My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 471

Enzo

I lounged back on the plush chaise, idly running my fingers along the intricate embroidery as I gazed out over the deep, shimmering pools of water below.

Mila’s palace really was a marvel, all glittering spires and soaring archways that seemed to defy the laws of physics itself, all nestled beneath an enormous mountain. A shimmering mirage carved from the fires that Mila’s dragon form provided.

And soon, it would all be mine.

A small, contented smile tugged at the corners of my lips as that thought blossomed in my mind, warm and enticing. After everything I had endured, every heartache and betrayal, I had finally found my place. My purpose.

My mate.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been here, in Mila’s palace. All I knew was that she treated me like a king; I wanted for nothing, and if I did want for anything, it was provided to me at the drop of a hat. Comfortable bed chambers, hot baths, rich foods, silk everything.

As I sat here now, looking out over the strange pools of water that rippled below-one of the many oddities of Mila’s palace-I couldn’t help but feel oddly content.

Of course, Nina still plagued my mind. But the longer I stayed here, the less it bothered me. In fact, I was starting to feel oddly at peace with the whole thing.

“You seem contemplative this evening, my love.”

Mila’s sweet voice pulled me out of my reverise, the soft silk of her gown brushing my arm as she appeared at my side “Just admiring the view,” I murmured, turning to look at her with a slow, heated look.

She hummed low in her throat, trailing the tips of her fingers along the nape of my neck. “And what do you think? Is my humble abode finally beginning to feel like home?” she whispered.

“It’s everything I could have dreamed and more,” I said.

Mila arched one elegant brow and smirked at me. “But she still plagues your mind,” she cooed.

I felt my chest tighten at her words. “She?” I asked.

“That girl, of course,” she said, not even deigning to say Nina’s name. “I can see it in your eyes. You still think about her.”

I swallowed as her words washed over me. She was right; Nina still lingered in my thoughts. There was no denying that.

Mila regarded me silently for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she extricated her hand from my grasp and rose in one fluid motion.

“Don’t worry, Enzo,” she soothed, tossing a lock of dark hair over her shoulder. “I understand how difficult it can be to let go… Which is why, after our mating ceremony, I will remove those shackles permanently. You will be reborn. That girl won’t plague your mind anymore.’

For a moment, her words echoed in the large chamber. I knew what she was referring to: removing my memories of Nina and my past life, just as she had promised and just as I had requested.

But then, like a spark flaring up inside of my chest, something made me recoil.

“Wait,” I blurted out, suddenly jumping to my feet and surprising even myself. Mila’s eyes widened slightly, but she remained silent, waiting. “I…”

I swallowed hard, struggling to form coherent thoughts. I couldn’t explain it, but I didn’t want to wipe those memories anymore. Something had changed. Some part of me didn’t want to let go anymore, no matter how small.

“Those… memories, as painful as some may be, they’re a part of me,” I said slowly around the lump in my throat. “A part of the journey that led me to you, to this moment. I’m not certain I want to simply let them go, not yet.”

Mila regarded me coolly, her expression utterly unreadable. For an eternally long moment, the silence between us stretched on, growing more and more uncomfortable.

I swallowed. “How long?” I repeated.

Mila snapped her head around, her pupils flaring. “Until I say so.”

The words came out not like ice, but like fire, burning me and causing me to instinctively recoil once more. I took a step back, my eyes widening as terror washed over me again.

Terror and… Clarity.

Wait… I wasn’t supposed to be here. Where was Nina? Why was I allowing this to happen to me?

But then, when Mila reached out and touched my arm, my mind clouded again. Contentment washed over me, and I felt a soft smile twitch at the corners of my lips.

“Thank you, Mila,” I murmured, stepping forward to cup her face in my hands. “For being so understanding.”

She nodded. “Of course. But make no mistake, my love,” she said, pulling away and turning again. “Once you are truly mine, those fading memories will no longer have any place in the life I have created for us.’

She paused in the doorway, hesitating for just a moment longer to cast me one last lingering, warning look over her shoulder.

“You would be wise not to grow too attached to them.”