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.

out from around his back and moving them

head. “Can you just… get off, please?” he said. His voice was low and somber. I did as he asked, but felt an addled prick stab

He still wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his scars were visible even in the dim light of my room. He didn’t

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

you’re still mad at me over Ronan,” I said. “I thought that

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

because I touched your scars?” I asked. “If so, I really didn’t mean to do it,

he continued to stare out the window before he finally spoke. “It’s not that you hurt me. It’s that I don’t want to hurt you. You and I both know that I have to

stop him, to tell him 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

As tears streamed down my cheeks, I couldn’t help

now, and it was my

…

across my abdomen, and made my way to the dining hall to eat breakfast. I hadn’t eaten anything since the day before Edward took me, and I

way over to a table when I turned around suddenly

“Hey, Nina,” he said.

eyes, there was nothing behind them.

“Oh, hey,” I said.

he gestured with his tray toward a nearby table.

just as much help as I did. There was no telling the horrors he endured while he was in Edward’s torture chamber, and

“Sure,” I replied.