My Hockey Alpha

Nina

“Nina… Taylor is in the hospital.”

I felt my heart drop as I registered what my mother just told me over the phone. Everything, from the Half- Moon Tournament to the Mad Wolf serum to Luke’s sudden transformation, seemed like nothing now.

“I’ll be there as soon as possible,” I said hastily, hanging up as a knot formed in my stomach.

“Nina? Is everything okay?” Enzo asked from behind. I turned around to see him still standing by the fire, looking at me with a concerned expression on his face. Luke was pulling on a pair of jeans behind him, but was also looking at me as he did so. It felt odd to see Luke with an actual expression on his face, and for there tobe meat and flesh on his bones, but right now it hardly registered to me.

“I-I have to go,” I said, taking a few steps backwards. “It’s my brother. He’s in the hospital.”

Both Enzo’s and Luke’s eyes widened. Enzo jogged toward me. “I’ll take you on the motorcycle,” he said.

“No,” I replied. “I’ll borrow Lori’s car I’ll keep you updated, though. Just focus on Edward and the Half-Moon tournament.”

Enzo nodded, and before either of them said anything else, I turned on my heel and ran back toward the campus. Lori was thankfully still awake when I got home, playing a video game on the TV

“Can I borrow your car for the night?” I asked breathlessly as I ran through to my room and began stuffing clothes and toiletries in my backpack.

Lori paused her game and turned around on the couch to face me. “Uh… Sure, I guess?” she responded. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s my brother,” I replied, running out of my room with my bag haphazardly packed already. “He’s in the hospital.”

her face drawn with

quick hug before sprinting out of the dorm

was certain I had broken several traffic laws on the way, but

and jumped up when I burst in through the double

was just angry with her for not getting Taylor the help he needed and for letting it get to this point. I was mad at myself, too, for not being there for

is he?”

called a nurse over, who led us to the hospital room

heart dropped into the pit of my stomach like a

was hooked up to so many machines. There was a breathing tube down his throat, his eyes were

of his bed. I gripped the

quietly “His symptoms were so severe that the doctor had to put him under a medically-induced

know what’s wrong with him?”

we’re aware, he doesn’t seem to have any sort of tumor or anything like that I furrowed my brow as I continued to stare down at my brother. The tears in my eyes turned

privacy. Once we were alone, I felt

you’d let it come to this,” I growled, feeling rage bubble up inside of me. “He’s been telling you for years that he’s been in pain, and

my mother responded, walking around the hospital bed and sitting in the folding chair across from it as the methodical beeping of the machines and the hum of the fluorescent lights

on Taylor’s wrist and I let go before I hurt him, my hands shaking. “You did nothing and now

my mother whispered. There were tears in her own eyes and her lower lip

asked. “What’s so difficult about getting your son the medical help he

been the last time I saw him. His cheeks were gaunt and his eyes were sunken in. As I reached out again

with, who had once climbed trees and played cowboys and bandits and given me piggy back rides when we