Chapter 65: The Birthday Gala: Alpha Draught
Kayden
"How do you feel now?" I asked Rhys as we sat down at one of the chairs at the back of the building.
I had led him there like it was my own house after seeing how broken he was.
Once we were seated, I placed my hand on his and stared at his face. He wiped his hands on his face, and when he brought them down, they were red. Even with the dim light, I could see the redness and also the cut his father had left him.
"He hit you so bad you cut your lips?" I placed a finger on his lips and he winced in pain. "How are you feeling?"
"A bit better," Rhys muttered. "Thanks to you," he sniffled and rubbed his face again. "That was the first time in years since I have cried in front of someone. I feel really..." he paused, lowering his head.
I placed a hand on his chin and raised his head to face me. "Come on Rhys, it’s me. Even if we don’t truly mean anything to each other, I can still be considered your friend."
Rhys placed a hand on mine and lowered his head on it. "You mean so much more to me and that’s what scares me because deep down, I am not a good person. I am not who you think I am. I have a demon inside of me created by my father and I am afraid that I might break you, destroy you," he raised his head, his blue eyes shining brightly as they met mine.
"I don’t want you to hate me when you see the other side of me, Kayden."
"Oh Rhys," I reached out and touched the left side of his face. "I have seen the different sides of you and even with your different personalities, you are still you."
Rhys didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned into my palm, his skin still hot from the crying. He closed his eyes for a second, and I could feel the slight tremor in his jaw.
"You say that now," Rhys whispered. "But you don’t know what it’s like in that house. You don’t know the things they make me do to stay at the top. The ice isn’t just a game for us, Kayden. It’s a war. And to win a war, my father taught me how to be heartless. He taught me that feelings are a leak in the boat—something that will eventually sink you. And now he has already planted it in my head that you are my rival, and I have to admit that I truly did see you as my rival now."
I kept my hand on his cheek, thumb brushing just below the cut on his lip, not caring about what he had said.
If he wanted to see me as a rival, it was fine. "Then let the boat sink, Rhys. I don’t care how you wish to see me, but all I want is for you to be alright."
"He told me tonight that I have no choice," Rhys continued, his blue eyes opening again. "He said the engagement with Elian is final. He talked about... carrying on the legacy. He wants me to bring another life into this mess, Kayden. He wants me to be him. And the thought of it—the thought of being forced into that life—makes me feel like I’m suffocating."
He looked down at our joined hands, his fingers trembling as they gripped mine. "And then he threatened you. He said if I didn’t play my part, he’d destroy you. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you because of me. That’s the demon I’m talking about. The part of me that is so tied to them that I bring ruin to everyone I touch."
I shifted closer to him on the bench, making sure our shoulders were touching. I wanted him to feel that I wasn’t going anywhere, no matter what he confessed.
"He can’t break me, Rhys. And he can’t make you him," I said firmly, staring straight into those bright blue eyes. "A product doesn’t cry the way you just did. A product doesn’t worry about protecting someone else. You’re fighting that demon every single day, and that’s why you’re a better man than Richard will ever be. I mean, you took me to your favorite spot in Lake City and I saw a different side of you."
Rhys let out a long, shaky breath, and for the first time, some of the tension seemed to leave his face. He lowered his head again, resting his forehead against mine. "I’m scared, Kayden," he admitted, the words so quiet I almost missed them.
"I’ve spent my whole life being the ’Ice Prince’ because it was the only way to survive. If I stop being that... I don’t know what’s left. I just want to play hockey, lead the team to victory, and be with you."
"Then we’ll do it together," I promised.
What he had said felt like a confession. I had no idea if he truly meant it because he wanted more or because he truly cared about what we had, but whatever his decision was, I was ready to support him.
"One step at a time. But first, we’re getting out of here. I’m not letting you spend another minute in this place tonight," I told him.
I stood up, stretching forth my hand for him to take.
Rhys looked at me, his eyes softening for the first time all night, and reached out. But the instant his hand met with my palm, I felt a crazy pain hit me in the stomach.
I gasped for breath, my hand shaking uncontrollably.
At first, I had thought it was a normal pain but it wasn’t; instead, it was a white-hot searing burn that felt like my internal organs were being twisted.
I tried to stay upright but my world began to spin, the edges of my vision turning dark.
I groaned as my body shook so hard I couldn’t keep my balance and I almost fell to the ground, but Rhys was fast as he caught me in his arms before I hit the gravel, pulling me into his chest.
"Kayden? What’s happening? Hey, look at me!" Rhys shouted, his hands gripping my shoulders as he tried to keep me steady.
I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t even think. Something was burning in my stomach and a scream of agony ripped out of my throat, echoing through the empty gardens.
It felt like my blood was boiling, my body fighting against something that was trying to tear me apart from the inside out.
"Kayden, talk to me! What did you eat? What did you drink?" Rhys asked, his voice trembling with a panic I had never heard from him before. "Oh, is this because of your condition?"
"The... the drink," I managed to choke out through gritted teeth, my forehead beaded with cold sweat. "The waiter... I took a glass."
Rhys’s eyes went wide. He leaned in close, perceiving the scent on my breath, and then he heaved a sigh of relief.
"What was it?" I gasped, another wave of pain hitting me so hard I doubled over in his arms.
"It’s a Primal Draught," Rhys whispered, his grip on me tightening but not hurting me. "It’s a powerful Alpha tonic, Kayden. My family serves it at every gala. It’s supposed to be a boost—a drink that does nothing but sharpen an Alpha’s senses and strength. I had thought that you were poisoned."
Rhys looked at me, his blue eyes searching mine, and placed a hand on my forehead. "You are burning up. It’s harmless, Kayden. It’s not supposed to do anything to us," he rasped, his voice shaking. "Why are you burning up? Alpha draughts are only supposed to affect Omegas."
Tears welled in my eyes as another pain hit me. I tried to speak but I couldn’t because the pain was unbearable and my hands were shaking terribly.
Rhys looked at my shaking hands then back at my face. "Kayden," he said softly. "Why... is it hurting you?"