My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0680

Broad shoulders, jet black hair streaked with silver-

"Dad?" I exclaimed.

He looked much more tired than when I had seen him last, with more pronounced wrinkles across his forehead and around his striking eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days. Those same eyes looked at me now with profound warmth and... was that regret?

"Hello, Nina. Tyler. Angelica." My dad's voice still resonated through the room with alpha authority, although today, it carried a softer tone than I had heard in a while.

"Aldric," my mother breathed, slowly rising from her chair with narrowed eyes. "What are you doing here?"

My father sighed. He glanced back and forth between all of us, and then his shoulders slumped a bit.

I approached slowly. My dad watched me, uncertainty clouding those familiar, steely eyes.

"Nina..." he began formally, then paused. When he continued, his voice was gentle, even vulnerable. "I'm so sorry about what happened. I've been thinking a lot lately, and..."novelbin

His words dissolved the last bit of defenses around my heart. I collapsed into his strong arms, holding him right.

"It's alright. I forgive you," I whispered into his chest.

When we finally pulled apart, there was a newfound light in his eyes. "I really am sorry," he said softly, then turned to address all of us. "I'm sorry to all of you. And you, Angelica, my love."

My mother paused, her arms folded across her chest. Her jaw was set hard. She was angry.

"You don't get to do that," she hissed, her eyes narrowed. "You don't get to berate my daughter and then give me an ultimatumn."

"Angelica-"

"No. You listen to me, Aldric," my mother interrupted. "Pull a stunt like that again, speak to my daughter like that again, speak to me like that again... And you can go ahead and live your sad, lonely life in that mansion all by yourself." The room was silent, the only sound that of the birds chirping outside and the portal still crackling behind us. The tension between my parents was almost palpable, but then...

A smile broke across my father's face. "You're a firecracker, Angelica," he murmured. "A real firecracker." My mother scoffed, but I could see the light dancing in her eyes. "Get over here, you old brute," she said.

My father, laughing, strode across the room and pulled my mom into his broad arms. Tyler and I watched from the sidelines, smirking at each other. It was so unlike our mother to be this openly affectionate, at least in front of us. Things really had changed lately.

Finally, they pulled apart. My dad turned to Tyler, and they exchanged no words; they simply nodded at each other, a silence exchange of forgiveness. Then, he turned to me. "The portal is still open," he said. "I'd like my family to come home with me, if you'll have me."

"Or say the word and we'll stay here until Enzo returns," my mother added.

I hesitated, chewing the inside of my cheek. The idea of returning to the werewolf realm, after everything, almost made my stomach churn. "I'm staying," I said firmly, taking a step back. "You guys can go, but I'm staying here. Where I belong,"

My father's face fell slightly, but he said nothing. It was clear that he had learned not to argue the matter recently; and if it was true that I had inherited his oxlike stubbornness, then I wasn't budging. This was my home. I had made my decision already.

Finally, my father nodded. "Very well," he said gently. "Remember, you're always welcome."

I nodded as well. "Don't worry," I replied, flashing my dad a relieved smile. "You'll be hearing from me."