My Hockey Alpha

Nina

I didn’t want to admit that it broke my heart to tell Enzo we couldn’t be together, but it was the right thing to do. We would be toxic together, and besides there was just too much drama surrounding the pseudo- relationship we already had for a real relationship to be able to blossom.

Admittedly, I didn’t know if I even wanted to go on this date with James after everything. Was it even a date, or were we just two friends meeting up to study? Either way, I didn’t know if it was a good idea, especially so soon after I told Enzo that we could only be friends.

I told Jessica everything, however, and she convinced me to go.

“Aw, come on, Nina!” Jessica said when I told her about James and Enzo.”

Are you really gonna let a guy who you hooked up with once stop you from going on a date with a really sweet guy who clearly likes you?”

I wanted to explain that it wasn’t just a’hookup, that Enzo had saved my life multiple times now and that he possibly even thought I was his mate, but I didn’t. Jessica would think I had. gone totally bonkers,

Lori chimed in then with a smile on her usually-stoic face. “James sounds like your type, anyway,” she said. ” Plus, you know how bad of an idea it is to get involved with hockey guys. And you know what they say…”

“The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else,” Jessica said with a grin and placed her hands. on her hips.

Lori rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t what I was gonna say, but I guess that works, too,” she grumbled, returning to her book.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’ll meet up with him. But I’m not

a pair of thigh high socks and ankle boots. Aside from a bit of mascara, I didn’t put on any other makeup or do my hair in any way that was out of the ordinary, I didn’t want to seem too dressed

James. He was sitting at the fountain and reading a book, wearing his usual sweater

him. He looked up and

tell that he was trying not to be obvious, but I knew he checked me out and it made me blush a bit. “You

said sheepishly. “Ready for studying at the

and I walked to the bus stop, I felt eyes

I

sat down at a window table with

incredibly smart and wound up helping me a lot with my research, but we also got to know each

your research topic as a PhD student?” I asked, taking a sip of my

biomedical genetics,” he replied. ” That’s what my dissertation is gonna be on; why we have certain genetic dispositions, mutations, disorders… All of that stuff really fascinates

or at least have some sort of interest in the subject, “So let’s say…” I said, choosing my words carefully so as not to sound like a total crazy person, “…let’s say, hypothetically, someone had… DNA that shared traits with certain animals,” I said. “Just hypothetically. Would

making my face turn red. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I probably sound like

no!” James interjected, reaching out and touching my hand for a moment, then quickly pulling away with an embarrassed look as he realized what he did. “I mean… It’s not that unlikely. We all share DNA with most mammals. Like monkeys. We did come

about… wolves?”

it’s the same with all mammals… But it’s only basic connections, like physical structure.

not to ask any further. It was silly of me to think otherwise; humans didn’t have any close links to wolves. If werewolves truly were real and I wasn’t at