Page 25 of Last Pack Standing
“What’s it like sharing a nesting room with another omega?” the voice asked, sugary sweet. “Especially one as unique as Ash?”
I scoffed. “Ash is great. It’s just that two omegas will always have two different preferences. They can’t share a nest, that’s all.”
A pause. Then, with theatrical innocence, “But you have the same preference in alphas, isn’t that right?”
That hit me in the gut. Yes, we wanted the same alphas. I knew it, Ash knew it. And if we were fighting over a nest, then in the real world… There could only be one.
“Do you think he’s angry with you?” The voice asked, dragging me into reality. I wanted to be snarky, but the truth was I felt like absolute garbage. I’d stormed out on someone who had never deserved it. I’d let my instincts override my empathy, and now, watching the footage back, all I could think about was how pale Ash looked at the end, how his hands had trembled slightly when he picked up the blanket I’d tossed aside.
“I don’t know. I just… I was overwhelmed. And when I’m overwhelmed, I get loud. Ash gets quiet. And I think I forgot that doesn’t mean he’s unaffected. He’s just different.”
Behind the camera, someone sighed. Maybe it wasn’t the goldmine of drama they’d hoped for, but it was real. And for once, I didn’t care how it would be edited. I wasn’t feeling well either. The lights were too bright, the overwhelming anxiety of losing my temper in the challenge, and then losing rank after voting, it was really getting to me.
“You know, what? I don’t have time for this.” I muttered, yanking the mic off as I got off the seat. One of the crew tried to stop me, but someone pulled him back, just shaking their head as I walked out of the confessional room.
I had somewhere to be, and that was with Ash. things had been awkward between us ever since the challenge, and I didn’t want him to feel like I didn’t care. I didn’t want him to feel anything but wanted, and I couldn’t wait another second to tell him that.
I raced down the halls of the villa, ignoring the various cast and crew scattered throughout the rooms. A few of them gave me a glance, but I paid them no attention. Where could my team be? I looked around, checking in the pool area first. We had a day with nothing scheduled, no challenges or voting. Usually the day after a vote was a free day, so they could be anywhere.
I nearly crashed into Leo as I rounded the corner, my pulse racing. He caught my elbow instinctively, and I looked up at him.
“Whoa there, sunshine,” Leo said, tilting his head slightly as he took me in. “You alright? You look flushed.”
“I’m fine,” I said too quickly, brushing back a strand of hair from my face. “Have you seen Ash?”
His easy expression shifted slightly. “No,” he said, and just that one word made my stomach knot tighter. “He wasn’t with us this morning. Why? Is everything okay?”
“I just need to find him,” I said quietly, my stomach churning. Leo didn’t press. But the way he watched me told me he already knew something was off.
“Hey, you don’t look so good. What happened?” He asked, and I turned away from him. I could see Rys headed toward the gym.
“Nothing. I don’t feel good. I’ll head back to the suite to lay down for a bit.” I said, pulling away from him. I felt dizzy and out of it.
“Let me walk you back.” Leo offered, but I shook him off of me.
“No, I’m fine, really!” I said, quickly scurrying away. I needed to go back to my room and regroup. As I walked through the villa, a few of the alphas in the adjacent rooms lifted their heads instinctively. I ignored them, my goal to get back to the suite and find Ash. But with how I was feeling, I wasn’t sure I could even do that. Something was seriously wrong.
Chapter 22
Cassie
I was close to the suite, but I knew something wasn’t right. Waves of warmth rolled through me, and I doubled over in the hallway, my stomach clenching as a sharp pain suddenly hit me.
“Cassie!” I looked over my shoulder at the call of my name to see Leo running toward me, his face tight with concern. “Cassie, what’s wrong?” He knelt down next to me, and as his scent filled my nose, I suddenly wanted so much more of him. I wanted him touching me, licking me - I wanted to see the rest of his body, see everything that I’d been fantasizing about. And I wanted it right now.
A trickle of slick ran down my leg.Oh no. There was only one thing that could cause these intense thoughts and feelings, alongwith this biological response. But I’d taken a suppressant every day I’d been here. This didn’t make any sense!
“Leo…” I started, knowing I’d only have a few minutes left before everything went haywire. His face changed from concern to sudden understanding as he realized what was happening.
“Aw, hell. Cassie, what do you want? I can get you in a room quickly, but with all the alphas here…” He trailed off, and I knew he was now starting to fight his own biology. I reached out to him, running a hand down his chest as his gaze turned lustful.
“I need you.” I managed to say. “All of you.”
Leo nodded, then spoke. “Who exactly?”
“You, Jace, Rys, all of you.” I said, knowing that the heat would be taking over my every thought soon. “Nest!” I begged, and Leo scooped me up in his arms. I immediately felt better, and knowing that he’d help me through this made my omega side very happy, despite the sudden chaos of a heat appearing out of nowhere. This was an impossible thing to happen, and incredibly dangerous in a villa full of unbonded alphas. But I didn’t have time to ruminate on it. I just needed to get somewhere safe, and fast. As Leo rushed down the hall with impossible speed, I heard another voice call out.
“Cassie? What’s going on?” It was Jace
