My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 399

Not me, though. I didn’t want that. It wasn’t… me.

“Mom,” I said softly then, blinking away the tears that threatened to come at the mention of my sister, “what if… what if I don’t want to be the princess?”

My mom blinked at me, taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… I don’t know if I’m cut out for it,” I said. “I don’t know if I even want it. God, the thought of someday inheriting the throne makes me sick. It’s the last thing I’d ever want to do.”

There was a silence for a few moments, punctuated only by the sounds of Tyler splashing around in the background and soft music emanating from the speaker, before my mother answered. “You’re young, Nina. Too young to be thinking about something like this.”

“But dad seems to disagree,” | said. “Every other minute he’s reminding me how I’m a princess, how I should act a certain way, live a certain way, be a certain way. I need protection, fancy dresses, better etiquette. I need to live in the werewolf realm, leave my human friends behind..”

“Nina, you know he doesn’t mean that.”

“But how can you be sure?” I asked. “I only met him a few months ago, you know? We barely know each other. And every time he looks at me, I know he sees Selena.”

My mother fell silent again, and this time, she didn’t answer-because Tyler was suddenly swimming up to us, showing off his tricks, and splashing us.

The moment dissipated for now, and maybe that was for the best.

Later that evening, as Enzo and I crawled into bed, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting a warm light in the room, I knew it was time to tell him about my encounter with Daphne.

“Enzo,” | began, my voice low, “there’s something I need to tell you about the bird shifter spy.”

Enzo turned to face me, shooting me a quizzical look. ”

What about it?”

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “Her name is Daphne. I met her today in her human form. She knows about the yellow-eyed wolf.”

Enzo sat up straighter, his interest piqued. “Wait, what?

You met her?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I caught her looking at me.”

He swallowed, “So, do we send her back to your father?

Tell him to stop sending spies? That’s what you wanted, right?”

I shook my head, my fingers playing with the edge of the comforter. “No, that won’t help,” I said softly. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I know he’ll just send another one.

So I was thinking, if we’re stuck with her… why not use her to our advantage?”

Enzo raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

I leaned back against the pillows, my mind racing with possibilities. “Daphne has seen the yellow-eyed wolf.

She’s seen it a lot, actually. Maybe we can convince her to follow it, find out where it’s going, who it is.”

Enzo’s eyes lit up at my words. “That’s… not a bad idea, actually,” he said thoughtfully.

“But here’s the thing,” I said. “I asked her, and she said no. We might be able to convince her, but I don’t know how. There has to be something she wants more than money, something to make her turn against my father’s orders, right?”

As I spoke, Enzo furrowed his brow, thinking deeply.” Hm,” he muttered, leaning back on the pillows. “You’ve got a point.”

I let out a soft sigh as I slid down beside him, curling up. in the crook of his arm. I rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and the sensation made me shiver.

“There has to be something,” I said softly as sleep began to wrap its warm fingers around me. “What could a little bird want more than anything else?”

Nina

Enzo and I huddled under the glow of our living room lamp, trying to figure out how the hell we were going to find and talk to this elusive bird shifter, Daphne.

Daphne had revealed that she had been watching us for long enough to know all about the yellow-eyed wolf, and something told me that she may just know more than she was letting on. Our own scouts hadn’t been able to track down the strange stalker, but Daphne…

She was, perhaps, better suited to pursuing the yellow-eyed wolf. And if it was indeed working for one of our enemies, then we needed all of the information we could get. This could be huge.

Thad a map of the surrounding area pulled up on my phone, and was zooming in on a portion of the woods nearby that was known for its hiking trails.

“I think we should try to lure her out into the open,” I said as I traced my finger along the winding pathways of the local trails. “She’s bound to follow me if I go out on my own. Maybe I can convince her to talk to me again.”

Enzo nodded and took his phone out of my hands. “Matt, Jessica, and I can shift and give chase to her if she tries to run. Or rather, fly, I guess,” he added with a chuckle.

I let out a slight chuckle of my own. “I’m sure Jessica will be excited to finally get a chance to put her wolf form to use.”

Her wolf had only just emerged a few days ago, and when it came to the yellow-eyed wolf, it was personal.

That elusive predator had been the reason behind her nearly-fatal car crash, after all.

“Alright.” Enzo stood, stretching. “We’ll do it tomorrow.”

The next day, under asky mottled with clouds waiting to storm, Enzo, Jessica and I set out. We kept our distances from one another, not wanting to raise any suspicions.

Before I knew it, I was completely alone in the woods. Or at least, that was how it seemed.

The trees stood tall and silent around me, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze. The air felt electric, the beginnings of a hot summer storm. And behind me, hidden completely from view and camouflaged amongst the trees, Enzo, Matt, and Jessica waited in their wolf forms, ready to spring into action in case we needed to chase Daphne.

The further I walked, the more I could feel Daphne’s presence. At first, there was a flutter here or a rustle there.

But as I kept meandering through the hiking trails with my hands in my pockets, I started being able to see her.

The little red bird darted from branch to branch, her eyes fixed on me. I tried to appear nonchalant, making it out to be that I was paying her no mind.

Eventually, I saw her settle on a branch up ahead. I stopped in a clearing, kicking around some stones on the ground before I looked up at her. I didn’t want to chase her right away; I wanted to try to talk to her at first.

“Daphne, I know you’re up there,” I called out. “Can we talk?”

No response. She kept sitting on her tree branch, using her beak to scratch beneath one of her red wings.

But she was listening; I knew that much.

“Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot,” I said, taking a tentative step forward, “but I could really use your help.

I’ll give you whatever you want as payment, I promise.”

Still no response. She stared at me, her feathers a little ruffled.

And then, stretching her wings, she took off.

Suddenly, the tranquility of the forest was shattered as Enzo and the others burst out of their hiding spots. They were all so fast in their wolf forms, their movements a blur as they gave chase.

Daphne, caught off guard, let out a startled squawk and took to the air, her wings beating furiously.

The chase was intense, a flurry of movement and sound.

Daphne weaved through the trees, her agility remarkable.

Enzo and the others were relentless, but she was always just a wingbeat ahead.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched, torn between fear for Daphne and the desperate need to catch her. The others pursued her like their lives depended on it, their large wolf forms splitting up and flanking her in a triangle formation.

Up ahead, there were some old stone ruins with a high stone wall. It was too high for a little bird like her to fly over, not with so many hawks circling overhead. She’d get snatched out of the sky in an instant.

“Daphne,” I called out, following the chase, “please just listen to us! We’re not trying to hurt you!”

Finally, Daphne, realizing there was no escaping this time, shifted back into her human form. She landed gracefully on top of the stone wall, her green eyes glaring down at us defiantly as she perched up there. It was intriguing how birdlike she continued to look, even in her human form.

“What the hell do you want?” she demanded, her voice echoing through the clearing.

I stepped forward, a little out of breath from having to follow the chase on foot. Shifting was a little too risky with the pregnancy. I wished it wasn’t.

“Daphne, we really need your help,” I said. Please. We need to find this yellow-eyed wolf for everyone’s safety.”

She continued to perch there, her gaze flickering between the others and me. They slowly shifted back into their own human forms, out of breath and invigorated from the chase.

“Hey, Daphne,” I called out softly as she approached. ”

You look really pretty.”

Daphne blushed a bit at the compliment, a small smile playing on her lips. “Oh, uh… Thanks,” she mumbled, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. “But remember, I’m not making any promises to help you just by being here.”

“Of course,” I reassured her, leading her into the house.” This is just a friendly invitation. You’re not obligated to do anything.”

I offered her a drink, which she accepted with a soft’ thank you’. We mingled among the guests, and I watched as Daphne’s eyes darted around the room, taking in the lively atmosphere.

“That’s Jessica, and over there is Lori,” I said, pointing. ” That’s Luke. Oh, and that’s Matt.”

Daphne blushed and sipped her drink. “I know.”

As the night wore on, I noticed Daphne slowly relaxing, her initial hesitation giving way to a more open demeanor.

She even laughed at a joke Matt made, her face lighting up in a way that made me think she didn’t often have the chance to enjoy moments like this.

Throughout the evening, I couldn’t help but observe Daphne.

There was a certain loneliness about her, a sense of being perpetually on the outside looking in. It struck me then just how isolating the life of a spy must be, always watching others from a distance, never really a part of anything.

At one point, as we refilled our drinks, I turned toward her and offered her a friendly smile. “Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked, handing her a glass of wine while I continued drinking only non-alcoholic beverages.

She paused for a moment, her fingers brushing mine as she took the glass.

“Yeah,”

she finally said. “I am. Thanks for inviting me.”

I nodded. “You’re always welcome, you know,” I said. ” You don’t need to hide anymore. I know you’re there now.”

Daphne laughed a little. “You know, l’ve been watching you and your friends for so long now,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper, “it kind of feels like l’m a part of the group sometimes. Is that weird?”

I quickly shook my head. “No, not at all.”

She pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. “And it’s… well, it’s made me a bit jealous of your friendship, if I’m being honest.”

I was a bit taken aback. I guess I hadn’t really considered that too much before tonight. “It must be hard, always watching and never really being a part of it.”

“Yeah,” she said, her gaze drifting to where Matt was standing, talking animatedly with a group of friends. She blushed again, and I couldn’t help but find it endearing.

“You know,” I whispered, “he’s single.”

She blushed even deeper. “Yeah. I know.”

The party eventually wound down, and as people started to leave, Daphne lingered on the porch, looking out into the night. I found her standing there all by herself, and I approached her tentatively. We stood next to each other for a few moments, just looking out into the darkness.

“Did you have fun tonight?” I finally asked her.

Daphne nodded, a small smile on her face. “I did. Thanks again for inviting me.”

Then, after a pause, she turned to face me. “So, do you still want my services?”

I hesitated for a moment. Then, biting my lip, I came to a conclusion; I didn’t want to take advantage of her. She had seemed so happy, so content to finally just be a part of something and not just an observer. It didn’t feel right to take advantage of her loneliness.

I shook my head gently. “No, Daphne, it’s okay.”

“Are you sure? I can-”

“Really, Daphne, it’s fine.” I shot her a soft smile. “I just hoped you’d have a good time tonight. And remember, you’re always welcome to hang out with us. You should come back sometime.”

Daphne’s eyes softened, and for a moment, she looked like she might say something more.

But then she just nodded, shifting back into her little red bird form. I watched as she flew away into the night, disappearing into the dark sky.