My Hockey Alpha

Nina

A woman’s voice screamed for help from the forest. Enzo and I pulled away from each other, just as we were about to kiss for the second time that night. We looked at each other for a moment, the realization of the situation hitting us, before taking off toward the woods.

Could we not have one good night without people being injured or killed by werewolves?

“Stay here,” Enzo said just before we reached the woods. He stopped in his tracks and grabbed me by both shoulders, pushing me away from the entrance of the woods where students and locals often walked on the seemingly-safe nature trails.

I wrenched myself free and shook my head vigorously. Stay here? There was no way in hell I was letting Enzo go into the woods by himself. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him out there and I wasn’t there to help him. “No way!” I shouted, curling my hands up into fists. “I’m not letting you go alone.”

“Nina, it’s not safe–”

“I realize that, Enzo!” I said, stamping my foot angrily. “I’m going with you regardless!”

Enzo stared at me for a moment, a mixture of surprise and worry written across his face, before he sighed and nodded, straightening once more.” Alright,” he said, turning toward the trail that led into the forest and holding out his hand as the screams continued. “But stay close. Don’t let go of my hand.”

I took his hand and ran with him into the forest toward the source of the screams. It was frightening to run with such wild abandon in the forest, but I let Enzo lead the way; something in me told me to trust him to guide us as we ran, so I did.

“Help!” the woman screamed again, this time much closer. We took a sharp right turn, leaping over tree roots and rocks in the way, and soon found ourselves in a small clearing.

dropped my hand and stepped forward while I stood paralyzed by the scene before

at the ground, sobbing

his voice almost sounding like a growl on its own. The rogue looked up

but there was also something oddly familiar about the rogue’s

attack. I ran up to the woman and grabbed her hand,

eyes, staring at me for a moment — as if it recognized me then turned on its heels and took off into the woods like a wraith in the

I asked, my voice shaking as I

arms and scooping her up, his eyes fixed on me. They were

can,” he said sternly over the woman’s sobs.

“But I–”

and serious. “Please Just this once, I

woman’s painful wails grew louder, and in the blink of an eye, Enzo and the woman were just… gone. The forest was silent once more, as if nothing had ever happened — but I was too stubborn and determined to find out who that rogue was, because something about

to go in the direction that the rogue took. I carefully crept through the forest, trying to stay as quiet as possible as I followed the rogue’s trail; it had crashed so haphazardly through the woods that I could make out a clear path just from all of the trampled

been following the rogue’s trail for nearly twenty minutes when I finally stumbled

at the moon with its head tilted back. As I approached through the bushes, it heard me and jumped up, snarling. I felt my heart quicken as I cursed myself for being

but for some reason, I no longer felt

I expected the rogue to suddenly jump up and attack me,