Page 13 of Last Pack Standing
I did. Without thinking, I listened. I actually took a deep breath for the first time all day. “There you go, that’s good, just like that.” Rys’s voice was so soothing and sensual that it sent shivers down my body. Now this was a man who knew how to talk you through it. And dammit if I didn’t want to hear him do that, and more.
Jace was tending to Cassie, gently brushing her curls away from the fake wound on her forehead, asking her what hurt. She rolled her eyes but didn’t push him away. Progress. And just as the moment settled into something oddly soft, something that seemed almost real, a shout rang out from the other side of the den.
“Watch it!” a rival alpha from Team Orange stumbled toward us with a “loose” branch in hand and knocked over a water canister, right into our med kit.
“Oops,” he said, grinning like the jackass he was.
Leo shot to his feet. “You serious, man?”
“The challenge didn’t say we couldn’t add a little adversity.”
Rys didn’t even look up. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out gauze he’d kept stashed away. “Backups. Always come prepared.” Now I almost fainted from his alpha-ness. This was a man I could put my absolute trust in, and know he’d take care of everything.
Leo looked between the two of us, nodded, and got back to work. They rewrapped my arm, changed my sling, and when the host asked for scent-calming, Rys offered his wrist without hesitation.
I leaned forward, inhaled… and melted. Warm waves, sunlight, and something cool and grounding like moss. My eyes fluttered shut before I could stop them.
“This part isn’t pretend, huh?” I asked under my breath. Rys didn’t answer, but the way his fingers brushed my jaw told me everything. When the host called time, the producer shouted - “Team Silver, that was phenomenal! I think you are all showing some insane chemistry!”
I stayed still a second longer, my heart thudding against my ribs like it was trying to warn me. This was a moment where I could get some attention from viewers, add in a little spice. If they saw a moment between Rys and me, it could keep us on the show longer. So I leaned in. But something about it didn’t seem fake, despite my intentions.
Maybe it was the way Rys looked at me, so steady, like I wasn’t a prop in some show, but something real. Or the way his fingers lingered on my jaw like he knew how to touch someone who wasn’t used to being treated gently. Whatever it was, it knocked something loose in me.
I reached out slowly, hesitating for a breath, then tugged at his shirt to pull him closer. He didn’t resist. Just looked at me like he knew exactly what I needed. He bent down, lips brushing mine.
Heat flared low in my belly, growing to a raging fire. I was enjoying this way too much. This wasn’t supposed to matter! It was supposed to be a move for the cameras, a play for votes and drama. But the second our mouths touched, my brain short-circuited. Rys tasted like something I didn’t know I was craving. I wasn’t prepared for the way my skin felt electric at his touch, or the way my heart sped up. He kissed me like he wanted me, on my terms, not on his. His tongue brushed mine, gentle and inviting. I sucked on his lower lip, suddenly wanting so much more than just a kiss.
I heard a gasp from the crew. Reality came racing back, and I let myself kiss him longer. I angled myself to let the cameras get a better view. I wanted them to see all of it - because this iswhat would make us win. And I needed that money, more than anything.
“That’s a wrap!” The camera crew backed off, and Rys gave me a small smile.
“That make you feel better, omega?” He said, his dark eyes looking at me with softness.
“Much better.” I said softly, and he nodded and stood. I watched him as he started to put away the medical props, his large form so precise and smooth. He really was unlike any alpha I’d ever met. And though I didn’t want to think about it too much, that was honestly the best kiss I’d ever received in my life.
I caught Cassie watching me from her own mat. She raised one brow. “You looked like youmeantthat.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I did.” The truth was, I liked the way Rys touched me. I liked Jace and Leo as well, although I hadn’t had as much one-on-one time with them.
And I liked having Cassie here, too. Even if she was supposed to be the competition on my own team. Stubborn, beautiful Cassie - she never let me drift too far into my thoughts without yanking me back. And although I’d never gotten along with another omega in my life, for some reason, I wanted to know her more. Her scent was divine, and she had something about her that seemed to be like the other side of a coin to my personality.
And despite all these desires, I was frightened. Because if I started to care, it meant I had something to lose.
Chapter 11
Ash
Inside the Confessional
The assistants set the mic on me, putting me in a chair, and now I was facing the camera directly. The room was so private that it felt like time didn’t exist in here. Just me, the camera, and the person behind it.
“You good, Ash?” came the voice of a producer, far enough behind the camera and lighting that I couldn’t see him. .
“Sure. This is exactly how I pictured my life going,” I quipped.
The producer chuckled politely. I could practically hear them leaning in for the kill.
“So…” The producer paused. “Let’s talk about Rys.”
