Page 1 of Knot His Reality

Chapter One

Remington

Justkeepbreathing.Inand out. Focus on something else besides the rising panic.

Lying on the bed, I stare up at the ceiling in an attempt to calm myself down.

Why did I think signing up forHeatedwas a good idea again? Introverts arenotmeant to go on reality dating shows. I’ve made a mistake—a big one since it’s not like I can back out now.

“Remy?” The soft call of my name is preceded by a light knock on the door leading into my temporary bedroom.

When my eyes meet Bree’s, I try to smile but burst into tears instead.

Gods damned omega hormones.

“Oh, Remington. It’s all going to be okay.” Bree rushes over and climbs onto the bed with me. She lies on her side, facing me as she reaches out with a tentative hand.

I don’t hesitate in taking it, squeezing it as I roll to face her. “This was such a bad idea. I don’t know how I let Skylar convince me to come on the show.”

She was one of Evangeline’s suitors last season, and even if it didn’t work out for her, she was adamant it would work for me. She’s one of my colleagues I work with pretty closely, and over the years, she and Cora have become good friends of mine. She wouldn’t tell me what happened that made her pull back from Evangeline, but I know the two of them haven’t given up on finding their pack.

In fact, the day I left, they were going on a date with a pack they met at a meet and greet. I hope it works out for her and Cora. They deserve all the happiness in the world.

Which is what they say I deserve as well, but no one wants to deal with a nerdy, socially awkward male omega in his thirties. They’re all going to want to leave immediately, and I wouldn’t even blame them. I don’t know how to talk to people—especially when it comes to choosing my pack. There’s a reason I’ve put this off for so long.

“It’s understandable that you’d be freaking out when it’s so close to meeting your suitors for the first time. I was. So were Sophia and Evangeline.” Bree’s smile doesn’t slip from her face. “Aren’t you the one who said you’ve been obsessed with the show since the first season?”

I nod. “I have been. I love the show, but that doesn’t mean I’m a good fit for it. You and Tessa took a chance on me because I’m a male omega, and I’m going to screw it up—I just know it. It’s what I do. You can ask my family—they’ll all tell you I’m a disaster.”

She shrugs one shoulder. “It’s true. They did tell me that, but they also told me you’re the kindest person they know, and that you deserve all the happiness in the world. Is your season going to be like any of the last three? No, it’s not, but that’s a good thing. You’re our first male omega—that’s huge. Just like Evangeline, you’re going to be remembered as the first. Tessa and I are all about showcasing that being different isn’t wrong. We wanted you to be our first male omega. You’re not the first socially awkward person we’ve had on the show, either. So don’t go thinking that you’re that special.”

She laughs, squeezing my hand once more, and I know she’s talking about Ezra from the second season. I can’t imagine coming ontoHeatedif I was autistic. I was rooting for him the entire season. I was sad when he was sent home, but there were a lot of intricacies going on with both Sophia and Chase forming their packs.

Yeah, Bree wasn’t kidding when she said I was obsessed with the show. I’ve spent each season choosing my favorites and who I think each omega would choose. I even set up a fantasyHeatedonline so others like me could make their guesses together. I’m a little sad that I won’t be able to run it this year, but one of my online friends promises to run it. When I told the forum I was going to be season four’s omega, they lost their shit—in the best kind of way.

See? Not only am I obsessed with the show, but I’m a nerd. If I’m not watchingHeated, I’m probably reading, playing video games or a roleplaying game, or working. Because I work a lot.

That’s something my new pack will have to understand. I’m a physician-scientist, which is a fancy way of saying I’m technically a medical doctor, but really, I spend all of my time doing research and running clinical tests.

My area of research? Omega reproduction. But it’s more than that. While I do research on omegas, I also research alphas and betas too. I’m trying to find what is causing the lowering birth rates, not just in omegas but in all designations. Something has happened to cause the decline, but I’m still not sure what it is.

Seeing Sophia and Chase, the first omega pair in years, sent my research into a new area. I’d never thought to research omega pairs. It had been so long since we’d heard of any that I didn’t think it was relevant. Oh, how wrong I’d been.

Sophia, Chase, Evangeline, and Koda have all agreed to help me with my research, allowing me access to the only current omega pair on record and another not paired but drawn to one another in a way I’ve never been drawn to another omega.

In fact, beyond my work, I generally want nothing to do with omegas. It’s nothing personal. It’s just that so many of them are so needy and feel the need to remind me I’m still packless on a regular basis. As if I’m not aware I’m still single.

“Where’d you go just now?” Bree asks.

Blinking at her, I sigh. “I was just thinking about work.”

The upside to that is my tears have stopped, and I’ve managed to push down on the feeling of panic.

More proof that the only place I belong is in a lab.

“Trust me, I understand how hard it is to leave work behind you for two months, but you’re going to have to. Feel free to talk about it all you want, but you’re not going to have access to any of your work until after your heat.”

Part of me wants to pout at that, but I knew what I was signing up for. Three months with no work? Most people would kill for that kind of vacation. But me? I’m already anxious to get back to work, and it’s only been two weeks or so.

---