My Hockey Alpha

Nina

Once we had the plan set in place, it was time to implement it. We had to do it while the sun was up, and we would have to do it that day before the Crescents came back to look for us again.

Lori and Jessica stayed behind to keep an eye on James, who was still locked up in Jessica’s room.

“Please be safe,” Jessica said quietly, pulling me in for a tight hug.

“I will,” I replied into her shoulder. I tried not to cry, but it was getting harder and harder. Lori didn’t say a word as I hugged her next, but just held me tight.

Once we said our goodbyes, Enzo and I left, led by Matt and the hockey team.

The air outside was cold and windy when we stepped out of the dorm building. A bit of snow was even beginning to fall; if it wasn’t for our unfortunate circumstances, it would have been an almost beautiful day. But all I could do was shudder and hold Enzo’s hand tightly.

Matt and the team shifted once we crossed the quad, then ran ahead toward the infirmary to get the Crescents’ attention. Meanwhile, Enzo and I stuck to the sides of buildings, meticulously making our way toward the arena.

“What if this doesn’t work?” I asked quietly as we darted from building to building, my voice shaking with nerves.

“Hey.” Enzo stopped suddenly, taking my hand and pulling me closer. From this close, I could smell the scent of sweat and leather mingling with his skin, and it instantly comforted me. He cupped a hand under my chin and tilted my face up so I was looking at him. His eyes were soft and caring, but also stern at the same time. “It’ll work,” he said gently. “I promise.”

I wanted to believe him. Even though there were doubts swimming around in my mind — whether we would have enough of the antidote to cure everyone, whether the antidote would work without being injected, even if the water tank that we talked around would actually feed those sprinklers — I knew I had to just swallow them and keep moving. The only thing I had to focus on was trying; if I didn’t try, then I would never know.

swallowing the lump in my throat. Enzo offered a weak smile to ease my nerves and bent down to my height, planting a

We could see Matt and the others up ahead, slowly stalking toward the infirmary as they waited for our signal. Once we were in position behind the arena, ready

moment of hesitation, Matt and the others charged forward. Enzo kept his arms wrapped firmly around me

sound. We could hear clanging coming from the infirmary as the hockey team ran up to the door, taunting the Crescents out. Barking

the infirmary. There were six of them,

arrived, we saw

sat on a shelf, hidden behind paper towels. I almost wouldn’t have seen them if it weren’t for a sliver of one vial peeking out from behind the paper towels. A gasp escaped my throat, and I grabbed all of them in one fell swoop, holding my

shoulder, guiding me out of the infirmary and into the narrow alleyway between the infirmary and the hockey arena. It was too small for him to fit, so

the water tank. I kneeled next to it and pried the hatch open, then began dumping the contents of each vial in. Just in case it didn’t work,

the infirmary, shooting each other a worried glance before yanking open the door to

in a crumpled mess in the doorway. Thankfully, the door to the supply closet was still

still down there?” I whispered, peering

nodded as he covered

the supply closet, then gestured to the heavy lab table that sat behind Tiffany’s desk. “Help me move

nodded and helped me move the table in front of the door as a barricade. Then, our eyes met as we realized what would come next: the fire

gonna wake them up before the sprinklers even start,” he said. “If the sprinklers even go off at

parking lot, and she had the keys in our dorm, so the plan was to get in her car and drive, and not look back. As for James… We didn’t have the space for someone who was actively trying to kill

and I walked over to

“Together,” I whispered.

Then, at the same time, we pulled