My Hockey Alpha

Nina

After our shower together, Enzo and I felt so exhausted from our experience that we crawled into bed despite the fact that it was broad daylight outside. When I finally awoke several hours later, it was dark in my room, and I found the warmth of his strong arms around me to be a welcome comfort.

Enzo continued to sleep beside me for some time. I laid with him, my eyes closed, as I listened to his soft breathing and steady heartbeat. Part of me wondered if all of this was a dream; maybe I was still locked up in my cell, completely oblivious to the real world. While I had no real way of knowing for sure, I let the feeling of Enzo’s arms and the warmth of his body be a tether to what was real — and if it wasn’t, and the real world was still just as cruel and cold, then at least I was having a sweet dream.

At some point, Enzo awoke with a start. His eyes opened, bright red and glowing in the darkness.

“Hey,” I said as he suddenly sat up. “It’s me.”

He was silent for a moment, his head swiveling this way and that way in the darkness, before he finally relaxed somewhat. I sat up and turned on the lamp beside my bed, casting the dark room in a warm amber glow.

“What time is it?” he asked.

I picked up my phone and checked. “Only 6:30,” I replied. “It’s getting darker earlier now.”

“Hm.” Enzo laid back down onto his back, his arm under his head, and looked up at the ceiling. I stared down at him and felt my eyes continuously returning to his lips. When I relived our kiss at the campfire in my dreams, it had felt so real that I wanted to feel it again now, and without thinking, I leaned down to kiss him.

Our lips locked together for a brief, sweet moment. The kiss was soft and gentle, but at the same time, I felt a burning desire for him begin to rise inside of me. His hands came up, his fingers trailing along my waist, over my breasts and my neck, and then came to cup my cheeks. I pressed my hands into his chest and straddled him as our kiss deepened, a soft moan escaping his lips as I unintentionally pressed into his groin. He wrapped his arms around me and sat up. His kisses traveled down my jaw and across my neck, and at the same time, I slid my hands up his bare back, having forgotten about his scars temporarily until my fingers grazed them.

He tensed. I didn’t think much of it, and let my fingertips trail along his scars.

But then, he suddenly pulled away.

pulling my hands out from around his back

he said. His voice was low and somber. I did as he asked, but felt an addled prick stab me

even in the dim light of my room. He didn’t answer, but rather picked his shirt up off of the floor and pulled it

interrupted, his back still turned to me. “I can’t

welling up in my eyes. “I don’t understand if you’re still mad at me over Ronan,” I said. “I thought that we were of the same understanding

shook his head. “It’s not that. I know that

I asked. “If so, I really didn’t mean to do it, and I’m

window before he finally spoke. “It’s not that you hurt me. It’s that I don’t want to hurt you. You and

that he didn’t have to go through with the arranged marriage, that we could run away together… But before I could say any of that, he quickly finished dressing and walked out of the room without so much as a ‘goodbye’. I heard the front door open

walking stiffly across the quad below. As tears streamed down my cheeks, I couldn’t help but wonder if the beatings Edward gave him

now, and it

…

following morning, I knew I would have to swallow my fears and return to normal life. I woke up and dressed, trying my best to ignore the three white scars running across my abdomen, and made my way to the dining hall to eat breakfast. I

my way over to a table when I turned around

“Hey, Nina,” he said.

and when I looked into his eyes, there was nothing behind them. It was almost as though he wasn’t in there; he was just an empty shell that only looked like

“Oh, hey,” I said.

with his tray toward a nearby table. “Wanna eat with

stood there, the more I realized that Justin needed just as much help as I did. There was no telling the

“Sure,” I replied.