Page 46 of Royal Omega

“Omegas are the worst for that,” she says. “We’re all so touchy feely that we wind up getting closer and closer. Add three glasses of champagne and a hot tub, and whoops, someone’s got two fingers inside you.” She chuckles to herself.

“Did you hook up with anyone on the set?” I ask.

“Sure. A bunch of people. Even those of us who stayed on the heat drugs can’t ignore all the damned pheromones in the air. You must have felt it.”

“I’ve felt it with the alphas for sure. I can’t see any of the omegas hooking up with me, to be honest.”

“Oh pfft. Omegas are easy. Give us a snuggle or feed us something sweet and we’ll follow you around like a dog. Look at Randy.”

“Randy hates me just as much as the others do. Well... maybe Cindy hates me more. But Randy isnota fan.”

“Because he thinks you got special treatment when you got here. That’s just Randy’s MO. He always thinks he deserves more than he’s getting. Give him a couple unsolicited compliments and he’ll be putty in your hands. He’s been hanging around with Cindy, so he’s probably desperate for some time with a normal person.”

I take that note mentally, wondering if there’s any chance it’s true. I would love to get along better with the other omegas, if only to counter the hatred radiating off of Conrad.

Beatrice leans in as if she’s about to impart an important truth. “Omega drama is pretty low-risk. We’re a forgiving group; we want to get along with everyone. The real trouble comes in when packs set their cap on someone, and someone else wants them. Or the omega doesn’t want either one. The producers will make you pick, you know. They’ll tell you that there’s no point in being here if you’re not going to pick a favorite or two. Someone you can aim your arrow at.” She makes a motion of a bow and arrow being fired in my direction.

“They didn’t make you pick,” I point out.

“Oh that’s because I was constantly breaking the fourth wall and driving them nuts. They didn’t want me to take anything any further.”

“The fourth wall?”

“You know, that’s when you look straight into the camera, or when you say something about the inner workings of the show in the middle of a scene. They want it to seem like it’s real.”

“Isn’t it real?”

“In a sense it is, insofar as we’re real people, and we’re actually omegas, and the alpha packs are actually courting us. That makes it more real than a lot of other shows out there. But at the same time, they want it to seem like the producers don’t exist. Look at how they filmed us this morning, getting out of bed like we didn’t already have makeup on. Don’t the viewers wonder who let the cameras into our bedrooms?”

“I never wondered that,” I admit.

Beatrice smiles. “See, that’s what they’re hoping for. They want the audience to get lost in the fantasy. So people like me, who are constantly reminding everyone that this is a tv show, make it difficult. They have to cut around a lot of the shit I say, and they hate it.”

“Why did they ask you back?”

“Oh that’s the best part,” Beatrice says with a cackle. “They didn’t ask me back. I won a Fan Favorite competition. I can’t imagine how unhappy they were when my name popped up.” She laughs heartily, shaking her head.

“Are you actually here to find love, Beatrice? Or just to make trouble.”

Beatrice’s smile fades. “If you asked me that at the beginning of last season. Or even right before the end, I would have said I was here to find love, absolutely. I have a mouth on me, there’s no getting around it, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have hope...”

She bites her lip for a moment, studying me as if she’s trying to decide how much to tell me. I know that look well; it’s the look someone gives you before they decide whether to tell you something vulnerable. I keep my expression blank, but my eyes kind, and wait. It takes her a little while, but finally, Beatrice continues.

“So look, my family used to be wealthy, back when I was born. We were comfortable enough that I revealed as an omega. Stupid hormones. But then my parents invested everything in some bad stocks, and suddenly all the money was gone, and they couldn’t afford to set me up on the ballroom circuit. I really thought I could find someone here, you know? At the beginning, anyway.”

“And now?”

“Now, I don’t think I really believe it’s possible for me. I mean, these packs are really good, Carissa. They didn’t fuck around when they chose them. And as far as I can tell, they’re really in it for love. But I just... I’ve never been able to form a bond with an alpha. Not one, let alone a whole pack. I’m starting to think there really isn’t anyone out there for me.”

I put down my pencil and look deep into Beatrice’s eyes. “If that’s the case, then you need to make sure that you’re enough for yourself.”

Beatrice’s eyes light up with surprise. “Well that’s not what I expected you to say.”

“What did you think I was going to say? That everything will work out? That you’ll find your perfect match?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I expected.”

“Well maybe I’m not so sure you’re wrong.”

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