My Hockey Alpha

I planned to talk to my father the next day, when I was feeling better. But for now, it was late and I needed to rest.

Once my father left, Enzo relaxed beside me. He seemed a bit territorial after everything that had happened, and I didn’t blame him. But at the same time, it made me wonder if he had been sleeping at all since I went into my miniature coma or if he had been sitting up by my bedside the entire time.

“When was the last time you slept?” I asked, looking deeply into his brown eyes, which came alive with the fire that was flickering in the fireplace.

Enzo shrugged. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, standing. “You hungry? I can get you something to eat.”

I shook my head. “You need to rest, too, you know,” I insisted. I pulled the covers back beside me and patted the bed. “Sleep with me.”

For a few moments, Enzo just stood there and looked at the bed. I could tell from the dark circles under his eyes that he was indeed tired, but at the same time he was fighting it. “Look,” I said gently, “it’s over. You don’t need to worry anymore.”

solemnly. “It’s never over,” he whispered. He was talking about Lewis; I was sure of it. Lewis was still out there, along with the Crescents. Sure, their leader — the Luna, I assumed — had been killed and the genetically engineered rogues that she sent for them died along with her, leaving their forces diminished. But at the same

his boots, then began to lift his shirt off over his head. Before he could do it himself, however, I quickly sat up on my knees behind him and helped him remove it. As I did,

over his shoulder. He stood, letting out a soft sigh, and pulled off his jeans. With a smile, I laid back on the bed and held my arms out

top of me with his head on my chest as I ran my fingers through his hair. His breathing became slow and steady, and his fingers trailed absentmindedly up and down my

I whispered, unable to

what I was going to ask: if anyone had died, aside from the Luna and her rogues. Enzo grunted slightly and shook his

all live. Jessica used her medical skills to help people after the battle, at least until they could get home

much she hated blood despite being a pre-med student, and it must have been hard for her, especially after being in the Luna’s clutches. The more I thought about it, though, the more that my smile eventually faded. I could only imagine the horrors that the Luna put my friends through when she kidnapped them. I hoped that it wasn’t too bad. Lori and Jessica had seemed physically fine when I saw them, but the Luna’s style of inflicting torture was through an invisible

He looked up at me then and reached up to brush a strand of hair out of my eyes. As he did, I suddenly felt tears beginning to well up; tears over the battle, my sister, my friends,

he kissed me gently. His lips were soft and sweet, and eased my pain like medicine.