Knot me on ice, Captain(BL)-Chapter 19: The Scent of Lie

Rhys

"Focus," I muttered as I stood on the ice, forcing my legs to move, but the rhythm wasn’t the same as when I started the training that morning.

It was all an effort to get Kayden out of my head. Being close to him was messing with my mind, and even though I was supposed to forget about him, I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. The way I had reacted toward him when he tried speaking to me was bad; I knew I sounded like a jerk, but I had only done that to get him off my back, at least until Game Two was over.

My eyes roamed around, searching for him on the defensive line, but he was nowhere. A while ago, I had watched him rush off the rink, but he had not returned. Seconds passed, turning into minutes, but still, Kayden was nowhere to be found. My gut was twisting—not from the training, but from a low, vibrating instinct that something had gone fundamentally wrong.

"Miller, take the lead!" I shouted as I rushed off the ice, not even asking for the coach’s permission. After all, I was the Captain; I didn’t need permission to leave the rink.

I hit the locker room searching for Kayden, but he was nowhere to be found. I headed toward the private restroom, and a powerful, sweet scent hit me.

Orchids. Just like Kayden’s, but this was too powerful—it smelled more like an Omega’s pheromones.

The scent was so strong it made my head spin. Following it was a low, broken whisper coming from one of the stalls. I followed the sound to the back of the restroom and shoved the door open.

Kayden was on the tile, his back against the wall and his knees pulled to his chest. He was shaking, clutching his abdomen, and crying out in pain.

The orchid scent in the stall was even stronger than what I had smelled in the locker room. It was coming off him in waves, and there was something warm and sweet about it that didn’t smell like an Alpha at all.

I stepped into the small space, the door swinging shut behind me. I inhaled the scent, letting out my Alpha instinct. It showed a possessive side of me that wanted to reach out and hold Kayden—which was weird, because why the hell would I ever want to hold an Alpha?

Having sex last night was due to my rut, but right now, I don’t want Kayden because of a rut. I wanted him because of this insane scent.

"Kayden," I whispered, crouching to his level and staring at how he was shaking. He couldn’t even lift his head to look at me. "What is happening to you? Why do you smell like that?"

"Get... out..." Kayden hissed, but the words came out like a sob. He tried to shove my hand away, but he couldn’t even raise his arm.

I shook my head and leaned closer to him. "I am not going anywhere," I growled.

My own heart was pounding hard against my ribs, wanting to claim him, but I knew I shouldn’t be here. This scent was making me think about things I shouldn’t. "Kayden, your pheromones... they are everywhere. They are so thick they are going to spread and even reach the rink."

Kayden didn’t answer. He just curled around his abdomen tight, his teeth chattering as his face went from gray to a terrifyingly ghostly white.

"If you are not going to say anything, then I am calling the coach," I said, reaching for the phone in my pocket. "You need a doctor, and—"

"No!" Kayden screamed. The force of it made him gasp, his head thumping back against the wall. "Don’t you dare call anyone..."

I sighed and pressed my palm against his forehead. Goodness, the heat coming off him was like a furnace. He was burning up.

"You’re goddamn on fire, Kayden. We need to get you to a hospital," I shouted, looking at the way he clutched his stomach. My mind flashed back to the night before—to the way I had filled him until he cried—and I couldn’t help but wonder if what was happening right now was related to it. "Is this because of last night? Did I... did I hurt you that bad?"

He shook his head. "It’s just a... a condition," he wheezed in pain, shutting his eyes. "This is nothing. I am fine."

"You are the furthest thing from fine. Stop lying to yourself," I snapped. How dare he say he was fine when he was struggling on the ground looking like he was about to die? It was a condition, alright, but I wondered what kind of condition involved him smelling like a goddamn Omega in heat. "Tell me how to help you, Kayden."

Kayden let out a groan and slammed his hand against the wall, raising his head to face me. I saw the tears in his eyes. Damn, I thought. I never knew he was in such pain.

"My bag," he panted, his hand clutching the front of my shirt, pulling me closer until I could smell the sweetness on his breath. "Get my bag from the locker room."

"I will get it," I told him.

I stood up and rushed toward the locker room. My skates were still on and I sprinted, the blades clicking and sliding dangerously against the floor. I didn’t care about being quiet. I reached his locker, opened it wide, grabbed his bag, and slung it over my shoulder.

I rushed back and slammed the restroom door shut behind me.

"Kayden, I have your bag now. Is there anything you want me to do?" I panted, holding the bag out. "Should I open it? What do you need?"

"No!" Kayden snapped, snatching the bag toward his chest even though his hands were shaking. "I will open it myself."

"Alright," I agreed. I reached out to touch him, thinking it might comfort him somehow, but the second my fingers brushed the fabric of his jersey, he flinched as if I had burned him.

"Don’t touch me!" he hissed, his eyes widening in shock. "Stay away from me."

I pulled back and gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached. I was fighting my own goddamn demons. The scent coming off him wasn’t just overwhelming; it was a command. Every instinct in my body was screaming at me to pin him down, to bury my face in his neck, and to finish what I started on that couch. I could feel my blood rushing south—a painful, insistent throb in my pants that I had to pray the shadow of my hockey pants hid. I wasn’t even in my rut, and he was affecting me this much.

"You are in pain, Kayden. Let me help you," I argued, my voice dropping into that low Alpha register I couldn’t suppress. "You can barely sit up..."

"Rhys, please," Kayden muttered, his voice breaking. He looked at me with tears streaming down his face. "Please... the only thing you can do for me now is keep watch. Don’t let anyone in. Please."

That one word—please—cut through my frustration. Even though it wasn’t a command, I found myself nodding. I took a breath, trying to filter out the sweetness that was trying to drown my brain, then I turned my back to him. I planted my feet, my large frame completely blocking any view of him from the outside.

"Fine," I said, my hand gripping the door handle. "Just do whatever you want to do."

I got no response except for the sound of zippers, followed by a scream so loud it made me spin around to face the stall.

"Kayden! Are you alright? What the hell is happening? I’m coming in!"

"No," a pained grunt followed, the sound of teeth grinding together. "Stay... out! Don’t you dare..."

I slammed my fists against the doorframe, my Alpha growling low in my chest. I hated this. I hated being sidelined while he sounded like he was being ripped apart. I stood there, pacing the small tiles of the locker room, my head spinning with questions.

What the hell was he doing?

Minutes passed, and slowly, the overwhelming orchid scent began to fade away.

How? I wondered, my mind racing. How could his pheromones just switch off like that?

The sound of heavy footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Miller rounding the corner, his helmet tucked under his arm and a suspicious look on his face.

"Rhys?" Miller stopped, his eyes darting between me and the restroom door. "Coach is looking for you and Kayden. He’s losing his mind. What the hell are you guys doing back here?"

I stepped forward quickly, putting my body between Miller and the door. "Kayden’s having... stomach issues. I was just checking on him."

Miller raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer. The scent of orchids was no longer there; it was as if it had vanished. "Stomach issues? He looked like he was dying on the ice. Is he okay?" Miller started walking toward the restroom, his hand reaching out. "Maybe I should—"

The door swung open before Miller could touch it.

I froze, my heart pounding. I expected Kayden to still be collapsed on the ground, but he stood there with his bag slung over his shoulder and a cocky, effortless grin plastered on his face. His color had returned and his eyes were clear, hiding every trace of the tears I’d seen five minutes ago.

"Man," Kayden let out a short laugh, clapping Miller on the shoulder. "Sorry about that. That shit took a long time. I thought I was gonna see my life flash before my eyes on that toilet."

Miller blinked, looking relieved but confused. "You’re good to go? The coach is about to bag-skate the whole team if you don’t get back out there."

"Never better," Kayden chirped, passing by my side. He didn’t even glance at me, didn’t say anything, and just left me standing there wondering what had happened.

A while ago, he was sweat-soaked and burning up, releasing a sweet scent, and yet in a few minutes, he was fine, joking about a stomach bug like nothing had happened.

What the hell was going on?