Chapter 123: Children...

Reid’s POV

The whistle finally blew, ending the grueling two-hour session.

As the rest of the guys skated off the ice, laughing and groaning about their sore muscles, I lagged behind for a second, watching the smooth, rhythmic glide of Kain’s skates as he headed toward the tunnel.

Even covered in heavy armor, his posture was perfect—the undisputed anchor of this team.

It was that perfect posture that got me attracted to him in the first place.

​Back in the locker room, the air was thick with the smell of sweat, wet gear, and a chaotic rush of dominant Alpha Pheromones as they unbuckled their pads.

Just a regular day of practice.

I slid onto my bench, pulling off my helmet and letting my damp hair fall into my face but before I could take a breath, my phone buzzed violently in my duffel bag.

Pulling it out, I saw the caller ID and suppressed a heavy sigh before sliding it to answer.

​"Yeah, Mom," I muttered, propping the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I started unstrapping my shin guards.

​"Reid. I’ve been calling since yesterday," her sharp, polished voice echoed through the speaker. "Doctor Victoria got in touch with your team doctor and sent the front office a report about your ankle, but I wanted to hear it from you. Are your legs doing alright now? Are you actually fit to skate?"

So, she decides to call when it’s already healed, huh? I guess she has something to say.

​"I’m fine. The swelling’s gone," I answered flatly.

​But I wasn’t even listening to her voice anymore. My eyes had already locked onto the stall across the locker room.

​Kain had his back turned to me. He had just pulled his sweat-soaked practice jersey over his head, exposing the lean musculature of his back, the elegant curve of his spine, and the smooth skin of his shoulders.

I narrowed my eyes, a sudden, dark spike of possessiveness twisting tight in my gut. Watching the way Russo and Miller casually walked past him, completely unbothered by the sight of my Omega’s bare body, made my chest burn.

​Maybe I should’ve left marks after all, I thought, my grip tightening on my shin guard until the plastic groaned.

I wanted a massive, dark bruise right on the meat of his shoulder where everyone could see it. Maps of hickies drawn on his back too. I wanted them to know exactly who he belonged to.

​I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, forcing the toxic Alpha instinct back down. No. Marks would only put Evans in a difficult spot. He was the Captain. He had to keep his secret hidden in other to guard his career properly. I couldn’t ruin that for him just because I was greedy.

​"Reid? Are you even listening to me?" my mom’s sharp voice snapped me straight out of my thoughts.

​"No, I’m not," I said bluntly, leaning back against my locker. "You’re nagging me, and I don’t want to listen."

​Across the room, the bluntness of my tone made Kain turn his head. He looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes instantly meeting mine in the crowded room.

I didn’t look away, holding his gaze with a heavy, deliberate intensity. Kain’s expression flickered with a faint, startled warmth before he quickly looked away, focusing entirely on pulling a clean shirt over his head to hide his flushing ears.

​"Mom, if you have nothing else to say, I’m hanging up," I muttered into the line.

​"Hold on, boy," she sighed, her tone shifting into something distinctly transactional. "Are you seeing someone right now?"

​I froze, my fingers pausing on my skate laces. "What’s that about?" I asked, keeping my voice completely flat and cool.

​"Well, if you’re not, then I have a great recommendation," she said, entirely too casual. "You’re twenty-one now, Reid. It’s time to start thinking about linking up with other powerful family Omegas. If you start bearing children now, it’ll be good for the lineage. The transition of assets will be much smoother."

​"Children?" I asked, my face instantly contorting into a look of pure disgust.

​Was she seriously pushing me to start producing heirs at twenty-one? That was completely insane. But as the word left my mouth, the memory of yesterday’s conversation on the kitchen island flashed vividly behind my eyes.

​Pregnancy.

​My mind traitorously tried to build an image. What would Evans look like if he was heavy with my child? If his strict, rigid posture softened under the weight of my kid, his scent completely saturated by a bond?

I tried to picture it, but a sudden pang of reality hit me. It was a silly, dumb thought. Evans wouldn’t get pregnant even if it killed him—it would mark the absolute end of the career he valued above everything else.

​"Reid, you really should start seeing—"

​"I’m hanging up," I interrupted, my voice dropping into a cold, unyielding register. "I don’t plan to have children now. Especially knowing I can’t be responsible for them."

​The weight of those words—have children—caught Kain’s attention. But it was just his attention that was caught. The entire locker room seemed to drop in volume.

Russo paused with his towel, Miller froze with his shirt half-on, and Gerald turned his head. The guys all stared at me, their eyes wide with sudden, chaotic interest. What the hell was this? The youngest rookie on the roster was already talking about the future lineage?

That was the thought bleeding out of their faces.

​"But Reid, the family—"

​"End of discussion, Mom," I snapped, cutting her off entirely. "If you need someone to continue the line at an early age, then you should consider getting another kid with Dad. It’ll work a hell of a lot faster than putting your hopes on me, I assure you."

​I pressed the end-call button and let out a heavy, frustrated sigh, tossing the phone back into my duffel bag.

​Before the phone could even hit the bottom of the bag, the guys surged me like a pack of hyenas. Russo practically threw his arm around my neck, while Miller leaned over my locker stall with a massive, mocking grin.

​"What’s this?" Russo barked out, laughing. "Our little rich boy doesn’t want to continue the lineage and produce an heir? Are you on the list for disownment now, McCoy?"

​"Get off!" I growled, shoving Russo’s heavy arm off my shoulders and pushing Miller back.

​As I cleared them out of my space, my eyes immediately darted across the room toward Kain. He was still standing by his locker, completely dressed now, but he was staring at me with a look that was a little taken aback.

The conversation had clearly struck a chord. I could see the faint, subtle tension in his jaw—it looked like the mention of the future and children bothered him, but he was trying his absolute best to hide the fact that it did.

​Before I could say anything to him, Kain abruptly turned away, slamming his locker door shut with a loud, metallic clang before picking up his duffel bag.

​"You guys should mind your own damn business," I muttered, glaring at Russo and Miller as I shoved my skates into my bag. "Shoo. Shoo."