My Hockey Alpha

Nina

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll go with you.”

My mom let out a relieved sigh. Without a word, she rushed over to me and pulled me into a tight hug. I felt myself tense under her touch for a moment before I relaxed and wrapped my arms around her. For a long time, we held each other, crying, and eventually I heard the sound of my brother quietly walking down the stairs.

When I turned around, he was standing in the doorway with his suitcase in one hand and mine in the other.

“You knew all along?” I asked as we waited for my mom to finish packing up some sentimental items and valuables around the house to bring with us.

He nodded, then paused and furrowed his brow. “Yes. Well, sort of. I found out a couple of years ago when mom had a witch come and try to break the curse. I thought she was crazy for a long time, though. Now, I realize that she was telling the truth.”

I nodded, staring at the floor with wide eyes as a million things raced through my mind. “I’ve learned a lot these past few months,” I said. “If you had asked me at the beginning of the semester if I thought werewolves were real, I would’ve laughed in your face and called you a maniac. Now…”

My voice trailed off as I looked up to see my mother standing by the door. Her face was twisted into a look of sadness, and as she gripped her suitcase in her hand, her knuckles were white. “Come on,” she said, opening the door. “We have to go quickly.”

I nodded solemnly and took my suitcase from Taylor. Then, we said goodbye to our childhood home and left.

…

As our mother drove us to the airport, the reality of the situation hadn’t fully hit me yet and I had a million questions. Thankfully, my mom was finally honest and open about everything, and I was able to get some answers.

“So… You knew Richard in college?” I asked. “And Tiffany, and all of the others? Even… Edward?”

My mother smiled a bit at the mention of Tiffany’s name, but her smile quickly faded as I mentioned Richard and Edward.

“Yes,” she said quietly, gripping the steering wheel tightly as she drove. “The Peacekeepers. How did you know about our club?”

“Tiffany told me,” I replied. “She misses you, by the way.”

been too long. I’m afraid I’m not the same person I

the occasional streetlight cast the inside of the car in an amber glow. With each flash of light, mine and my brother’s intertwined hands were illuminated. “I think she’d

My mother didn’t answer.

we pulled out onto the

said, “what are you gonna do with the

sell it,” she replied. “We won’t be coming back. I’m

widened. “You told me it would

mom choked out through her clenched throat. “I’m sorry. But I had to do what was best for my children. Richard will stop at nothing to get us out of the picture, especially now that the Crescents are making a return. He still thinks I’m a traitor, and he thinks that I planted you there

said. “He can’t really

seemed, then I didn’t want to put my brother and my mom at risk anymore. Was I really about to say goodbye to everything and everyone I had come to know and love over the past

came into view. My mom pulled into the long-term parking lot and got out of the car. We had left so quickly that she was still in her

as

Already, I missed him more than anything. It felt as though I was leaving an entire half of my own body behind. Did he feel the same? Where had he gone when he climbed out of the window? As I stood behind my mother and listened to her arguing with the receptionist while she tried to exchange our old plane tickets

us the new tickets and pointed us toward security, where we went through the motions of removing our

felt so solid now. I felt as though I was walking through a thick mud, and with every step, I sank a little deeper. I trailed behind Taylor and my mother as they walked briskly to the terminal, still looking over my shoulder with the

handed our tickets to the attendant, who waved us through the gate with a stiff smile on

felt

across the air. It was faint at first, but it grew stronger with

scent. I was sure of

and looked over

mother called. “What are you

go with her. Enzo’s scent was like a lifeline pulling me to safety, pulling me home. I felt tears begin to stream down my cheeks and I shook my head rapidly,

“Mom… I can’t.”

be leaving in five minutes,” the attendant said. “If you’re not going to get on, I have to ask you to come back out

frantic. She rushed toward me and grabbed me by my shoulders, her face pleading. “What are you doing, Nina?” she