My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 371

Nina

“Jessica… You’re a werewolf now.”

As I uttered those words, it felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room. I wasn’t sure how Jessica would react; to get into a major accident like she did, then wake up and find out you were no longer a human, was a huge change.

Lori and I glanced at each other, and she gave me an almost imperceptible nod of approval. At least one person approved, I thought. Even if Enzo was mad at me and Jessica didn’t know what to say at all, at least someone understood why I felt the need to do what I did.

“You’re joking,” Jessica finally managed to utter, her voice quivering with a mixture of shock and uncertainty, her eyes as wide as two saucers. “I can’t be a werewolf.”

I nodded slowly, reaching out to take her hand in mine. It felt so warm now, a comforting feeling after how cold and lifeless it had felt last night. “It’s true,” I said gently. “I held an impromptu Claiming ceremony for you late last night. Honestly, I didn’t think it worked, but… here we are.”

Before Jessica could answer, Lori stepped forward, her expression a combination of empathy and worry. “Jess, you have to understand, it was a last resort. You were so close to death, and we didn’t have any other options. Nina tried to heal you, but with her pregnancy, it didn’t work. So she tried a different route.”

Jessica’s brow furrowed as she grappled with the weight of her newfound reality. “I get that, but… I didn’t choose this, you know? It just feels so strange. No offense, but I didn’t want to become a werewolf.”

Enzo, who had been silently listening from the doorway, finally spoke up and strode into the room.

He took me by surprise; I hadn’t been expecting him to be there, but there he was, a cup of coffee in hand. “Jessica, if this isn’t the life you want, there are ways out. But you’ll need to wait until you’re fully healed before considering any options.” Lori chimed in, her voice gentle. “Maybe, once you’re feeling better, you could take the antidote. It seems like the easiest route to reversing the transformation. That would work, right, Nina?”

I paused for a moment, biting my lower lip, before I nodded. “It should work. It worked on Selena all those months ago.”

Jessica nodded slowly, her mind clearly still reeling from the shock. “Okay. I’ll consider it,” she said softly, “but right now, my head is a mess, and I need time to think.”

“And you’ve got plenty of time,” Lori said with tears in her eyes. She reached out and took her fiancee’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thanks to Nina, you’ve got so much more time now.”

As Lori spoke, Jessica’s eyes met mine. My vision blurred slightly from the tears in my eyes, but I blinked them away, nodding. “I just wanted to keep you with us. I hope you can understand that.” Jessica nodded vehemently. “Of course, Nina. I don’t mean to sound upset or ungrateful. It’s just… well, it’s a lot, you know?

Enzo leaned in a little closer, placing his hand on Jessica’s ankle — the one that wasn’t still in a cast, at least —through the blanket. “We’re here for you if you need anything. If you have any questions, need any guidance, whatever. We’ll do whatever we can to help.”

As Jessica processed the information, a question seemed to weigh on her mind. “One more thing,” she began, her voice trembling, “I don’t feel like there’s a wolf inside me, like you and Nina have described. Why is that?”

Enzo offered a reassuring smile. “Not everyone’s wolf emerges immediately. With your injuries, it’s possible that your wolf is focusing all its energy on healing you. When it’s starting to emerge, you’ll know.”

“And that’s also why you’re going to take a little longer to heal than we would in your position,” I added. “Because your wolf didn’t have a chance to emerge before the accident; so take it easy, okay?

Don’t go assuming that you’re bulletproof now.”

Jessica laughed. “Noted. I guess that means I should tell that nosy doctor that I don’t consent to his study.”

Lori chimed in again, her tone warm and comforting. “That’s probably wise. After all, we can’t have you giving away all of our secrets, can we?”

Despite the initial shock and confusion, a sense of relief began to settle in the room. We all laughed a bit at Lori’s words, but I was just amazed and grateful that Jessica was here, talking to us, when only a few hours ago she had been on death’s doorstep.

I couldn’t help but feel a surge of gratitude in that moment. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Jess,” I said, my voice filled with sincerity.

Jessica met my gaze, her eyes softening. “Thanks, Nina. I appreciate what you did, even if it wasn’t what I expected.”

With that, we all gathered in a big group hug, . celebrating the fact that Jessica was alive and well.

Later, as Enzo and I prepared to leave the hospital, Lori remained behind with Jessica. We made our way to the car, and I let out a soft sigh of relief as I slid into the passenger seat.

“Time for the next adventure,” Enzo said, putting the truck into gear.

As we drove, however, I couldn’t stop glancing at Enzo’s wrist. The bruise kept peeking out from beneath his sleeve as he held onto the steering wheel, and although it was healed more now, I could still see the faint blue and purple outline.

“Enzo,” I said, unable to hide my curiosity any longer, “how did you hurt your wrist again?”

He quickly covered the bruise with his other hand, a flicker of discomfort crossing his features. “Like I said, it’s nothing,” he replied, his voice casual. “Just a bad sprain from practice yesterday. It’ll heal by the end of the day.”

I studied his expression, the way he avoided eye contact, and couldn’t shake the feeling that he was lying. But I decided not to press the issue for now, and instead turned my attention to the window, where I watched the trees speed by.

Before I knew it, we arrived home, grabbed our things, and looked at each other.

“Ready?” Enzo asked.

I nodded, turning to face the open space in our living room. “Ready.”

I focused my energy to open the portal, and a moment later, the swirling, crackling vortex lay in front of us, waiting for us to walk through. In just a few moments, we would be in the werewolf realm, where we would have to face a new wave of turmoil:visiting the witch to finally find out if my baby would be safe or not.

With one last tired smile, Enzo took my hand and we stepped forward.

But just as we were about to step through the portal into the supernatural realm, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. The world spun, and before I could react, I lost consciousness, sinking into the depths of darkness.

Nina

“Oh, she’s waking up.”

“Thank god. She had us scared for a moment there

As I slowly regained consciousness, the world around me became a blur of shapes and colors and sound. Everything felt loud and bright and overwhelming. My head throbbed, and my body felt heavy, as if I had just been in a deep sleep for hours.

I blinked several times, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

Mountainview. Jessica was in a horrible car accident, and—”

“We’re well aware of what happened with your friend,” my mother interrupted.

“Curses are not matters to be taken lightly,” my father chimed in in an equally stern tone of voice. ” And furthermore, Nina, you were foolish to perform a Claiming ceremony while you were pregnant. Do you not know of the risks involved?

I swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at me. “I didn’t know,” I replied, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I thought it would be fine.”

My father scoffed. He was usually so jovial that it was extra jarring to see him like this now, and I knew I had struck a chord. It was as if he was secretly reliving his experience with my biological mother’s first pregnancy all over again.

“You should have asked,” he said, his voice raising slightly. “Hells, Nina! Do you ever think to do anything other than the very first thing that comes to mind?!”

His words stung, and I quickly looked away, biting my lower lip to keep it from trembling.

My father sighed. “I’m sorry, Nina. I didn’t mean to yell; I’m just worried, that’s all.”

My parents exchanged another look, and I could see the worry in their eyes. My mother reached out and took my hand again, squeezing it gently. “It’ll be alright, Nina,” she said more gently now. “We’ll figure this out together. But your well-being and the baby’s well-being are our top priorities now.

There’s no more room for mistakes.”

I nodded, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

I felt like I had let everyone down, including myself and my unborn child, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness that was coming over me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice filled with regret. “I should have come here.”

Enzo stepped closer to the bed, his expression softening a little. “Nina, we just want you to remember that we’re here for you,” he murmured. ” You don’t need to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time. It’s okay to accept help.”

His words brought me a small shred of comfort, and I nodded, my eyes still filled with tears. “I know,” I whispered. “I just… I think I need to take some time to think for now. It’s just all so much.”

My mother patted my hand gently. “Of course, dear. And don’t worry; the witch is coming soon to do your checkup. We’ll make sure you and the baby are safe.”

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” my father said softly. “Not now, and not ever.”

I nodded, feeling a bit better thanks to their kind words. But it was still terrifying, knowing that my baby was at risk.

They left the room to let me rest until the witch came, and the last thing I saw was the concerned look in Enzo’s eyes before he slipped away.

And then I sank down into the plush pillows, letting out a sigh that felt as if the weight of the world was not sitting on my shoulders, but rather on my chest.