Chapter 2: The Omega Who Couldn't Stay Away

Noah POV

The ice at the Chicago Wolves training center burned beneath my skates. Every stride, every pass, every shot demanded my full attention. If I slowed down for even a second, my thoughts would find Adrian. My team was counting on me. I did not want to let them down.

Coach Harrison blew his whistle. Yelled at us to do it again.

I pushed off hard. My skates cut into the ice. I got past a defenseman. I made a pass. Then I shot the puck into the corner. It hit the crossbar with a ping before going into the net.

One of my teammates laughed.

"Nice shot, Captain."

"Again." I did not stop. Every stride burned, but I welcomed it. 

The team had been working hard all week. The championship was getting closer. Everyone was tired. Nobody complained. We all wanted to win. I kept telling myself to focus on hockey. It was easier than thinking about Adrian.

He had promised to call me after the game. I kept checking my phone between drills, pretending I wasn't waiting for it.

We had not seen each other in a while because we were both busy. The only thing connecting us now was the bond we shared.

My phone was buzzed in my locker during the break. I did not answer it at first. Then it kept buzzing. I got three messages in a row.

I skated to the bench, grabbed a towel, and went into the locker room. The noise of the arena got quieter as the door closed behind me. I unlocked my phone. There was a news headline on the screen.

NEW YORK TITANS TEAM BUS PLUNGES INTO ICY RIVER. MULTIPLE FATALITIES CONFIRMED.

My fingers tightened around the phone. I looked for a list of survivors. I did not see one. All I saw were pictures of police lights, a bus in the water, and people trying to rescue others.

Adrian.

My phone fell out of my hand and hit the floor with a loud crack. One of my teammates asked if I was okay, but I could not answer. My chest felt very tight.

The bond between Adrian and me had always been there. For three years, it had been a quiet warmth beneath my skin. Now it was completely silent. Not distant. Not weak. Gone. The silence terrified me.

I quickly took off my gloves and skates, threw them aside, and pulled my hoodie over my head.

Without saying a word, I walked out of the locker room.

"Noah!" my teammate called after me. "What's wrong?"

I did not stop.

I walked out of the arena and into the air.

For the first time, I left practice without saying anything.  Every step felt heavy. I had to find Adrian and know if he was still alive.

The drive to New York was a blur. Snow covered the road. The windshield wipers were moving fast. I held the steering wheel tightly. My phone was quiet. There were no updates. The same pictures of the crash were on every news site.

Please be alive.

I whispered the words again, hoping somehow our bond could still hear. 

***

When I got to the hospital, the parking lot was full of news vans and police cars. Reporters were standing outside the hospital. They shouted questions at me.

"Captain Bennett!"

"Do you have something to say?"

"Were you talking to Adrian Cross before the accident?"

I ignored them. I walked into the hospital through a side door.

The hospital was quiet. Nurses were walking quickly. Doctors were talking outside the rooms. The air reeked of disinfectant. I'd been in hospitals before because of hockey injuries, but this place felt different. It felt like death was waiting behind every door.

I headed for the Intensive Care Unit.

A security guard stopped me.

"Only family can go in." 

I looked at him.

"I'm Captain Noah Bennett from the Chicago Wolves. I just want to check on Adrian."

The guard looked at me. Then he moved aside.

"You have five minutes."

I nodded.

"Thank you."

***

The Intensive Care Unit was almost silent. The only sounds came from the heart monitors and ventilators. I made my way to Adrian's room.

He was in bed under blankets. A ventilator was breathing for him. He had bruises on his face. Cuts covered his forehead. His arm was wrapped up. He did not look like the person I knew.

I put my hand on the glass.

"You said you would always come back," I whispered.

My chest ached, and seeing him like this was unbearable. I wanted to go in, hold his hand, and tell him he was not alone.

Then I heard footsteps behind me. I stepped back. I pulled my hood over my face.

Adrian's finger moved. The heart monitor started beeping, and nurses ran into the room.

"Give him medicine!" one of the doctors said.

It did not work. Adrian's heart rate kept going up. His scent filled the room. It was wild and frightened. I could feel his fear from outside the room.

My body reacted. I let my scent out. It smelled like the ocean and winter air.

The heart monitor slowed down, and Adrian's body began to relax. The room became quiet. The doctors exchanged stunned glances.

"His vitals are getting better," one doctor whispered. "But that only happens when a fated mate is nearby.

Who let out an Omega scent in here?"

I stepped back into the shadows. I knew exactly what happened. Adrian's Alpha instincts knew I was there.

***

Fear tightened around my chest. I pulled my scent inside. I did not want anyone to know what I had done. The doctors were not looking at Adrian. They were looking for me. They wanted to know what had calmed him down.

I turned away. I had to leave before anyone found out. As I walked toward the stairs, I heard a camera click. I froze and turned around. The hallway was empty. The elevator doors were closing.

My pulse raced. Someone had taken my picture.

If that picture got out, my life would be over. People would start asking questions. Reporters would dig into my life.

I stared at the elevator doors. Whoever took that picture had what they wanted. The bus crash. The broken bond. The photographer. None of it felt like a coincidence.

Someone had been watching Adrian and me.

They knew about our bond.

Now they were coming after us.