My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 138

Nina

“Just go home,” Enzo said. “I’ll see you at the final match.”

I felt my frown deepen. Why was he being so indifferent about this? It was clear to me that Ronan was up to something, but Enzo didn’t seem to believe me. I watched as he stalked away to the showers, then turned on my heel and stormed off toward the exit.

Just as my hand touched the door handle, I heard something. Something loud and abrasive. It wasn’t just one, but many: screams.

My eyes widened. I felt myself freeze momentarily, but then I gathered the courage to crack the locker room door open…

I immediately shut it when I saw the scene unfolding in the arena and began to hyperventilate, leaning my body weight on the door as my mind raced. Outside, there were three rogues attacking people. There may have been more; I couldn’t be entirely sure just from the split second I looked out there.

I opened my mouth to call for Enzo, but decided against it as that ran the risk of being heard, so I instead quickly bolted away from the door and ran to the showers.

“Enzo!” I said as I ran up to him, just as he was about to undress. He stopped and stared at me, looking confused, but his eyes widened as he saw the look of shock and fear on my face.

“What? What’s wrong?” he asked, grabbing me by the shoulders.

I tried to stammer out a response, but nothing would come until finally, I managed a single word.

“Rogues.”

Enzo’s eyes widened even further.

“In the arena?” he asked. I nodded. “How many?”

“I-I don’t know,” I said, my chest heaving as he stormed past me toward the door. “Three, at least.” I jogged after him and grabbed his arm for support as he approached the door. He cracked it open just as I did, then immediately shut it and took a deep breath.

“The Crescents,” he murmured. “They must be turning people. But why now? Here--” he shoved his hockey stick into my shaking hands, then pushed me away and pointed toward a door at the back of the locker rooms that led to a supply closet. “Go and hide. I’ll come back for you.”

I shook my head vehemently as I gripped the hockey stick. “No way!” I insisted. “I’m going with you.”

Enzo groaned, passing his hand over his face, then suddenly did something unexpected. He hugged me tightly, his scent filling my entire body.

“I promise I’ll be back,” he whispered into my hair. “Just stay here and stay safe.”

Before I could protest, he suddenly ripped away from me and flung the door open. I yelped as I saw him bolt through, into the fray. In the brief moment that the door was open, I could see students running around, being chased by rogues. There were far more than three now, and they were making more. Just before the door closed, I saw a rogue go to bite a screaming student, but Enzo had already shifted and leaped onto the rogue.

As the door closed, the sounds of the screams became muffled. I stood there for the longest moment, still gripping the hockey stick, as I searched for Cora’s presence and urged her to help me shift. I squeezed my eyes shut, pleading to shift just this once so I could be of help, but she didn’t have the energy.

I cursed, glancing over at the supply closet.

I knew that Enzo wanted me to hide… But I couldn’t. I had to help somehow. Maybe, if I could touch some of the rogues like I had done with Justin and Lisa, I could make them shift back into their human forms…