Knot Her Reality (Heated Book 3)

Chapter Twenty-four

Glancing at the time, I realize it’s almost time for hair and makeup to join me. I better figure out which dress I’m wearing tonight so I’m ready.

Climbing off my bed, I head for the closet. I have entirely too many formal gowns with me, taking up one full side of the walk-in closet. What can I say? I like options. I never know what kind of mood I’m going to be in when it comes to my clothing. I’m absolutely one of those women who pack twice as many clothes as I’ll ever need. Fashion is my life, though. I don’t know why anyone would expect anything less from me.

Eyeing the bags, I recall the rest of the dates from the week. After the amazing night I’d spent with Koda, Tessa, Natalie, and Ronan, I’d been afraid I wouldn’t enjoy my remaining two dates of the week. But they’d gone off without a hitch. Jagger and I had a great time on our solo date. We went and did paintball most of the day before he took me for a motorcycle ride through the desert. His face when I revealed what we were going to be doing was worth how long it took me to convince Bree that riding on a motorcycle wouldn’t be too dangerous. Though, I think she only gave up because I wouldn’t let it go. We’d also shared a scorching kiss, and there might have been some over-the-clothes action.

Then on Friday, I went out with Conrad and Alejandro. Conrad came out of his shell a bit, but Alejandro and I carried most of the conversation that night. Which was fine by me. I just hadn’t wanted Conrad to feel left out, but he assured us both he didn’t. He said he preferred to observe and just enjoy himself. Who am I to deny the man what he wants? The three of us took a cooking class, which was super fun. I definitely want to do more of that. We’d followed that up with a stroll around town before stumbling on a really cool jazz club where we’d spent a few hours. That night had also ended with scorching kisses.

I still have no idea what I’m going to do for tonight’s ceremony. I don’t know what roses I intend to hand out or to whom. I’ve been thinking about it all day, but I just don’t know. Shaking my head, I force myself to choose a dress. I think I want to go bright for tonight’s rose ceremony. A deep pink dress catches my attention, and I pull it down to examine it. It has a V-neck that will cut to my navel, held up by two thin straps that will criss cross along my back and leave it mostly bare. The dress has a floaty, floral overlay of the same deep pink and a split on the left to mid-thigh.

Nodding, I decide this is the dress for the night. It’s sexy but elegant—my whole fashion goal while I’m here. I’m hanging the dress on the rack beside my closet when there’s a knock on my suite door. A glance at the clock shows they’re a few minutes early, but I’m alright with that. Never hurts to be ready a little early.

When I open the door, I don’t see Allison and Vivian. Instead, Bree and Natalie are standing there. “Ummm… hey?”

“Sorry, Evangeline. I know it’s almost time for hair and makeup, but Natalie came to me with an issue that I think we need to address before the ceremony.” Bree doesn’t look happy, and when I glance at Natalie, she looks worried. “Can we come in?”

I step back, waving them in. “Of course. Come on in, but I really don’t have a lot of time before they arrive.”

Bree waves off my concern. “That’s fine. They can wait if we need them to. This is much more important.”

“Okay.” I let the door fall shut behind them and sit on one of the nest chairs, waiting for them to speak.

“Natalie?” Bree raises her eyebrows at the beta, who sighs.

“You have to stop being so pissed at me.” Natalie shakes her head before turning her attention to me. “Obviously, there’s been some issues between Viktor and the other suitors—we’ve all seen it. He kind of gave me the creeps, but I decided we needed to know what was actually going on with him. So I befriended him? Until today, he hasn’t really given me very much information.”

I tilt my head. “Until today?”

She nods. “Today, he let a lot slip after I made him believe I was on his side. He told me he’s a part of CFA, who is behind the protests. He told me that the kayak incident wasn’t an accident and that he wants nothing to do with you. He’s only here to ruin the show. He thinks bisexual women are deviants.”

I frown, barely believing what I’m hearing. How is this even possible? How didn’t Bree know? Which is exactly what I ask her as I turn my attention to her.

“We don’t know how he slipped by. There was nothing in his background to make me think he was anything but what he said he was. I checked the cameras after Natalie came to me. She’s telling the truth—though she’s leaving out part of it.” Bree narrows her eyes on the beta. “Viktor was on his way to assaulting her before Alejandro came looking for her.”

“I could’ve handled him!” Natalie at least looks guilty as she faces me. “But Alejandro was my backup. When he found out that I was speaking to Viktor, he pulled me and Ronan aside, letting us know why that wasn’t a good idea. I told Alejandro my plan, and he was all for it, even if my alpha was more reluctant. I made sure I was as safe as I could be.”

I shake my head, trying to take it all in. “I still don’t understand why he would tell you all of this.”

“I may have convinced him that I agreed with the protestors—that I wasn’t bisexual.”

“But… the SUV on our date? And the other night?” I just can’t reconcile it all.

“I told him I did it for Ronan’s benefit.”

I jerk back, hurt coursing through me. “And was it?”

Natalie’s eyes go wide as she shakes her head. “Hell, no. I like you, Evangeline. I want you. I’m one-hundred-percent bisexual. Everything I did with you was because I wanted it. I promise. I just told him what he wanted to hear. Made him think I wanted him.”

Part of me doesn’t know if I can trust her words. How do I know she hasn’t been lying to me and has told Viktor the truth? After all, there’s apparently already one person here who hates me because of who I love. Couldn’t a second one have slipped through the cracks? I duck my head as I fight against tears. I just don’t know what to believe.

“Evangeline?” Bree says my name softly, but I just shake my head. “Natalie was only trying to help. I believe her when she says she was lying to him. If Viktor was half as smart as he thinks he is, he would’ve noticed she was lying. It was clear on the video. I can show it to you if you want. She went about it stupidly, but I can’t deny her results. We need to decide what we’re going to do now. If it was any day beside Saturday, I would have security escorting him from the premises and bringing him straight to the police station.

“But since the rose ceremony is starting in less than two hours, I wanted to let you decide what you want to do. We could do nothing now and allow you to send him home during the ceremony—but regardless of your feelings on the matter, he will be going home tonight. He’s a danger to you and everyone else on the show. If you don’t want to deal with him, we can take care of it so you never have to deal with him again.”

My eyes snap up to clash with Bree’s, surely flashing with both anger and tears. “Of course, he’s fucking going home. I never really liked the asshole anyway. I definitely wouldn’t keep him on the show after hearing that. You know what? Let him go into the ceremony thinking everything is okay. I want to see his face when I call his ass out. I want the police here. I will be pressing charges for everything with the kayak.”

“Of course, Evangeline. Whatever you want.” Bree squats in front of me, taking my hand in hers. “What else can I do for you?”

I wave her off. “Nothing. Just take care of that. And please send in hair and makeup so I can get ready.”

Bree hums, looking like she wants to say something else but chooses not to as she stands. “Let me know if there’s anything else.”

“I will.” Pushing to my feet, I head for the door to my bedroom. I need a damn minute by myself.

“Evangeline?” Natalie’s unsure voice stops me in my tracks.

Biting my lip, I close my eyes as a tear slips free. “I can’t right now, Natalie. I’ll see you at the rose ceremony.”

“But—“

“Let’s leave Evangeline to get ready. She just had a lot of information dumped on her. Let her process it, and like she said, you’ll see her at the ceremony.” Bree speaks softly, and I’m sure I’ve upset Natalie, but I just can’t deal with her right now. I appreciate what she did—even if it seems she put herself in danger to do so—but I’m just feeling too raw right now. Raw and confused.

Not bothering to wait to see if Natalie puts up more of a fight, I stalk into my bedroom and shut the door behind me. Leaning back against it, I finally allow the tears to spill down my cheeks. I hadn’t been expecting any of this today. At least I know what I’m doing with one suitor tonight. Too bad I have no idea about any of the others.

My smile feels forced as Reginald welcomes back the viewers and suitors alike. I’m not happy to be here right now. I just want to get the ceremony over with, and I’m mad at myself about that. I don’t want to feel like this. I want to enjoy the ceremonies. I want to enjoy my time on the show, but today? Today, I don’t want to do a damn thing except crawl into my nest and sleep—preferably with Koda by my side.

“Our first suitor to the stage will be Jagger. Jagger, won’t you join us on the stage?” Reginald continues talking as Jagger makes his way onto the stage to stand in front of me.

“Hey, Jagger.” With him standing in front of me, I feel my smile morph into a more genuine one. “I had a really great time with you on our date this week.”

He inclines his head. “As did I.”

“That’s good to know,” I say with a giggle, reaching over to snag a yellow rose from the vase. “But this week, I’d like to focus on those suitors that I wasn’t able to go on a date with last week. I definitely want you to remain on the show, but this week, there will be no date for you.”

Jagger takes the rose from me, his fingers dragging along mine for a moment. “That’s understandable. I look forward to group time then since I won’t get to go out with you on a date.” He hesitates for a moment before leaning in to press his lips to mine. They’re there and gone before I can react.

I lift my hand to my lips as he saunters across the stage and back to his place among the suitors. When my eyes catch his, he winks with a smirk on his face. He knows just how much he affects me, and I’m not even mad about it.

“Next, we invite Pack Reyes to join us on stage,” Reginald’s voice calls out, and I watch as the four of them make their way onto the stage.

“As I said, I want to spend this week going on dates with those that missed out this week.” Reaching into the vase, I pluck out four lavender roses and offer them to each of them in turn. “I’m asking the four of you to go on a group date with me this week, but it won’t be with the rest of your pack. I haven’t decided how I’ll split them up as of yet, but Paisley will be with one of her alphas for our date.”

“Splitting us up?” Malachi asks with a grin. “Trying to figure out if you can stand us on our own?”

I snort, shaking my head. “Something like that.”

Since I’ve only dealt with the pack as a whole, I think it’s important to see how they interact when it’s not just them. It ought to be interesting, if nothing else.

“Next, will Viktor join us on the stage?”

I automatically tense at the mention of the man I’ll be sending home tonight, but force myself to relax. I don’t want him to know what’s really happening until I’m ready.

He’s smirking when he comes to a stop in front of me. “I guess since I didn’t get a date this week, I’ll be getting one after the ceremony?”

Ignoring his question, I let my smile fall away as I stare him down. His smirk slowly falls away, a frown replacing it.

“How long did you think you could get away with it?” I ask him.

He shakes his head. “Get away with what?”

I snort. “With trying to ruin my season of Heated? You know there are cameras everywhere, don’t you? Even on the gazebo where you and Natalie had your little chat today. I don’t know what’s wrong with you or what happened to make you be the bitter asshole you clearly are, but no one gets to tell me who I can or can’t love. I’m a proud bisexual woman, who loves men and women equally. You and your backward ideas of men being able to love whomever they please, but women not being able to love other women? They don’t belong here.”

Grabbing a black rose, I throw it at his feet. “You and the other people involved in your organization won’t keep me from finding my pack. Whether that’s a pack of all men, all women, or a mixture of both isn’t up to you. It’s up to me. Oh, and just so you know, I will be pressing charges.”

“For what, deviant?” he growls, taking a step toward me but Reginald is suddenly between us. Moments later, I can’t even see Viktor anymore as Malachi, Ronan, and Conrad move to stand between us as well.

“For assault, asshole.” Rolling my eyes, I attempt to peek around the alphas blocking my view, but they just push me back behind them. “You purposefully knocked me from my kayak and then proceeded to hit me with yours. You even admitted it, so I’m sure it’ll be a pretty open-and-shut case. I’d tell you to have a nice life, but I hope it’s as miserable as you are.”

I still can’t see around the damn alphas, but I hear a struggle. When they finally step out of the way, I find Viktor being led away in handcuffs.

“Are you okay, Evangeline?” Malachi asks as the three alphas and Reginald turn their attention to me.

Rolling my eyes, I wave them off. “I’m fine. I had it handled, but thank you for the… alpha wall you built.”

Reginald snickers as he moves to stand beside me once more. “Yes, thank you, gentlemen. If you’ll return to your positions, we still have a ceremony to finish.”

Three sets of eyes narrow on me before they head off stage, until it’s just me and Reginald. “Shall we continue, Reginald?”

He nods, calling out the next suitor’s name. Skylar, Cora, and Tessa all receive a lavender rose, rounding out my group dates. Bradley and Dustin receive peach roses, as I feel like I really haven’t had enough time to get to know them. I’m hoping that having individual dates with the two of them will help out with that. Ronan, Natalie, Alejandro, Conrad, Evander, and Gavin all receive yellow roses.

“Now, we’re down to our last two suitors of the night,” Reginald says with a smile. “Lillian and Koda, will the two of you join us on the stage?”

Koda offers his arm to Lillian before leading her onto the stage. They come to a stop in front of me, their eyes falling to the roses in my hand—a red and a yellow rose. I smile as I lift the roses for everyone to see.

“As you can see, one person will be chosen for my pack tonight, while the other person will be dateless this week. I enjoyed my time with both of you on our dates this week. I can see both of you being a part of the pack I want to build, but I think I’m only there with one of you.” Glancing between the two of them, I hold out the yellow rose and offer it to Lillian. “We might not be there yet, Lillian, but we could be, and I look forward to getting to know you better.”

“Same,” she says quietly, leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek before grinning up at Koda. “Congratulations. I’m not at all surprised by this turn of events.”

With that, she heads off the stage to leave me and Koda staring at one another.

“I guess I should’ve known when the two of us perfumed through all the scent-canceling products when we first met, but I think I fought it. It seemed so unlikely that there would be another omega pair on Heated—not that I’m sure that’s what we are.”

“But you feel the pull just like I do,” Koda offers with a small smile. “I thought I was going to go crazy when I couldn’t see you. Every time you’re out of sight, I’m thinking about you. I wonder what you’re doing, what you’re feeling.”

I nod slowly. “Yeah, all of that. Not to mention, the almost bite the other night. Thankfully, we weren’t alone, and the alphas realized we weren’t quite ready for that yet.”

“But we are now?” he asks cautiously.

“I am. Are you?”

He throws his head back as he laughs. “Evangeline, I’ve been ready since the first time I met you. The other suitors thought I was insane, but I knew you were mine from that very first moment. I knew that you were my present and my future. I knew I loved you before I even knew anything about you. I want nothing more than to bond with you and join your pack.”

Offering him the rose, he takes it before sweeping me into his arms and kissing the hell out of me. I can hear Reginald talking behind us as the other suitors yell and holler as we continue to kiss. It might seem like it’s too much, too soon, but really? It just feels right, and I can’t wait to make Koda mine—for him to make me his.