Smirking, I call my dad back.
“Hey. Forget something?” he asks.
“Yeah, I found my scent matches, and I think I’m going to announce it to the world tonight. Figured I’d let you know,” I reply.
There’s silence for a beat longer than is considered comfortable before my father sucks in a breath.
“Congratulations,” he whispers. Ugh, he’s crying. Fuck.
“Dad,” I murmur.
This call isn’t on speaker, though alphas have disturbingly good hearing, so Rhodes and Skylar can probably hear just fine.
“I know your mother and I are pushy, we just want you to have what we have,”Dad says. “Two scent matches is just…incredible, Koen. Mom is gonna flip out.”
“I’ll let you tell her then,” I smirk. “I’ll be on the phone for hours otherwise.”
I went from wanting to throw things to feeling a lot more calm. My true concern was not hurting my family. If they’re happy, so am I.
Ending the call to my father’s voice yelling my mother's name, I shake my head with a sigh.
“Better?” Skylar asks.
“Much,” I admit. “Now, to call Caitlyn, my agent. She’s the other missed call.”
“Chop chop,” Rhodes says, waving for me to hurry up.
“Ugh, you’re both so pushy,” I grumble, swiping my cheeks. They’re wet, and I don’t remember crying. This photographer has a lot to fucking answer for. He’s a fucking cretin.
“Maybe take a breath before you call your agent. You feel like you do right before you hit the ice,” Rhodes mutters.
Since he’s felt my inner warrior cry when I play, I suppose he’s not wrong. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, I roll my eyes as Caitlyn Donners begins to call me again.
“I was just about to call you,” I answer.
“You’re a little slow. Did you call your parents yet?”she asks briskly.
“I did. It’s why I was delayed,” I admit.
“I suppose that’s acceptable. Is this a random fling with your teammates, or can we spin this?”she asks.
Skylar and Rhodes growl, and I wince, sure Caitlyn can hear it.
“Oh, they didn’t like that,” she chuckles. “Alright, tell them not to act like fuck boys at this press conference your PR department is putting together. Show a united front, and I’ll be able to get some hot brand deals out of this. I know you’re not a fan of nudity for things, so it’ll be a nice, classic, slutty suit.”
I can’t help but chuckle at her words, because she knows me as well as anyone can.
“With suspenders?” I tease her.
“Nothing puts the slut into things like a pair of suspenders, Koen,” she agrees. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. Beingopenly gay isn’t going to affect a brand deal you’re meant to take. I already told several people to go to hell since the magazine came out, and I have a few things for you to look at tomorrow.”
“I was more concerned about my family than the deals,” I admit.
“See?This is why I let you make me insane,” she says. “Go wipe the floor with those reporters, Koen. Don’t let them piss you off, yeah?”
Reminding myself that I really don’t care about whatever deals I lost, I agree with her. It’s their loss if my sexuality matters to them.
Ending the call, I raise my brow at my alphas.
