Page 69 of Knot Their Reality

She laughs as she hands me the rose, and I take the chance to lean down and kiss her. It's hard to stop myself from deepening it. I'm glad she wants me with her tonight because I don't think I could stay away. I don't know how it's going to work with me having to balance time between her and my pack, but I'll figure it out.

This time, when my pack mates leave the stage, I follow them. Reginald steps up beside Sophia with a smile. "And that brings our first rose ceremony of the season to an end. Tonight, Sophia said goodbye to Pack Duval and chose Chase. That leaves sixteen suitors vying for a spot in Sophia's pack. Make sure to tune in next week to see what happens with Sophia and her suitors."

Everyone stands still for a few moments longer before someone yells out, "And that's a wrap."

I turn to look at Asher, Liam, and Carson, realizing I hadn't thought to ask them if they were alright with me staying with Sophia tonight. Fuck, I've already screwed up.

"It's okay, Chase," Asher says, pulling me into his arms. "I'm sure there's a lot going on in your head right now. Not to mention instincts that you don't understand. Just like I'm sure Sophia is going through the same thing. You don't need our permission to spend the night with your omega."

I burrow into him, grateful that he knows just how I'm feeling. "How did you know?"

"I've known you for a long time, Chase. There's no way you weren't freaking out as soon as you realized that you hadn't thought to ask. But we're not your keepers. We love you and want you to be happy."

"Speak for yourself," Carson mumbles, and it's quickly followed by a slapping noise. "Damn it, Liam. Why'd you have to hit me?"

Liam snorts. "Because you were being an asshole to our omega—all because you're jealous."

I pull back to look at my other two pack mates. "Is that true? Are you jealous?"

Carson shrugs. "A little, but I'll get over it. And, of course, I want you to be happy. What you and Sophia share isn't something we could've ever imagined. It's hard not to be jealous of that kind of connection with someone else, but you both deserve it. You're probably two of the most deserving people on the entire planet."

"Shut up," I bite out, burying my head in Asher's chest again, not wanting them to see how red my face is. I know I'm awesome, but sometimes when they talk about me... it's too much.

"Who pissed off my omega?" Sophia asks with a laugh.

Liam scoffs. "Carson. Who else?"

I lift my head in time to see her roll her eyes. "I should've known that."

"He didn't piss me off. He embarrassed me," I admit with a bashful smile.

Sophia smiles. "I need to chat with the other suitors for a bit. I haven't seen some of them for a few days, but I wanted to make sure we were all good. I would've liked to have spoken to the four of you before the ceremony about asking Chase to join me for the night, but we didn't have the chance."

Surprisingly, it's Liam who speaks up. "You don't have anything to apologize for, Sophia. Chase is as much yours as he is ours. It's going to take some time for all of us to find our footing, but you don't need to apologize for needing or wanting him with you."

"Liam's right. We'll need to keep up with the open communication—it's the only way for a polyamorous relationship to work. Especially if not all parties are involved with one another." Asher presses a kiss to the top of my head. "Do you want to go with Sophia while she chats with the others?"

I shake my head. "No, I'd like to stay here with the three of you until she's done."

"It won't be long, I promise." Sophia shoots us one last smile before heading off to speak with the others.

I watch her for a moment as she interacts with them, finding it interesting how different she is depending on who she's talking to. I don't feel jealous or possessive which surprises me. I wonder if it's because she claimed me on stage in front of the suitors, and eventually the viewers. There's so much we don't understand, and that we're unlikely to ever understand, but I'm just going to take it one day at a time.

"I love you all," I tell them as I step out of Asher's arms. "I want you to remember that. I won't ever be choosing between you and her. I love all of you—even Sophia, which is weird as fuck. But there's just something deep inside of me that insists I need her. That she's mine."

Carson throws his arm around my shoulder. "That's okay, Chase. Don't ever think you have to explain yourself to us. We know you love us, and you have such a big heart, I'm not surprised that she's also yours. I am curious though. Are you planning to consider some of her suitors for yourself as well?"

Well, shit. I hadn't even thought about that. I don't want to make my pack feel like they're not enough for me. Or that I'm trying to replace them, but if I'm constantly around Sophia and her suitors, there's a chance I might be attracted to them. That doesn't mean I have to act on it, but if Sophia doesn't choose my pack, and I don't consider others... we'd really just be two omegas with their own packs. That's not really what I want, is it?

This is definitely a conversation I need to have with Sophia.

"Omega," Liam's voice brokers no room for argument as he forces me to meet his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with being interested in other alphas or betas. I just ask that you speak with us before deciding to bond with anyone besides Sophia. We would never hold you back from something that you want, but it should be a discussion we have together."

"I... I don't even know." I shake my head. "Sophia and I are definitely going to have to have a discussion about all of this. Once we've talked, then we'll have another conversation—hopefully with Sophia, if that's okay with you?"

Asher takes my face in his hands. "Whatever you and Sophia need is what we want and need."

"And this is why I love you."

---