My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0698

Nina

"State your purpose, outsiders," the knife-wielding man repeated as more people emerged from the vivid foliage. I furrowed my brow as I took in their appearances; they certainly appeared human, but my wolf picked up a strange scent as I looked at them.

They were shifters, but not wolves; much like that strange woman I saw in the crowd in the city. I tore my eyes away from a woman with almost catlike eyes to meet Luke's panicked gaze.

I raised my hands slowly against the blade's cold threat. "Please, we mean no harm," I began shakily. "I'm just searching for my husband, Enzo. He was taken hostage and the trail led us here unexpectedly..."

I hesitated under their silent scrutiny before pushing on.

"If he passed through, please we only want to bring him safely home. We'll leave without causing any trouble, I promise."

I awkwardly met the gaze of one of the people, my heartbeat thrumming in my chest. For several seemingly endless seconds, our motley greeting committee only stared at us, their heads inclined, as if they were puzzling over some unspoken consensus.

Then, abruptly, harsh words in a strange melodic tongue passed between them. Before I could react, rough hands grabbed both of my arms and hauled me to my feet.

"Hey!" Luke snarled, shrugging his own captors off violently before they could restrain him fully. Chaos exploded for several long seconds as he grappled against six large men.

I screamed protests, only to choke as the knife returned to my throat, causing Luke to freeze.

"Luke, stop! I'm alright!" I said hurriedly. He shot me a desperate look but stopped struggling as the knife traced my skin

"There's been a misunderstanding," I gasped out. "Please, I'm... I'm the daughter of the Alpha King. If harm comes to me..."

My voice trailed off as I saw that no recognition flashed through their eyes as I mentioned my father. They merely whispered again in those strange lilting words that I couldn't decipher.

Then, before I knew it, we were being roughly dragged along a nearly invisible trail through impossibly huge trees with Luke swearing furiously the whole way.

It was all a dizzying blur-my heart was lodged too high in my throat as our small party emerged abruptly into an unexpected village. Small thatched roof buildings blended organically into the surrounding jungle.

I hardly processed the startled looks aimed our way from onlookers before being shoved through a low doorway. Candles flickered to life as my knees hit packed a tile floor. I barely registered Luke colliding beside me before the woven hanging fell, muffling the outside noise.

"This is absurd," he bit out, helping me to my feet. "Where the hell are we?"

I struggled to my feet, dusting my knees off. "They either didn't recognize my father's title or they didn't care," I said softly. "Which could mean anything,"

Luke looked ready to brainstorm more when the door covering was suddenly swept aside again. We both jumped as a tall woman with long golden hair swept inside, her face unreadable.

Luke stepped partly in front of me protectively. "Who are you?" he asked. "What do you want?"

The woman frowned at us, then held up her hands. The message was clear-no immediate threat was intended. Luke hovered a breath away, though, as the woman crossed the small space slowly.

Regarding us with eyes that seemed to shift between shades of blue and green in the dim light, she extended both hands, murmuring something incomprehensible.

I glanced at Luke hesitantly. "I don't understand..."

Something like frustration tightened the woman's mouth before she tried again, gesturing oddly at me. With my brow

furrowed, I followed her urgent motions and looked down and my heart stopped.noveldrama

Dark crimson was staining the woven mats beneath my feet. No no no...

My knees wobbled dangerously, but Luke gripped me under the elbows, cursing violently. "What did you monsters do to her? She's pregnant!" he hissed.

The woman held up both palms placatingly now to calm his fury. She spoke soft foreign words, reaching gentle fingers toward my abdomen. I flinched involuntarily, but didn't move away.

"What is she..." I began, but my voice trailed off when she shot me a strange glance.

Delicately, she spread both palms over my belly and shut her eyes. Nothing happened at first, but then... waves of warmth cascaded through my core, transforming my panic into abrupt calm. The tension seemed to slip out from my frame under that comforting heat until she finally withdrew, smiling sadly.

"My baby?" I hit out desperately.

She shook her head, gesturing until I understood: not a miscarriage. Thank god.

The woman then nodded approvingly at my understanding before fluidly returning to her feet. I grabbed her wrist without thinking. "Please, someone took my husband," I pleaded with her. "We only want to find him and then we'll leave peacefully,"

Her piercing eyes softened further. Gently, she pried away my clutching fingers, saying something in her language. Then she slipped gracefully outside.

"What the hell just happened?" Luke whispered, turning to face me. "Are you alright?"

I swallowed and nodded. "I'm fine. In fact... I feel great," I said softly.

"Well, at least that's one good thing." Luke paused, crossing over to a small window. He pulled the curtain aside to reveal a small garden in the back. "Maybe we should go," he said. "We could fit through this window."

"Yeah. Good idea."

We were just about to slip through the window, in fact, when the coverings over the door fluttered open and bathed the room in light. Luke and I froze, turning to see that the woman had returned; and she wasn't alone.

A man stepped forward then. He eyed both of us suspiciously, and was carrying an unlit lantern in his hand.

"Who do you seek?" he asked.

I swallowed, glancing over at Luke, who shot me a supportive nod. "Erm... Enzo Rivers," I said softly, my fingers trailing over my pregnant belly. "My husband."

The man hummed to himself as he gazed at my belly, and then leaned toward the woman. They spoke in hushed tones for a few moments before he nodded.

"You're pregnant with his child?"

I nodded. "Yes. What do that have to-"

"Come with me, then," he said abruptly, cutting me off with a wave of his hand. "I'll take you to your husband. The queen might see reason with his baby in your belly,"

I frowned, taking a step back. "The queen?" I asked. "Who is this 'queen'? I only know of my father, the Alpha King; his wife died."

The man paused, exchanging amused glances with the woman before he turned back to me, his blue robe fluttering in the breeze. "You're a long way from home, little wolf," he said, and there was a teasing tone in his voice. "A long, long way from home."

There was a silence as recognition began to wash over me. Luke and I glanced at one another again, a silent exchange: perhaps the man was right, and we were far away from anywhere we had ever been. Maybe my father had no power here. What or rather, where? had we just walked into?

The man cleared his throat then, jerking his head toward the door.

"Are you coming or not, little wolf?"