Chapter 69: What It Costs to Keep Him Alive
Rhys
I shouldn’t be doing all of this, not after how he had lied to me, but I couldn’t just leave him, not after hearing that he could die.
When Leo had told me I was his first, I couldn’t believe it because he hadn’t made it obvious. The first time was smooth, and he acted like a pro in bed, so I didn’t suspect anything.
As I hugged him from behind, feeling the vibration of his body against mine after he had gone unconscious, I wondered if I was doing the right thing, especially for someone who had played me for a fool.
"He is under," Leo muttered, his eyes fixed on the monitors. "Now, stay still and continue pouring your pheromones. If you pull away, his heart rate will spike again."
I watched as he moved and said nothing. Leo started moving around; he handed a fresh bag of saline mixed with a heavy-duty neutralizing agent, and the clear fluid started dripping steadily into the IV line already taped to Kayden’s pale arm.
Next came what he had called gastric lavage. Because Kayden had ingested the primal draught, Leo had to ensure no residual traces remained.
I had to hold Kayden upright, his limp body draped over my chest like a ragdoll while Leo expertly guided a thin tube down.
Kayden let out a shudder but didn’t wake up as Leo worked a manual pump, pulling out the traces of the draught.
"What is all this?" I asked, my voice vibrating through Kayden’s chest. "Is his body completely freed from it?"
Leo didn’t look up as he swapped a vial. "It’s not just the draught, Rhys. I am trying to make sure there are no traces because for five years, he has been nuking his own endocrine system."
He pointed to a readout on the screen. "He had been taking a combination of high-grade suppressants and scent blockers. Usually, an Omega is supposed to take one or two once in a while, but Kayden was taking four every day, and that forced his body into a state of permanent chemical hibernation so he could skate as an Alpha."
I felt all the blood drain from my face at the revelation. "Five years? How is he even standing?"
"Barely," Leo responded. "Those suppressants are toxic, but I always provide a tonic for him to take so he wouldn’t die young."
I heaved a deep sigh, never expecting anyone to go through such crazy lengths all because he wanted to be a hockey player. "There are other things he can do as an Omega."
"Yes, right," Leo scoffed, standing up as he finished pumping. He checked the IV drip and then looked at me. "He is stable now. His heart rate is back in a rhythm that won’t kill him. Congratulations, Rhys Calder, you saved his life."
I let out a dry, hollow chuckle that vibrated through my chest and into Kayden’s cheek. "I saved him," I muttered and shook my head. "I can’t believe I saved a guy who has been lying to the whole world—to me—since the day we met."
"Rhys, you don’t know the whole story," Leo started, his voice sounding like it was coming from miles away when he walked out of the room with the tray, then returned with it again.
"Kayden has his story, and you are in no position to judge him for it."
I looked up at Leo, my eyes narrowing as I watched him pace around the room. "You knew all along, and as a doctor this means you were the one who had faked his medicals, you forged the blood work, the physicals! This means you are an accomplice that helped him deceive the team, the league, going as far as breaking your oath as a doctor."
Leo shrugged his shoulder. "I was just helping a brother. Someone close to me. For his survival, I did what was necessary and hockey was the only thing that could save him, so I did what I had to."
"That is deception, Leo; it’s fraud," I snarled, though my body felt like it was sinking into the mattress. "I should get up right now. I should go tell everyone, announce it to the board, get your license revoked, get Kayden out of the team and let everyone know what he did and what you did."
Leo stopped what he was doing and turned to face me fully. "Then what the hell are you doing here, Rhys Calder?" he asked, standing akimbo. "That is the door," he pointed towards the entrance. "It is not locked. You are an Alpha, I am a Beta; I am not strong enough to stop you. If your moral compass is so offended by the deception, then go tell them," he sneered and patted his forehead.
"But while you are making your announcement," he paused, eyeing me, "consider the logistics. You tell them, he’s banned for life, the team loses its season, a bad reputation to the prestigious Avalanche who couldn’t figure out an Omega hiding behind the team... you want to be the good guy just to satisfy your ego? Be my guest. But don’t pretend it’s about the truth; it’s about you being hurt."
I couldn’t respond because he was right. We were going to lose a lot if I exposed Kayden’s secret. "This is so crazy," I sighed as I looked at Kayden, who was still unconscious in my arms.
"Why did he have to go through all that? Why did he have to lie?"
"It’s not my place to say, Rhys. It’s Kayden’s story to tell, not mine, but I will say this," he paused, adjusting his coat. "Being an Omega shouldn’t be a requirement to stop anyone’s dreams. He has the talent of an Alpha, and the league would have buried him because of his status if he didn’t take measures."
"So you helped him commit fraud, for a dream?"
"I helped him live," Leo countered, looking me in the eye. "And don’t pretend you are just a bystander here. You care about him, Rhys. I know you are a jerk, but you do care about him, because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be in this bed right now using your own strength to save him."
"No," I snapped, gritting my teeth. "I don’t care about him. I just don’t want him to die. This changes nothing. Once he wakes up and he is stable, he should leave the league because he is a liability and I won’t be a part of the lie anymore."
Leo said nothing at first as he moved closer to touch my forehead. "Still cool," he muttered and then touched Kayden’s forehead. "Okay, the temperature is down. Seems your cooling pheromones worked. You both are compatible after all; you are not completely useless," he muttered and just watched the monitor, then faced me. "Whatever decision Kayden decides to take is up to him, and also we both know how he had been kicking your ass and the others on ice, so don’t make it like he is weak when he is not. There is a reason why he is a hot topic nowadays."
I tried to speak, but he shut me up with a hand. "Enough!" he slowly said. "You need to sleep now since you have pushed your Alpha system to the limit. If you try to stay awake, your adrenaline will spike, and if your adrenaline spikes, your pheromones will turn aggressive, serving as poison to Kayden, especially in his current state. Close your eyes, clear your head, and have a good sleep."
I wanted to argue with him, to tell him I didn’t want to spend another second in this forced intimacy, but suddenly I yawned, looked down at the top of Kayden’s head, and shut my eyes.
I felt my muscles go slack as I leaned against the wall, and my consciousness slipped away. The last thing I felt was the movement of Kayden’s hand on mine.