Chapter 101: Twenty minutes to Forever
Kayden
A week later.
Tonight was the final test. It was the night the Northern Avalanche would either book their place in the Conference Finals or fall apart on the ice. And it was the night I would prove I could play perfectly without Rhys beside me.
The series with the Southern Stallions after the first game had been crazier than I ever expected. Every time we thought we had them put away, they clawed back and beat us.
We kept ending up tied, playing back to back with barely anybreaks, and we still had to practice every morning before the games. It was the craziest stretch of hockey I had played since I joined the league.
Leo had to work extra hours with the other physicians to patch everyone up, and I could not count how many times I had been held together by tape.
Finally, it came to this. Game 7. And because we had dropped a crucial home game earlier in the week, we were playing in the belly of the beast, the home city of the Southern Stallions, Iron City.
The week leading up to this had been a living hell. With Rhys suspended and Miller in recovery, the locker room had felt like a ghost town. Practice was silent except for the screams of Coach Reddick.
"You’re skating like you’ve got lead in your boots, Vale!" Coach Reddick had barked three days ago, slamming his clipboard against the glass after we lost to the Stallions.
"If you’re waiting for Rhys to bail you out, you might as well pack your bags now. He’s not coming through that door. You all have to rely on each other if you want to get the Northern Avalanche to victory!"
After hearing those words, I had spent extra hours on the ice every single night, shooting pucks until my palms blistered and my shoulders screamed in protest, but I still showed up the next morning like nothing hurt.
I had Leo to patch me up and Rhys guiding me from the sidelines. He was always at the rink watching me, breaking down my movements, showing me new plays, correcting my form.
And every time I saw him there, it only made me want to win even more, because if he had not tried to protect me, he would not be sitting this out.
Everything that had happened was because of me. And that was why we needed to get to the Conference Finals.
Now, standing in the visitor’s locker room at the end of the second period with the scoreboard still 0 to 0, I wondered if I was going to fail.
The goal for Game 7 was simple. Go in, win, and head straight to the Conference Finals. But both teams’ defenses were solid and no one was giving the other side an inch.
As I stood in the locker room, I was still panting while listening to the coach’s plan.
Coach Reddick paced the room, his eyes scanning our exhausted faces. "Once you step back out there, you have one period left," he said, his voice quiet, which was somehow more terrifying than his yelling. "Twenty minutes to decide if you are champions or just another team that almost made it."
I gripped my stick, my knuckles turning white as I heaved a deep sigh.
I had to get my head back in the game. I had to prove to everyone on the ice that a newbie could rise under pressure and deliver when it mattered most.
And for me, I had to win for the pride of all omegas who had been sidelined and underestimated in this league.
Even though no one knew my true biological identity now, when they eventually did, they would be shocked to learn that an omega had led the team this far.
It would be written in the record books that an omega helped win the Stanley Cup.
"Remember, guys," Coach Reddick’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he continued speaking. "This is the Northern Avalanche, and giving up is not an option for any of us. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" we all shouted.
The whistle blew for us to return to the ice. As the team started to file out for the third period, I felt a familiar tug on my jersey, pulling me back into a dark corner of the tunnel.
The scent of pine hit my nose and I knew immediately who it was. It was exactly the person I needed to see at that moment.
"Kayden." Rhys’s deep voice sounded in front of me. He was in a black hoodie and gray pants, looking like any other fan who had come to watch.
I had not seen him anywhere near the ice. Even while playing, I had tried searching for him among the crowd, but there were too many faces to scan.
Now I understand why. The hood had been pulled low over his face the entire time.
"Rhys? What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be near the tunnel," I whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was watching us. "It’s against the rules. You are suspended."
"Forget the rules," he said, stepping into my space. He reached out and gripped my shoulders, his hands steady and strong, grounding me instantly. "I’ve been watching you from the box. And as proud as I am of how hard you’re playing, you need to ease up a little. If you keep pushing like this, your body is going to crash."
I tried to speak, but he cut me off and leaned in closer until our foreheads touched.
"I believe in you," he said quietly. "More than I have ever believed in anyone. You are an exceptional player. And..."
"Is this one of your captain’s speeches?" I teased, letting out a soft breath of laughter. "Because it sounds like one."
"Absolutely not, Kayden. I did not come here as the Ice Captain. I came here as Rhys. Just Rhys. The guy who cares about you." He paused, his jaw tightening slightly. "There is no time and the game is about to start. I just need you to go out there and play like the Kayden Vale I know. Not like someone carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders."
He glanced around quickly and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
My eyes widened at his boldness. Anyone could walk down the tunnel and see us. But Rhys did not seem to care.
He pulled me into his arms and held me there for a second before reaching into his pocket. When he pulled his hand back out, he was holding a necklace.
It was a silver chain with a small star pendant.
As he held it up in front of me, I stared at him in confusion.
"This was my mum’s," he said softly. "She left it for me before she died. I have not worn it since I won the Cup last season. And now I want you to have it. Think of it as a good luck charm."
I furrowed my brows, still trying to process why he was giving me something so personal. Then the whistle sounded again from the ice, sharper this time, more urgent.
"I have to go," I said, glancing toward the tunnel. "And I do not know what this means, but..."
"Then do not question it until the game is over," he told me, stepping closer to fasten the necklace around my neck. "Win this, and I am taking you on that date I promised you weeks ago. I believe in you, Kayden. The same way everyone on this team does."
He squeezed my shoulder gently before leaning in and kissing me briefly on the lips.
I closed my eyes and kissed him back, just for a second. Then he was gone, disappearing into the shadows.
I stood there for a moment, my heart racing, feeling like something fierce and blazing had been poured straight into my veins.
Then I touched the necklace and muttered as I skated toward the tunnel, "Thank you, Rhys."
~~~
Please read the author’s note