Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kai
The first period of the game was fast and furious. I really didn’t understand what was going on, despite their lessons, but it was fun to watch.
Steven hadn’t been kidding about the fights. Some guy made one of his teammates fall, and he threw the guy up against the wall and shoved him hard. But he didn’t get a time out, the referee just yelled at him.
Right now, the other team had one point, ours, zero.
Auntie Kiki also kept giving me long looks, the kind that meant she was worried.
I wasn’t the omega they were supposed to meet.
Claire set me up.
What I felt for Steven and Ashton was real. If I was at a different point in my life, I think I’d want to be with them for always.
But I was the wrong omega. After everything with Logan, the idea that I’d been a mistake hit me hard, and I just couldn’t get past it.
At least they didn’t know either.
But that only made it worse.
Also, I felt a bit of panic because of the whole omega identity switch. Would their PR person be angry at them that they took out the wrong omega? Obviously that voided them fulfilling the bet.
I didn’t want to be the cause of them getting benched or whatever their punishment might be.
Also, I didn’t want to wreck their chances at finals just because I hadn’t realized that I wasn’t the omega with a dragonfly they were looking for.
Would they have to take someone else out?
Jealousy flared inside me. I shook it off. I had no right to have an issue with that, because they weren’t my alphas. We weren’t even seeing each other. We were just fucking. They could see who they wanted–just like I could.
At the same time, the idea of them taking some other omega out and showing them a good time around Nashville made my belly twist in knots, so hard I wanted to vomit.
How could Claire set me up like that? Giving me the hair clip made it deliberate.
I had a feeling meeting us at the club and taking the photo had been because her auntie wanted pictures.
Why all the deception?
Somebody from our team shot across the ice with the puck. The other guys tried to get it away. Despite not knowing anything about hockey, I could tell the other team was really good.
But the Scorpions had heart. You could see it. Not to mention, so many people here were cheering their souls out in celebration for the hockey team that could.
That’s exactly what they’d been called in the montage that played on the big screens before their intro.
The guys got the puck in the net. Everyone cheered as the score went to 1-1.
The clock was almost at zero, which meant we had halftime or intermission, or whatever. There were three periods with two intermissions in between, that was sort of weird. Why three? Why not two or four?
Auntie Kiki leaned over and whispered, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I lied as if my world wasn’t falling apart. I’d picked the wrong guy figuratively in Logan.
I’d literally picked the wrong guys with Ashton and Steven.
Wrong. All wrong.
Auntie Kiki pulled me close and I rested my head on her shoulder.
I checked my messages. Claire had messaged me back.
Claire
You didn’t know about the bet? Don’t freak out. Come up to the box at intermission.
She’d added a box number.
The period ended. I stood. “I’ll be back.”
Claire was waiting for me. She wore a floral dress, heels, and accessories.
“Come in.” She pulled me into the luxury box. There were seats up at the very front so that you could watch the game. The back of the box had a bar, couches, and a TV. There was a lot of food and booze.
“Take a deep breath, Kai.” Claire gave me a big hug, my body stiff.
I really didn’t want her to touch me.
“They didn’t tell you about the bet? It’s okay. You weren’t the bet. It was simply that if Steven got in the penalty box at all during the playoffs, he had to take Marilyn’s chosen omega out. As long as you had a good time with them that all that matters,” she assured me.
I wiggled out of her grasp as politely as I could and stared at her. “This isn’t about the bet. Steven told me the moment they met me. The only problem is, I now know that I’m not the omega Marilyn chose. They’ve been taking the wrong omega out all week.”
“Mistaken identity happens. Obviously there was chemistry between you three. I saw it at the club. Does it even matter?” A little frown tugged at the corners of her pink lips.
“It does. Because it was you. They were supposed to meet you. You gave me the dragonfly clip and then left the bar.” Anger built up inside me. “They could’ve been axe murderers or awful people. You literally set me up without my consent.” From a safety perspective, this could’ve turned out badly.
“I wouldn’t have left you with axe murderers. While they didn’t know who they were meeting, I knew who they were. Not only did I look them up, but Jackson checked them out with his friend,” she replied, still not understanding.
“What were you thinking, switching with an omega you don’t know and having them meet with strange alphas?
” My frown deepened. “You’re into Jackson.
I get it. But couldn’t you have said, Hey I’m supposed to meet these guys, and I don’t want to because I’m into somebody else.
Do you wanna meet them for me, they’re nice, or some other sort of conversation?
Or you could’ve simply left and let it happen, if it happened.
But you actually gave me the clip. Yes, I already was wearing dragonflies, but that signals intent on your part. ” My voice shook a little.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry. Please let me explain?” she pleaded.
“I’m listening.” I’d give her that much, because I wanted to understand the thought process here.
Claire sighed heavily. “I never agreed to this. I was voluntold by my aunt. I keep telling her I’m not interested. But she’d decided that I need an alpha of her choosing, and this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”
“I hear you. That sounds frustrating.”
“It is. My aunt has zero respect for my time. I have a lot going on during this trip. It wasn’t purely social and I wanted to spend some time with Jackson.
I feel like she isn’t hearing me. Still, even though I didn’t want to, I went along with it.
I wore a dragonfly clip and sunglasses. I went down to the bar at a specific time, and I asked Jackson to meet me, with the full intention of meeting Ashton and Steven, and explaining everything to them,” she continued.
Jackson was talking to someone and looked over at the two of us with concern.
“Okay. That seems like a good plan. What changed? Why did you set me up instead?” I was confused and still a little angry.
“After you told me how shitty things were with your ex, I thought since you were on spring break that it would be nice for you to have some cute hockey players show you around. They’re supposed to be nice guys. It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she confessed.
“You could’ve asked. I’ve spent this whole week thinking that I was specially picked for them and I wasn’t. I was a mistake. I’m always the mistake.” My voice broke and the tears ran down my face.
“Oh, Sweetie.” Claire tried to hug me.
I took a step back. “Don't touch me. You don’t understand. I’m being blamed for my break up because I wasn’t a good enough omega. For one week I felt good enough. I felt special, and I’m not. I’m just a mistake. Again.”
Her face crumpled. “Oh. I’m sorry. You’re right, I fucked up big time.
I never should have given you the clip and left you.
We saw them at the bar. We should’ve had them join us.
I could have explained everything, then seen if maybe they were interested in you instead.
I had no right to do that,” she apologized.
“We did stay for a few minutes to make sure you were okay.”
That didn’t make me feel better.
“You should’ve told me from the beginning. Or better yet simply set a boundary with your aunt.” My arms crossed over my chest as if hugging myself.
She sighed. “She won’t listen. Surely you should understand. You have matchmaking aunts who made you go down to the bar in the first place.”
“I did. But at the same time if I would’ve said, No I’m not doing this, they’d listen.
You crossed a massive line. All it would have taken was for one of the guys to mention me by name to Marilyn and it would have been over.
” I frowned, still not understanding how she thought she’d get away with it.
But she was probably used to everything working out.
“You're right and I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I never should have done that to you.” Her forehead wrinkled.
“But you’re not a mistake, Kai. It’s clear they are really into you.
The bet wasn’t for the whole week, but yet you’ve spent every day with them.
You’ve obviously had a great time–as have they. ”
“It turning out well doesn’t make it better,” I retorted.
She blinked. “It doesn’t make it better. You’re right. I made a bad choice.”
“This is really shitty. I go back home early tomorrow. I’ve just had one of the best weeks ever and it wasn’t even my week to have.” That was just too much after the accusations of not being an omega enough.
“Kai, please don’t get hung up on that. It was your week. You could have stopped after drinks. It continued because you all wanted each other,” she replied.
“It’s not that easy.” I was really hung up on the fact that I wasn’t the right person.
Jackson came over and put his arm around Claire. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” I sobbed.
“Don’t cry. I’m sorry, I really am,” Claire said.
“I’m sorry too, Kai,” Jackson said.
“You also used me. That whole meeting for drinks was a set up.” I glared.
Her head hung. “Yes. She asked for photos. I apologize for the deception.”
“We really should go public. People already notice that we’re here together. Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, I’m a good guy. I’m not going to tarnish your image that much, am I?” Jackson’s voice went raw.