Chapter 198: I need my sleep

Miller’s townhouse was only a fifteen-minute drive from the arena, but by the time we pulled up to the curb, the bass from inside was already vibrating through the front windows. Half the team’s cars were lined up along the street.

​The moment we stepped through the front door, the heat and noise hit us like a wall. Teammates were crowded around the kitchen island, cheering as Miller flipped burgers on an indoor grill while Russo stood nearby, pretending to read a bottle of wine while subtly monitoring the front entry.

​"The Cap has arrived!" Gerald shouted from the couch, raising a bottle in the air. A chorus of drunken cheers echoed across the living room.

​"Keep it down, you idiots, Miller’s neighbors are going to call the cops," Russo grunted, though a faint, satisfied smirk played at the corner of his mouth as he caught my eye.

​I forced an easy, practiced smile onto my face, slipping smoothly back into the role of the indestructible Captain.

I took a club soda from the counter, holding the glass to blend in while Reid maneuvered himself into my shadow—never hovering too close to draw suspicion, but always positioned close enough that his pine scent served as a subtle buffer against the heavy Alpha pheromones floating around the room.

​For forty-five minutes, I played my part. I answered questions about our third-period breakout, laughed at Peter’s terrible jokes, and kept my posture straight and rigid.

​But as the clock ticked closer to the hour mark, my body began to revolt.

​The sharp, deep ache in my lower abdomen returned, heavier this time, accompanied by a sudden wave of dizziness that made the crowded room spin.

Sweat broke out along the back of my neck, cold and heavy against my compression collar. I leaned back slightly against the edge of the kitchen counter, my hand instinctively sliding down toward my stomach before I caught myself and froze.

​Across the room, Reid didn’t miss it. His grey eyes instantly locked onto mine, cutting through the noise and crowd with terrifying focus. He set his drink down on the side table without a word, stepping smoothly around Gerald to bridge the gap between us.

​"Cap," Reid murmured softly, his voice cutting through the laughter surrounding us as he reached out, his large hand coming to rest lightly against the small of my back. "That’s an hour."

​I swallowed against the sudden dryness in my throat, letting out a faint, shaky breath. "Yeah," I rasped quietly, looking up into his worried eyes. "Let me just say goodnight to Russo."

​Reid didn’t let go of my back, guiding me gently as we made our way toward the front door where Russo was standing.

​"Heading out early, Evans?" Russo asked, his sharp eyes flicking between my slightly pale face and Reid’s protective posture.

​"Yeah. The game was quite hectic," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could manage. "I need my sleep."

​Russo gave a slow, knowing nod, his expression softening into that quiet, unwritten solidarity we shared. "Get some rest then, Cap. See you at practice."

​As we stepped out into the cold night air and the front door clicked shut behind us, my knees gave out just a fraction. Reid was already there, his broad arm catching me around the waist before I could stumble, pulling my weight against his chest as he ushered me toward the truck.

​"I’ve got you," Reid whispered against my temple, his pine scent flaring warm and protective in the quiet street. "I won’t let you fall."

"Thanks, Reid."

Reid held me firm against his side, practically carrying my weight until he opened the passenger door.

He maneuvered me into the leather seat with painstaking care, his large hands lingering on my waist for an extra second to make sure I was steady before shutting the door. He rounded the hood, climbed into his side, and started the engine without a word.

​The drive back to the penthouse was quiet, the gentle hum of the heater and the steady rhythm of the streetlights washing over us in the dark cabin. Reid’s hand stayed wrapped around mine across the center console the entire way, his thumb stroking steady, grounding circles over my skin.

​The second we stepped inside the quiet apartment and the heavy front door clicked shut, the silence of the foyer pressed in on us.

​Before Reid could even take off his jacket or turn on the light, I turned around. My fingers tangled tightly into the lapels of his coat, and with every remaining drop of strength in my aching body, I pushed him back against the wall.

​Reid went back into the drywall with a soft, dull thump, his broad frame completely still, his grey eyes wide with sheer confusion in the dim moonlight filtering through the windows.

​"What is it, Cap?" he asked softly, his breath warm against my forehead.

​I didn’t answer right away. I just let my strength fail, leaning heavily into his broad chest. I buried my face deep into the notch of his shoulder, my hands clutching the fabric of his jacket like a lifeline, breathing in the rich pine scent that had become my only sanctuary.

​"I love you," I whispered against his skin.

​Reid’s entire body went rigidly still. The sharp exhale he was holding caught in his throat, his eyes widening in the shadows.

​"I’m so glad you’re with me, Reid," I murmured, my voice trembling with a raw, unfiltered vulnerability I had spent years hiding behind my visor. "You’ve been through so much because of me... and you’re always there to catch me when I fall. Thank you."

​"You don’t need to thank me, Kain," Reid rasped, his voice rough and deep.

​His broad, hesitant hand—which had been hovering uncertainly in the air above my back—finally came down, wrapping tightly around my waist and pressing me flush against his warm frame. He buried his face deep into the curve of my shoulder, his heavy, steady breathing warming my neck.

​"I promised I’d take care of you, and that’s what I’m doing," Reid growled softly into my skin, his arms tightening around me until there wasn’t a single inch of space left between us. "You’re my responsibility. So I won’t stop being there to hold you and pick you up if you fall. Just..."

​His grip tightened, his palm pressing possessively flat against my lower back, right over the hidden ache.

​"Learn to rely on me more," he whispered.

​"Reid..." I breathed softly.

​Slowly, Reid lifted his head. His grey eyes burned in the dark, heavy with a fierce, terrifying devotion that made my chest ache with a sudden, overwhelming warmth.

​I didn’t wait. I leaned forward, bridging the tiny gap between us, and pressed my lips firmly against his.

His breath hitched against my mouth, a soft, quiet sound before his Alpha instincts completely took over.

​Reid’s broad hand left my waist, sliding up to cup the back of my neck with a firm, possessive heat, his long fingers tangling into the damp hair at the nape of my neck.

He deepened the kiss, parting my lips with an unyielding demand that was somehow laced with a gentleness that threatened to undo me entirely.

His frozen pine scent spiked thick and intoxicating around us, a heavy, velvet cloak that drowned out the lingering chill of the night air, the fear of his mother’s cold words, and the terrifying weight of the Finals.

​I melted into his hold, my hands sliding up from his jacket to wrap around his broad shoulders, anchoring myself to him as the last of my strength drained away.

Whenever I was with him, whenever he held me... Every wall I had built over my years of hiding would crumble between us, leaving only Kain.

​When Reid finally pulled back, he didn’t go far. His forehead rested against mine, his heavy chest heaving as his thumb gently stroked the skin beneath my jawline. His grey eyes were dark, burning with an intense, quiet flame in the dim light of the foyer.

​"You have no idea what you do to me, Cap," Reid rasped softly, his voice low and gravelly against my lips. "You don’t ever have to hide from me. Not the pain, not the fear, not any of it."

​"I’m learning," I whispered, a faint, breathless smile touching my lips as I leaned up to press one more quick, lingering kiss to his mouth. "Slowly."

​Reid let out a low, breathless chuckle against my cheek, his hands shifting down to slide under my knees and lower back. Before I could even open my mouth to protest, he lifted me effortlessly into his arms, carrying me out of the foyer and into the quiet sanctuary of our bedroom.

​He laid me down on the soft mattress with painstaking care, stripping off my shoes and heavy coat before climbing in right behind me. He pulled the heavy comforter over us both, his massive frame shifting until my back was pressed flush against his chest, his thick arm wrapping securely around my waist.

​His broad palm settled flat and warm over my lower stomach, right over the silent, growing life inside me—a silent guard, an unspoken promise.

​"Sleep, Kain," Reid whispered into the back of my neck, his lips pressing a firm, lingering kiss right over my scent gland. "I don’t want to touch you even if I want to, because I know... you aren’t alright right now."