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    Chapter 0612


    Enzo


    The night air was slightly chilly as I stepped outside, a wee reprieve after the stuffiness of the bedroom. As I made my way toward the sprawling gardens that lined the surrounding area, Nina''s words echoed in my mind.


    *This is not your burden to bear," she had said. "You don''t have to suffer in silence."


    But was that true? Could I really open up about this to anyone, or would it just end in disaster?


    When my father had died, he had left some money-a good amount of money, actually. Nina and I had decided to put it into a retirement ount, though, just to be safe. I kept a little of it, and I knew it would always be there if I needed it, but I didn''t want to use it.


    I always wanted to be the breadwinner, at least while Nina was still in school. I wanted to be able to provide for our family no matter what; hell, I wanted to make sure that our future child would never have to worry.


    But this... incident that had happened with M? One wrong step on my part, and everything could be ruined. There was no telling how far her word reached. For all I knew, it could alienate me from the world of hockey forever.


    But that wasn''t just it.


    I could still see the look in M''s eyes when she had red at me. I could still feel the strength in her grip, too. I knew that Nina was thinking that I had just imagined it differently due to my shock at the moment, but I knew what I had seen.


    It was very possible that M wasn''t human. I didn''t know what she was; she certainly wasn''t a werewolf, but she definitely wasn''t human, either.


    And if that was the case, then what else was she capable of?


    I reached the gardens, where a sprawling hedge mazeid in front of me. I had walked this maze countless times before over our visits; it was a good ce to think. I knew it by memory now, and at the centerid a statue of a wolf. That was my goal tonight: to make it to the wolf.


    As I walked through the hedges, the cool breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees, and I took a deep breath, hoping that the fresh air would clear my thoughts.


    Was I really willing to potentially sacrifice my career and reputation bying forward about what M had done?


    The idea of exposing her for sexual harassment seemed daunting, and part of me still clung to the belief that as a man, I should just suck it up and endure whatever challenges came my way.


    But Nina''s words echoed in my mind. She had reminded me that men could be victims too, and that I shouldn''t be ashamed to seek justice for what had happened. Maybe there were other men out there who had experienced simr situations and needed an advocate.


    Maybe I could be that advocate.


    It wasn''t long before I finally made my way to the wolf. There was a small stone bench opposite the statue, and I sat down with a sigh. The half-moon in the sky illuminated the statue and eerie pale blue, and the distant sound of a fountain filled my ears.


    Lost in my thoughts, I didn''t notice the approaching footsteps until they were right beside me. I turned to see Nina''s father, a thoughtful look on his face.


    *Enzo," he greeted me with a nod. "Taking a moment to yourself?"


    "Yeah," I replied. "Just... trying to make sense of things."


    "May I?" he asked, gesturing to the bench.


    I nodded and moved over to make room for him. He sat beside me, and both of us looked up at the statue in front of us. It was afortable sort of silence; we had grown ustomed to each other by now.Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    *This is my favorite spot," he said after a few moments. "It''s funny... I actually hated this statue at first. I thought it was tacky."


    *But?" I asked, ncing over at him.


    He shrugged, then chuckled. "Nina''s adoptive mother is very persuasive," he said. "She has a way with words. I believe she said, ''Aldric, this statue is a reminder of who you are." He paused, then shook his head andughed again. "I guess she''s right. I haven''t looked at it the same since."


    As he spoke, I felt a sense of recognition washing over me. Maybe the statue was a reminder; a reminder that, above all else, I was born with the blood of the wolf in me. The blood of the wolf didn''t fade or bow down to anything. It was always there, both regal and wild all at once.


    I paused, choosing my words carefully, but then they tumbled out all at once anyway. "Have you ever felt like less of a man because of something?" I blurted out.


    He nodded, as if he had expected my answer. "I''ve felt that way many times," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "Especially after myst marriage. I let my ex-wife take control of everything, and it made me feel like a failure as an Alpha."


    I listened intently, recalling the past Luna''s maniption.


    "But," he continued, his tone more resolute, "I havee to understand that it wasn''t entirely my fault. I made mistakes, yes, but I shouldn''t beat myself up over what happened in the past. All I can do now is work toward a better future where things like that can''t happen again."


    His words gave me pause, resonating with me on a level that I hadn''t expected. To think that the Alpha King himself once felt like less of a man... it made me realize that I wasn''t alone in this.


    And maybe, just maybe, I didn''t need to feel ashamed for my own struggles.


    *Thank you, Aldric," I said, ncing over at him in the dim light. "That was helpful."


    He shot me a somewhat confused look. "Eh?"


    I chuckled. "Don''t worry about it," I said, shaking my head. "Just... thanks."


    I took a deep breath, feeling a renewed sense of determination. Nina was right after all; I couldn''t let fear hold me back in this. I needed to stand up for myself, because at the end of the day, I knew that that was what a true man did. I couldn''t just roll over and take M''s abuse. I needed to do something about it.


    Nina''s father nodded hesitantly, clearly a bit confused. But it didn''t matter, all that mattered was how his words had struck a chord inside of me, and how I would use this wisdom in the future.


    "Well then," he said, smacking his somewhat protruding belly lightly as he stood. "I''ll be heading back inside now for some hot chocte, even though Nina''s mother has warned me about my waistline."


    He paused, looking up at the statue onest time. "Goodnight, old friend," he said with a chuckle.


    And then he was gone, the sounds of his jovial whistles fading off into the distance, the tune bing more and more warbled over the breeze the further he went.


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