Page 96 of Knot Their Reality

Carson is already launching himself at the other man, and I have a split second to make a decision. If I let Carson hit him, he's off the show. I don't know how that'll work since Chase is bonded to Sophia. Will they send the whole pack home, including Chase? Would they let the others stay and only send Carson? Or would Chase be the only one who was allowed to stay?

None of those options feel like good options. It'll break both the omegas’ hearts. She's going to eventually choose Pack Lewitt, but if Carson does this? It could blow it all up. I don't think Sophia can suffer losing them again—especially Chase.

So I do the only thing I can think of—I throw myself at Dylan and throw my fist into his face.

"Alejandro!" Sophia yells, but it's too late. I've made my decision, and I'll stand by the consequences. Carson needs to be here, not me.

I feel Carson at my back, but I shove him away, which allows Dylan to swing at my face. "Get back to the omegas," I hiss at Carson, shoving at him again. "You can't go home. Go keep them safe. Get help. This is my fight now."

I turn back to Dylan, immediately swinging. I'm not used to fighting, and I think Dylan gets in a lot more punches than I do, but all I care about is keeping him away from the omegas until help can arrive. When I feel someone yanking at my arms, I immediately lose all my fight and go limp in their arms.

"You asshole," Carson hisses in my ear. "You shouldn't have sacrificed your chance at an omega for me. I already have an omega that I adore."

I just shrug as he drags me further away. "Yeah, but you don't have Sophia yet, and you want that. Eventually, she's going to choose your pack, and you need to be here for that. I might not have a chance with Sophia now, but you do. Don't fuck it up, and maybe one day I'll have another chance with an omega."

"You idiot," Sophia sobs, throwing herself in my arms. I hold her as she cries, and yeah, this sucks. But I'm glad I made the decision that I did.

I straighten my tie once more, meeting Ezra's eyes in the mirror. "It's okay, Ezra."

"It is not okay. You are going to be sent home because you did what all of us wanted to do. You should not be sent home for that."

After the fight had been broken up, Tessa and Bree sat me down with Sophia. They'd informed me that I was in breach of my contract and that Sophia would be required to send me home during the rose ceremony tonight. I'd been expecting it, but it still hurt. Sophia tried to fight to keep me, but they said they couldn't—not with the way they'd let Brooks off with just a warning.

Luckily, they'd allowed me to go on the date with the others, though it had been a somber affair. Dylan was confined to his room until the ceremony so at least I was able to roam about. Every single one of the suitors had thanked me for what I'd done, but it was Chase that made me break down.

He told me he would've been devastated if Carson's blow had landed. I held him as he cried, crying right alongside him. I'd known I made the right decision, but at that moment? It was cathartic. Making the right decision isn't always easy, and that was definitely the case here. It sucks that I'm being sent home, but at least I'd gotten a chance to know Sophia and the other suitors.

Being on the show has already made me a better person, and I'm determined to keep working on it. This is probably one of the first times I've put someone else's desires before my own, and I kind of like the way it feels.

"I knew what the consequences would be for my actions, Ezra, and I did it anyway. I would do it again. Sophia and Chase need Carson here. They might like me, but they don't need me. I'm okay with going home."

"I still think it is bullshit," he mutters. "Come on, we need to go so we will not be late."

I slap a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Ezra. I'm really glad I met you."

"I am glad I met you, too, Alejandro."

We hurry downstairs to the ballroom. When we push inside, it looks like all the suitors have arrived except Dylan—thank fuck—and Chase. Jace is the first one to see us and he makes his way over to pull me into a hug.

"You're a good man, Alejandro."

He pulls away with a smile before I'm swept into another hug. Every single suitor gives me a hug and a thank you. The ones from Asher, Carson, and Liam last longer as they hold on tighter. I'm not sure I've ever felt like this before. I'm not sure I've ever had this kind of support shown to me.

Once Asher releases me, they all begin to clap. I'm fighting tears as they once again prove to me that I made the right decision. Jace throws his arm around my shoulders and leads me to where we're supposed to stand when Bree, Tessa, and Reginald step inside with Dylan.

His head is lowered, jaw clenched. He doesn't join us, instead being directed to a chair off to the side by Reginald. Four betas step up behind him, obviously to make sure he remains where he should. I'm honestly surprised that they allowed him to attend the rose ceremony, but since they allowed me, I guess it's only fair.

Reginald climbs the stairs with the ladies at his heels. When he stops dead center on the stage, waiting for the signal from the cameraman.

He's somber as he looks at the camera. "Welcome back to Heated. If you've been watching and have seen the entire episode, you'll know that we've had a rough few days. Before we bring Sophia and Chase out, Tessa and Bree would like to address the issue."

Tessa's face gives nothing away as the two of them step forward. "We expect Heated to be a safe space for everyone, but especially for omegas. Violence of any kind against an omega is unacceptable. We're the ones that allowed Dylan to remain in the mansion and didn't immediately send him home. So we take the blame for the incident that happened today."

"Alejandro," Bree begins, her eyes seeking me out. "Unfortunately, due to the fact that it wasn't just one hit, or even two, we still cannot allow you to stay, and for that, we're sorry. It's not right that you were put into the situation in the first place. If you'd like to return to a future season of Heated, we'd be delighted to have you again."

I nod, knowing it's something I'll have to consider before giving them an answer. I'm not against coming back, per se. I'm just feeling a bit put off because I'm being sent home. But I'm definitely not ruling out the possibility.

Bree turns her focus back to the camera. "Brooks, who also struck Dylan after the initial incident, was let off with a warning. This is a warning to all the suitors. Any violence will get you sent home immediately from here on out. Keep that in mind as you go forward."

---