My Hockey Alpha
#Chapter 278: The Final Stretch

Nina

I watched Selena walk away after promising to Claim her. The plan was to have the small Claiming ceremony on Saturday night, but I needed to confirm that she was telling the truth first. I decided that I would have to talk to Enzo about it.

After my exam, I went to meet Enzo in the hockey arena. When I walked in, he was in the midst of training the hockey team. I couldn't help but smile as I walked over to the barricade and watched them do their drills on the ice. Seeing them doing what they loved again, just like old times, made me happy.

“Hey, Nina,” Enzo said, skating up to me when they took their break. He reached over the barricade and pulled me toward him, planting a kiss on my lips. He smelled like sweat from training so hard, but I liked the scent.

“I need to talk to you,” I said, lowering my voice. “I talked to Selena earlier.”

"Oh?" Enzo raised his eyebrows. I knew that he was still skeptical of Selena, and I didn't blame him. But I was almost entirely certain that she was telling the truth; I just needed to confirm it somehow. I nodded. “She told me something about the Luna. Something interesting... She said that the Luna created these genetically engineered rogues using her own blood, and that if the Luna were to die, then the rogues wouldn't be able to survive either.”

Enzo's eyebrows raised even further. “And how did you get this information?” he asked.

I felt my face go red as I spoke. “I promised that I would Claim her this weekend. Saturday night, actually.”

“Nina!” Enzo hissed, holding me firmly by both shoulders. “Are you insane?”

“I can tell that she's telling the truth,” I insisted. “But maybe... Maybe we can take down the Luna first.”

Enzo scoffed. I could tell that he was pretty angry with me. “You plan on taking her down between now and Saturday night?” he asked, sounding incredulous. “Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Not only that, but what if you do somehow manage to kill the Luna, and then you Claim Selena and she just goes straight back to her old self? What then, hm?”

I shook my head and curled my hands up into fists at my sides as Enzo spoke. “Listen, Enzo,” I replied, “I needed to do whatever it took to get Selena to talk. Time is running out; it'll only be a matter of time before the Crescents come back.”

"And we'll be well prepared when they do,” Enzo said. “We've got plenty of help around here. The town is protected, and the Crescents have been laying low. We don't need to rush this.”

“What about my father?” I hissed. “He's still in the Luna's clutches. What about those poor people in the werewolf realm who have been suffering because of her rule? What about the people out there in our world who are still rogues because we couldn't save everyone with the antidote? What about them?”

Enzo went silent. By this point, the rest of the hockey team had noticed our quarreling and were slowly beginning to gather around curiously.

“Listen,” I pleaded. “Despite what Selena has done, she is still my twin; and the bond between us is stronger than the bond that any regular human twins would have. I know she’s telling the truth. And I know that if we can just take down the Luna, this will be all over. Her genetically engineered rogues will die. My father will be released from her spell, and with his help we'll be able to take down the Crescents. Time is running out, and we need to hurry.”

For a long time, Enzo just stared at me. But then, finally, he spoke.

“So, what do you suggest?” he asked.

Suddenly, Matt chimed in. “I say we storm the Alpha King's mansion,” he said. “We have our own little army. We can use the distraction while someone assassinates the Luna.”

Enzo and I slowly turned to look at Matt, then back at each other.

“He's right,” I said quietly.

Enzo stared down at the ice for a few moments. His jaw was shifting back and forth, just like it always did when he was thinking deeply. “We could do it,” he finally said after some time. “We'll need to plan, though. We can't just storm the Alpha King's mansion on a whim... But you're right, Nina. Time is running out, and people are suffering because we've been dragging our feet and preparing for a battle that might be impossible to win if we keep letting the Luna create more genetically engineered rogues.”

He then looked back up at me, and his soft brown eyes were wrought with worry. I reached across the barrier and took his hand, squeezing it gently.

“Thank you, Enzo,” I said.

“This begs the question, though,” Matt chimed in again, skating up to stand beside us. “Who's going to assassinate the Luna?”

At the thought of this, it felt as though my heart stopped for a moment. Deciding who would do it felt too real, too concrete. I didn't want anyone to have to die, but I knew that it was the only way to stop her from destroying both realms entirely.

“I'l do it,” I said finally, swallowing the lump of fear in my throat as I stood up a little straighter. “I'll kill the Luna if the rest of you can create a distraction. It's my plan, so I should be the one to do it.” A silence fell over the arena. I could see the rest of the team shifting uncomfortably on the ice behind Enzo and Matt, waiting and wondering. The thought of killing someone with my own two hands made me feel physically sick, but I knew that it was the only option for us right now. For all we knew, the Luna was creating an even bigger army of genetically engineered rogues that very minute. She had already invaded my mind during my dream, and very well could have been watching me at that very moment, anticipating my every move. We needed to act quickly.

But Enzo finally shook his head. His soft brown eyes met mine again, and his face was stony, like he was trying to hide his true emotions. Behind that facade, I knew that there was pure terror whirling around in his mind.

“No,” he said. “I won't let you do that. I won't make you be the one to have to kill like that. We'll find another way. We'll... We'll find someone who can do it quickly and easily; someone who has killed before.”

"And who would that even be?” Matt asked, looking around. “None of us has ever killed anyone like that. None of us even knows the layout of that place well enough to be able to get in and kill her without being caught first.”

Enzo chewed his lip for a moment, but his eyes stayed fixed on me.

“No, it won't be any of you,” he said. His grip tightened around my hand, and his fingers were warm and comforting. “I lived there for weeks. I know the layout well. I... I can do it. I'll kill the Luna.”

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