Chapter 373

Nina

The plane landed on the tarmac with a jostle, and I let out an inaudible sigh of relief. I wasn’t usually bothered by flying, but this trip had been particularly full of turbulence. Now that we were on solid ground again, though, I felt like I could finally relax.

“We made it,” Enzo murmured, his eyes meeting mine as if he had heard my thoughts.

I chuckled, my hand floating to my belly without even really meaning to. “We sure did.”

…

The hotel was just as nice as I had hoped, with a large plush bed, a sofa, and a flat-screen TV. We could see the view of the city through the window, a stark contrast to the view of the ocean from our cliffside house back in Mountainview, or even the forested view from my room in my father’s mansion in the werewolf realm.

It was nice to look outside and see human life, cars, buildings. It was like a reminder that we weren’t alone in the world.

“You know, we don’t have to go out immediately. We can just rest for a while,” Enzo said, sinking down onto the edge of the bed.

“Are you kidding? I’ve been cooped up on a plane for hours. I want to explore,” I replied, barely able to contain my excitement.

Enzo chuckled, nodding. “Okay. Exploring it is.”

We headed out not long afterwards, the city already alive and bustling. Enzo held my hand tightly as though he was certain he would lose me in the crowd, which I didn’t mind. It was nice to walk beside him someplace new.

“You doing okay?” he asked at one point, glancing down at me as we made our way through a shopping district.

“Of course,” I assured him, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

We meandered through the streets, my eyes darting everywhere, drinking in the sights and sounds. And then I saw it—the baby supply store. Its windows were filled with cribs, toys, and an array of adorable baby clothes.

“Enzo, look!” I said, my voice catching in my throat.

He followed my gaze and chuckled. “You wanna go in?”

Before he had even finished the sentence, I was already dragging him into the store on a sort of maternal whim. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but I found myself more drawn to the colorful little onesies, toys, and spinning mobiles than ever.

And then my eyes fell on it—a onesie, so small it looked like it could fit into the palm of my hand, embroidered with tiny flowers.

“Oh my god, this is so cute,” I gushed, unable to take my eyes off of it. I held it up, examining it in the light. “Wouldn’t this be perfect? Boy or girl…”

Enzo leaned forward, examining it closely. “You like it?” he asked, his eyes meeting mine.

“Like it?” I gushed. “Enzo, it’s so cute. I love it.”

Without a word, Enzo took the onesie from my hand. I watched in shock as he walked up to the counter and placed it down, pulling out his wallet at the same time.

“Enzo, you don’t—” I began as I jogged up to him, but he stopped me, shaking his head.

“Too bad. I want to.”

As the cashier rang up the onesie and Enzo paid, I felt my heart melt. Despite everything, despite the fear and the trauma and the shadow entity, Enzo was standing here, buying a onesie for our future child. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

“Here. For our little one,” he said softly when he returned, holding the bag out for me.

I took the bag from him, my fingers trembling as I touched the fabric of the onesie. And in that moment, I felt it—a connection, as if a thread had been woven between me and the tiny life growing inside of me. It was almost visceral, as though a switch had been suddenly flipped.

“You okay?” Enzo’s voice broke through my reverie, pulling me back to the present.

I nodded, swallowing hard to dispel the lump that had formed in my throat. “I’m fine. More than fine, actually.”

As we left the store, my mind drifted to my mother, to the baby she had lost all those years ago. A wave of sorrow washed over me, followed by a pang of fear. What if the same thing happened to me? What if our baby—our little one—never got to wear this onesie, never got to be a part of this world?

I decided to push the thought away for now, refusing to let it take root. Instead, I focused on the here and now, on the man walking beside me, on the life we were building together.

“I can’t wait to meet our baby,” Enzo said softly, as if he had somehow sensed my inner turmoil.

“Me too,” I replied, my voice tinged with emotion. “I really can’t wait.”

…

We were back in the hotel room later, getting ready to head to the hockey arena. I had picked out a simple top and a pair of jeans, and Enzo was slipping into his more professional attire of a white button down and black pants.

“Are you sure you want to come with me to meet the team?” he asked. “I mean, it’s not going to be all fun and games; they’re a rough bunch, not entirely like the team back in Mountainview.”

“Trust me, I want to be there,” I said, gazing at him with sincerity. “These are the people you’ll be spending the next six months with, at least. I want to meet them. I want to be part of this part of your life as much as I can.”

He smiled, that warm and comforting smile that melted my worries away. He crossed the room and kissed me, pulling away only to say, “I’m so grateful for how supportive you are, Nina. It means everything to me.”

A little while later, we were arriving at the arena. It was much larger than the arena back in Mountainview, and as we walked in, I already shuddered from the chill of the air.

Enzo guided me into a meeting room where everyone was gathered. The team was seated around a large conference table, and as we entered, their faced turned up to greet us. They all looked young, younger than Enzo and I, but their eyes were full of spirit.

“Enzo!” Tim, the recruiter who had hired Enzo, called out as we approached. His eyes then slid over to me, and a grin spread across his face. “And you must be Nina.”

I nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

“Everyone, this is Nina, my better half,” Enzo announced, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Choruses of greetings filled the room. One by one, I was introduced to the players, each name a blur as I did my best to keep up.

“I’m so glad you came, Nina,” Tim said, shaking my hand. “We’re thrilled to have Enzo here and glad you could join us.”

“Thank you, Tim. I’m really excited to be here and to see what Enzo will be contributing to the team.”

A moment later, Tim's face lit up as though he had just remembered something important. “Oh, and our team doctor, Mila, will be arriving shortly. Ah, in fact, here she is now.”

The door swung open, and in walked Mila.

I took a breath, my eyes widening. She was tall, almost rivaling Enzo in height, slender with impeccable posture, and undeniably striking. Her hair was a cascade of silk that seemed to capture the light, flipping it back over her shoulder as she walked with a confidence that was unparalleled.

The room’s atmosphere subtly seemed to shift as Mila entered, her presence commanding attention. As she approached, her eyes flitted over to Enzo, and for a fraction of a second, something unspoken passed between them.

A flirtatious look? A secret understanding? I couldn’t tell, but it stirred a tension in me that I didn’t care to explore at that moment.

Tim, perhaps oblivious to the subtle glances, turned toward me. “Nina, this is Mila. Mila, this is Nina, Enzo’s wife.”

“How very nice to meet you, Nina,” Mila said, extending her hand toward me, her eyes locking onto mine.