Page 45 of Knot His Reality

She runs her hand across the first row of polishes before moving on to the second. I figure at this rate, it’ll take her half an hour to find the one she’s looking for, but within seconds, she taps her finger against one. “This is the one.”

I grab it, shaking it and considering the color. It’s a bright red, similar to the lipstick I wore last night. Usually, my lipstick is the only bold color I wear. I’m not sure how I feel about also wearing that bold of a color on my nails.

“Just trust me,” she says, taking the bottle from me.

We both settle on the bed and ten minutes later, I have to give it to her. My nails look amazing. The color doesn’t look so harsh against my skin, and I love it.

“Thanks, Brooke. This is awesome. I promise to always trust you with nail polish choices.” I hesitate for a second before finally asking, “Who’s Victoria?”

Brooke’s face lights up. “Just the hottest woman alive. She’s one of Remy’s alpha suitors. She’s here with her pack—a male alpha and a male beta. She comes across a little cold, and I don’t think she’s into women, but I can’t help drooling over her. It’s not fair how hot she is at forty. I can’t imagine how hot she must’ve been when she was my age.”

I snicker. “That hot, huh?”

“Oh, go ahead. Make fun of me, but you’ll see when you meet her.” She pauses. “I never asked. Are you just into guys?”

“Nope. I’m an equal opportunity dater,” I tell her with a laugh. “Although before coming onHeated, I’ve only ever dated betas.”

Brooke’s eyes go wide. “You’re really missing out. There’s nothing like fucking an alpha. I’ve only been with one female omega during her heat, but that was also amazing. Not that I haven’t had amazing sex with betas. But alphas have huge dicks and knots, and omegas? So. Much. Slick. It’s insane.”

“I’ll take your word for it. What time is the interview again? I don’t want to be late.”

Brooke glances at the alarm clock on her bedside table. “We’ve got about an hour.”

“Excellent. Do you think I’m safe to shower with these yet?” I wiggle my fingers at her, and she laughs.

“Yeah, you’re good.”

Knowing I won’t want to put my dirty clothes back on, I pull out a pair of comfy sleep shorts, a tank top, and a matching bra and panty set. Even though no one will see them, I always love matching.

Brooke might have a nail polish obsession, but I have a lingerie obsession. I try not to think too hard about how much money I spend on lingerie. If I were to add up the amounts, I’m sure I’d lose my shit. Rather than do that, I just pretend like I don’t know.

Walking into our shared bathroom, I giggle. I wonder if everyone is like me and Brooke. Do they all have something they’re obsessed with and spend too much money on?

I stare at the bathtub longingly, but if I take a bath, there’s no way I’m getting out in less than an hour. Working on my feet for ten to fourteen hours a day means I need to pamper myself when I get home. That usually means taking an hour-long bath with my favorite bath salts and candles. Sometimes, I’ll just lay there, but more often than not I’m reading or watching something on my tablet.

For today, a shower will have to do. It’s not like I spent all day on my feet, just a few hours while we cooked.

I loved the date Remington planned. I never would’ve thought to take a cooking class for a date, but then again, most of the people I’ve dated just wanted me to cook for them. Not that I minded—most of the time.

I may have grown up surrounded by large packs, but for the longest time, I didn’t think I wanted one. I dated the same beta for eight years, and I thought he was the one for me. We met as freshmen in high school and stayed together while he went to college and I learned the ropes at the restaurant. Then one day, he came to me and said it was over because he met a pack, and he was in love.

I’d been heartbroken and slept around a lot for that first year. Then I just kept picking the worst men and women to date. I was so tired of dating.

One of my moms convinced me to come on the show. She told me I needed to see what it was like to be part of a pack and then I’d understand. Today showed me she was right.

No, I’m not part of a pack now, but today’s date? It felt like we could be a pack, and I loved it. It explains why my dating life has been in the toilet. I’ve been out there searching for something I didn’t need.

It’ll be great if Remy chooses me for his pack, but if he doesn’t, I won’t be out looking for just one person to date any longer. I don’t know how I ever thought being with just one person would be enough for me after the way I grew up.

I think I was just hanging onto the dreams I had for me and Ivan, but no more.

I’m a new woman, and this woman wants a pack of her own.

Thank goodness. How bad would it have been to have Remy choose me at the same time I realized I didn’t want to be part of a pack? My mom knew what she was doing getting me to joinHeated, that’s for sure.

Stepping into the shower, I let out a low moan as I lean my head under the hot water. It streams over my head and down my back, my muscles relaxing and releasing any tension I’ve been carrying. I love baths, but sometimes, we just need a steaming hot shower to set us right.

By the time I step out of the shower, Brooke is knocking on the door. “We only have ten more minutes, Camila!”

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