My Hockey Alpha



"I know," I whispered, comforted but still uneasy. "But what worries me is that if they're ballsy enough to return despite my father's forces, they've got more tricks up their sleeves than last time."

The room went silent, our thoughts too heavy for words. The weight of the unknown hung in the air, a shadow that refused to lift. Finally, Enzo broke the silence, calling out into the hallway where Luke and Matt were standing.

"Matt, Luke, be quick about it. The sooner we have him secure, the sooner we can figure out our next move."

He was right, of course, but I still couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that tightened around my heart like a vice. We were stepping into uncharted territory, and there was no turning back.

We watched as Luke and Matt loaded our temporary hostage into Matt's car. The burglar wasn't resistant, but his eyes set me with unease. Their flickering amber depths, the way that his lips were always twitched upwards in a permanent smirk... What did he know? Who sent him?

"Luke, make sure to increase the guard around Mountainview. We don't know who else is out there," Enzo said, his eyes scanning the surroundings with an alertness I hadn't seen in a while.

"Will do," Luke replied, before the burglar was loaded into the car and the three of them drove off.

I turned toward Enzo as we watched them pull out of the driveway, my fingers nervously twirling a loose strand of my hair. "Do you really think it could be them? The Crescents? Are they back?"

Enzo pulled me close, his arm wrapping around my shoulders in a protective embrace. "I don't know, Nina. It's possible. But, like Luke said, there's been no Crescent activity since the Alpha King's men dismantled their operations. We can at least hold onto that."

"Still, it could be a front, right? Maybe they've just gotten better at hiding."

"That's what worries me," he admitted, the muscles in his jaw tensing. "But I haven't seen anything on the patrols or picked up any chatter. It's like they vanished."

"That's exactly what's unsettling, Enzo. Just because you haven't seen a snake doesn't mean it's not there. And with Edward's potential return..."

Enzo sighed, his eyes meeting mine. "You're right. We can't rule out anything at this point."

"Either way," I said, "keeping him around could be beneficial. He's bound to let something slip eventually."

Enzo thought for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Maybe," he murmured, his eyes moving back and forth across the landscape as though he were studying it closely, on high alert. "But if he doesn't, I might need to..."

"Resort to violence?" I interrupted. "That's not us, Enzo. That can't be us. Not after everything."

"I know," he admitted with a reluctant nod. "We'll keep him contained for now, see if he provides us any useful information. Maybe we can figure out who's pulling the strings. But I can't make any promises, Nina."

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

"But that brings me to another point," he began, his tone shifting, becoming heavier. "Nina, there's something else we need to discuss."

"Okay, what's on your mind?"

"I need to be direct about this. With the situation being as uncertain as it is, I have to know you're safe."

"I know, Enzo, I do plan on taking precautions. Maybe moving Luke in while you're gone-*

"That's not what I mean," he interjected. "I'm talking about bigger changes. I'm giving you an ultimatum."

I blinked, stunned. "An ultimatum? What for?"

Enzo looked at me, his eyes searching mine as if hoping I would find the answer for him. "Either you go live with

your parents in the werewolf realm while I'm gone, or I quit my new job. There's no other option."