My Hockey Alpha

Chapter 233: The Death of a Father

Enzo

At the last moment, Nina shoved me through the portal before I had the chance to try to stay behind. I knew, logically, that Selena was completely and utterly lying when she said that she would let my father and my friends live if I went with her. But my judgment was so clouded from the grief of my father’s imminent death that I wasn’t thinking straight, and if it weren’t for Nina’s quick thinking, I would have made the worst decision of my life.

But at the same time, for the briefest of moments, I resented her for that. I wished that I could have tried, even if it failed. Even then, however, I loved her all the same, and I knew that she did the right thing in pushing me through that portal.

My father and I didn’t always get along, especially after my mother died years before. That didn’t mean, however, that I didn’t love him. In fact, quite the opposite was true: I loved my father dearly. I just wished that I had realized that before it was too late.

And now, I was out of time.

I fell to the ground on the other side of the portal along with my friends. Nina came through just seconds after me and fell down to the ground beside me, panting heavily. The force of our fall caused me to drop my father, and when I came to my senses on the forest floor, I looked up to see him lying on the ground a few feet away. His body was so frail and limp, and I instantly felt panic rise up in my throat as I wondered if the impact was enough to kill him. I scrambled over to him on my hands and knees and grabbed his shoulder, rolling him onto his back.

His eyes were open and blinking, and he was breathing. But he wouldn’t be for long.

my father up into my lap as he stared up at me. I had always heard that people would often have moments of lucidity right before death, almost as though death was giving them the chance to say goodbye. Someone who could barely breathe and was basically a living corpse just moments earlier could

I knew that he was fully lucid

cracked and dry. “You’re a good kid. I’m sorry I never told you

senses. I could hear Matt, Lori, and Jessica speak in confused, but hushed, tones.

father. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nina sitting up on her knees close to me, but she

and it caused my voice to come out sounding choked. Part of me wondered if I would die along with my father from a lack of air

done. And besides… I’ve had a good life. Now, I’ll finally get to be with your

stomach opened even wider than before, and I felt my heart drop into it. I felt so heavy that I

or two earlier, he would be okay now. Maybe if I had fought back against Selena that day that

around the back of my neck and held me firmly, forcing me to look into his eyes. His hand was cold and his fingers

Enzo,” he said sternly. “You couldn’t have stopped this. No one could. But now, you

for a moment. “But how?” I said, almost in a

that she was now kneeling over our friends, inspecting each of them for injuries. She was in full-blown doctor mode. Part of me wished that she would have done the same for my father, but we both

missing princess. I realize that now. If you can bring her to the Alpha King, everything