All Chapters of FIRST NIGHT WITH THE HOCKEY ALPHA : Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

Lyra“What the hell, Ben?” I snapped the moment I saw him. “You told me to…” Ben was saying, but I didn't even let him finish the sentence. My hand shot out grabbing him in, and slamming the door shut, cutting off the figure standing outside before they could say another word. The sound echoed through the house, loud and final, and my heart started racing like I’d just done something unforgivable.I spun around.“Ben,” I said, my voice shaking now, disbelief pouring out of me. “That is a child.”Ben froze where he stood.“That’s a kid,” I repeated, louder. “What do you mean you found a human? That’s not a human…that’s a baby.”“A baby?” Ben frowned. “Lyra, he’s not…”“He’s like fourteen. Fifteen at most,” I cut in, my chest rising fast. “He still looks like he’s figuring out algebra and acne. What do you expect me to do with that?”Ben opened his mouth, I didn’t let him speak.“Why would you bring a child here?” I demanded. “Why would you load a kid into this mess like it’s nothing?”

LyraThe tears fell before I realized they were there.They slid down my cheeks quietly like my body had decided to betray me on its own. I wiped at them with the back of my hand, annoyed more than embarrassed. Crying felt useless right now. It didn’t change anything. It didn’t rewind time. It didn’t pull Nick back from the edge.But this…this hurt differently.This was the first time someone had looked me in the eyes and told me they hated me. And standing there, with Ben’s words still hanging in the air, something ugly and honest cracked open inside me.This is what I did to Nick.The realization hit hard, knocking the air out of my chest. This…this pain, this raw, burning thing, this was what I’d left him with. I had walked away and let him sit with this kind of hurt for a whole year.My vision blurred, and when I blinked, more tears spilled over.My head snapped up. “You don’t know the whole story,” I said, my voice shaking but loud enough to cut through the silence. “So you don’t

LyraThe waiting was driving me insane, I paced the living room for what felt like the hundredth time, my steps sharp and restless, my arms wrapped around myself like that might keep me from unraveling. Every few seconds, my eyes darted to the door. Every few seconds, my heart jumped for no reason.Ben said he wouldn’t be long. Ben also had a habit of underestimating how fast my nerves could snap.I dragged a hand down my face, letting out a shaky breath. When the door opened, I spun around so fast I almost tripped.Ben stepped inside. That was it, it was only Ben standing there.I stared at him, my chest tightening immediately. “Where’s the healer?” I asked, my voice already sharp. My eyes flicked behind him, searching the empty doorway. “Aren’t you the same person that said will help me??Ben shut the door calmly, way too calmly for my liking. “You need to calm down,” he said.I laughed, short and humorless. “Calm down?”“He’s on his way,” Ben added.I froze. “What?”“What do you

Lyra“Then we begin,” he said.And just like that, my old life ended, I didn’t remember walking out of the house. I just remembered the air outside hitting my face like a slap. Ben stayed behind with Nick.The thought alone almost made my knees buckle, I didn’t look back, If I looked back, I would run back.The healer walked ahead of me, hands clasped behind him like this was some peaceful evening stroll and not me detonating my entire existence. His steps were steady, I couldn’t believe I was leaving, I couldn’t believe I had actually said the words.I’ll leave, It didn’t feel real. It felt like I had watched someone else say it. Like my body had been possessed by a braver, colder version of me.What the hell just happened?The house disappeared behind trees and darkness. My chest tightened so hard I had to slow down.How did my life fall into this? One day I was arguing about stupid things. The next day I was apparently toxic to the person I loved.I let out a shaky breath. This h

Lyra“What?” The word tore out of me before I could control it.“Ben, you can’t say that to me.” My voice shook. “Did you even hear yourself?”He didn’t move from the doorway. The porch light caught the tension in his face, the tight line of his mouth, the way his shoulders were squared like he was bracing for impact.“Me killing Nick slowly? And you want me to leave? ” I let out a broken laugh. “What does that even mean?”His jaw flexed.“You heard what the healer said,” he replied, low but firm. “If you stay close to him, it drains him.”“And you believe that?” I shot back. “Just like that?”“Lyra..”“No.” I shook my head hard. “Answer me. You think I’m what? Some kind of disease? Some walking curse?”The air between us felt heavy, like it had weight.“You still want to go inside?” he asked, eyes burning into mine. “After what he told you?”“What type of question is that?” My hands were trembling now, and I hated that he could probably see it. “Of course I want to go inside. He’s—”