My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0600

Nina

*Jessica... You're a werewolf now."

As I uttered those words, it felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room. I wasn't sure how Jessica would react; to get into a major accident like she did, then wake up and find out you were no longer a human, was a huge change.

Lori and I glanced at each other, and she gave me an almost imperceptible nod of approval. At least one person approved, I thought. Even if Enzo was mad at me and Jessica didn't know what to say at all, at least someone understood why I felt the need to do what I did.

"You're joking," Jessica finally managed to utter, her voice quivering with a mixture of shock and uncertainty, her eyes as wide as two saucers. "I can't be a werewolf."

I nodded slowly, reaching out to take her hand in mine. It felt so warm now, a comforting feeling after how cold and lifeless it had felt last night. "It's true," I said gently. "I held an impromptu Claiming ceremony for you late last night. Honestly, I didn't think it worked, but... here we are."

Before Jessica could answer, Lori stepped forward, her expression a combination of empathy and worry. "Jess, you have to understand, it was a last resort. You were so close to death, and we didn't have any other options. Nina tried to heal you, but with her pregnancy, it didn't work. So she tried a different route."

Jessica's brow furrowed as she grappled with the weight of her newfound reality. "I get that, but... I didn't choose this, you know? It just feels so strange. No offense, but I didn't want to become a werewolf."

Enzo, who had been silently listening from the doorway, finally spoke up and strode into the room. He took me by surprise; I hadn't been expecting him to be there, but there he was, a cup of coffee in hand. "Jessica, if this isn't the life you want, there are ways out. But you'll need to wait until you're fully healed before considering any options."

Lori chimed in, her voice gentle. "Maybe, once you're feeling better, you could take the antidote. It seems like the easiest route to reversing the transformation. That would work, right, Nina?"

I paused for a moment, biting my lower lip, before I nodded. "It should work. It worked on Selena all those months ago."

Jessica nodded slowly, her mind clearly still reeling from the shock. "Okay. I'll consider it," she said softly, "but right now, my head is a mess, and I need time to think."

"And you've got plenty of time," Lori said with tears in her eyes. She reached out and took her fiancee's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Thanks to Nina, you've got so much more time now."

As Lori spoke, Jessica's eyes met mine. My vision blurred slightly from the tears in my eyes, but I blinked them away, nodding. "I just wanted to keep you with us. I hope you can understand that."

Jessica nodded vehemently. "Of course, Nina. I don't mean to sound upset or ungrateful. It's just... well, it's a lot, you know?

Enzo leaned in a little closer, placing his hand on Jessica's ankle-the one that wasn't still in a cast, at least- through the blanket. "We're here for you if you need anything. If you have any questions, need any guidance, whatever. We'll do whatever we can to help."

As Jessica processed the information, a question seemed to weigh on her mind. "One more thing," she began, her voice trembling, "I don't feel like there's a wolf inside me, like you and Nina have described. Why is that?"Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

Enzo offered a reassuring smile. "Not everyone's wolf emerges immediately. With your injuries, it's possible that your wolf is focusing all its energy on healing you. When it's starting to emerge, you'll know."

"And that's also why you're going to take a little longer to heal than we would in your position," I added. "Because your wolf didn't have a chance to emerge before the accident; so take it easy, okay? Don't go assuming that

you're bulletproof now."

Jessica laughed. "Noted. I guess that means I should tell that nosy doctor that I don't consent to his study." Lori chimed in again, her tone warm and comforting. "That's probably wise. After all, we can't have you giving away all of our secrets, can we?"

Despite the initial shock and confusion, a sense of relief began to settle in the room. We all laughed a bit at Lori's words, but I was just amazed and grateful that Jessica was here, talking to us, when only a few hours ago she had been on death's doorstep.

I couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude in that moment. "I'm just glad you're okay, Jess," I said, my voice filled with sincerity.

Jessica met my gaze, her eyes softening. "Thanks, Nina. I appreciate what you did, even if it wasn't what I expected."

With that, we all gathered in a big group hug, celebrating the fact that Jessica was alive and well.

Later, as Enzo and I prepared to leave the hospital, Lori remained behind with Jessica. We made our way to the car, and I let out a soft sigh of relief as I slid into the passenger seat.

"Time for the next adventure," Enzo said, putting the truck into gear.

As we drove, however, I couldn't stop glancing at Enzo's wrist. The bruise kept peeking out from beneath his sleeve as he held onto the steering wheel, and although it was healed more now, I could still see the faint blue and purple outline.

"Enzo," I said, unable to hide my curiosity any longer, "how did you hurt your wrist again?"

He quickly covered the bruise with his other hand, a flicker of discomfort crossing his features. "Like I said, it's nothing," he replied, his voice casual. "Just a bad sprain from practice yesterday. It'll heal by the end of the day."

I studied his expression, the way he avoided eye contact, and couldn't shake the feeling that he was lying. But I decided not to press the issue for now, and instead turned my attention to the window, where I watched the trees speed by.

Before I knew it, we arrived home, grabbed our things, and looked at each other.

"Ready?" Enzo asked.

I nodded, turning to face the open space in our living room. "Ready."

I focused my energy to open the portal, and a moment later, the swirling, crackling vortex lay in front of us, waiting for us to walk through. In just a few moments, we would be in the werewolf realm, where we would have to face a new wave of turmoil: visiting the witch to finally find out if my baby would be safe or not.

With one last tired smile, Enzo took my hand and we stepped forward.

But just as we were about to step through the portal into the supernatural realm, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. The world spun, and before I could react, I lost consciousness, sinking into the depths of darkness.