My Hockey Alpha
Chapter 668

Chapter 0668

Nina

Enzo and I huddled under the glow of our living room lamp, trying to figure out how the hell we were going to replace and talk to this elusive bird shifter, Daphne.

Daphne had revealed that she had been watching us for long enough to know all about the yellow-eyed wolf, and something told me that she may just know more than she was letting on. Our own scouts hadn't been able to track down the strange stalker, but Daphne....

She was, perhaps, better suited to pursuing the yellow-eyed wolf. And if it was indeed working for one of our enemies, then we needed all of the information we could get. This could be huge.

I had a map of the surrounding area pulled up on my phone, and was zooming in on a portion of the woods nearby that was known for its hiking trails.

"I think we should try to lure her out into the open," I said as I traced my finger along the winding pathways of the local trails. "She's bound to follow me if I go out on my own. Maybe I can convince her to talk to me again."

Enzo nodded and took his phone out of my hands. "Matt, Jessica, and I can shift and give chase to her if she tries to run. Or rather, fly, I guess," he added with a chuckle.

I let out a slight chuckle of my own. "I'm sure Jessica will be excited to finally get a chance to put her wolf form to use."

It was true; Jessica had been elated about her newfound wolf form. Her wolf had only just emerged a few days ago, and when it came to the yellow-eyed wolf, it was personal. That elusive predator had been the reason behind her nearly-fatal car crash, after all.

"Alright." Enza stood, stretching. "We'll do it tomorrow."

The next day, under a sky mottled with clouds waiting to storm, Enzo, Jessica and I set out. We kept our distances from one another, not wanting to raise any suspicions. Before I knew it, I was completely alone in the woods. Or at least, that was how it seemed.

The trees stood tall and silent around me, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze. The air felt electric, the beginnings of a hot summer storm. And behind me, hidden completely from view and camouflaged amongst the trees, Enzo, Matt, and Jessica waited in their wolf forms, ready to spring into action in case we needed to chase Daphne.

The further I walked, the more I could feel Daphne's presence. At first, there was a flutter here or a rustle there. But as I kept meandering through the hiking trails with my hands in my pockets, I started being able to see her.

The little red bird darted from branch to branch, her eyes fixed on me. I tried to appear nonchalant, making it out to be that I was paying her no mind.

Eventually, I saw her settle on a branch up ahead. I stopped in a clearing, kicking around some stones on the ground before I looked up at her. I didn't want to chase her right away; I wanted to try to talk to her at first.

"Daphne, I know you're up there," I called out. "Can we talk?"

No response. She kept sitting on her tree branch, using her beak to scratch beneath one of her red wings.

But she was listening; I knew that much.

"Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot," I said, taking a tentative step forward, "but I could really use your help. I'll give you whatever you want as payment, I promise."

Still no response. She stared at me, her feathers a little ruffled.

And then, stretching her wings, she took off.

Suddenly, the tranquility of the forest was shattered as Enzo and the others burst out of their hiding spots. They were all so fast in their wolf forms, their movements a blur as they gave chase.

Daphne, caught off guard, let out a startled squawk and took to the air, her wings beating furiously.

The chase was intense, a flurry of movement and sound. Daphne weaved through the trees, her agility remarkable. Enzo and the others were relentless, but she was always just a wingbeat ahead.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched, torn between fear for Daphne and the desperate need to catch her. The others pursued her like their lives depended on it, their large wolf forms splitting up and flanking her in a triangle formation.

Up ahead, there were some old stone ruins with a high stone wall. It was too high for a little bird like her to fly over, not with so many hawks circling overhead. She'd get snatched out of the sky in an instant.

"Daphne," I called out, following the chase, "please just listen to us! We're not trying to hurt you!"

Finally, Daphne, realizing there was no escaping this time, shifted back into her human form. She landed gracefully on top of the stone wall, her green eyes glaring down at us defiantly as she perched up there. It was intriguing how birdlike she continued to look, even in her human form.

"What the hell do you want?" she demanded, her voice echoing through the clearing.

I stepped forward, a little out of breath from having to follow the chase on foot. Shifting was a little too risky with the pregnancy. I wished it wasn't.

"Daphne, we really need your help," I said. "Please. We need to replace this yellow-eyed wolf for everyone's safety." She continued to perch there, her gaze flickering between the others and me. They slowly shifted back into their own human forms, out of breath and invigorated from the chase.

"Why should I help you? What can you possibly offer me that I don't already have?" Daphne said with a huff.

I searched her face, looking for any sign of what might sway her.

"We can offer you anything," I said, feeling a little desperate. "Money, items... I can even talk to my father about setting you free if you don't enjoy this job. I'm sure it gets boring following me around all the time."

Daphne scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "I like this job. Yeah, it gets boring sometimes, but it pays well. And besides, I don't need your charity."

"There's really nothing you would want?" Matt finally spoke up, causing all of us to look at him.

Daphne snapped her head toward Matt, her eyes glaring and her mouth open to retort. But then something changed then. She closed her mouth suddenly, and her face...

It turned a deep shade of red.

"I... I don't want anything," she said after a few moments. "I just want to be left alone, thanks."

There was a brief silence. Her eyes stayed averted, but I could see the way they occasionally flickered not just to Matt, but also to Jessica and Enzo as well.

She was... bashful.

Realization dawned on me then, and I knew exactly what she wanted. Or at least, I think I had a pretty good idea. I took a step closer, lowering my voice. "Daphne, would you like to join us for a party tonight?"