My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0712

Nina

Enzo and I were dragged down the blackened halls of Mila's impossible palace, the silver ropes burning our skin once again. My mind raced the entire way, unable to comprehend the nightmare we found ourselves trapped in. Just days before, we had been celebrating on the poolside with my mother and my brother. Now Luke was dead, I was apparently pregnant with a child containing the blood of a long-forgotten race of shifters, and we faced a horrific fate-a decade and a half of enslavement before our child was taken from us.

It had to be a nightmare.

I choked back tears as we were shoved inside the lavish guest suite. The door slammed shut behind us with an ominous metallic thud, and my eyes swept over the furnishings-the plush Persian rugs, the enormous canopy bed, the crackling fireplace. It was straight out of a fairy tale.

But the sound of the heavy deadbolt sliding into place on the other side of the door with a resounding slam was a grim reminder of reality. We were prisoners in a gilded cage, not vacationers in some exotic locale.

Across from us, in the center of the room, sat a table laden with fresh food. Everything from glistening meats to vibrant fruits and vegetables; but none of it looked even remotely appetizing. The very idea of eating right now felt like a joke.

"When was the last time you ate?" Enzo asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Before I came here, but I don't even know how long it's been since I got here." Enzo snorted and sank down onto the edge of the plush bed, running a tired hand through his curly hair. There was blood caked under his fingernails; a reminder of the horrible fight that took our friend's life.

"Yeah," he said. "Tell me about it."

It hit me then that Enzo had been here longer than I had; at least two days longer. Although, with the lack of sunlight in this cavernous palace, months could have already passed and I would have had no idea.

Slowly, I crossed the room and sat next to him. We sat like that for a long time, in utter shocked silence as we stared at the sickening feast in front of us.

Finally, Enzo turned to me, his face worn and ashen. "You should eat, Nina. Keep up your strength. And the baby's strength."

I shook my head, my stomach churning at the very thought of eating at a time like this. "I can't. Not after..." My words faded. Luke's mangled body flashed in my mind and I covered my mouth, bile rising in my throat.

Enzo pulled me close. "I know," he whispered. "But we have to be strong now. For the baby." His fingers grazed my slightly rounded belly.

I blinked back tears and nodded. Then, Enzo led me toward an adjoining room-a lavish bathroom with a sunken tub already filled with steaming, rose-scented water. My limbs ached from being bound in the silver ropes; the heat would feel delicious. There was no denying that.

We undressed in silence. As I slid into the silky water, some of the tension in my muscles began to slowly uncoil. Enzo settled into the water behind me, his strong arms encircling my waist.

Sighing, I leaned back into his broad chest, taking comfort in his strength, in his familiar scent. We sat unspeaking amidst curling tendrils of steam.

After some time, I finally found my voice. "Enzo... what happened out there? With Luke?" I whispered. "I thought you had a plan, but that..."

His body tensed against mine at the mention of Luke's name. Several moments passed before he spoke, slowly and haltingly.

"The plan failed. I... I missed. My teeth sliced too deep." His voice was hollow. "It was supposed to be an act, but I

think it went too far. I'm so sorry, Nina."

A wounded noise escaped my throat. We had pinned all of our hopes on this mysterious plan of Enzo's. Now Luke was dead, and we were more trapped than ever.

I rose wordlessly from the bath, wrapping a silk robe around myself. My limbs moved as if through molasses as I drifted over to the canopy bed. I curled up beneath the silky covers, sobs wracking my frame.

A few moments later, I felt Enzo wrapping himself around me, stroking my hair, kissing the nape of my neck. "We'll get through this," he whispered fiercely. "I swear to you, Nina, Mila's magic can never truly make me forget you. We're fated mates-not even her spells can break that bond."

I squeezed my eyes shut, fresh tears leaking down my cheeks. His words should have brought me comfort. But doubt gnawed at my core. Mila was incredibly powerful-her casual displays of magic proved that.

What chance did we have against her ancient arts?

Perhaps it would be easier to simply accept our fate. Stay here, birth and raise our child, serve Mila til we drew our last breaths. Maybe we could convince her to let us keep our memories, at least.

Either way, the fight had gone out of me. I felt hollow, hopeless. Broken.

Enzo cupped my cheek, guiding my eyes to meet his burning brown-eyed gaze. "Don't give up, my love," he murmured. "We will find a way, just like we always do."

I searched his handsome face, wanting desperately to believe him. But I just couldn't. Right now, though, I needed comfort; after all, we might not even remember each other in the morning.

Wordlessly, I pressed my lips against his, pouring my jumble of emotions into the kiss. Fear, grief, rage, love. My hands roamed his body with new urgency as we pulled off our robes.noveldrama

If this was to be our last night together, I needed to feel every inch of him, brand him onto my soul. It was the least I could do.

We made bittersweet love in our gilded cage, our limbs tangled up underneath Mila's silken sheets. I clung to Enzo like I was adrift at sea and he was my only anchor left tethering me to sanity. I memorized every plane of muscle, every scar, every place that made him moan my name.

When we finally collapsed back into the pillows, too exhausted to continue, I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his scent.

If I lost this, lost him... it would break me entirely.

Exhaustion eventually overtook me. I hated to admit it, but the soft bed and the silky sheets were extremely comfortable. Curled up against Enzo's warmth, I sank into restless dreams.

Or rather nightmares, really; surreal visions of confinement, one bleeding into the next. Shackles and spells.

I jolted awake in the small hours before dawn, blinking into the darkness. Something was different; the door. It was cracked open. But that wasn't all.

A shadowy figure stood over our bed. Fear and confusion clouded my sleep-fogged brain, and I parted my lips to cry out Enzo's name. But before I could scream, a hand clamped over my mouth, silencing me.

Then, a familiar, gentle voice whispered...

"It's okay, Nina. I'm getting you out of here."