Chapter 92: Tick Tock Rhys
Rhys
My heart pounded hard against my ribs at the mention of the NHL. I stared at my grandfather after the announcement, my mind racing through every possible scenario. The NHL didn’t call him for no reason. It was all because of me.
"The NHL?" I repeated, forcing myself to look my grandfather in the eye. "And? Why are you telling me this now? Why didn’t you tell me on our way here? If they called, could it be because of the hit? I played within the heat of the game. I didn’t do anything wrong."
My grandfather didn’t answer immediately. He just leaned back, his hands folded over the silver head of his cane. Then he cleared his throat before speaking again.
"They called because your ’heat of the game’ looked like a public execution, Rhys," he said coldly. "They wanted to know why my grandson, the face of this franchise, decided to play out of control, to play like a common enforcer instead of a Captain. Do you have any idea how you look online, Rhys? You broke the rules of the ice!"
I felt the anger bubbling up inside me at the accusation he had thrown at me. I had not done anything wrong, yet it felt like my grandfather was ready to shift the blame onto me.
"The Stallions were headhunting! That player attacked my teammate. He went for Kayden, and he was targeting others. What was I supposed to do? Just watch? I couldn’t just stand there and let them dismantle my team! I had to do something!"
My grandfather’s expression didn’t soften. If anything, his eyes grew harder, like two chips of ice.
"I watched the footage, Rhys. I watched everything," he said, his voice dropping to that dangerous, quiet level that sent shivers running down my spine. "I saw how you threw yourself into the fray. I saw how you moved. Protecting the team wasn’t what you did. It was Kayden you tried to protect, and you were so blinded by the need to shield him that you caused that Reid boy’s fall."
He let out a short, mocking breath.
"You risked yourself for one player, and in your desperation, Reid was pushed by the Stallions’ enforcer. And look at the result. Miller is in the hospital, injured because you were too busy playing hero for Kayden. You saved one, and you risked another. You sacrificed your lead center for a personal vendetta."
The words felt like a physical blow, but my grandfather wasn’t entirely wrong, and that was what made it hurt. I had been so focused on making sure Kayden wasn’t touched that I lost control, and it resulted in breaking the rules.
"Miller’s injury wasn’t my intention," I snapped, though my voice lacked the conviction I wanted.
"Intentions don’t win Cups, Rhys. Results do," he countered. He leaned forward, the shadows of the room making him look even more menacing.
"The NHL isn’t just looking at a five game suspension. They are looking at the ’integrity’ of the sport. And I am looking at a grandson who has become a liability because he let his heart dictate his movements on the ice. How could you act like that when you are the grandson of a well known legendary hockey player?"
I gripped the edge of the table tightly until my knuckles turned white. "So what did they say? What is the decision?" I asked. "Are they going to summon me to the headquarters?"
My grandfather leaned back, his gaze never wavering. "They almost did. That is exactly why they called me. They had planned on questioning you and suspending you until the season ended."
The blood drained from my face. "Until the season ended? I just retaliated! What about the Stallions’ enforcer? He started the whole thing! Why should I..."
"He has been suspended," my grandfather said dismissively. "And besides, he suffered enough when you were ’punishing’ him on the ice. But that isn’t the point, Rhys. You didn’t act like a Captain. You let your emotions get the best of you. This was your first major misconduct, and we both know it was because of Kayden."
"It wasn’t because of him," I snapped. "I..."
My grandfather slammed his hand on the table, the silver clattering loudly against the surface. "That boy will ruin you!"
He scoffed, his eyes narrowing with cold, sharp pity. "You should be thankful to me. Without my intervention, you would have been disgraced, forced to sit the rest of the season out while the world watched the Calder heir fall apart. But the NHL listened to me. I have reached an agreement. Instead of losing the season, you will sit this round out. You will use the time to practice and prepare for the conference finals."
He leaned in closer, his voice dripping with malice. "And while you sit in the shadows, have you seen what is happening? Everyone is praising that Vale boy. The fans, the announcers, all eyes are on him while you are being disgraced. Can’t you see it, Rhys? The boy is trying to take your position. He is aiming for the position of the Calders in the Northern Avalanche, in Oak City itself. He is not your teammate. He is a threat to everything we have built, and you are letting him."
I tried to speak, but he slammed his hand on the table yet again. "Don’t speak unless you are asked to," he warned. "You should be lucky you are a Calder, else you would have been suspended for the rest of the season for your actions!" He paused to take a breath before delivering the final blow. "You must follow my request. You will stay away from that boy, and you will announce that you are to marry Elian once the season ends. It is the only way to stabilize the family name and your long career."
I surged to my feet, the chair screeching against the marble floor. "No! I refuse. I could never marry Elian. You can’t force this on me. I don’t want to be with that boy. I already made it clear. I know you did this to my father by letting him marry my mother into a loveless marriage, but I am not him, and I won’t be a part of this."
My grandfather didn’t even flinch at my outburst. He just sat there and let out a dry, mocking sound that chilled me to the bone.
"You’re so worried about your own heart, Rhys," he said, tilting his head. "Perhaps you should worry about Kayden instead. Because on that night you disappeared with the omega, Kayden was nowhere to be found."
The anger in my chest died instantly, replaced by a cold, sharp dread.
Does he know? I thought. There was no way he could have known because I made sure I covered Kayden’s face and blocked him from everyone. How did my grandfather find out?
My heart started pounding against my ribs at the thought of my grandfather discovering Kayden’s real identity.
I leaned over the table, my voice trembling. "What do you mean? What do you mean he was nowhere to be found?" I demanded, trying to figure out if my grandfather had already found out.
My grandfather’s eyes twinkled with malicious curiosity. He didn’t say it outright, but the way he lingered on the word Omega made my skin crawl. He was insinuating he knew something.
"I could easily investigate," he said, his voice smooth and terrifyingly casual. "I could find out exactly where he was, who he was with, and why a supposed Alpha like him simply vanished into thin air during your little escapade. I am sure a simple, mandatory blood test would clear up many questions about his biological standing." He chuckled.
My heart felt like it stopped. A blood test. My eyes widened as realization dawned on me that my grandfather had already figured out something, but he didn’t know the whole truth, and I was terrified for Kayden.
If they tested him, the secret would be over. Everything Kayden had worked for would be burned to the ground in a single lab report.
"But," my grandfather continued, "I won’t. I won’t drag his name or order any tests, Rhys, if you listen to me. You have the remainder of this season to show me you can be the heir I require. You will follow my instructions, you will marry Elian, and you will stay away from that boy."
He picked up his fork again, the conversation apparently over in his mind. He didn’t look back up at me as he took a slow bite of his lasagna.
"Tick tock, Rhys," he murmured between bites. "You have until the end of the season to prove your loyalty. If you fail me again, you will have only yourself to blame for the ruin of Kayden’s career. I will personally see to it that he never touches a puck again."
Then he went back to eating in total, agonizing silence.