“Absolutely not. I want to watch this show with my suitors, but I don’t want to see him again, Bree. I don’t want to wait until the rose ceremony. If I see him, I’ll punch him again—at the bare minimum.”
Tessa shakes her head. “No, he’s gone. Lucas brought him to his room to pack his things. He’ll be gone within the hour. Even if you wanted him to stay, we wouldn’t have allowed it, just based on what Wilder told us when he called. This is meant to be a safe space for you, and we’ll make sure it remains that way.”
“Thank you—both of you.”
There are a few other things for us to go over before they finally leave us. This time, I get to sit between Camden and Evander, and I keep both armrests up. This is how it should’ve been from the beginning.
The show starts off with an epic battle scene that pulls me straight into it, and I forget all about the bullshit I’ve had to deal with this morning.
There’s something to be said for being able to lose yourself in a fictional world from time to time, and it’s exactly what I need today.
Chapter Eleven
Camden
Iburrow further under the covers as Wilder sits on the edge of the bed.
“Cam, you can’t stay under there all night. We have to meet everyone in less than twenty minutes for the interview with Bree.”
I grunt, knowing he’s right, but I really don’t want to leave my temporary nest. The two of us are sleeping in the big pack bed, so I turned one of the other beds into a nest for myself.
Before meeting Wilder, I never allowed myself to have a nest—probably doing myself a disservice—because I was doing my damnedest to pretend I was nothing more than a beta. It started in college once I made the team. I didn’t want anyone to look at me differently because I’m an omega, so I just pushed away all my omega instincts.
As soon as Wilder and I moved in together, he insisted on helping me build the nest of my dreams. Only, I didn’t have a nest of my dreams because I’d never considered having one. Thank the fates that Wilder loves me, because I’m sure I frustrated him to no end with my indecisiveness.
But let me tell you, as soon as my nest was complete, I understood exactly what I’d been depriving myself of. An omega’s nest is about so much more than just a place to have our heats in. It’s our safe place—somewhere we can go when we’ve had a rough day. Somewhere we go when we need comfort. Or when we’re confused, which is what I’m dealing with right now.
I can’t stop thinking about Emilia. The moment I saw her, I knew I needed to make her mine. I’ve never felt a connection to someone like I do to her—not even to my alpha.
I’m fairly certain she felt the connection, too, but it’s also clear she’s not ready to move on from the pack she lost. It’s been two years since she lost them, but she still loves them. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to stop loving Wilder even if he died, so I understand.
What I don’t know is if she has room for a pack in her life.
Tessa mentioned something about us being an omega pair, and I don’t know what that is. I mean, I kind of do. They explained it as some fated pairing between omegas, but how am I supposed to know if that’s what this is?
For all I know, it could just be an attraction.
I just don’t know.
“Cam?”
With a sigh, I pull the blanket down so I can see Wilder. His face immediately softens as he reaches out to cup my face.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
I shrug, not sure how to put everything I’m feeling into words. It’s so much, and it’s overwhelming for me. A whine slips out, and Wilder immediately pulls me into his lap. It’s always funny when he does this, because I’m bigger than he is, but I love it. I love how he holds me—it makes me feel safe.
Safety is big for omegas, and it’s not something I’ve had much of in my life. But Wilder always makes me feel safe. It’s one of the many reasons I love him.
I bury my head in his neck, filling my nose with his scent that calms me like nothing else can. I melt into him, my eyes falling shut.
He kisses my forehead—something I shouldn’t admit to liking, but I do. I fucking love them. “Let’s talk it out, baby. Say what you need to say, and we’ll make sense of it, okay?”
“I want her,” I blurt. “I feel like if I don’t have her, I’m going to die. I’m not even exaggerating. All I want to do right now is go find her and haulher into my nest, where we’re safe and warm. I don’t understand how I can feel like this. It’s not logical.”
Wilder snorts. “There isn’t much logic when it comes to our designation’s instincts. It’s not about what makes sense to our brains, but what makes sense to our bodies. How else would someone end up bonding with someone two days after they met? How would packs form when there’s no omega for them? I don’t think you can make it make sense in your head. What are you feeling?”
I bite my lip before answering. “She’s mine.”