My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 33

Nina

The next day, I ran home after my classes and changed into the most nondescript outfit I could come up with for my meeting with K: a plain black hoodie, baggy black jeans, a plain black hat that I tucked my hair into, sunglasses, and a surgical mask.

“Geez,” Lori said from the couch as I stepped out of my room. “Trying to hide from the paparazzi?”

I realized how ridiculous I probably looked, but I had already prepared an excuse in the event of being seen like this.

“I have to go to Planned Parenthood,” I said.

Lori’s eyes widened. “You’re not… pregnant, are you?” she whispered.

I shook my head. “No, just a regular checkup. But last time I went there were these crazy religious people outside who were ranting about how I was going to hell even though I was just there to get treated for a UTI, so I like to play it safe from now on.”

“That’s fair,” Lori replied, returning to her book.

Satisfied with my excuse, I left the dorms and headed toward town.

K and I planned to meet up at a local coffee shop. He said he would be wearing a red t-shirt. I stepped into the coffee shop and looked around nervously, my palms sweating while all of the worst possible scenarios played through my head. What if he didn’t show up, then jumped me while I was on my way home? What if he stalked me home, snuck into my dorm, and killed me? Even with Luke there to protect me, I didn’t know what this guy was capable of. For all I knew, he could have already been stalking me and knew about Luke. Maybe he even had experience fighting talking skeletons.

I suddenly felt incredibly stupid for doing this and considered turning around and going home, but when I saw a middle-aged man with a beard sitting at a corner table, looking sad as he held his to-go cup of coffee, I didn’t feel so afraid anymore. I knew you couldn’t judge a book by its cover, but something told me that he wasn’t dangerous.

Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the table. He looked up from his coffee and looked me up and down, seeming a bit amused by my hair tucked into my hat and my face fully covered.

“You must be N,” he said, gesturing for me to sit down. “I’m not gonna stalk you, you know. You don’t need to hide your whole face like that. If anything, you’re drawing attention.”

I looked around to see that other people in the coffee shop were giving me strange looks, probably wondering if I was going to rob the place. Feeling embarrassed, I took off my sunglasses and mask, and freed my braids from my hat.

“Much better,” K said, holding out his hand for me to shake it. His hand was large and calloused as though he had been a manual laborer his entire life, but his grip was gentle when I shook it. When we finished shaking hands, he gestured for the waiter to bring me a cup of coffee.

“Now,” he said, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of his coffee, “you believe they’re real, huh?”

I nodded, unsure whether I should tell him about Enzo or not. He did claim to be a werewolf hunter in his forum post, and I didn’t exactly want Enzo killed. I just wanted information. Even if Enzo was dangerous, I didn’t want to be involved in any killing.

“I think so,” I said, “but I’m not entirely sure. I was hoping you could give me some information.”

K paused while the waiter poured my coffee, then spoke again when the waiter walked away.

“I’ve got plenty of information,” he said. “Where do you want me to start?”

I bit my lip and fiddled with my coffee cup as I thought. “From the beginning, I guess,” I replied. “When did you know for sure that they’re real, and how do you know?”

K ran his hand along his beard, stroking it. “My wife and infant daughter were killed by one,” he said.

My eyes widened. “I’m so sorry.”

“It happened a long time ago,” he replied. “Not that I don’t still grieve for them every day.”

“Why were they killed?”

“You see, Lycans -- werewolves -- have this concept that they refer to as a ‘mate’. Like real wolves, only the bond is more powerful. They claim to all have one fated mate, their one true love, someone whose wolf is bound to theirs. When they find this person, they become obsessed. It’s sick.”