My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 528

Enzo

The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne.

But even she wasn’t fast enough.

“Don’t let him get away!” I growled over my shoulder at Matt. I could see the scout’s dark form weaving between the tree trunks ahead, his footfalls lighter and more nimble than our own. We had caught him lurking around Nina’s and my house-likely spying for information, or maybe even looking for another opportunity to attack.

But not this time. This time, we were determined to get this scout and learn more about the Schreibers.

Matt grunted in response, putting on an extra burst of speed. I pushed my legs harder, ignoring the growing ache as my muscles protested from the overexertion. Up ahead, the scout leapt over a fallen log with almost feline grace, not breaking his stride. Gritting my teeth, I followed suit-only for my boot to catch on a gnarled root, sending me crashing to the ground with a muffled curse.

“Enzo!” Matt skidded to a halt beside me as I rolled onto my back, temporarily winded. He held out a hand, but I was already scrambling back to my feet, waving him off.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! Keep going!”

He hesitated for the briefest moment before giving a curt nod and rushing forward once more. I fell into step behind him, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth from where I’d bitten the inside of my cheek on impact.

But then, something else caught his eye over my shoulder-a break in the trees, a potential path to safety. Before I could react, he was sprinting that way, doing everything in his power to reach the tree line before we could intercept.

“No you don’t!” Matt’s shout rang out behind me as he barreled into the clearing, quickly closing the gap.

I pivoted and took off after the scout once more, the world around me dissolving into a frenzied blur of green and brown as I put every ounce of energy into my legs. Closer and closer, I could feel the ghost of his heels just out of reach, taunting me.