My Hockey Alpha



Nina

Enzo and I unlocked our hotel room door and walked inside. The darkness made me shudder, but even as I flicked on the light and a warm amber glow filled the room, I still felt uneasy. What was supposed to be a fun night had been ruined, and now I just felt empty and terrified.

"What do you think we should do?" I asked, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. My fingers worried at the hem of my skirt.

Enzo's face was pale, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a look of deep concern. He paced back and forth in front of me, clutching his hair. "I don't know, Nina. But if what she said is true..." He trailed off, his gaze fixed on some distant point.

"I think we should go home," he said suddenly, determination settling in his voice. "I'll buy plane tickets right now. As soon as we're back in Mountainview, we'll open a portal to the werewolf realm."

"And then what?" I asked, my voice trembling. "What would we even be able to do?"

He paused for a moment, biting his lower lip. "I don't know," he finally said after a beat of silence. "But it would be better to be there, surrounded by people who are well-versed in these sorts of things. You can go and visit your brother's witch. Maybe she can help."

As he spoke, my mind kept floating back to what the fortune teller had said; that this curse had spanned multiple generations, and that it came from dark magic. If even my mother, the Luna of the Alpha King, couldn't be cured, then how could I?

Before I could stop him, Enzo began rushing around the room. I watched in awe as he flipped open the top of his suitcase and began haphazardly shoving clothes in. That was when I finally rose, running over to grab him by the hands and pull him away.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just... Let's be logical about this," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Running home shouldn't be our first instinct."

Enzo leveled me with a stern gaze. "Nina, I've been understanding as much as I possibly can throughout these past few weeks," he said, and there was that Alpha tone lacing his voice again. "But I'm not doing it anymore. We need to get you somewhere safe, somewhere protected. You don't want to lose our baby, do you?"

"Of course not, Enzo!" I shook my head, the practical side of me fighting against the rising tide of panic fluttering in my chest. "But you have work, Enzo. You can't just leave. This is important to you, too. That shouldn't be kept out of the equation.*

Enzo's jaw clenched, his eyes meeting mine. "Are you seriously suggesting that I put our baby at risk over a... a job?"

"No, that's not what I-"

"Nina." He paused, taking my hands in his. His grip was tight; maybe even a little too tight. "You need to be somewhere safe. You have got to stop putting me first all of the time. You're pregnant now. This isn't just about you."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. They echoed the fears I had been trying to suppress, the fears that had haunted me since the moment we learned about the pregnancy.

And then, the memory of my nightmare from last night flashed in my mind-the shadow entity, the sense of impending doom, the vision of my baby dying before it even had a chance to see the world for the first time. It all felt eerily connected. No, it had to be. There was no denying it now.

"Okay," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll go home tonight. I'll head straight to my parents in the werewolf realm. But you... you should stay here."

Enzo's eyes widened in surprise. "Nina, I can't let you go alone. Especially not now."

I placed my hand on his, squeezing it gently. "You have commitments here, Enzo. And I can handle this. I'm stronger than you think."

Enzo looked torn, his protective instincts warring with his professional obligations. "But what if something happens to you? I won't be there to help."

"I'll be safe in the werewolf realm," I assured him, although my own voice trembled with uncertainty. "My parents will be there. And Luke can open a portal for you if you need to come quickly."

Enzo's expression softened, but the worry in his eyes remained. "I just... I don't like the idea of leaving you to face

this alone."

"But I won't be alone," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "And we don't even know for sure if that fortune teller was telling the truth. It could be nothing."

"But what if it's not?" Enzo's voice was strained, his eyes searching mine for answers I didn't have.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "Then I'll be in the safest place possible. And you'll be fulfilling your responsibilities here. We can't let fear dictate our lives, Enzo. We have to be rational about this."

Enzo nodded slowly, his gaze still locked on mine. "I just... I love you, Nina. And our baby. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to either of you."

"I know," I said, my voice softening. "And I love you too. More than anything. But we have to be smart about this. We have to think about the long term."

Enzo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay. If you're sure about this..."

"I am," I said, although a part of me was screaming in protest. The thought of leaving Enzo, of facing whatever unknown danger might be lurking in the shadows, was terrifying. But I knew it was the right decision.

"Okay," he breathed, sinking down onto the edge of the bed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. "Alright. I'll get you a plane ticket, so long as you promise..

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I promise. The second I'm back in Mountainview, I'll open a portal and go back to my parents."

"And you'll stay there?" he asked.

I nodded again. "I'll stay. I promise, I won't go anywhere."

He pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms enveloping me in a sense of safety and warmth. "Alright, so long as you do that. And you'll keep me updated on everything."

I leaned into his chest, drawing comfort from his presence. "Of course. I'll call you every day." Enzo held me for a long time after that, gently rocking me back and forth as I buried my face in his chest. No matter how terrifying this all was, I knew that we had to somehow find a balance between our duties and our fears. I couldn't let fear get in the way of our lives, not again. Maybe it was a flaw of mine in some people's eyes, the way that I wanted so desperately for our normal lives to go on despite the hurdles.

But to me, it was necessary. It was part of survival. And if leaving Enzo here in the city while I traveled back to the supernatural realm was part of surviving, then I would do it.