My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0715

Nina

My breaths came out in short puffs of humid air as we trudged through the thick forest. All around us, the vibrant sounds of the night life seemed to come alive; frogs, insects, nocturnal birds. Now that the hyenas had quieted down, the other creatures had come back out to play.

"My feet are killing me," I muttered under my breath as I stepped over another fallen tree. I clutched my belly with one hand as I moved, as if that would somehow protect my baby if anything were to happen.

"Mine too. We'll stop soon." Enzo placed his hand on my lower back while we walked.

A couple paces ahead of us, Daphne watched the forest with her head on a swivel. She was our lookout, our guide. But neither of us knew exactly where she was taking us.

"Hey, Daphne," I called out. "How much longer?"

"Not much."

Another vague answer, as usual. Enzo and I exchanged glances with each other.noveldrama

"Daphne, don't forget Nina is pregnant," Enzo said. "We can't keep going all night like this."

Daphne stopped and turned to look at us, her green eyes flashing in the light of the waxing moon overhead." Would you rather get caught by the dragon queen's hyenas?" she asked. "The veil doesn't thin out for a long, long time. We'll be traveling for two days, maybe three. We can't afford to waste time."

Two to three days. God, it seemed like forever, but Enzo and I didn't complain again after that. Although, as we walked, I could help but wonder how Daphne knew so much about this place.

"Daphne, where are you from?" I found myself asking. "You seem to know a good amount about this place."

Daphne paused, then let out a soft sigh. "Isn't it obvious?" she said. "You've seen all of the different shifters here. How often do you see them around the Alpha King's territory?"

"So you hail from here, then," Enzo said quietly. "How did you wind up in werewolf territory?"

"shit happens." Yet another vague answer.

This time, though, as I was about to open my mouth to ask another question, I suddenly felt a surge of pain in my abdomen. I groaned, stopping in my tracks and clutching my stomach as the world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. "Nina?" Enzo stopped beside me and stooped to meet my pained gaze. "Are you alright?"

I swallowed a knot that had begun to form in my throat. "I don't... I don't feel so good," I muttered. "I'm having .." I winced, sucking in a sharp breath of air. "...Cramps."

"Shit." Enzo straightened, running a hand through his hair. "Daphne, we've gotta "

"We can't." She frowned and shot me a sympathetic look, but there was no backing down. "The location where we need to open the portal is still a few miles from here, at least. We can't stop until we're out of this realm."

I groaned again as another wave of pain came over me. I glanced up at Enzo. "I can walk..."

But I couldn't. Because as soon as I took one step, my legs nearly gave out beneath me from the pain. I would have collapsed, if it weren't for Enzo's strong arms suddenly catching me.

"Shit, Nina," he muttered. "You can't walk. I'll have to carry you."

"No, I can do it myself," I muttered through grit teeth.

"Nope. I'm carrying you. Get on my back."

I glanced up at Enzo, prepared to refuse such coddling, but his expression brooked no argument. And Daphne was right; we needed to keep moving. I had no choice. So, as he crouched in front of me, I climbed onto his back with what little strength I had left and let him carry me through the humid forest.

"Just a few more miles," Daphne said. "We can stop for a break at sunrise,"

I must have fallen asleep at some point on Enzo's back, soothed by his scent and the gentle feeling of being held. But I was awoken by two things: one, a fresh wave of pain. And two...

Music.

I jerked my head up to find that we had stopped somewhere amongst the fronds and ferns. Daphne and Enzo were whispering in hushed tones.

"I say we go," he whispered. "Maybe they can help."

"Or they're loyal to their queen and they'll send you both straight back to her lair. Is that really a chance you want to take?" Daphne retorted.