My Hockey Alpha

Nina

In the blink of an eye, Tiffany shoved her way up to me and slammed her medical bag down on the floor. In one swift motion, she yanked the glass out of my leg, dumped a bunch of alcohol on it that made me cry out in pain, then wrapped it tightly with gauze and a bandage.

“Sorry,” she muttered when she was finished, standing and closing her medical bag. “Better to get it over with quickly.”

I nodded, still biting my lip from the burn of the alcohol, but I knew that we had to get moving; I also knew that my leg would heal on its own rather quickly.

“Let’s move,” Enzo said to the group, then turned to me with a concerned expression on his face as Tiffany began to lead the group of scared students further into the tunnels. “Can you walk?”

I nodded again, then attempted to hobble forward and felt a shooting pain travel up my leg that made me wince and stagger back against the wall. Without a word, Enzo sighed and turned around, crouching in front of me. “Hop on.”

“I’ll be fine,” I replied.

Enzo shook his head. “That wasn’t a question. I’m carrying you.”

At Enzo’s firm request, I felt my face get a little hot. But, at the same time, the group was getting ahead of us now and we couldn’t be sure how long we would have before the rogues burst through the doors. So, I climbed onto his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. He stood and looped his arms under my legs, then began to follow the group.

“Do you think Matt is okay?” I asked quietly, my voice quivering.

“I don’t know,” Enzo replied. “Maybe, if he didn’t try to fight and just got away instead.”

My mind wandered to Lori and Jessica then. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my phone again, but when I tried to dial Jessica’s number, I had no phone service in the tunnels. A small curse escaped my mouth.

“They’ll be okay,” Enzo said softly as he walked. “The Crescents are only biting people… Not killing them. And with Tiffany’s antidote—”

“We don’t know that for sure,” I replied. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, and I didn’t bother to wipe it away. The tunnel began to slope downward. Ahead of us, the group walked solemnly with Tiffany guiding them at the front. I wondered how long it would be before the two students who I managed to shift back would turn back into rogues. Now that I knew that Justin was still a rogue even after I’d shifted him back in the woods all those nights ago, there was no doubt in my mind that my newfound power wasn’t permanent.

and turn. With each step, I felt as

he spoke. “Don’t worry. I’m here with you.” His voice was soft and gentle, a far cry from what one would expect from someone who just witnessed the horrors that the Crescents caused.

stopped ahead as Tiffany pushed open a door to a room. I felt a lump rise in my throat as I wondered if that room was the

Already, my leg was feeling a little better and I could put more weight on it now. Tiffany shot us both a weak smile as the students gathered in the room and huddled, then pulled

watched as she turned the dials on the walkie-talkie for a few

into it. “Cynthia?

office, or even roaming the campus as a rogue. Tiffany’s shoulders slumped with disappointment the

you? Where are

I let out a collective

tunnels,” she replied. “I have students with me.

as you can. The campus is crawling with rogues — it’s not safe.

“What’s the plan? Over.”

contacted the Fullmoons. They’re sending help, but it’ll

“I took everything I had. It’s not much, but it’s

now than the first one. I felt my heart sink as

said. “Are you

Still no response.

“I think

would be hours at the very least was no consolation. We were stuck down here, in these dark tunnels, with no food or water

on the way. We’re safe

watch,” Enzo said quietly.

staying with Enzo,” I

the students to tend to any injuries;