Page 10 of Last Pack Standing
Ash eyed my body, looking me up and down. “You didn’t look too bad yourself.” He walked past me with a wink, and I definitely turned to watch him go.
By the time Rys and Jace cleared the final section of the challenge, I was riding high. Sure, we were trailing the dance pack and the influencer squad, but we weren’t last. And more importantly, we were starting to gel. I knew from my years on various teams that once we started to connect, everything would get so much easier. And I was proud of us. The cameras caught our challenge, and I thought we were doing great.
Ash gave Rys a nod and muttered something that made the older omega smile. Cassie was so relieved to be off the wall that she forgot to threaten to kill Jace for five whole minutes. And when she nearly slipped on the mud while we walked back, Jace caught her elbow and just said, “Careful,” before letting go like it didn’t mean anything. However, it meant something.
I saw it. Their tension wasn’t negative anymore, it was lighter now. And all this pent up desire was pulling all of us closer, no matter how chaotic we were.
As for me, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to have Cassie in my arms… or the way Ash looked crawling through the mud. And despite their spicy and aloof exteriors, I was pretty sure they were feeling something towards me as well.
Maybe, this show might just end up in an actual connection after all. I knew one thing for sure - my alpha side was ecstatic to have two omegas around.
Chapter 9
Cassie
Okay, maybe doing a reality show where I lived with a bunch of hot alphas as an unbonded omega wasn’t the greatest idea. I mean, I heard I was finally going viral now in a good way, which was my goal. But now I had to walk by these hot, muscular men who walked around in towels after taking their showers… And when they passed me in the hall, I nearly passed out.
“Hi there Cassie!” Leo said with a wink as he strolled by, his towel hanging dangerously low on his perfect abs. He was massive, even for an alpha. And the way he carried me earlier gave me all kinds of dirty ideas about what he could do in a nest. I had to shake myself out of those fantasies quickly. I was not here to bond. I was here for fame only - no matter what I’d said earlier.
“H-hi Leo,” I stuttered, then barely recuperated before seeing Rys pass by next. He was only wearing sweats, having freshly groomed his beard and combed his long locks. He gave me a small nod and a smile, and I couldn’t help but breathe in his woodsy scent as he walked past me. He was the oldest of all of us, but also probably the most mysteriously sexy. He was the epitome of quiet confidence.
Even when I looked up to see Jace passing by, I couldn’t help but lock my eyes on how absolutely carved his chest was. He ran a hand through his damp hair, giving me the best view of his triceps as they practically bulged - and then he caught me staring at him.
“Hey, Cassie? Do you have a minute?” He asked in a tone I couldn’t place. I was a bit startled, already washed up and in a robe, not to mention having been bombarded with hot alpha chests all within the span of a minute. But I simply nodded, and he gestured to the main living room.
We sat down on the circular couch, meant for us to have intimate conversations as we worked toward being a pack. But right now it was just me and Jace, who watched me with that stone cold stare of his, even though he was just wearing a towel. I gulped.
“Hey, I wanted to clear some things up. Please, just let me talk.” He held up a hand as I started to open my mouth. “Look, I want to apologize for what happened at work. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I feel awful, and I was devastated when you quit.” His words sounded so earnest. His eyes, already a deep blue, looked even deeper as he watched for my reaction, his face pleading for forgiveness.
“Jace, that’s all fine and well, but you got the promotion I wanted after I left. I know you may not have meant for all that other stuff to happen, but you were in charge of setting up my laptop.” I said, my voice more hurt than accusatory now. Jace looked pained. Now that I looked at him more closely, I could see how handsome he really was. I’d been so angry before that I didn’t appreciate his strong jaw, his nice brows, and how passionate his eyes looked when he was serious.
“I promise you, Cassie, I never meant to mess with your presentation! I swear!” He pleaded, and it was strange to see an alpha look so vulnerable. When I’d seen him before at work he was always so aloof, so professional. I’d never seen him look so real before. “Cassie, it was my fault that I connected it wrong. I told the board that as well, and I wanted to apologize to you and help make it right!” He said, and now he looked like he was moving from the couch to his knees.
“Wait!” I threw out an arm to stop him. “You don’t have to beg, alright?” I said, feeling somewhat bad now about how much I’d thrown venom at him earlier. “Why didn’t you come tell me all this earlier?” I asked.
“By the time I smoothed things over and went to find you, you were gone. HR told me you quit.” Jace said, his face solemn. “And I wanted to call you, to explain, but they wouldn't give out any personal information. I tried, Cassie, more than you know. I always wondered if you were okay.” His voice was nearly cracked, and I suddenly started to wonder if this had all been a huge miscommunication. If Jace really never meant for it to happen, well, then this whole competition might go better.
“Let’s say I believe you.” I said, crossing my arms. “What then?” I asked, raising a brow and trying not to let his bare-chested alpha-hotness affect my perception of him.
He leaned forward, and my eyes widened at how precarious his towel was around his waist. He seemed to have completely forgotten about it. “Then let me take you on a date. Tonight.” He asked.
“A date?” I asked, rearing back.
“Yes, a date. I mean, it would be out in the courtyard and the cameras would be there, but let me treat you to a good night. I want to make things right.”
I looked at him, assessing whether this was real or just something for the show. I supposed it would ultimately help us either way.
“Alright. What time?” I finally answered, and Jace looked both relieved and excited.
“Would eight o clock work?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, it’s a date!” He said, and with that he stood, gripping his towel as I tried not to let my eyes wander too far. When I was finally out of the living room and in my own private room, I slunk down the floor and let out a huge breath. The more I wasaround Jace, the more I realized how attracted I was to him. Was it just the show, being on set with all these alphas that made me feel this way? It was true that I hadn’t dated in a long time. Maybe I was just pent up from being alone for so long. But every time I was around Jace, I’d noticed him more. And to be fair, if I hadn’t been so single minded at our job, if I’d actually noticed him and paid attention, I would have really liked him. Every time we interacted, there was something sparked between us. I covered it up with irritation, but it was chemistry.
I had barely an hour to freshen up, and when I was finally ready I met Jace down in the courtyard. When I walked out, I was stunned to see the entire place lit up with strings of light overhead, rose petals on the ground, and a table for two. Cameras were all around, of course. But they blended into the background the moment I saw Jace. He was waiting for me, dressed in his finest clothes as he extended his hand.
“Cassie, you look absolutely beautiful.” He said, raising my hand to give it a gentle kiss before leading me to the table. My stomach was already filling with butterflies at how romantic everything was, and his lips on my skin felt like a spark, starting a slow spread of warmth deep inside me. I suddenly had that strangest desire to know how he would touch me if we were alone. Despite how cold he had always appeared, he’d been extremely vulnerable ever since we were on the show. And the way he touched me showed me he could be gentle, and dare I say - sensual. “Tonight, we’re having a wine tasting and tapas.” He explained as he pulled out the chair for me.
