Page 94 of Knot Her Reality

He looks up at me before glancing back at his mostly empty plate. He lifts the fork to his lips once more before shrugging. “Yeah, I’m good. Are you ready to meet with Finn?”

“Yup. I think I need to.” Standing, I take in each of the suitors spread out before me. Some of them will be going home tonight. “Thanks for joining me for breakfast. I guess I’ll see all of you at the rose ceremony.”

Some of them call out goodbyes as the two of us head for the basement hand in hand. I might be worried about making a mistake in who I send home, but I know it’s time. I can’t keep giving chances to anyone who doesn’t seem to want to be here. It’s not fair to me or the other suitors.

It’s just hard.

Here’s hoping that between Finn and Koda, they can make me feel like the decisions I’m making are for the best.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Jagger

Clearing my throat, I push into the ballroom and glance around to see where everyone is. The suitors are now clearly split into groups, and I wonder how much of that Evangeline’s noticed. Not that I think she’s unobservant, but she’s also not around all of us all the time.

Pack Reyes stands off to the side, none of them speaking—not even to one another—and I wonder what’s going on with them. We all heard what happened with Ana and Paisley when they went out with Evangeline and Tessa, so it makes sense that Ana has pulled away, but it’s the rest of the pack that I wonder about. Nash is a quiet guy, but he’s fairly friendly once he starts talking. Malachi is hilarious and Paisley is mostly sweet.

When Koda told us about Skylar and Nash getting into a screaming match at the bowling alley, I’d been shocked. That seems so out of character for both of them, but as I glance between the two of them, standing on opposite sides of the ballroom, I realize just how much tension they’re carrying in their bodies. I wonder if the fight they got into had nothing to do with anything that was happening then, but what’s been going on in the house.

“Hey, Jagger,” Lillian calls, waving to me from where she stands between Tessa and Evander. It seems like the rest of our usual group hasn’t arrived yet. I head for them, smiling as Lillian continues talking animatedly to the two alphas. She’d been so quiet and a bit shy when she arrived, but she really seems to have come out of her shell since then.

I’ve heard Evangeline call her sunshine before, and it fits her perfectly. When Lillian smiles, no one can help but smile back at her. She just has that kind of effect on everyone. It’s nice with the tension that seems to have been ratcheting up this week. Being around her is like the calm in a storm. It doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous, either.

“I’m surprised I’m not the last one here,” I say as I reach them. “I fell asleep and had to hurry through getting ready.”

“Which is probably why your tie is so messed up.” Tessa laughs, reaching up to fix it. “Hmmm…maybe we should start all over.”

I laugh. “Have at it. I wasn’t really paying attention and it’s not like I wear them often.”

Lillian and Evander snicker at me from behind their hands, but I ignore them. Slowly the others trail in and join us. First, Alejandro. Then Conrad, Natalie, and Ronan, while Gavin is the last one to join us. Tessa fixes my tie before doing the same for Conrad and Ronan, complaining the whole time about alphas not knowing how to tie a bow tie.

I don’t know what she expects from us. It’s not like we’ve had much of a reason to wear tuxes before now. Alejandro is probably the only one of us that has.

Before I can mention that to her, the lights go down, informing us that it’s time for the ceremony to begin. We each move around until we’re standing in rows on the risers set up for us, our attention on the stage. I can just make out Reginald, Evangeline, and Koda as they walk across the stage in the dark. As soon as they’re in position, the spotlights light up and reveal them to us.

I smile as I see Koda and Evangeline holding hands. As much as I would’ve liked to be the first person she chose for her pack—to just be chosen for her pack—it makes sense that Koda was the first one. Anyone with eyes saw that coming from a million miles away. I don’t know much about omega pairs, just what I’ve seen online since the last season of Heated, I don’t know how to know if they are or aren’t, but what I do know is that it’s clear they’re meant for one another.

I’m definitely down to be a part of a pack with both of those omegas.

Koda only seems to have eyes for Evangeline, but that’s going to have to change eventually. After all, he’s an omega and he needs knots or locks just like Evangeline. And it’s not like he hasn’t already won his spot in her pack. Not that he hasn’t flirted with us before, but that’s all it ever felt like. I know he’s interested in both men and women, but beyond Evangeline, he hasn’t really shown interest in anyone. Hell, it’s been a week since she welcomed him into her pack, and he’s still been inseparable from her. Even when she told him no men allowed on Monday’s date, I’d been sure he was going to follow her.

Maybe that will change now that they’ve had the week together. I hope so because I’d like to get to know them one-on-one rather than as a package deal.

“Welcome back to Heated! We’ve reached the end of our fourth week, meaning that Evangeline is another week closer to her heat beginning. So far, she’s chosen one suitor to be a part of her pack, fellow omega Koda. I wonder what decisions she’ll be making tonight? I don’t want to keep you in suspense for too long, so why don’t we get started? Tonight, we’ll be calling up the suitors in alphabetical order by their first names meaning that Alejandro is the first one up. Will you join us on stage, Alejandro?”

I slap my hand on his back as the others surrounding him reach out to touch him lightly and wish him luck—not that he needs it. He, Koda, and Evangeline have been getting along well. I can’t think of any reason for him to be sent home. Though, what do I know about what goes on inside Evangeline’s head? I definitely don’t know her well enough to predict what she’ll do tonight. I don’t know that any of us do, despite spending the last two weeks getting to know her. The only one who lightly has any insight into what she’s thinking is Koda.

“Alejandro, I know we didn’t get to spend much time with you this week,” Evangeline begins as Koda reaches behind her and plucks a rose from the vase. He moves too quickly for me to see what color it is before he slides it into Evangeline’s waiting hand behind her back. “I wanted to make sure I was able to spend time with each of the suitors, so some of you didn’t get dates this week.”

She swings her arm around to reveal the peach rose she’s holding in her hand. “But I’d like to make sure you, me, and Koda get some time together, so we’d like it if you’d join the two of us on a date this week.”

One side of Alejandro’s mouth turns up as he reaches for the offered rose. “I’d like nothing more than to get to spend time with just the two of you. Thank you for the honor.” He hesitates for a moment before leaning over and kissing her forehead. When he steps back, he pulls Koda in for a hug and then heads off the stage.

Smooth fucker, I think with a chuckle as I watch both omega’s eyes trail after him.

“Next up is Ana, so will Pack Reyes join us next?”

The four of them make their way onto the stage, none of them speaking, and they all look uncomfortable. Maybe I should’ve tried to talk to them today. I bet they all think they’re being sent home tonight, and they might be, but I think they could’ve used someone today. I wish I would’ve thought about it before now.

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