My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0637

Nina

The music kept pulsing through the air, eventually switching from an upbeat pop tempo to a slower tempo, but I still felt as if I was on edge. I kept glancing at the corner as though I expected the shadow entity to be standing there, but it never was.

The corner remained devoid of anything and anyone who wasn't a regular partygoer, and I was beginning to feel like I was going crazy.

Lori, who was pairing up with Jessica for a slower dance, shot me a look. "You sure you're alright?" she asked.

I nodded, managing a believable smile. "I just got a little nauseous, that's all," I said, nodding my head toward the bar. "I'm gonna go and get a ginger ale."

Lori and Jessica nodded and gave me a pair of warm smiles. I felt a bit bad for lying to my friends as I turned to make my way to the bar, but I couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth about what I had seen. Not now. Not when the night was so magical and telling everyone would just make them worried.

Besides, the witch had never said the amulet would be bulletproof, and the entity had disappeared as soon as I touched the pendant around my neck. If it was just an issue of the entity managing to break through the protection spell for a moment, it was gone now.

Right?

As I began to walk away from the dance floor, Enzo, who had slipped away a few minutes prior for a drink of his own, ran into me.

"Hey," he said, his gaze softening when he saw me. "Where are you headed?"

*Just to the restroom and to grab a ginger ale," I said, not wanting to alarm Enzo either.

"Oh," Enzo said. "Want me to join you?"

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I'll be back shortly."

Enzo shot me a sideways glance, but simply nodded and began to make his way back toward the dance floor. He and Matt were practically inseparable tonight, and I was glad for it. I knew how much it meant to him to have a friend here, especially his Beta.

I gave him a reassuring smile and slipped away from the dance floor. But as I approached the bar, I couldn't help but glance around to make sure the shadow entity wasn't somehow lurking nearby.

It was irrational, I knew that much, but I just couldn't seem to shake the feeling of being watched.

The bartender, a friendly-looking older man with kind eyes, greeted me with a warm smile. "Can I get you something to drink, Miss?" he asked.

*I'll just have a ginger ale, please," I replied. "With lots of ice."

As he poured the drink, the bartender kept glancing at me. Then, sliding my drink across the bar, he leaned in closer and said, "You're not the Alpha King's daughter, are you?"

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself. "Yes, I am," I replied cautiously. The bartender's eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you then, Princess. I-"

"It's Nina," I interjected with a smile as I sipped my drink. "You can just call me Nina."

The bartender shot me with a look of surprise, but nodded. Then, he leaned in a bit closer, lowering his voice. "If you don't mind me asking, are the rumors true? Were you hidden in the human realm for so long? How many years, exactly?"

I weighed my words carefully. Maybe if I hadn't heard about the apparent anti-human sentiments that were still floating around the realm, I would have been less cautious, but I wasn't so sure now-despite the bartender's kind smile.

"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind," I said softly. "It's a bit personal."

He nodded with understanding and apologized. "I didn't mean to pry, Princess-I mean, Nina. I just wanted to say that if it's true, I hope you enjoy getting to know the werewolf realm and our traditions. And welcome."

I smiled, a bit taken aback but still flattered by his kindness. "That's very nice of you," I said. "Thank you." Admittedly, I had been enjoying the werewolf traditions in this realm, and that alone was a source of confusion for me. It was strange, feeling as though I was torn between two realms, like a woman who didn't know where she truly belonged. But either way, it was nice knowing that I was seemingly welcomed here.

I just wished that my human friends could say the same.

Needing a breath of fresh air, I excused myself from the bar and stepped outside once more. The gardens were quiet, a stark contrast to the lively party inside.

The peacefulness allowed me to clear my head, convincing myself that I hadn't really seen the shadow entity earlier. It must have been my imagination playing tricks on me, I thought to myself. Maybe the heat of the party got to me, or it was a trick of the light and nothing more.

I walked along the winding pathways, the cool night air brushing against my skin. The stars were just as vibrant out here as they were on the charmed ceiling inside, minus the enchanting aurora borealis. But it was a nice change, for the sky to dim a bit and for the vibrant blues and greens to fade to a simple backdrop of black sky and shadowy trees in the distance.

Everything seemed serene, and for a moment, I felt at ease.

But then, as if drawn by an invisible force, I looked up and saw it-the shadow entity standing off in the woods.

It was just as I had seen it before, its dark form contrasting against the moonlit surroundings. It beckoned to me, its elongated fingers gesturing for me to come closer.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I gasped in shock. I couldn't believe my eyes. Was it real? Or was it a manifestation of my fear and paranoia?

I began fumbling for the amulet around my neck, my breath coming out in short gasps. Surely it would disappear. It had to.

But then, as if in a trance, my hand fell back to my side before I could clutch the pendant.

I dropped my glass onto the ground, the sound of it shattering into a million pieces lost in the night. Without realizing what I was doing, I began to walk toward the entity, each step bringing me closer to the darkness that had haunted my thoughts.

No one saw me as I walked away from the gardens and toward the woods, my mind clouded by an inexplicable compulsion. The music and laughter from the party faded into the distance, and all that remained was the entity's sinister presence, pulling me further into the unknown.

I didn't know where I was going or what awaited me in the depths of the forest, but I couldn't stop myself. I felt so far away, so fuzzy, so inexplicably drawn to the tall, shadowy figure leering at me from the woods.

It was as if I had become a pawn in some dark, otherworldly game, and I had no choice but to follow the entity's silent calls.From NôvelDrama.Org.