Page 36 of Last Pack Standing
I should have noticed the excited, anticipatory looks of the crew, and the way the cameras were angled to focus more on me, and our team, than anyone else. Even the host seemed a little too eager to begin. He walked out, with a confident stride as the cameras followed him.
“Tonight,” he said as he walked the stage, “we have another vote. So far, we have four packs left. And one must be voted off tonight. The votes will be counted, and we will see if Team Silver keeps their place on top.” The host looked over at us, waving his arm in our direction as the cameras panned across our faces. But we stood together, hands clasped in a united front.
“Before we start the votes, though, there’s something the audience, and the teams, need to see.” His tone turned serious, and I wondered what it could be. I knew the show had already addressed the incident with the tampered suppressants, albeit briefly and in a way that implicated only the influencer omega and not the show. The host turned to a large screen.
“Team Silver, during family week many secrets unfolded. There are a few that were never meant to be heard.” He said ominously. “Before we progress, and before the voting starts, we think everyone should hear the truth.”
I turned to the screen, confused about what we would see. I trusted all of my team mates implicitly. What could they possibly show? The video was out of focus, just a hallway and a door. But what made my stomach sink were the words that we could hear, the captions on the screen withmyname on them.
“So be honest, is any of this real? You’re really in love? That quickly?” My sister’s voice, captioned clearly to help remove any doubt of what we were saying. My mind raced. I’d still been mic’d up when we had that discussion in my room.
“Come on, in love? You know me better than that. Fall for a pack on a reality show? Please. It’s all just television.” My voice came out condescending, scoffing at the idea of finding love in a manufactured show.
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no, no no!
My heart rate went wild as I looked over to my team, panicked. They were watching the screen with shock and disbelief.
“Really? You sure seem close to them.” My sister’s voice again, questioning me. I barely remembered this night, only that I was still trying to convince my sister that I hadn’t actually fallen in love with a team pre-chosen by producers. The wholeconversation played out to my growing horror. “And what about Jace?”
“Of course not! Yeah he’s hot, they all are, that helps. But come on. Jace? The guy who ruined my job and made me go viral? Like I’d turn around my feelings that quickly. No, it’s just called good acting.” My voice sounded so confident in the video footage. But I remember feeling panicked that my sister was so close to the truth. I looked over at Jace now, whose face was a mask, hardened and unreadable. I stared at him, willing him to look at me so I could explain. But the video went on.
“And what’s up with the omega? Why’d they throw Ash on your team? Was it supposed to be some kind of power play?” I felt a sinking in my stomach as I realized what was about to play out.
“Probably. Maybe they thought we’d tear each other apart for attention. Joke’s on them - we do better when we’re not at each other’s throats” My voice echoed through the stage, and I looked at Ash, whose hand I was grasping, whose hand was now ice cold and clammy.
“I mean, once we win, I’ll take the prize, the press, and get out. It’s not real. None of it is real. It’s just my strategy.” My words were cut short as the video ended, and I felt another surge of panic as I realized they wouldn’t show the next part - what I’d said to my sister afterward, when she called me out, and I admitted I was falling for them.
I felt my hand being dropped. Ash moved away from me slightly, and when I saw his face my heart broke. As stoic as he tried to look, I could see his bottom lip give the tiniest quiver.
He thought I was using him. That I didn’t really care.
I spun to face them, stepping out of line. “Wait! I can explain!” I quickly stumbled over my words, but I didn’t get a chance to explain. One of the security stepped up to usher me back in line. The host went on, using his mic to speak over me.
“Secrets spilled, but that’s not all. We have more.” He said, walking across the stage as another video played. It was supposed to be private, I could tell. The video showed only a door, but it was Ash’s room, and Ash’s voice on the phone. I burned at the intrusion. Our private conversations were never supposed to be recorded like this!
Ash must have been speaking to a friend from back home. “I’ve never felt so accepted before.” His voice was raw, pure, and truthful. “It’s the first time I’ve ever felt this way. The guys are so caring, so sweet and different. And Cassie - I mean, I never thought I’d fall for an omega. But she’s perfect. She cares about me, I know it in my heart.” The video stopped, and I turned to see the other contestants looking at me. Even they were shocked.
“Stop! Let me explain!” I cried out at my team, but the security stepped in between me and the rest of them.
“Let the truth come out, Cassie.” The host said in an admonishing tone. “And we have more. Let’s see how Jace feelsabout Cassie, one more time.” The host played the video of Jace, the one I’d seen where he was interviewed about the girl from work he’d had a crush on who was clearly me.
I was flailing now, trying to get my team to look at me. Rys glanced at me, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Leo looked almost sympathetic, and Jace looked distraught. Ash looked at the floor.
“And now, voting will begin!” The host announced with a smile, as if my world wasn’t crashing down around me.
The taping stopped for a moment, and the crew buzzed about, preparing everyone for the next portion where we would find out the results. I took the momentary pause to try to explain myself.
“You know that’s not how I feel! That was supposed to be a private moment, I wasn’t ready to admit to my family-” I was cut off as the security ushered me away from my team.
“You need to calm down. If you don’t, we’ll remove you from the premises.” The muscled guard said as he took me to another room. I crossed my arms, unwilling to cooperate.
“I want my pack!” I demanded, but the security team just shook their heads.
“You can go back out once you’re called up.” One of them said nonchalantly. I paced the room, fuming.
“This is bullshit! This whole show is rigged! You can’t play with people’s emotions and bend the truth like that!” I yelled, spinning around in case any recording devices were in this room too. “You hear me? I love them! I’d never, ever hurt them!” I yelled, probably looking like a madwoman, but to no avail. For what felt like eternity, I paced, my stomach an anxious mess while I wondered what my team was thinking. Finally, a producer opened the door and stuck their head in.
“We’re ready.” Was all he said. The security team opened the doors, but wouldn’t let me get very far. I was placed on stage far away from my pack, and the other teams. I tried mouthing words to them, but it was useless.
