My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 364

Enzo

“Are you sure you’re a human, Enzo?”

Mila and I stood in the dimly lit room, the hum of medical equipment filling the air. She had just finished going over my physical therapy results, and her eyes were no longer fixed on the tablet in her hand, but were instead boring holes into me now.

Her words caught me off guard. I didn’t know what to say, and it felt as though she somehow knew that I wasn’t human. I had tried to take it easy on the running test, but sometimes my abilities still surpassed a normal human’s even when I wasn’t putting in my full effort.

“… I, um—” I began to stutter, but Mila cut me off with a snort.

“I’m just teasing, Enzo,” she chuckled, smacking my arm. ”

Geez, you’re so serious.”

I chuckled, feeling my shoulders relax slightly. “You never know,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.

“Well, it is impressive,” Mila remarked, her voice still carrying that hint of surprise. “T’ve never seen results quite like these.

One of these days, we’ll have to get you in here to do a full PT’ test. I’d be curious to see the results.”

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease. Mila wasn’t aware of my supernatural nature, and I had to be cautious about revealing it. Instead, I offered a modest smile. “I’ve been training my whole life,” I said, “so I guess it pays off.”

Mila’s gaze lingered on me, her expression thoughtful. “Hmm.

And I bet your wife must be very appreciative of your body,” she added with a playful grin.

Her comment caught me off guard, and I felt a slight flush creeping up my neck. My wolf cringed at her comment; I could feel him bristling in me, put off by her flirtatious demeanor.

“Well, we both work hard to stay fit,” I managed, just wanting to steer the conversation onto safer ground for the sake of both my marriage and my career.

But Mila, seemingly unperturbed by my terse tone, took a step closer to me, her tone dropping to a more intimate level. “Are you sure you’re both putting in the same effort?” she asked.

I knit my eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, Nina seems fit, but not nearly as much as you,” she said, her eyes flicking up and down my body.

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling almost naked as I stood in front of her. I was somewhat used to women being interested in me, but never like this — not in a professional setting, at least.

The possibilities began to flicker through my mind, but I felt more and more cornered with each one.

I could report her, but she had been working with this team for years. She had seniority over me, and she was good at her job. I was just the newbie; what would they think if I suddenly reported their beloved team doctor for sexual harassment?

And furthermore, how would it come across if a guy of my stature reported a woman like her for making uncomfortable advances?

God, I hated the implications.

It was just a reminder that in this world, men’s issues in the workplace could be just as tricky as women’s sometimes. I didn’t want to be labeled as a wimp who couldn’t stand up against a woman, but then again… did I really want to work in an environment in which I was being sexually harassed by a coworker in power?

Suddenly, just as I was about to open my mouth to retort, Tim burst into the room to see Mila and I standing close together, her hand lingering on my arm.

“Hey, you two—” He paused and gave us both a curious look, his eyebrows raised as he took in the scene. “Am I interrupting something here?”

Mila quickly straightened up and flashed a friendly smile. “Not at all, Tim. We were just discussing Enzo’s impressive PT results.”

Tim’s gaze lingered on us for a moment longer before he seemed to dismiss any suspicions he might have had. “Well, that’s great to hear. Hey, I was thinking, would you two like to join the team for drinks tonight? Enzo, I figured you could use it.

You’ve been working so hard, and…

His voice trailed off, but I knew the implications: the situation with Nina was what he was getting at. I wanted to say no,because I needed to get back to the hotel room and talk to her as soon as I could.

But Mila didn’t miss a beat. “Sure, count us in,” she replied, speaking for both of us without so much as consulting me.

Realizing that it would be impolite to decline now, I reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Uh, yeah, sure. I could have one drink.” Tim’s smile widened, oblivious to the tension in the room. ” Excellent. We’re meeting at O’Riley’s Pub at seven PM. See you there.”

As he left the room, Mila turned to me with an amused glint in her eye. “Looks like you and I have got plans for the evening, Enzo.”

“The team has got plans,” I corrected, stepping away from her.

Mila nodded, but said nothing as I left. I returned to the tail end of hockey practice, but my mind felt as though it was in a million places at once: the fortune teller, Nina, the baby, the team, and now Mila— my overbearing new colleague.

I didn’t know how to feel, or what to do, or even if I should bring it up to Nina. She already had her suspicions about Mila, after all.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety as the evening approached. My phone rested in my pocket, and I found myself checking it more often than I cared to admit, hoping for a text or call from Nina.

Each time I glanced at the screen and found it empty, my worry deepened.

At the bar, the team had gathered, and the atmosphere was lively. Laughter and conversation filled the air, and I did my best to join in, despite my distraction. I sipped my drink, trying to focus on the present, but Nina’s absence weighed heavily on my mind.

Mila noticed my restlessness and leaned closer to me. She playfully reached for my phone, which was sitting on the edge of the table.

“You seem preoccupied, Enzo. Let me take that for a while,” she said with a mischievous smile.

Before I could protest, she had my phone in her hand. She glanced at the screen and then back at me. “You can enjoy the evening without constantly checking your phone. Besides, you’re heading back to the middle of nowhere after this, right?” I hesitated, torn between my desire to keep my phone close and the need to maintain a professional image. Mila’s expression was a mixture of teasing and sincerity, and I finally relented, taking my phone back and placing it in my pocket.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I’ll be okay,” I replied, though my voice still trembled. “I just wish I could be more help, but…”

She shook her head. “It’s okay, Nina. You have every right to worry about your baby. And besides, Jessica would never forgive either of us if she knew that you put yourself and your baby in danger for her sake.”

“I just… I just want her to wake up,” I muttered, and now I was the one who was crying. “I feel useless. If I wasn’t pregnant, I know I could do it. But…”

Lori sighed, passing her hand over her exhausted face. “Maybe there’s another way,” she said. “Where’s Enzo? Is he still in the city?”

I nodded. “Yeah. And he won’t be home for another few days yet.”

Both of our shoulders seemed to drop in unison, but I wasn’t completely going to give up just yet. I leaned over to Lori, resting my head on her shoulder.

“We’ll figure something out, Lori,” I said gently as we both looked at our friend. “We have to.”

The next morning, however, the phone call from the doctor shattered our hopes. We were trying to have breakfast when the phone rang, and Lori picked it up without a second’s hesitation, a hopefulness in her eyes.

But her face grew ashen as she listened to the words on the other end of the line. She hung up and collapsed onto the couch, tears streaming down her face.

“They found more internal bleeding,” she choked out, her voice filled with anguish. “And she’s still not waking up.” I paced back and forth, my brows furrowed in thought.

I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. My healing abilities weren’t working, and I felt helpless.

But then, a thought began to form in my mind. A risky thought, a dangerous thought, but one that might be our only chance.

I had the power of Claiming. I could turn Jessica into a werewolf to save her.

The idea sent a shiver down my spine. It was a drastic step, one that would change Jessica’s life forever. But it was also a chance at saving her, and I couldn’t afford to let my best friend’s life slip through my fingers.

I turned to Lori, my voice hesitant. “Lori, there’s something t need to discuss with you,” I said, my words carefully chosen.

Lori looked up at me, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen. “What is it?”

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. “I know it might sound crazy, but.., 1 could Claim jessica”

Lor’s eyes widened, and she stared at me in shock. “But Nina, that’s a big decision,” she said, her voice filled with uncertainty.

“And it should be Jessica’s choice.”

I nodded, my heart beavy with the weight of the decision. “1 know, Lori,” I replied. “But we don’t have much time. L… I think I could do it. And it would save her, beyond all doubt.” Lori and I just stared at each other for a long time, neither of us sure what to say. Our best friend’s life was hanging in the balance, and there was no telling whether the surgeries would save her.

But my power of Claiming? It would save her in an instant, so long as it worked.