My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 289

Nina

The next morning, I finally met with my father for the first time. Not in a state of dire stress or danger, but instead…

Breakfast.

Enzo and I walked into the large dining room together to see a long chestnut table, at one end of which was a stunning array of fragrant breakfast foods, brightly colored fruits, and steaming cups of coffee. My father was sitting at the chair at the end of the table, and stood when we entered. Without a word, he simply held his arms out for me and walked up to me, pulling me in for a tight hug before I could even say anything. I felt a bit tense being hugged by this man who I hardly knew, despite the fact that he was my biological father, and when we pulled away I stammered to come up with something to say.

“I know it’s a lot to process,” my dad said. “Let’s eat instead of trying to figure it all out.” He stepped out of the way and gestured for Enzo and I to sit at the table, and we did. Enzo sat beside me, his hand resting firmly on my thigh underneath the tablecloth.

We ate in silence for a couple of minutes. The food was delicious and warm, and as I ate I realized how starving I was after sleeping for two days. There was an array of warm pancakes and fresh fruit, juicy sausages and crispy bacon, steaming hot potatoes and bitter coffee; I ate all of those things and more, and my stomach still didn’t feel full. I thought to myself that if I could eat like this forever, I would. And I had lost so much weight lately with everything going on that no one batted an eye at my voracious appetite.

But at the same time, it almost felt wrong to be eating at the moment. My twin sister had just died brutally, and although I hardly knew her and most of our interactions were filled with her evil nature that was caused by the Luna’s manipulation, I still felt oddly empty. She was my twin, after all, and we had a strong magical bond.

“Um…” I set my fork down and swallowed, feeling my face go red. “Selena…”

My father did the same. I could see his hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles were white, and he stared numbly down at his plate. “There will be a funeral,” he said, his voice low and strained. “Tomorrow. I hope you’ll come.”

I nodded. “Of course,” I replied.

My father seemed pleased by this, and offered me a weak smile. He looked over at Enzo then, who sat stolidly beside me. “I know that Selena was a lot of trouble,” my father said quietly as he leaned back in his chair. “I hope you can understand that the Luna… My wife… Was a practitioner of old magic. She came from a lineage of witches mixed with werewolves, and her powers were unparalleled. I never wanted to marry her. She ruined my family… She was the one who hired the Crescents that killed your mother and stole you, Nina.” He looked at me then, and his eyes were full of sadness. “After that, she sank her claws in. For twenty years, your sister and I have been puppets because of her powerful magic.”

It all made sense now; the Luna was behind everything. From the beginning, she had a card in the game. I was certain that there was so much more to learn, but right now, I had more pressing questions for my father.

“My mother,” I said, “what was she like?”