My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0810

Nina

I blinked in surprise as the first Alpha rose from his chair and bowed deeply, his hand over his heart. "My Queen."

The others followed suit shortly after, standing one by one until I was faced with a room full of towering men all bowing their heads respectfully to me. I felt my cheeks flush hot as I glanced over at Enzo, whose eyes were just as wide as mine-although, when he met my gaze, I could see a knowing sort of look behind his eyes with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Drawing in a deep breath, I turned once more to see all of the Alphas still standing, waiting for my orders. All except one-one Alpha sat toward the end of the table, watching me intently. He didn't stand, nor did he bow; not that I expected him to. And in fact, his refusal to stand was an odd sort of relief, although I couldn't entirely explain why.

Finally, I gave a small nod in return, struggling to keep my composure.

As the last Alpha took his seat again, I cleared my throat. "Thank you all for being here today. I know this situation is... unorthodox, to say the least." I paused, glancing around the table. "But I appreciate your willingness to entertain this council despite the circumstances."

"It is our honor, my Queen," one of the older Alphas a portly man with thinning gray hair and a mustache responded gruffly. "Although the loss of your father is still deeply felt for all of us."

A solemn murmur of agreement rippled through the room. I felt a lump forming in my throat at the memory of my father. He should have been here, not me. But I forced those thoughts down for now, squaring my shoulders instead.

"Thank you. I know he served this realm well for many years-"

"Decades. No. Centuries."

I looked up then, startled by the sudden interruption. There, at the end of the table, was the Alpha who hadn't gotten up from his chair earlier; his gaze was piercing and fixed unwaveringly on me, and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

I swallowed, feeling rather small beneath his gaze. The other Alphas looked around somewhat nervously, and beside me, I felt Enzo shifting uncomfortably. He took a step forward, but I put my hand out to stop him.

"What is your name, sir?" I asked. "I'm afraid I haven't put the names on the list I was given to memory quite yet."

The Alpha stared at me for a moment longer, the faintest hint of a smirk crossing his lips. I almost cringed outwardly; I shouldn't have mentioned that my mother had to give me a list of names. A true queen should already know all of the men at the table by memory.

"Ezra," he finally said.

I nodded politely. "Well met, Alpha Ezra. Yes, you are correct; my father served this realm for nearly one and a half centuries. And it is my hope to uphold his legacy, however imperfectly, in the time ahead."

Ezra paused for a moment before nodding and falling silent.

The meeting proceeded without incident after that—just formalities being discussed, old policies being reviewed. I tried my best to follow along attentively, offering input where I could, though it was difficult to shake the feeling that I was in over my head.

By the end, however, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment wash over me. Perhaps it was merely my survival instinct kicking in after making it through unscathed. But I liked to think that a small part of me had embraced this unexpected role, at least for today.

As the Alphas began filing out, Enzo placed a hand on the small of my back, leaning in close. "You were incredible up there," he murmured, his warm breath tickling my ear. "A natural leader. Your father would be proud."

I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips as pride bloomed in my chest. "You think so?"noveldrama