My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 367

Nina

I was still sitting in the truck, my forehead leaned on the steering wheel as the tears flowed down my cheeks in tiny rivers.

I felt like a failure. I had tried to turn Jessica into a werewolf to save her life; I had put my own baby’s life on the line, and for what? She looked just as frail and lifeless as before. And now, here I was, sobbing on the side of the road.

But eventually, the tears subsided, and I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. It was time to pull myself together, to face the reality of the situation. If Lori needed me, I wanted to be home for her; at least I could still manage to be there for one friend, right?

But then, as I lifted my head, I caught a glimpse of movement in the darkness.

My heart leaped into my throat, and I froze, my breath catching.

There, in the middle of the road a distance away, I saw the form of a wolf. Its yellow eyes glinted in the headlights of my truck, and a shiver ran down my spine.

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The wolf seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn’t quite place where I had seen it before. One thing was certain, though: this was no ordinary wolf.

This was a werewolf.

My mind be ran to race with possibilities. I would have recognized it if it was a member of our pack, but I couldn’t. This wolf was a stranger, and yet it wasn’t at the same time.

And then, it was like it clicked all of a sudden:

Could it be Edward? I thought to myself. The possibility sent a surge of anger cousing through me. If it was Edward, he had a lot of nerve showing up right now, after everything that had happened.

Without thinking, and against my own wolf’s judgment, I climbed out of the truck and began to shout, my voice filled with a mix of frustration and anger.

“If that’s you, Edward, show yourself! I’ll kill you with my own hands!”

The wolf on the road stared at me for a few moments in silence, its eyes piercing into mine. For a second, I felt as though it was mocking me with its gaze, as if it knew just how powerless and defeated I felt at that moment.

And then, in an instant, it leaped off the road and into the dense forest. I watched it disappear into the shadows, my anger slowly fading into a sense of unease.

I shuddered, suddenly realizing how irrational my outburst had been. I was driven by the pain and anger of Jessica’s injuries mixed with the uncertainty of my own pregnancy, nothing more.

With a deep breath, I climbed back into the truck, my hands trembling slightly as I put it into drive. I needed to get home, to face the reality of the failed Claiming ceremony, and to be there for Lori and Jessica.

I couldn’t be standing in the middle of the road, giving in to my base instincts.

But as I drove away, the image of the wolf’s yellow eyes haunted my thoughts. It was a reminder that in the supernatural world,danger and mysteries lurked around every corner, no matter how hard I tried to escape it all.

And I couldn’t afford to let my guard down, not completely. Not now, not ever.

The gravel crunched under my tires as I pulled into the driveway, finally returning home. After seeing that wolf in the road, I had decided to head home just to be safe.

I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, though, and as I glanced at my phone for the first time all day, a sinking feeling settled in my chest. Several missed calls from Enzo stared back at me, and I knew he was getting worried.

Maybe it was finally time to call him.

I took a deep breath and dialed his number, my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for him to pick up. After a few rings, he answered, and his voice carried a mix of relief and frustration.

“Nina, where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you all day,” he said immediately, his tone a mixture of concern and annoyance. ” Luke told me what happened. I’ve been worried sick.”

I winced, guilt washing over me. “I’m sorry, Enzo,” I replied, my voice weary. “It’s been a crazy day, and… I didn’t even realize I had missed your calls.”

Enzo’s frustration seemed to ebb away as he realized that I was okay. “Are you alright, at least?” he asked, his voice softening.

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just.. Lori and Jessica needed me today.”

Enzo sighed on the other end of the line, his worry evident. “I get that, Nina. I really do. But you also need to take care of yourself, and you made a promise to me that you would go straight to your parents. Don’t make me worry like that again.”

I bit my lip, feeling a pang of guilt. Enzo was right, of course. I should have gone back to the werewolf realm, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Lori and Jessica when they needed me the most.

“I know,” I admitted, my voice tinged with regret. “I just… I couldn’t leave them. Lori’s going through hell, and Jessica -” Enzo interrupted me gently. “I understand, Nina. But we also have our baby to think about. And after everything, I need you to follow through with your promises.”

I sighed, knowing that he was right. Lori would refuse to go to the supernatural realm with Jessica being sick here, but Enzo’s concern for our child was valid. I needed to take better care of myself, and I knew that I should do what I said I was going to do. Lori and Jessica would understand.

“I know,” I said, letting out a soft sigh. “You’re right. I’ll go tomorrow, once I’m certain that Lori will be okay without me.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll be home tomorrow,” Enzo said softly. “We can go together. Does that sound okay?”

I paused for a moment, letting out a wry chuckle. “I’m so scatterbrained I didn’t even realize that tomorrow is Friday,” I said.

Enzo chuckled. “Today is Friday, technically,” he said. “It’s three o’clock in the morning.”

He was right; it was past three in the morning. “Did I wake you?”

“Of course not,” he said. “How could 1 sleep if 1 didn’t know where you were?”

After that, there was a brief pause before Enzo spoke up again. “Is there anything else you’ve been doing. Nina? Anything you’re not telling me?”

I hesitated for a moment, considering whether to tell him about the failed Claiming ceremony. But in the end, the pain of admitting my failure and the knowledge that he would be upset that I attempted it made me decide against it.

“No,” I replied, my voice a little unsteady, *I’ve just been at home, taking care of Lori.”

Thank you, Lori,” I said with a tense smile that I didn’t really feel. ” But I still wish I could have done more.”

Lori leaned in and kissed my cheek. “You’re an amazing friend, Nina,” she said, leaning her head on my shoulder in a show of affection that was rare for her. “And I’m so grateful to have you by my side.”

We stood there for a minute, holding each other, before I finally pulled away and looked down at her. “Hey,” I said, “since we’re both up, and I doubt we’ll be going to bed anytime soon, how about some tea?”

She paused for a moment, then finally nodded. We both walked in silence to the kitchen, where Lori perched on a stool while I put the kettle on. The kitchen was quiet for a while, filled only by the sound of the boiling water and illuminated only by the golden glow of the lamp.

Once the tea was poured, I slid a cup across the counter toward her.

She took it, wrapping her fingers around it, but didn’t drink right away. The steam hit both of our faces. It was almost soothing.

Almost, but not quite.

We sat there in silence for a while, both lost in our thoughts.

Finally, Lori spoke up, her voice hesitant. “Nina, is it okay with you if I stay here for a while longer? At least until I know more about Jessica’s condition?”

I looked at Lori, torn between wanting to be there for her and the nagging feeling that I needed to get back to the werewolf realm to ensure the safety of my baby. I took a deep breath, knowing that 1 had to be honest with Lori.

“Lori, I need to tell you something.” I said, my voice heavy with regret. “I need to go back to the werewolf realm tomorrow. There’s something important I have to do.”

Lort’s eyes filled with sadness, but she nodded in understanding. “I won’t stop you,” she said gently, reaching across the counter to grab my hand. “Is everything okay?”

I paused for a few moments, debating whether or not to tell her about the fortune teller. But finally, I realized that I needed to tell someone, and I would prefer if that someone was Lori.

So finally, I told her everything; the visions, the shadow entity, the sleepwalking, the fortune teller, the generational curse. When I was finished, Lori was silent, gripping her cup so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Neither of us had even touched our tea yet.

“Nina, I… I can’t believe it,” she whispered, shaking her head. ” You’ve been dealing with all this, and here I am, asking you to put yourself at risk for Jessica.”

“Lori, no,” I said, my voice more stern now. “Don’t you dare take the blame for this. I was the one who chose to do it. And I wanted to do it. For you and for Jessica.”

Lori was silent for a while longer before she finally stood and came around the counter, wrapping her arms around me. “I’ll miss you while you’re gone,” she murmured. “But thank you for being here for me. I’m so glad to have you as a friend, and… I hope the baby will be okay.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged Lori tightly. “I’m going to miss you too, Lori,” I whispered. “But I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Lori pulled away and gave me a weak smile. “Just focus on yourself,” she said softly, “Yourself and the baby. It’s what Jessica would want.”

I nodded, buoyed slightly by her words. Despite everything, de spite all of the pain and the heartache, Lori was right; Jessica would want me to focus on the baby.

And no matter how much it hurt, I knew it had to be done.