.” She paused, laughing wryly and licking her lips. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. But I do want to tell you how sorry I am, and how it’ll never, ever happen again.” I narrowed my eyes. “I wasn’t planning on forgiving you, Mila,” | growled. “And unless you’ve got an actual explanation for why you thought it was okay to do what you did, I don’t want to hear it.”

Mila looked down, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red as she twisted a silver ring around her finger. “Okay,” she whispered. “Look, I know it’s no excuse, but… I just went through a bad divorce. It brought out this horrible anger in me lately.”

She met my gaze squarely then. “I guess, in my mind, I thought we clicked. Then, I saw how happy you are with your wife and part of me wanted to destroy it.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your divorce,” I said stiffly.

Mila gave a sad half-smile. “Thanks. It’s been a nightmare. And it’s no one;s fault but my own. I guess I’m still learning how to handle all these new feelings. Again, not that it’s an excuse for what I did, but… I want you to know that I really do plan on making it up to you.”

I paused, eyeing her cautiously. She was still staring down at her ring, a sad look in her eyes. In that moment, I actually felt a little bit bad for her.

“Well, I appreciate you making the effort to apologize,” I  told her. “And I wish you the best in working through everything. But there’s no need to make it up to me. I quit • today.”

Mila’s head jerked up, and her eyes widened. “You quit?” she breathed. “Tim didn’t tell me…”

I nodded. “I need to return to Mountainview,” I said. “This isn’t a good work environment for me.”

“No, Enzo,” Mila said, her eyes misting over, “please don’t quit. The team loves you. And I can tell how much you love this job.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a bit uncomfortable beneath her gaze. Yes, it was true; I did love that job, and the team loved me. But it wasn’t right for me. I wanted to be home, with my pregnant wife. And I couldn’t work alongside Mila, no matter how much she apologized.

“Sorry,” I said matter-of-factly. “What’s done is done. I need to be at home with my wife.”

Mila looked crestfallen. “Are-are you sure about that?” she stammered. “You clearly have so much passion for this.”

When I nodded, she made one last desperate appeal. “I’ll resign instead, if that helps! The team needs you here.

They can find another doctor.”

Her words, although shocking, did nothing to change my mind. “No need,” I said. “I’ve made up my mind.”

She pressed her lips together and asked quietly, “Well then… Mind if I buy you a farewell drink at least?”

I hesitated, my eyes flitting down to the now-empty glass that I hadn’t realized I was still holding in my hands. The idea of taking a drink from Mila, after what she had done, wasn’t exactly tempting. But, even my wolf agreed that she seemed genuine, and besides…

I could just watch the bartender prepare it. That way, I’d know it was safe.

“Sure,” I finally said. “I guess I could do that. Just one?”

Mila’s face lit up. “Of course! My treat.”

Before I knew it, we were both holding glasses of whiskey. I had watched the bartender prepare it right in front of me, and there was no doubt in my mind that it was safe to drink. If you are not reading this novel on Jobni b.com, some sentences are incomplete. And despite the uncomfortable company, it seemed as though Mila was trying, at least. We chatted as amicably as we could, talking about movies, books, TV shows… anything except the elephant in the room.

But finally, my glass was empty. My conscience was clear, and my one drink was finished. I stood, grabbing my jacket off of the back of my chair.

“Thanks for the drink,” I said, nodding to her. “Have a good one.”

Suddenly, Mila shot up from her seat. “Wait!” she called out, causing me to stop and turn.

I narrowed my eyes. Before I could say a word, she suddenly stepped closer and wrapped me in a brief, fierce hug. I stiffened under her touch, and was about to push her away; but then she pulled back, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“Thanks for listening tonight,” she said softly. “And for giving me another chance. I wish you all the best, Enzo.

Your wife is so lucky to have you.”

I nodded, taking a step back to put some more distance between us. “Thanks, Mil-”

But then something happened. Out of seemingly nowhere, my head felt fuzzy, and Mila’s face swam in front of me. There was that glint in her eyes again.

Something red. Something evil. Something that almost looked… like a snake? Or a lizard, maybe?

Yes, that was it. A lizard. A dragon, almost.

“Mila… What have you…”

“Oh, no, Enzo,” Mila said, stepping forward to touch my arms, a mock look of worry in her lizard-like eyes. “Here, let me help you back to your room…”


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