Page 14 of Last Pack Standing
I tensed before I could stop it, my knee bouncing as I tried to put on a facade of control.
“What about him?” I asked, feigning boredom.
“You kissed him during the nurture challenge. It looked pretty real from this side of the lens.”
My mouth went dry. I had planned on keeping us in the game, but not the rush of feeling that came with it. That was what scared me. “Yeah,” I said eventually, fingers twisting in the hem of my shirt. “It was good. Better than good, actually.”
“Care to elaborate?” the voice asked, like this wasn’t an interrogation to get ratings and editing material.
I blew out a breath and gave the only answer I could stomach.
“Rys is amazing. He’s got this calmness to him, like everything will always be alright. When he looks at me, I don’t feel like I’m being appraised or judged. I just feel seen. Like he’s paying attention and doesn’t need me to prove I’m worth it.”
Silence followed, and I suddenly felt exposed.
“And the other alphas?” the producer said, switching lanes like they hadn’t just pried out the deepest feelings I’d had in years.
I rolled my eyes for effect, trying to force myself back into control. “Leo’s easy to like. He’s got a great heart, and great body to match. And as for Jace, well, he’s incredibly smart, and there’s more to him than meets the eye. He listens when you talk. I like the way he works with the team, and with Cassie.”
“Interesting that you mention Cassie…” There it was - the mention of the other omega. I sensed a trap.
I cocked a brow. “Go on.”
“Well, Jace has been spending a lot of time with her. They had that moonlight date, and wow, their chemistry looked intense. Any thoughts on her stealing your teammate away?”
There it was. This was how they planned to stir the pot, fan the flames to get a reaction, and then roll the footage. I let out a short laugh, leaning back in the chair. “You’re really trying it tonight, huh?”
“It’s a fair question,” they replied, too innocent to be real. “You know, she did say that she didn’t consideryouto be much competition.” The words hit me hard. I sat up straight, then realized that this was their way of moving things forward. They wanted me and Cassie to be enemies. I could deny it, tell them how amazing she was, that we worked so good as a team that I almost believed we had something real. But that wouldn’t get us further in this game.
I hated that they were doing this. But the show ratings depended on drama. Our team needed to stand out, and the best way todo that - and stay until the end - was to introduce a little bit of conflict. So I decided to play along, and give them what they wanted.
“Cassie doesn't stand a chance against me. I’m not exactly someone you can steal someone away from. I’m someone you come back to.”
My words were bold and arrogant, and they would be perfect for the edit room.but deep inside, I didn’t believe a single thing I said. I was honestly starting to really like Cassie. And I mean, in a way I’d never liked an omega before. What I really wanted - something I’d never admit to these virtual strangers - is that I wanted all of them. Not just the alphas. I wanted Cassie, too. I wantedus.
And the worst part was, I had no idea if that was even a possibility in this hyper-edited pressure cooker of a show. The thought that I might lose even one of them made something cold curl up in my chest. But I could never show that. So instead, I leaned forward and gave the camera my most confident grin.
“Cassie’s gorgeous, sure,” I said. “But I’ve got charm, grit, and a killer smile. If this is a competition, I like my odds.”
They laughed behind the glass.
“Great,” the producer said. “We got what we needed.”
Of course they did. But they didn’t get the truth. The truth was, I was already losing control.
Chapter 12
Rys
After dinner, the omegas went to their rooms to rest. Leo, Jace and myself were in the common area, the lights set low and casting the room in a golden hush. I could tell all of us were finally settling into our roles within the team, and now we were being a bit more honest with each other.
Leo was lounging on a giant floor cushion, tossing grapes in the air and catching them in his mouth with an effortless confidence, his skin almost glowing even now in the dim lighting. Jace sat in an armchair, his ankle perched on his knee, reading the schedule for tomorrow. I watched the two of them with quiet appreciation. Leo, the extrovert sunbeam and Jace, the serious strategist with a soft center.
And me, well, my heart was doing that thing - skipping a beat when I thought of him. Ash. He’d kissed me earlier that day during the nurture challenge. Or maybe I kissed him - it didn’t matter. What mattered was the moment itself and how it felt. I thought back to the quiet tremble in his breath, the feeling of his fingers as they curled into my shirt, and the hitch in his voice when he whispered my name. For all his sarcasm, he was so tender in that moment. He reminded me of someone who didn’t know how to receive care but still craved it more than anything. He hadn’t said a word about our kiss since. But I could still feel it on my skin.
“I’m surprised we didn’t get sabotaged harder,” Leo said, tossing another grape toward Jace, who caught it one-handed without looking up.
“We’re the team to beat,” Jace remarked proudly, looking at both of us with renewed energy. I knew he had smoothed over whatever happened between Cassie and himself. It was hard to miss their glances toward each other and Cassie’s more relaxed attitude today. It was also hard to miss the smell of her perfume that flowed from her room ever since her date night with Jace.
