My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 345

“‘But he needs me,” I shot back, sighing heavily. “He needs me, maybe more than he even realizes, and I’ve been totally blind to it.”

The water of the stream suddenly blurred, distorted by the new flood of tears. I felt so overwhelmed, the weight of my ignorance pressing down on me like a thousand- pound weight.

“He needs you, but you also need him,” my wolf said softly, breaking her silence.

“I know,” I whispered, my voice quivering. “I just wish I had paid attention sooner.”

Suddenly, the rustling of leaves and the crunch of twigs underfoot alerted me to his approach before I even saw him. My wolf perked up instantly, conflicted emotions swirling within me. I knew it was Enzo, but a part of me didn’t want to face him —not yet.

He emerged from the tree line, his eyes searching the darkening landscape until they settled on me. “Nina,” he breathed out, the relief in his voice mingling with an undertone of guilt. “There you are.”

“I don’t want to talk,” I found myself saying, folding my arms instinctively over my chest. “I’m not in the mood right now.” He stopped a few feet away, his eyes filled with regret. “Look, I know I shouldn’t have acted the way I did, Nina. I’m really sorry. Are you hurt?”

I turned away, my gaze falling on the stream once again. “I’m fine.

But ‘sorry’ isn’t really gonna cut it right now. What’s gotten into you?”

“No, it doesn’t.” he agreed, his voice subdued, “I lost control and I shouldn’t have. That’s all I really have to say.”

The raw emotion in his voice tempted me to look at him, to fall into those eyes that had always been my sanctuary. But I resisted. “Lost control? Is that what we’re calling it now? Did you also lose control when you beat the hell out of that burglar?”

As I spoke, Enzo’s eyes widened slightly. “You —”

“Oh, I heard,” I said, my voice lowering. “What the hell, Enzo? I thought we were on the same page yesterday —about how violence won’t solve anything.Some paragraphs are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Jobnib.com. Visit Jobnib.com to read the complete chapters for free. About how that isn’t our way. Our pack is called the Peacekeepers, Enzo. Beating the shit out of people doesn’t exactly define ‘peace.'”-

He sighed, his footsteps moving closer. “I know. I just… I got frustrated, Nina. About everything. Work, the pack politics, our disagreement… It got too much and I lashed out.”

I spun around, my eyes locking onto his. “We’re both frustrated, Enzo. But that doesn’t give you the right to get physical.”

A deep sigh escaped him, his shoulders sagging as if carrying the weight of the world. “I know. I messed up, big time. And I don’t expect you to just forgive and forget, but I can’t bear the thought of losing you over my stupidity.”

My heart wavered, torn between my lingering anger and the love that had never ceased, even in our darkest moments. “You won’t lose me.” I stood, turning to face him. “But Enzo, we need to talk.

Not just about this, but the ultimatum you gave me yesterday.” He looked exasperated, running his hands through his hair.

“Alright,” he finally said after a beat. He held his hand out to me,palm facing upwards, and there was a slight tremor in his hand as though he was hesitant about scaring me, “Will you come with me?”

Nina

It wasn’t long before I realized where Enzo was taking us: into town, and to the diner, the location of many a late – night date.

“I should’ve known,” I mur mured with a half-hearted smile as we slid into our regular booth.

“It’s been a little while,” Enzo said, his eyes scanning the menu. ” And I’m hungry.”

I hadn’t been working regularly at the diner since we got married In fact, I hadn’t been working much at all outside of being the team doctor for the hockey team during game season and volunteering occasionally around town. In a strange way, I missed it. Maybe, I thought to myself, I would come back to it at some point. But that felt like a silly thought; as if I would have the time, what with a baby on the way and medical school.

The server came over, a familiar face who greeted us with a forced smile. “The usual?”

“Yeah,” Enzo responded, handing back the menus. She nodded and left us alone, with nothing but the tension that we had brought in with us.

“I’ve been thinking,” I began, twirling a napkin in my hands. ” About what you said — the ultimatum. It’s a lot to process in 48 hours, Enzo. I don’t know if I want to move back in with my parents, and I’m not sure if I can make a decision like that so quickly.”

He sighed, leaning back in the booth. “And I don’t know if I want to quit my job, Nina. But one of us needs to make a decision. For the baby’s sake/”

I shook my head, feeling a surge of frustration. “But that’s just it.

Why does it have to be so black and white? Why can’t we find a middle ground?”

“Because sometimes life doesn’t give you that luxury,” he said, his voice tinged with weariness. “We have to be practical. We have a baby on the way.”

“Yeah, a baby that neither of us planned for,” I shot back. “Do you not think that scares me too?”

Enzo’s gaze didn’t waver. “Of course I do. Why would you even ask that?”

“Because,” I paused, searching for the right words. “If we’re going to make these sacrifices, these huge life changes, I need to know it’s what we both want. And with everything else going on…”

He looked at me, his eyes softening. “Nina, I want this child. But I can’t sit by and watch you and the baby be in danger if you ‘re going to be stubborn about this.”

I looked at him, trying to read between the lines. “You mean, if I don’t move in with my parents?”

He nodded, his face serious. “Your parents can provide a level of security and support that I can’t, especially if I’m gone. I don’t like it any more than you do, but it’s the responsible thing to consider.” My mind raced. I could see the logic in his words, and yet it hurt to think about living away from him, about going through the pregnancy while he was off chasing his career. And then it hit me.

“Okay,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “But what if I come with you? What if we made this new place our home, at least for a while?”

Enzo looked surprised, then thoughtful, his eyes searching mine as if trying to gauge whether I was serious. “You’d do that?”

I nodded, feeling a tentative sense of relief. “Yes, I’d do that. I’d go wherever you go.”

He sighed, a long, drawn- out sound that felt like it carried the weight of the world. “That’s incredibly sweet, Nina, but you have to consider the logistics. I’ll be living in a hotel room in a city neither of us knows. That’s not conducive for a pregnant woman, let alone a new mom. And what about medical school?”

I opened my mouth to protest but then closed it again. The reality of what he was saying sank in, crashing down like a wave of cold water. He was right, of course. Medical school was my dream, a goal I had been working towards for years. And yet, the idea of being apart from him, especially now, felt unbearable.

“I know you’re right,” I finally said, my voice tinged with regret. ” But I hate it.”

“I hate it too,” he said softly, his eyes meeting mine. “But sometimes doing the right thing isn’t the easy thing.” There was a long silence as his words sank in even further. The thought of it all was so scary, and yet I couldn’t let go of this little life living inside of me. Already, my maternal instincts were kicking in, and I knew that this was what I wanted. It was going to be messy and confusing, but somehow, I knew that it would be worth it in the end.

“Alright,” I finally said, taking in a shaky breath. “P’II move in with my parents in the werewolf realm. But only when you officially leave for your job. And the minute you’re back, so am I.”

Enzo looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and sorrow. “That sounds like a plan.”

“A shitty plan,” I added, the bitterness creeping into my voice.

“But a necessary plan,” he countered, reaching for my hand and squeezing it tightly.