My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 474

Nina

I awoke with a start, gasping and clutching my chest. A cold sweat had caked my back, and as I sat up in bed, I noticed the ache in my limbs from tensing my muscles during my sleep. But my physical discomfort felt like nothing to the mental discomfort I felt.

Selena’s words, even in my waking state, still echoed in my mind.

“You have to hurry,” she had said. “You have to finish the ritual…”

I swallowed, confused. That was no dream; it was a vision, or maybe even a visit to another realm of sorts. And the words that Selena had spoken hadn’t been imagined. She really had spoken them.

But how? And what did it all mean?

“What ritual…?” I muttered to myself, rubbing my tired eyes.

As I sat there, though, it hit me: my gaze wandered over to the journal that was sitting on my desk, which now sat closed, its translation tucked neatly between the pages. I had plans to find a good hiding place for it, maybe to even bury it deep in the forest where no one could find it again.

But now, as it sat there, I knew.

Finding that dusty book on the back of the highest shelf in the sprawling library had been no accident; it had found me. And Selena wanted me to finish the ritual. She wanted me to… bind a spirit to my unborn baby.

Her spirit?

Frowning, I threw the covers off of myself and swung my legs over the side of the bed, standing. I slowly walked over to the book, which was illuminated by the warm golden light of the rising sun peeking in through the curtains. I swallowed and reached out, running my fingers along the soft leather.

The book just sat there, silent, like any normal book. There was no glow, no tingle, no sense of magic now that the moon had slipped below the horizon in the wake of dawn.

And yet, I couldn’t help but flinch back as I touched it.

No. This ritual was dark magic, and it was not to be trifled with. I had no desire to bind a spirit, even my dead twin sister’s spirit, to my unborn child. I didn’t know the consequences, or whether the baby that would be born would even really be mine anymore.

As I stood there, cradling my hand as if I had been burned by touching the book, Selena’s words floated through my mind again.

She had sounded urgent, like something was at stake if I didn’t complete the ritual.

But I couldn’t do it. No, I wouldn’t do it. Surely Selena wouldn’t trick me into doing such a thing. Surely it was just a nightmare after all, and none of this was real…

Luke was set to return at any minute now, and here I was, still locked in my room with two guards posted outside.

I had spent the entire day in my room, only leaving to eat something. Of course, the guards my father had posted followed me to the kitchen, even when I told them that I just wanted a sandwich. It was both humiliating and infuriating, but even more than that, it was frustrating.

There was no way I would just sit here idly while my husband—my mate-was manipulated by Mila and put through unimaginable atrocities. But with the guards posted outside, the idea of escaping with Luke felt slim, to say the least.

Still, though, I packed a bag—just in case. I packed only the essentials: a change of clothes, some money, a few necessary toiletries, as I didn’t know how long we would be gone or where this next adventure would take us.

And for some reason, I packed the journal.

I didn’t know why I did it. Truthfully, it just sort of… happened. I didn’t even realize it until I was already slipping the book into my backpack.

I paused, realizing now what I was doing, and stared down at the book in my hands.

When we finally arrived at the meeting spot and stopped running, gasping for breath, I turned to face my mother with wide eyes.

“Mom, what made you change your mind?” I breathed.

She shook her head. “I never changed my mind. I knew from the beginning that something was wrong,” she said. ” You have to get him back, Nina. And I know you’re the only one who can.”

“But Mom-”

“I was like you, once,” she said, lurching forward to throw her arms around me and pull me into a tight hug. “And I think, in many ways, I still am.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but then it happened: the swirling, fizzling portal opened, right where Luke had said it would. My mother and I pulled apart, and for just a moment I saw tears in her eyes before she quickly wiped them away.

A moment later, Luke stepped out of the portal. His eyes locked onto me immediately.

“You made it,” he said. “Come on, let’s go before the portal closes.”

I nodded and took one last look at my mom. “Thank you,” I whispered, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.

She smiled and nodded. “Go and get-” she began, but before she could finish, a shrill and familiar voice broke through the quiet forest.

“Wait! Wait, I’m coming with you!”