Rhys

I heaved a deep groan as I checked my tablet again, hoping for new messages from Miller and Leo, but instead the screen glowed with the same poisonous headlines that had been circling for days.

"Omega Disguised as Alpha? Where Did Kayden Vale Disappear To?"

The comments beneath were vicious. So many people were tearing apart our love like it was cheap gossip, speculating wildly about me, about him, about us.

My chest tightened, but I locked the screen and set the tablet aside.

I was not going to let anyone ruin tonight for me. None of the noise was allowed to touch the moment I was about to have with Kayden.

Tonight was ours. I was officially going to propose to him.

The proposal had been planned in absolute secrecy in a group chat between Leo, Miller, and me, plus two discreet island planners who knew how to keep their mouths shut.

Every detail was locked in. The yacht. The hidden cove. The lanterns. We had made sure to keep it all away from Kayden.

I paced the living room, adjusting the cuffs of my navy tailored suit. The jacket hugged my shoulders perfectly, the white shirt crisp beneath it, the top buttons open just enough to feel like me.

The pants were the same deep navy, my dress shoes polished until they caught the light.

I felt nervous in a way I hadn’t felt since my rookie season. My heart was racing like I was about to have a heart attack, my palms slightly damp.

I was proposing. I couldn’t believe it myself. If anyone had told me months ago that I would ever think of proposing to Kayden, I would have called them a fool.

Soft footsteps pulled me from my thoughts.

Kayden stepped into the room, and the world simply stopped.

He wore a beautiful, flowing cream linen shirt, unbuttoned low to reveal the elegant line of his collarbones and the soft edge of my mark on his neck.

The sleeves were rolled up casually, showing strong yet graceful forearms. Below, high-waisted terracotta shorts hugged his hips and thighs, the delicate gold embroidery along the hem catching the light with every movement.

A thin gold chain rested against his skin, and I smiled, recognizing it as my mother’s necklace—the one I had given him months ago.

His hair was styled in soft waves, touched by the sea breeze drifting through the open windows.

He looked ethereal. Beautiful and mine.

Kayden paused a few feet away, suddenly shy, and gave a small, uncertain turn. "How do I look?"

For a long moment, I couldn’t speak. I just stared at him—the way the golden light painted his skin, the nervous hope in his eyes, the quiet strength he carried even when the world was cruel to him.

My throat tightened with emotion as I tried to find the words. "You look..." My voice came out rough.

I crossed the space between us and took both his hands, lacing our fingers together. "You look really handsome, Kayden Vale. And so incredibly beautiful it steals the breath right out of me. I don’t know what I did to deserve you standing here looking like this, but I’m never letting you go."

A soft, radiant smile broke across his face, the kind that made the corners of his eyes crinkle and lit up every dark corner inside me. He reached up, brushing his thumb gently over my jaw. "You clean up pretty well yourself, Calder. This suit... you look like the man who’s going to break a thousand hearts tonight just by existing," he joked.

I chuckled, pulling him closer until our foreheads touched. "I don’t plan on breaking any hearts tonight."

Kayden’s gaze softened, and then he looked around as if searching for someone. "Leo and Miller have been gone for hours. Where are they? And I can’t find Starlight anywhere. Does their absence have anything to do with how we’re dressed?"

Yes, I wanted to tell him—but I couldn’t. This night was supposed to be perfect, and I wasn’t going to ruin the surprise.

"They wanted some time to themselves," I said gently, the rehearsed words feeling lighter now that he was in my arms. "They took Starlight with them because they wanted a little chaos in their private moment."

That was a stupid lie, and I didn’t expect him to buy it—but he did, laughing softly. "Oh, trust me, they’re truly going to enjoy chaos with Starlight. And I’m glad they’re already making progress. So now tell me," he added, placing a hand on my bare chest, "what’s the occasion?"

"It’s a surprise," I responded, kissing his forehead.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to you not surprising me if we ever leave this island. So, shall we?"

I nodded. "We shall."

We stepped outside into the soft evening glow, where the yacht Northern Star was waiting. The captain gave us a knowing smile as we boarded.

I kept my arm securely around Kayden’s waist the entire time, feeling the warmth of him, the way he leaned into me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

As the boat glided across the calm water, the island behind us shrank. The sea turned molten gold and rose under the setting sun.

Kayden moved closer to the railing, the wind gently lifting his hair, while I wrapped my arms around him from behind, my chin resting on his shoulder.

My heart was pounding hard in my chest as I thought about where we were heading.

Kayden must have heard it, because he turned in my arms. "I don’t know what’s happening, but your heartbeat is giving hints."

My heart pounded even harder at that, and I started mentally rehearsing what I would say to him.

"Did something happen? Are we leaving the island?"

The questions eased the tension in my chest, and I let out a deep sigh as I faced him with a small smile.

"Nothing happened," I told him, pressing a slow kiss to the side of his neck, right over my mark. "I’m fine. I’m just glad to have someone like you in my life, Kayden. I love you so much."

"I love you too," he responded, burying his face in my chest.