My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 262

Nina

Finally, I shifted for the first time.

All of my agony melted away and was replaced by enhanced senses. Everything appeared brighter, smelled more intense, and I could hear for what felt like miles.

Not only that, but I felt stronger than ever; and my mate was in trouble.

The rogue leader had Enzo pinned down. Enzo was kicking underneath him wildly, but the rogue leader was incredibly strong. Despite Enzo’s size and strength, the rogue leader was still managing to get the upper hand.

Baring my teeth, I didn’t hesitate for a moment before I leaped onto the rogue leader. I was smaller than him, but that also meant that I was faster and more agile, and I leaped onto his back and sank my teeth into the back of his neck.

The rogue leader yelped and scrambled backwards in an attempt to throw me off of him, but I held on tightly. I saw Enzo climb back to his feet and attack the rogue leader while I had him distracted. He clawed at the rogue leader’s throat, causing the rogue leader to throw himself backwards.

Unfortunately, this allowed the rogue leader to effectively throw me to the ground. But at least I managed to get him off of Enzo and lower his defenses. Enzo leaped at him again, and they collided mid-air.

“Run away,” Enzo’s voice echoed in my mind. “I’ll handle it from here. Just get to safety.”

I narrowed my eyes and a low, almost involuntary growl rumbled in my throat. It was a strange feeling, but it also felt entirely natural at the same time.

“No,” I responded. “I won’t leave you. Let me fight with you.”

Enzo didn’t respond, but that was only because the rogue leader slammed into him and tackled him to the ground. I watched in horror as the rogue leader’s jaws began to snap in Enzo’s face, slowly inching closer and closer to making contact with Enzo’s throat. One more moment, and he would have his teeth sunk into Enzo’s esophagus. Another growl escaped my lips and I charged at him, slamming into him as hard as I could.

I saw a flash of light from the impact. It disoriented me, but I managed to get the rogue leader off of Enzo. I scrambled to my feet where I fell beside the rogue leader, but he was also quick to get back to his feet and was now refocusing his attention on me instead of Enzo.

The rogue leader bared his teeth even more aggressively, long strands of saliva dripping down mixed with blood. “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”

“But you didn’t,” I replied, snarling as I did so. The rogue leader and I began to circle each other. Meanwhile, Enzo climbed to his feet on shaking legs. He seemed to be healing himself, as the last impact from the rogue made him hit his head on the ground. He also seemed to be limping, although I realized that he was limping before the fight ever started. He must have been attacked earlier, and this made me even more angry.

A wild yell escaped my lips in the form of a howl. I charged head-on at the rogue leader. He rolled out of the way, his mocking laughter echoing in my skull as I nearly charged head-first into a tree. I managed to come to a skidding halt in the dirt and whipped around, dodging another attack just before he ran into me. At the same time, I swiped my claws at him and made contact with his throat.

Blood dripped across the pine-covered forest floor. The rogue leader snarled.

Enzo came up behind him then. He seemed to have regained some strength from his healing, and while the rogue leader’s back was turned, Enzo leaped on top of him and sank his teeth into his neck.

The rogue leader let out a panicked yelp. He shook himself violently to get Enzo off, and because of Enzo’s weakened state, it worked. Enzo was sent flying into a tree. I heard two sickening crunches — one from the tree splintering in two, and one from Enzo’s bones colliding with the tree’s hard surface — followed by a pained whimper.