My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 169

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.

I nodded hesitantly, swallowing the lump in my throat. Enzo offered a weak smile to ease my nerves and bent down to my height, planting a soft, tender kiss on my lips before standing again and leading us further toward the arena.

Finally, we made it to the arena. 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 to run in and through the front door of the infirmary as soon as the Crescents ran off after the hockey team, Enzo gave the signal.

Without a moment of hesitation, Matt and the others charged forward. Enzo kept his arms wrapped firmly around me as we waited with bated breath for the Crescents to come out.

There was a chorus of sound. We could hear clanging coming from the infirmary as the hockey team ran up to the door, taunting the Crescents out. Barking and snarling could be heard, and then…

The Crescents filed out of the infirmary, already in their wolf forms; I suspected that the clanging came from them shifting in the infirmary. There were six of them, and as we watched them chase Matt and the others off into the distance, everything fell quiet in the infirmary. Now was our chance.

“Come on.” Enzo and I sprinted as fast as we could to the front door of the infirmary, staying close to the building. When we arrived, we saw that it was destroyed, but empty; Enzo kept watch while I frantically began rifling through drawers and cabinets, furiously searching for the vials of bright blue liquid.

Finally, I found it. It was like a holy grail: at least a dozen vials of the antidote 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 shirt out to carry them in.

Enzo turned around, a grin spreading across his face as he saw the vials. He took one last glance out the door before running over to me and grabbing 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 he kept watch once more as I squeezed through with the antidote and shimmied my way toward the water tank up ahead, taking care not to drop any of the vials.

There was a small hatch on 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, I saved several vials and stuffed them into my backpack before closing the hatch back up and making my way back out.

Enzo and I didn’t need to speak. With a single nod, we ran back to the infirmary, shooting each other a worried glance before yanking open the door to the supply closet where the entrance to the tunnels was.

Just as we suspected, the heavy iron doors had been smashed in by the rogues and now lay in a crumpled mess in the doorway. Thankfully, the door to the supply closet was still intact, so at least we had some barrier just in case.