I should be your Beta, not your Mate

30 - Captain

The changing rooms were already empty when I arrived at the swimming hall.

I immediately noticed Ethan's bag that he still didn't throw away. Bright pink with a unicorn on it.

Shaking my head and suppressing my grin, I left the cabin and walked down the hallway to get to the pool.

Through the closed door I already heard loud voices and the splashing of water – it made me think back to the past.

It was almost like memories passed me.

I was like I could see my team comrades and myself from back then, as if we walked like ghosts through the hallway and disappeared behind the door. Laughed, teased each other and quarreled out of fun.

With a slight smile on my lips, I opened the door and immediately everyone looked at me.

The dyed orange hair of Ethan shone in the water like a lighthouse and the broad smile on his face made me smirk. He seriously was addicted to dying his hair.

»Kyran, come, come!« the Coach called me and I gave him my attention. He stood by the grandstand and wore his typical outfit.

Sometimes I questioned if he had other clothes, because he only wore this every time I saw him. Or maybe he washed them everyday. Still didn't want to ask him.

I couldn't even go to him completely because he already came up to me.

»How is your leg? Do you know when you can swim again?«

Amused, I pulled up the corners of my mouth. »Soon, Coach. Don't worry.«

Satisfied he nodded and put his arm around my shoulder.

»Boys, everyone out of the water!« he yelled loudly and immediately old and new faces crawled out of the water and stood in a half-circle before us.

»Some of you still know this face. Or I hope you do,« he said and some of the swimmers laughed. Some of my old comrades nodded with a grin to me and I returned it.

»However, for some of you he is a stranger. To introduce him to the young ones too, this is Kyran Crimson the former Captain.«

The younger swimmers exchanged confused looks before they gave us their full attention again.

»Maybe some of you already noticed that our dear Mr. Conner is just very reluctantly the Captain. He just took the place as the Captain because he was the Co-Captain before. However, now there is the chance that our dear Ethan doesn't need to stay as the Captain and maybe some of you will like that too.«

On some face appeared realization followed by pleasure and pride.

»Because Kyran was away for a few years and needed to leave the team because of personal reasons he obviously lost his role as the Captain too. Now that he is back, he would like to join the team again and I had the idea that he could take back his old role. Of course, I want to ask you before deciding on that because he would be your Captain.«

The team exchanged looks, talked quietly just like they did in the past too. A conversation only with the eyes.

»Well, I'm for Kyran,« Ethan said and grinned broadly. Obviously.

»Only because you are too lazy for the Captain role,« Quil, one of the older swimmers, laughed and put his arm around Ethan's shoulder.

»Maybe, but no. Kyran is the perfect leader. Aren't I right?« With his words he talked especially to the wolves from our pack.

They exchanged looks again and nodded.

»We vote for Kyran too. Kyran is and was the perfect leader after all.«