Kayden
The preparation for the interview started earlier than I expected, and I had to get my makeup done because, according to Coach Reddick, Rhys and I have to look our best.
When the makeup artist finally stepped back from me with a satisfied sigh, she lowered her brush and announced she was done.
I forced myself to lift my chin and look into the mirror, but the moment my eyes met my reflection, something inside me twisted sharply and hard.
My face looked flawless, clean, perfectly polished. My skin looked soft, almost glowing, and the subtle contouring they added only made my features softer in a way that made me seem more delicate.
There was nothing Alpha about the man staring back at me.
My throat tightened instantly, and I swallowed hard, but the lump didn't move. My chest felt too small, like it was caving in on itself. I watched as my eyes widened with panic and tried to squeeze my face so I could change my expression, but I could not pretend for myself.
Not here. Not in this bright room with makeup lights exposing every hidden part of me. I looked like what I had spent my whole life trying not to be.
An omega. A very needy omega.
My fingers started trembling as I held the sheet of interview preparation notes they had given me earlier. The paper rattled slightly as I clenched it tighter, but that only made my shaking fingers obvious.
I lowered my head and stared at the words, but they blurred almost immediately, melting into a white haze.
All I could see in my mind was my father's face.
I was eight the first time I told him I wanted to play hockey. I was excited and had shown him the little skates I bought with my saved allowance, but instead of smiling and encouraging me like I thought he would, my father sat me down and told me coldly that the world would never accept someone like me on ice. He made me understand that the ice was not a place for Omegas.
"People like us never get to stand in front of the world! We are nothing," he had said.
The words hit me again with the same force they had all those years ago. I groaned and tightened my grip on the paper until it crumpled in my palm.
"What is wrong with me?" I questioned myself when I felt my heart racing faster and my palms getting sweaty.
I could feel the room closing in on me, even though it was wide and bright and filled with people. All I could think of was why I still looked like an Omega. Why couldn't I look more like…
I didn't finish the thought because suddenly, a warm hand touched my shoulder. I jerked slightly, startled, and my heart kicked up hard when I turned.
Rhys was standing right behind me. His blue eyes were fixed on me, narrowed slightly with something that looked like concern—genuine concern, because he never looked at me that way.
"Hey, Kayden," he said quietly. "Are you alright?"
For a moment, I couldn't speak. His hand was still on my shoulder, grounding me in a way that made something deep inside me twist painfully. My pulse was racing, my palms damp from all the sweat, but I forced myself to nod.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, even though my voice didn't sound like mine. "It's just… the pressure, and I was trying to rehearse the script in my head," I lied and tried to smile, but I barely lifted one corner of my mouth.
Rhys didn't move his hand, and he sure didn't look convinced, but he didn't press the matter any further. Instead, he checked the time on his phone and straightened his jacket. "It's time," he announced as he moved away from the makeup counter.
The staff immediately began gathering their equipment, and our manager poked his head through the doorway to ensure we were ready.
My pulse was still a little unsteady, but I forced myself to stand.
Rhys was already walking toward the door, and I followed behind him.
"Wait," I shouted, catching his sleeve gently before he could step out into the hallway.
He turned around, and his eyes shifted down to my hand as if I had just committed some crime. I let go quickly, clearing my throat.
"Can we take a selfie before we go? Just something quick. It would help the promo and engagement boost; the fans are already going crazy, so let's make them crazier."
Rhys frowned, making me immediately regret my decision. "I don't really take selfies, especially with someone I am not close with," he said, already pulling back as if he planned to escape the idea entirely.
I shouldn't have suggested that, knowing the kind of person Rhys was.
But before he could move away, our manager, Elton, walked back into the dressing room, exchanging looks with both of us. "A selfie is not a bad idea," he said, pointing between us as if we were stubborn children. "The brands want chemistry, the media wants chemistry, and even if you want to appear as rivals, do it. Take selfies, do whatever you have to do together."
Rhys exhaled slowly, almost like the entire situation irritated him, but he nodded. "Fine. Just make it quick."
I stepped closer to him, trying to ignore the electric tension that always hit me whenever our bodies were just a breath apart. Since Rhys was taller and broader, I had to stand on tiptoe.
My phone felt suddenly slippery in my hand, but I lifted it, and the screen caught both of us in the frame.
Rhys didn't smile. He had that serious look that said he didn't want to take the selfie.
"Try to smile, Calder. This is a selfie, not a passport photograph," Elton commented.
"No," Rhys refused.
I chuckled and then murmured to him, "Since we have to look close, can you please come closer?"
Rhys groaned, hesitated for just a second, then leaned in, his shoulder brushing mine. That tiny contact made something inside my chest tighten painfully, like my instincts were trying to claw upward again. I swallowed hard, then forced a smile and pressed the shutter button.
The camera clicked.
I lowered my phone and stared at the picture for a second longer than necessary. We looked… together—more than good. We were like two pieces of a puzzle that didn't fit, but somehow did anyway.
Immediately, I rushed to my IG page and uploaded the selfie, my fingers moving on autopilot as I added a caption that sounded professionally edited and not too personal.
"Perfect partners."
It didn't take a second before the notifications lit up immediately, and my phone started vibrating nonstop.
"What are you still waiting for?" Rhys asked as he was already walking toward the hallway.
I smiled and placed my phone in my pocket as I hurried to catch up. Our shoes echoed on the tiled floor as we moved side by side through the bright studio corridor, following the signs that pointed toward the interview room.