My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 374

At the mention of Selena, the kitchen fell silent. I could see my father’s expression twist slightly, and he quickly turned his back. He was pretending to check on the chicken in the oven, but I knew that he was just trying to keep himself from crying.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then my mother quickly shook her head and shot me a look. I sighed, relenting. It was a sensitive subject, after all, and maybe today wasn’t the best day to have a discussion about my dead twin.

As the evening wore on, Enzo eventually emerged and we all pitched in to prepare the rest of the meal.

Despite the initial chaos, dinner preparations went surprisingly smoothly. Before I knew it, the table was laden with fragrant food, flickering candles, and various wines.

“Sparkling juice for you,” my mother said, handing me a glass with a wink. I took it gratefully and rolled my eyes. (

“Thanks, mom.”

“Man, it’s a good thing Nina is pregnant,” Enzo teased as he sat down beside me. “Finally, she has a good excuse not to be hitting the bottle all the time.”

“Hey!” I yelled, smacking his arm. “That’s not true! I barely drink!”

But Enzo just laughed.

“Sure, and I barely play

hockey.”

Eventually, once we were all sat down for dinner, the conversation flowed freely. We talked about anything and everything, and it was a nice change from the usual talk of doom and gloom.

But then, midway through the meal, my father finally broached the subject that had been lingering in the air.

“Nina, sweetheart,” he began cautiously, “when are you officially moving in with us?”

I exchanged a glance with Enzo, who offered a reassuring smile. It was a conversation we had been anticipating, but it still made me uneasy. I hated the idea of losing my independence, but I knew it was better for me to be here, just as I had promised.

“We only want to make sure you and the baby are well taken care of,” my mother added, her gaze filled with concern.

I nodded. “I know, guys. I’ll work out the details soon.

I promise.”

With a smile, my father nodded and returned to his meal. But as I looked at Enzo, I couldn’t help but wonder when exactly I would be moving in.

“What do you think?” I asked. “You were going to start work early, weren’t you?”

Enzo’s expression shifted slightly, a hint of uncertainty crossing his features. I felt as though I had struck a nerve, and it instantly made me wonder what I had said that bothered him.

“Let’s discuss it later,” was all he replied, his voice quieter than usual.

Later that evening, as we returned to our bedroom, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss with Enzo. He had joked here and there, but he had still been unusually quiet throughout dinner, and it was making me worried.

“Enzo,” I began as he began to undress, “did I upset you earlier by bringing up work?”

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes avoiding mine as he slipped off his shirt. “No, not at all,” he said. “I’ve just been stressing about you and the baby. But I’m better now.”

I watched Enzo for a few moments as he sat on the edge of the bed and tugged his shoes off. There was something in his tone, something in his movements, that made me think that he wasn’t being entirely

truthful. I could feel it.

And then it happened!

I reached out to him to touch his hand, and he flinched, his eyes widening ever so slightly. It caused me to recoil, and it instantly filled me with a sense of dread.

“Enzo,” I murmured cautiously, “what really happened with your wrist?”

Nina

My hand trembled as I pulled away from Enzo, watching as a whole host of emotions played across his face. I was still in shock; he had flinched from my touch.

But why? I had never-I would never have-laid a finger on him. And yet here he was, the man who was strong enough to fight battles against rogues, flinching away from his wife’s touch.

“Enzo,” I murmured, “what really happened with your wrist?”

Enzo let out a long sigh, but said nothing for a while. I kept waiting, thinking to myself that he would tell me the truth any moment, but he never did. It was as if he was battling with himself, trying to decide if he wanted to tell me the truth or not.

And then, finally, he said it.

I almost laughed at the idea of Enzo getting into a bar brawl. It was so unlike him, and I highly doubted that was what had happened. But either way, my wolf was right; I couldn’t just let this go.

“Are you sure you’re not keeping something from me?” I asked.

Enzo froze, his back turned to me. I could see his broad shoulders tremble for a split second before he seemed to regain his composure, and he turned to look at me over his shoulder.

“Yes, Nina,” he said. “I’m sure. Can we please drop this now?”

I took a step back, feeling a new wave of hurt wash over me. Whatever he was refusing to tell me had become monstrous inside of my head by now: a bar brawl, a fight for his life, a horrific car crash.

I knew it was silly and illogical, but I couldn’t deny the fact that I was just worried for him more than anything else. I kept seeing the way he had flinched replay over and over again in my mind, and it pained me.

Sighing, I decided not to say another word. I made my way over to the closet and kicked my shoes off, then began to slip my dress off over my head.

Reluctantly, I changed the subject, trying to shift the atmosphere in the room. “So,” I began, my voice softer now, “what about the early employment offer you had?

Have you made a decision yet?”

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze distant. “Oh, that?” he asked. “Why do you ask?”

I furrowed my brow and turned to face him. “Because my parents need to know when I’m moving in,” I said.” And if I could have more time in Mountainview, I’d like to know.”

Enzo was silent for some time. I kept staring at him, my confusion about his wrist shifting to my confusion about his sudden hesitance to talk about a topic that we had agreed to talk about to begin with.

“Look,” I said with a sigh, “if you’re still too upset with me to talk about it right now, then -”

But he cut me off with a shake of his head. “I’m not upset with you, Nina,” he said softly, then paused again, biting the inside of his cheek. “It’s just… If I’m being honest, I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to take this job after all.”

I was taken aback by his response, and shot him a confused look. “What do you mean, you’re not sure if you’re going to take this job?” I asked, my voice filled with surprise. “I thought you were excited.”

Enzo’s shoulders slumped a little bit further, and he avoided my gaze as he spoke. “I was,” he said, “it’s just… there are other things I need to consider,” he muttered,his words trailing off.

His words made my breath hitch. Something about his mannerisms, something about the way he spoke, made me wonder if this was all connected. His wrist, the flinching, the uncertainty..

“Enzo,” I said gently, taking a step forward, “what’s going on with you?”