My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story PDF

Chapter 0669

Nina

"Do you think she's coming?"

Enzo's voice and the feeling of his strong, warm arm wrapping around my shoulders pulled me back to the present. I had been staring longingly off the front of the porch, hoping that she would come.

"I don't know," I said, checking the time on my phone. The party had started a couple of hours ago, and Daphne still hadn't shown up.

"She'll show," Enzo said after a moment. He wrapped his arm around me a little tighter, and I let myself lean into him. His scent was always a comfort.

I just hoped that he was right.

I remember that evening vividly, the warm glow of our living room lights spilling out onto the porch as music and laughter filled the air. Enzo and I had thrown together a last-minute party at our house, with plenty of food, drinks, and music.

All of our friends were there; my mother had gone out for the night to a local book club in an attempt to get out of the house and maybe even make some friends. Tyler was milling around and trying to sneak alcohol. I pretended I didn't notice when he snuck his first beer, but I slapped his hand away after that.

"Why?" Tyler whined when I wouldn't let him have another beer. "It's just beer."

"You're too young," I said. "Drink some soda or something instead. One is enough."

Tyler stuck his tongue out at me. "You're just full of yourself because you only just turned twenty-one. As if you didn't drink all through college."

I rolled my eyes at him. I let him drink another beer after that, so long as he didn't tell our mom.

As I sipped my soda out on the front porch, my gaze wandered over the crowd. I was looking for Daphne, the elusive bird shifter who I had invited earlier that day.

it was just a friendly gesture, I couldn't shake the feeling that she might not show

was in full swing, with people dancing, laughing, and chatting animatedly. Jessica was joking with Luke, her laughter ringing clear above the

head was

from the warmth of the crowded house. I leaned against Enzo's warmth, my

show," Enzo

to kiss me, and then he slipped back inside, leaving me alone with my

was when I saw it-a little red bird materializing into a person in the shadows across the street. My heart skipped a beat as Daphne, now in human form, hesitantly walked up to

had put on a cute dress and done her hair, and the transformation from the shy, elusive

I called out softly as

the compliment, a small smile playing on her

of red hair behind her ear. "But remember, I'm not

the house. "This is just a friendly invitation. You're not obligated to

drink, which she accepted with a soft thank you". We mingled among the guests, and I watched

is Lori," I said, pointing. "That's

sipped her

at a joke Matt made, her face lighting up in a way that made me think she didn't often have the

I couldn't

a certain loneliness about her, a sense of being perpetually on the outside looking in. It struck me then just how isolating the life of

her a friendly smile. "Are you enjoying yourself?" I asked, handing her a glass of wine while I continued drinking

for a moment, her fingers brushing mine as she took the glass. "Yeah," she finally said. "I am.

know, I've been watching you and your friends for so long now," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper, "it kind of feels

shook my head. "No,

well, it's made me a bit jealous of your

taken aback. I guess I hadn't really considered that too much before tonight. "It must be hard, always watching and never really being a part of