Page 4 of Last Pack Standing
Jace blinked. “Wait, what? What are you-”
“You pulled from the wrong file before my presentation,” I snapped. “My entire presentation was replaced with my personal selfies! Worked out well for you though!”
His eyes widened. “Cassie, if you think I had anything to do with that-” He started, but I knew he was full of it. I know he’d gotten the promotion after I quit.
“Oh, bite me.” I snapped at him.
The other two alphas glanced at each other. Golden retriever guy actually started chuckling. Ash stepped forward, subtly sliding between me and Jace. “Cassie, maybe this isn’t the time-”
“He ruined my career.” I sneered at him, livid that the one thing I finally had for myself, he was trying to take too. I was shaking with anger, the memories of that day and the following backlash boiling up inside me. It was his fault that it happened, his fault that I was here at all.
“Calm down, omega!” Jace said, his voice calm but stern.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” I hissed, even more livid. A camera swooped closer. I spun toward it with a practiced smile.
“I’msoexcited to meet our new team,” I said, voice bright and fake.
Ash matched my expression instantly. “Yeah. Chemistry’s already explosive.”
The first alpha, the Golden Retriever guy, stepped forward, offering his hand like he hadn’t just watched a bomb go off.
“I’m Leo,” he said, still smiling. “So glad to finally meet you! This’ll be fun.” Fun indeed, I thought. This guy looked vaguely familiar as well, though I was sure I’d never met him before.
Rugged guy followed. “Rys.”
I shook their hands without breaking eye contact with Jace. Their skin was warm, and now that they were closer, I could feel how powerful they were. Jace offered his hand too. “Jace. And… yeah. We definitely got off on the wrong foot.”
I didn’t take his hand. Ash leaned toward me, voice low. “We fake it, we win. Cameras are rolling, remember?”
I braced myself, then smiled, stepped in closer to Jace, and said through my teeth:
“I will fake so hard, the gods themselves will weep.”
The cameras captured every second.
Chapter 4
Cassie
The lights were blinding, and the camera lenses sharp as they moved in, finding the best position as the producers seated each of our team in a chair for our first on camera interviews. I gave them my best smile and tried to remain calm, despite bristling on the inside.
The host, Frank Cruz, stepped forward and flashed a perfect white smile.
“Welcome to this season ofLast Pack Standing! This year’s theme? Fate versus fantasy. We’ll see which of our hopefuls came here for love… and which came for something else entirely.”
That last line felt like it was aimed directly at me. Frank went on, introducing each of the teams. “Each team has been picked by our matchmaking experts, perfectly curated to be the best match possible. As we go on, the teams will face challenges, and hopefully we’ll get some real connections from it. But it's up to you, the audience, to keep them on the show. Each week, one team will be voted off. The one with the least chemistry, has got to go! And the winners will be… the Last Pack Standing!” He smiled big, and I tried not to roll my eyes.
“Now, let’s meet the teams!” The host walked up to each group, which I had to admit, looked like some real competition. There was a team that looked vaguely familiar, and I realized I’d seen some of them before. They were all semi-famous influencers. They were incredibly engaging, and I could tell they were here to win. A few other teams had some semi-celebrities, and one was made up of dancers. But the majority were teams who seemed like they’d been put together to stir up drama - some had very big and clashing personalities. Finally, the host reached us. Frank turned to the cameras. “Let’s meet the members of our next team - Team Silver!”
First up was Ash. He sat up, cool and casual, but giving off the type seductive aura that only an omega can achieve. His dark curls had been styled into some version of "messy but camera-friendly," and his dark eyes focused on the lens.
“I’m Ash, an omega. I’m here to, well, see if real connection is possible.” He gave a lopsided smile. “And perhaps win. The prize is definitely a bonus!”
There was a chuckle from the crew. I couldn’t tell if he was serious or sarcastic. Probably both.
Then came Leo. He strode into the light like it loved him - and honestly, it did. Tall, broad, with his golden hair raked back in a casual way, Leo radiated warmth. When he smiled, it lit up the room. I scented a whiff of well worn leather and bergamot coming from him, and got a head rush from it. Woah. I wasn’t expecting that - I hadn’t had much interest in anyone the past six months, and now my body was keening to be closer to this massive alpha.
“Hey! I’m Leo. Alpha.” He waved at the camera with a natural ease. “I’m recently retired from the field, and while I’ve been loving the free time, I also want to find a pack to share it with. So I’m here to find the pack that makes me feel at home. That’s it. That’s the goal.”
