My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 401

Don’t worry, it gets easier,” she whispered, her voice laced with a hint of condescension. “Though it’s clear you haven’t been exercising much.”

I stiffened, the comment stinging more than I cared to admit. Little did she know the sort of physical peak my body had come into when my wolf had emerged – but lately, with my pregnancy symptoms being so all over the place, I hadn’t been able to do much at all.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of negative symptoms,” I said, trying to brush it off. “Haven’t been able to do much.”

Lea laughed lightly, a sound that grated on my already frayed nerves. “I can see that,” she said, eyeing my body up and down. “A little flabby, aren’t we?”

Her words felt like a slap across the face. I tried to keep my composure, focusing on Hannah’s instructions, but Lea’s words echoed in my head, amplifying the insecurities that had been brewing inside of me for a while now.

As the class progressed, Lea’s remarks didn’t cease.” You really should try to keep up, Nina. It’s important for the baby, you know.”.

I nodded, my throat tight with unshed tears. I had always been confident in my body, but her words cut deep, reminding me of every doubt I had ever had about myself.

During a particularly challenging pose, I stumbled, my balance faltering. Lea let out a titter, not bothering to hide her amusement. “It’s okay, not everyone’s cut out for this. Maybe you should start with something easier.”

I felt the eyes of the other nearby women on me, their gazes pitying or indifferent. The warm, welcoming atmosphere of the class had turned suffocating.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment and frustration, my body feeling more foreign to me than ever.

I couldn’t take it anymore. With a mumbled excuse, l rolled up my mat and hurried out of the class, not looking back. The cool air of the fresh breeze once I stepped out of the studio was a small relief, but it did little to soothe the way I felt.

As i walked to my car, I fought back tears, feeling, defeated and small.

Lea’s words replayed in my mind, each one a sharp jab at my self-esteem. I had come to the class seeking some peace and strength and to help care for my body throughout the pregnancy, but I just left feeling more vulnerable than ever.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, I took a few deep breaths, trying to compose myself. The last thing I wanted was to go home and explain to Enzo why I left the class early. I dreaded the thought of admitting how deeply Lea’s words had affected me.

“You should have said something,” my wolf said, agitated. “Why did you just… sit there and take it?

That’s not like you.”

swallowed as I put the car into gear. “I just couldn’t,” I muttered under my breath. “I can’t… I can’t describe

it.”

My wolf fell silent, but I could feel her annoyance.

Hell, I was annoyed, too. I knew it wasn’t like me to not stand up for myself.

Was it the pregnancy hormones, or something else?

A little while later, I was relieved to see the house come into view. I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding as I pulled into the driveway. And as I stepped into the house, I was greeted by the familiar comfort of home. The air smelled aromatic; Enzo must have been cooking something.

I found him in the living room, and he looked up as I entered, a smile on his face that made my resolve shatter.

“Hey, how was the class?” he asked.

And almost instantly, I burst into tears.

Nina

I woke up the following morning with a sense of dread in my stomach.

Despite Enzo’s words of encouragement, the memory of the previous yoga class were still fresh in my mind.

The hurtful words, the mocking glances —they had left a deeper mark than I cared to admit. I guess I had thought that, at this point in my life, the mean girl behavior would have been a thing of the past.

Oh, how wrong I was.

“I won’t let people talk to you like that,” Enzo had said when I had told him. He had immediately jumped up and reached for his coat, intending to march back down there and give that girl a piece of his mind, but I had stopped him.

“No, Enzo, that won’t help,” I had said, grabbing his arm to keep him from going. “It’ll just make things worse.”

Enzo had looked at me then, and the fire in his eyes had lingered. “Fine. But don’t let girls like that stop you from taking care of your health, Nina. This is for your baby. For our baby.”

I had promised that I would go again in the morning, that maybe I had just taken things the wrong waybecause of stress or pregnancy hormones. But now, with the class starting in just a little under an hour, ! wasn’t so sure.

Sitting on the edge of our bed, I quietly mulled over whether I should give the class another try or not after all.

Enzo noticed my unease as soon as he walked into the room. He sighed and crossed over to me, then sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms around me from behind. “You gonna be okay today, love?”

“You’ve got this,” he said, his voice soft but firm at the same time. “It’s like we said; just text me if you need anything. I’ll just be down the street at the thrift shop.”

With a nod, I gently pulled my hand away from Enzo’s and took a deep breath before opening the door. The sweet scent of incense and the sound of soft, ambient music filtering through the speakers did little to calm my racing heart, even though it should have been a place of tranquility.

As I stepped into the room, though, I was met with an excited voice.

Hannah, the instructor, was the first to notice me.

Her face lit up with a warm smile. “Nina! You’re back!’ she exclaimed, walking over to greet me. “What happened yesterday?”

I forced a smile, feeling the eyes of the other women in the room on me. “Yeah, I’m back,” I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “I just, uh… you know. Morning sickness.”

“Ah. Been there,” Hannah said, patting me on the shoulder. “No shame in it.”

“Thanks.”

“Well,” Hannah continued, gesturing around, “we’re all glad to have you back. Do you feel better today? Do you need any special accommodations?”

I shook my head. Honestly, I just wanted her to speak more quietly, because everyone was staring, but I didn’t say that out loud. I just offered her a polite smile. “No, thanks,” I said. “I’m okay this morning.” She nodded. “Of course. Let me know if you need anything. Why don’t you take a spot here at the front?”

Hannah led me to a spot near the front of the class, and I quickly unrolled my mat as close to the wall as I could, feeling very conscious of every move I made.

Thankfully, though, Lea was nowhere to be found so far. I figured that maybe she wasn’t coming today, which was an instant relief.

The room started to fill up rather quickly, the chatter of the other women creating a buzz of noise that I tried to tune out. Instead, I just focused on my stretching as I waited for the class to begin, just wanting to do as Enzo and the doctor had said: to take care of my body and my baby.

That was all that mattered right now.

But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her-Lea.

She must have slipped in at some point while my eyes. were closed, and was now leaning against the wall, a smug smirk on her face as her gaze locked onto mine.

Somehow, I knew that this class wasn’t going to be any better than it was yesterday.