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.

lucidity right before death, almost as though death was giving

father was too weak to sit up, but I knew that he

dry. “You’re a good kid. I’m sorry

pit of dread in my stomach open even wider. Around me, my friends were groaning and coming to their senses. I could

me right now. I only had eyes for my father. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nina sitting up on her knees close to me, but she gave us space and privacy for our

said. My throat felt as though it was closing around my words, and it caused my voice to come out sounding choked. Part of me wondered if I would die along with my father

shook his head. “You did the best that anybody could have possibly done. And besides… I’ve had a good life. Now, I’ll finally get

pit of dread in my stomach opened even wider than before, and I felt my heart drop into it. I felt so heavy that I thought that I could simply drop through the earth now, boring

father just a day or two earlier, he would be okay now. Maybe

instantly saw my guilt-ridden face. He reached up and clamped his hand around

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

“But how?” I said, almost

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 knew that he was beyond saving. Now, it was just a matter of saying our

he said. “She’s the missing princess. I realize that now. If you can bring her to the Alpha King, everything will