My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 455

Matt nodded stiffly. “I know. I tried telling him that neither of us would ever do something like that, but… I don’t know. There was something in his eyes. Something… unnatural.”

My father and I looked at each other, blinking with confusion. Something unnatural?

“What do you mean, son?” my father asked.

Matt shrugged. “I can’t really describe it. He just looked feral or something.”

“Feral…” My father ran a hand through his hair again and glanced over at the curtain behind which Enzo still lay fast asleep. I wracked my brain to think of reasons, but then it hit me.

“When we were trapped in Mila’s palace,” I said, “she made him fight a bear shifter. He said that that shifter looked feral, too. Like it had been-”

“Poisoned,” my father interrupted.

There was a tense silence as realization dawned on the three of us. “Do you think that’s what happened to him?” I asked, looking up at my dad. “That the same gasses that turned Mila and her followers insane affected him, somehow?”

My father furrowed his brow. “It’s a possibility,” he said. “But he’s been out of there for weeks now, and he was only there for a few days. It shouldn’t affect someone-especially not someone as strong as Enzo-that quickly.”

I bit my lip and turned away, my mind racing. If Enzo had been affected by the poisonous gasses, then that would explain the strange behavior he had been exhibiting lately.

But then again, Luke, Daphne and I had all been in there, too. And we were all fine.

“Well,” my father said, “we’ll get to the bottom of it eventually. But for now, let’s let everyone rest.” He released the curtain and Matt’s face disappeared from view. “Come, Nina. Let’s get you to bed.”

I shook my head, already taking a step toward Enzo’s bunk. “I’ll sleep here tonight,” I said.

“Enzo,” I said softly. “You’re awake.”

But he didn’t look at me. He just stared past me, his eyes burning with that same feral fury that Matt had described.

“Enzo?” I whispered, reaching for him.

Suddenly, as I reached my hand out, his limbs jerked in his restraints as though trying to lunge for me. I leaped backwards, gasping as he snarled at me and continued to struggle against the straps holding him down. The leather creaked beneath the strain, threatening to snap at any moment.

“You fucking traitor,” he snarled, foaming at the corners of his mouth. “You bitch.”