Chapter 107: Not tonight, Kayden
Rhys
"What will you do if we win the Stanley Cup this season?"
Kayden raised his head from my chest and turned around to face me. His eyes lit up with a passion I had never seen before—it looked different. It looked like hope.
"If we win? Rhys, I’ll finally be able to breathe. This is my biggest dream, winning the Stanley Cup. Everything I’ve fought for, every lie I’ve had to tell... it’ll all be worth it. I’ll be a champion."
The lies. I wondered if they had to do with the secrets my grandfather had uncovered.
He shifted again, laying his back against my chest with a chuckle. "Wouldn’t it be great if I win the Stanley Cup as a newbie for the Northern Avalanche?"
"And then what? Do you keep going? Do you keep pretending to be an Alpha for the rest of your career?"
Kayden went still against me. I could feel the tension return to his shoulders immediately. "I... I am not sure, but I have to. You know the pro-leagues don’t accept Omegas. If I win that Cup as an Alpha, no one can ever take the achievement away from me, even if the truth comes out later. But for now... I have to keep being an Alpha. You know how seriously the government takes the rules. If they found out I’ve broken them, it would ruin everything I’ve worked for."
I heaved a deep sigh and closed my eyes. My grandfather’s voice echoed in the back of my mind: "He’s just a useless Omega cosplaying as an Alpha."
I fluttered my eyes open, removing my hand from his waist to place it on his shoulder. I trailed my finger from one collarbone to the other before whispering, "Do you ever plan on coming out, Kayden?"
His body went rigid. I could feel the vibration of his pounding heart against mine. He didn’t turn around to face me, but I already knew what his answer would be.
"It’s okay if you don’t want to," I added softly. "I just want to know if you ever plan on—"
"I will..." he cut me off, turning to face me again. "If you ever get hurt in the process of trying to protect me, I would come out for you, Rhys."
My eyes widened in shock. I opened my mouth, but no words came out because that was not the answer I had expected from him.
He would come out for me? Why would he go through such lengths for me? Does he...
I already knew the answer to that question. Kayden loves me as much as I love him, even if he hasn’t said the words yet.
Neither have you, my subconscious hissed in my ear.
Kayden placed a hand on the left side of my cheek, tilting my head before sighing as he positioned me back. "Something is going on with you. Did anything happen? You’ve been acting strange ever since you visited your grandfather a week ago. I haven’t been able to find out what it was due to the game, but now that we’ve won... is this the right time to ask why you were like that that night?"
I blinked, looking away from him for a moment as I rubbed my hands over my face. "I..."
I wanted to tell him everything right then. Every secret I had found out. But I couldn’t—not because I was a coward, but because I couldn’t afford to ruin his night. I didn’t know how he would react once he found out, and I wanted him to be happy while I silently protected his secrets.
There was a reason he hadn’t told me himself.
"Rhys," Kayden whispered, cupping my face. "If there is anything going on with you, you should let me know."
I wrapped my hands around his waist, pulling him closer to my chest. "You know how my grandfather is. He said some things... crazy things, like wanting me to marry Elian." I revealed the one thing I could tell him without ruining the mood.
"Elian?" Kayden frowned and rolled his eyes. "That Omega? He is still bent on you two getting married?"
I nodded. "That old man wants his heirs. Someone to continue the Calder legacy."
Kayden let out a laugh and clapped his hands.
At least he was laughing, I thought as I watched him.
"So, what was your response?"
"Of course I declined his stupid offer. Have you seen how Elian is? That sneaky little thing is so annoying and flirty. I don’t want him around me, and I have no feelings for him."
Kayden leaned closer against me, trailing his fingers down my chest until he touched my abs. His hand started to go lower, but I grabbed it, smirking at him.
"Not tonight, Vale."
Kayden snorted. "Can’t believe the Ice Prince is actually being considerate of me."
"You are still sore, and the last thing I want for you is more soreness. Trust me, I really want to pin you against the walls of this spring and knot you over and over again, but I can’t tonight. I set this all up for you to relieve the pain you’ve been in all week."
Kayden chuckled and rested his head on my chest. "Who would have thought the Ice Captain would care about me this much?"
I frowned, lifting his head to face me. "What do you mean?" I placed a hand on his chin and rolled my eyes.
"Fine, you do care," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I am just..." He shifted again, sighing.
"What is it?"
"Did your grandfather threaten you with anything? Because there is no way you would have broken down just because of a marriage proposal from Elian."
I lowered my head, thinking of what lies I could come up with. For a moment, there was only silence. Neither of us spoke until Kayden broke it himself.
"If there is anything bothering you, Rhys, you can tell me. If your grandfather threatened you with me, you can just—"
I shut him up with a kiss before he could finish. It was a short kiss, and I pulled away immediately, leaving him gasping for breath.
"Wha... what was that?" he asked.
I pulled him closer into my arms, placing a finger on his lips. Then I leaned in and captured his lower lip, savoring the softness. When I pulled back again, I rested my forehead against his, searching his obsidian eyes.
"Did you truly mean what you said?" I asked, my voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "About coming out as an Omega because of me?"
Kayden looked at me, the steam curling around his damp hair. He started to respond, his lips parting to explain his reasoning, but I shook my head before he could finish the thought. I knew him; I knew he’d sacrifice his own comfort if he thought it was the only way to keep me.
"You don’t have to do that for me, Kayden," I said firmly, taking his hand in mine. "If you are going to come out, do it of your own will. I am not going to be another person in your life who demands you play a part."
I smoothed a stray hair away from his face, my expression softening. "I won’t force you to do anything. If you want to keep the mask on for the rest of your career, we will find a way. If you want to burn it all down, I’ll be the one holding the match. But it has to be your choice, not mine."
Kayden let out a shaky breath, resting his head on my shoulder and wrapping his arms around my waist. "Oh, Rhys..." He kissed my neck. "If anything is bothering you, let me know."
I placed a hand on the back of his neck. "Not tonight, Kayden," I told him, and he finally nodded without asking any further questions.