Chapter Six
Remington
T he next day, I’m once again the first one to make it to the dining room for breakfast, but just barely.
Brooke saunters in before I sit down. She looks well-rested and ready for the day in a pair of jeans, a pretty green blouse, and a comfy-looking oversized cardigan. “Good morning, Remy.”
“Good morning, Brooke. You look lovely,” I tell her as she sits in the chair on my right, and I get my first hit of her unfiltered scent. I love how the tartness of the lemon is tempered by the calming lavender in her scent.
This morning, there are already carafes of coffee and juices on the table. The buffet still appears empty, but I’m all for getting my coffee on now. I pour myself a cup before offering it to Brooke. We both pour entirely too much sugar and creamer into our cups.
“Did you sleep well?” I ask her after taking a long sip.
She nods, already halfway through her cup. “I did. The beds here are amazing. Tessa told us last night we might have to share a room, but since they’re so big, I don’t think that’ll be too bad.”
“Sharing rooms? Does that mean there won’t be many packs?” Yes, I’m definitely fishing for information.
Brooke grins, shaking her head. “She didn’t say for sure—probably for this exact reason. She just wanted us to know it could be a possibility. As of right now, we’re all in our own rooms. Everyone is on the second floor except Quinn, who’s on the third floor. I didn’t run into the day one suitors last night, but she also told us they were on the same floor. We got a tour of the house, too, and this place is massive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a house this big.”
“With this many people, we’re going to need all the space,” Quinn says as he steps into the room, Lee beside him. “We’re not late, are we?”
“Nope. They haven’t even brought the food out yet.”
As if they were waiting for my words, the side doors slide open and trays of food are brought over to the buffet. Brooke and I push to our feet, meeting Quinn and Lee there. I get a giant whiff of Lee’s key lime pie scent, and it somehow smells more delicious than it did yesterday. When Quinn’s scent hits me, I’m able to pick out the hints of talc and lemon lime beneath the sage.
Damn, they all smell so good.
“Did you both sleep well?” Brooke asks, reaching for a plate and breaking me from my thoughts of their scents.
“Brooke, why don’t you let me make your plate for you?” Quinn takes the plate from her before reaching over and grabbing another. “And I had a good night’s sleep. How can I not when they soundproof all the walls? After going home from season two, it’s the first thing I did to my room. The contractor looked at me like I was crazy, but it’s insane going back to the city from here. It’s so much quieter here, and it turns out I much prefer the quiet.”
“Oh, um…you don’t have to make my plate,” Brooke practically stammers, holding her hand out. “If anyone should have their plate made for them, it’s Remy.”
“Already on it,” Lee says with a soft smile, grabbing two plates. “Why don’t we see what they are offering for the day? I also slept brilliantly, Brooke. Thank you for asking.”
I end up with a bowl of banana nut oatmeal and a plate filled with country ham and country potatoes. Quinn and Lee have the same, except they’ve added scrambled eggs and fruit to their plates. Brooke only takes the oatmeal, eggs, and fruit.
“No ham?” I ask, and she shakes her head.
“I’m actually intolerant to pork, but Bree promised that even when pork is being served that it will be cooked separately from everything else, so there’s no chance of cross-contamination.” She sits, smiling up at Quinn as he places her plate in front of her. She practically beams when he sits in the seat beside her.
“Intolerant to pork? Doesn’t that mean you’re allergic? That’s horrible.” Glancing at the plate Lee sets in front of me, I frown. “That means no bacon. I could never. Wait, we should just not have pork so you don’t have to deal with it. If Bree says it’ll be cooked separately, I’m sure she’ll make sure it is, but I just don’t want to take a chance with it—“
Brooke’s small hand closes around mine, squeezing it and drawing my attention to her. “It’s okay, I promise. I’m not actually allergic. My body just doesn’t process it correctly, so things don’t work like they should when I eat it. I have no problem with other people eating it—especially bacon because it’s amazing. I make do with turkey bacon when I want some. It’s not quite the same thing, but it’s still good.”
“You’re sure?” I ask, and she nods.
“Enjoy your ham.” She digs into her eggs, gesturing for me to eat.
Part of me still wants to not eat it because it really isn’t fair, but I also really like pork—all kinds of pork, but especially breakfast pork. I start with my oatmeal, groaning around the first mouthful.
I don’t think I’ve ever had oatmeal that tastes as good as this. I have it gone in seconds before returning to my plate. It’s a bit of a heavy breakfast, but I don’t mind. It’s not like our date involves physical activity.
“I wonder where Lorenzo is.”
I look up at Lee’s words and internally wince. It’s really bad I forgot about him, isn’t it?
“Maybe he’s not a morning person.” I glance at my watch and see it’s not even ten yet. Where did the time go? “We still have at least a half an hour before we have to leave.”
“What happens if he doesn’t make it down before it’s time to go?” Brooke asks, and I shrug.
“I don’t know. That’s not really something Bree and Tessa covered with me. I don’t know if it has happened during the other seasons, but if it did, it wasn’t aired.” Taking the last bite of my ham, I consider it. “There’s only a few ways that could go, right? We either leave without him or we wait until he’s ready? That would mean less time for the date. Hopefully, he’ll make it down here soon, and we won’t have to worry about that.”
I pour myself another cup of coffee and drink it slowly, enjoying it as the others finish up eating. There’s a bit of anxious energy buzzing around me as my eyes keep finding their way back to the door, looking for Lorenzo.
When someone finally steps inside, it’s not Lorenzo but Bree. “Good morning! Are the four of you ready for your date?”
“What about Lorenzo?” I ask, drinking the last of my coffee and setting it aside before pushing to my feet.
Bree glances behind her. “Tessa tried calling his room, but he didn’t pick up. She has someone heading up to his room now to make sure he’s okay. Hopefully, he can get ready in time to join you. If not, we’ll send him in a separate car.”
I glance at Quinn, Lee, and Brooke, not liking the sound of that.
“Can’t we just wait?”
She shakes her head. “No, Nathaniel and his pack are expecting you at a certain time. If Lorenzo can’t wake up on time, then he’ll just have to go separately. We don’t want to leave these business owners waiting since they do much for the show.”
“Oh, yeah. You’re right. That wouldn’t be fair to them.” I really hadn’t thought about it like that, and it’s not like there hasn’t been plenty of time for Lorenzo to wake up. Brooke and I have been downstairs for an hour and a half, Quinn and Lee not much less than that. “Why don’t we head outside, then?”
Stopping to offer Brooke my arm, I follow Quinn as he leads us out of the dining room and into the entryway. I can’t help glancing up the stairs to see if Lorenzo is heading down them, but they’re empty. I’m a little worried.
“Don’t worry, omega,” Lee says, coming to walk on my free side. “I’m sure everything is okay. Some people sleep like the dead, and it’s really hard to wake them up.”
I don’t like it but what can I do? I allow the alphas to lead me and Brooke out the door and to the waiting SUV.
“Morning.” Lucas grins, pulling open the back door as Mike waves from the driver’s seat. “You’re stuck with us again today, Remy.”
“I’m always stuck with you.” I stick my tongue out at the offended look on his face. “Oh, come on, you have thicker skin than that.”
Lucas laughs loudly and boisterously. “You aren’t wrong there—about either of those things, actually. Since outings are only allowed during the week, I’ll always go with you. Except this week, when you have a date on Saturday. Then you’ll just be stuck with Mike and one of my other guys.”
Quinn helps Brooke into the SUV before following her in, and I wave for Lee to climb in.
“We’re never stuck with either of you. I appreciate that you’re keeping me and the suitors safe when we leave the compound.” Shooting him a smile, I pull myself into the SUV and take the open seat in the middle row with Brooke. The alphas are sitting in the back row, spread out. If Lorenzo was here, there would have to be someone else sharing the seat with them, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to make it on time to ride with us.
“Do we get any hints about what we’re going to be doing for our date?” Lee asks as he leans forward.
I shake my head as I pull on my seat belt. “The only thing I’m going to tell you is it’s something I really enjoy.”
“Fair enough,” comes his reply as he settles back into his seat while Lucas climbs into his seat and Mike pulls away. “Will you at least tell us what you did for your first date?”
Shrugging, I figure there’s no harm in sharing that information. I fill them in on High Score and how much fun we had.
“That was the first time I’d been to an arcade in a long time,” I admit. “Coming on the show has made me realize just how little time I’ve been putting into anything that isn’t work.”
“It’s a lot easier to notice when you’re not there,” Lee admits.
I laugh. “You aren’t kidding. I just know how important the work I’m doing is, and I hate taking away time from it. If I’m not working on it, then no one is.”
Quinn clears his throat from behind me, and I twist in my seat so I can see him. “I can’t say I understand what all goes into your work, and it’s obviously important, but so are you. There needs to be a balance so you can live your life while trying to solve the problems of the world.”
“Just one problem,” I correct. “I can only work on one problem at a time, but I get what you’re saying. It’s something my sister has been trying to get me to see for years. I just don’t think I realized how bad it was until I wasn’t immersed in it, you know? But it’s something I’m serious about wanting to change—because you’re right. I deserve a life that doesn’t revolve around my work.”
The conversation flows away from my job and onto the others’ jobs. Of the four of us, Quinn has the most exciting job. He tells us stories about the areas he’s traveled to for shoots and how unglamorous it really is to be an actor.
Even before he tells us about the long days and sometimes rough conditions, I knew there was no way I could be an actor. More power to those who can, but they have to deal with so many people.
I could never.
Add in the insider information he gives us, and there’s no amount of money anyone could pay me to do his job.
When the SUV comes to a stop, I glance out the window to see we’ve arrived at Nathaniel’s. Yes, that’s what it’s called, and yes, that’s also the owner’s name.
The only thing I know about Nathaniel is he’s a bonded omega. Because of Heated , Rancho Mirage has had an abundance of omega-owned businesses opened. Not only do Bree and Tessa prefer to use these businesses for dates, but the show has also brought a lot of tourism to the area. Apparently, everyone wants to visit the places that appear on the show.
I say apparently, as if I don’t want to visit those places as well. On the forum I run online, there have been a few groups that have met up in Rancho Mirage to do just that. I could’ve joined any of them I wanted, but I couldn’t justify being away from work for that. Convincing myself to leave my work behind for three months was hard enough.
“I’m just going to pop in and make sure everything is good,” Lucas tells us. “Mike will let you know when you’re good to come inside.”
“This area is cute.” Brooke glances out the window, taking in the cobblestone sidewalks and the brightly colored buildings.
I nod. “I thought so. It was one of the reasons I chose the place.”
“The name doesn’t give much away.” Lee glances up at the sign, eyes narrowing. “Is that a mug? Is this a bar?”
He’s already figured it out, so I nod. “It is. We have the place to ourselves for the next four hours or so.”
Brooke frowns. “Is day drinking our date?”
“Not exactly,” I snort. “But you can drink if you want. I’ve never been a big drinker, so I probably won’t.”
“You’re all clear to exit the vehicle,” Mike calls back, and I tear the door open and jump out.
I’m so pumped about this date. It might not be as exciting as an arcade, but it’s still something I really enjoy.
Turning around, I gesture for Brooke to exit on my side and then help her out. Lee and Quinn climb out as I bounce from foot to foot.
“You’re really excited. I can’t wait to see what you have planned for us.” Brooke grins as she watches me.
I wrinkle my nose. “Don’t get too excited. I’m a nerd. You might not enjoy it, and that’s okay if you don’t. I know we’re all different people. I just couldn’t pass up the chance.”
Lee brushes his hand over my arm. “You have me intrigued.”
“Same,” Quinn calls over his shoulder as he walks toward the door, holding it open for us. Brooke and I enter first, finding Lucas standing just inside the doorway and a pack of five men standing near the hostess stand.
“Welcome,” a blond man almost yells, excitement clear in his eyes as he clears his throat. “Sorry about that. My excitement got the better of me. I’m Nathaniel, and these are my alphas, Teddy, Paul, Rick, and Nick.”
Lee and Quinn join us, standing at our backs as each of the alphas lifts a hand in greeting. Even though I’m standing a mere foot away from them, I can’t pick up a single one of their scents, which surprises me. Usually, once mated and bonded, packs don’t worry about scent blockers. Our scents change when we bond, blending with that of our pack or partner. It essentially says we’re off the market and doesn’t appeal to unmated omegas and alphas in quite the same way.
“Why don’t you come inside? We have you set up in our back corner booth, but if there’s somewhere else you’d rather sit, just let me know.” Nathaniel steps further into the building, his alphas stepping aside to allow us through.
The further we walk in, the more I notice the lack of scents—even my scent. “What is this sorcery?”
Nathaniel glances over his shoulder, laughing when he meets my eyes. “You mean the lack of scents? Pretty awesome, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, but how?” I shake my head, trying to think of how they’re pulling it off. We’ve come a long way in advancing our designation-based technology since the Event—at the cost of other technology where research stalled out for years and has just recently begun again—but I haven’t heard of anything that can completely wipe away scents.
“We’ve been experimenting with scent canceling and blocking technology since we opened Nathaniel’s.” It’s not Nathaniel who answers but one of his alphas. Paul, I think. “We’ve been trying to pin down a combination that makes it possible for everyone to enjoy their time here without worrying about their scents.”
I nod as Nathaniel comes to a stop at a massive booth that can see the rest of the bar. It’s big enough to fit at least twelve large alphas. A glance around the room shows a lot of larger tables and booths just like this one, but with smaller ones as well. They’ve made this place as inclusive as they can—making it so that large packs can sit alongside a couple and everyone is comfortable.
I love it.
Nathaniel gestures for us to sit, and I end up sitting between Lee and Quinn, with Brooke on Lee’s other side. “We found two scent sprays that, when used together, are effective in blocking out even the horniest of omega’s scent. We use that with a top of the line filtration system that pulls in the air and separates the scents out before circulating it back into the room. We also use this new brand of scent canceling cleaning products to wipe down each chair, table, and booth in between uses on top of using it to clean the place in general. This is as close as we’ve come to being able to wipe out scents completely.”
“It’s amazing,” I tell him. “Everything about this place screams comfortable. I bet you guys make a killing.”
Nathaniel shrugs, his neck turning pink as he looks away. “We do pretty damn well, but we’re not here to talk about my business.”
“What are we here to talk about?“ Brooke asks. “Remy wouldn’t tell us anything.”
“We’re having a trivia marathon!” Nathaniel announces, looking just as excited at the prospect as I am. “Teddy, will you bring me the tablets? Remington informed me he loves trivia, but he’s better at certain categories over others, so I made sure there’s a mix in there. We have eight rounds that will last fifteen minutes each and they will all be on different topics. We’re also trying different ways of doing trivia today with you as our guinea pigs.”
Teddy hands each of us a tablet before standing beside his omega. “If you’ve ever been to a trivia night before, this first round will be about how you expect it. We’ll read questions out loud to you, and whoever hits the buzzer on their tablet first will get to answer. If they’re wrong, then no one gets points, and we’ll move on to the next question. Each round will last about fifteen minutes, and then you’ll have a twenty-minute break before the next round, where you can talk, use the bathroom, dance—whatever you want. At about one, we’ll serve your lunch, which you can choose on your tablet now.”
“That’s just so we can make sure it’s ready for you,” Nathaniel says with a grin. “We’ll be trying out a speed round today where you’ll answer as many questions as you can during that time. The app will keep track of your scores and then we’ll announce the winners.” He continues to explain a few different options they’re going to try, which are interesting, but I’m so ready to get the first round started.
“Wow, Remy, you really like trivia, don’t you?” Quinn asks with a bemused smile. “Your leg has been shaking since we sat down.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I do really like it.”
Lee nods. “Then I think we should all choose our lunch so we can get the first round started. We don’t want to leave Remy hanging.”
I put my order in and glance at the door, wondering where Lorenzo is. They should’ve gotten him awake and on his way by now, shouldn’t they?
“Okay, let’s get the first round started. Our first topic is movies!”
Well, this is going to be a hard one for me, but I’m still determined to win.
I might be a little competitive. Who am I kidding? I’m very competitive.
Time flies by as we do the first four rounds, my eyes finding the door each break we have. When Lorenzo still hasn’t arrived by lunchtime, I’m getting really worried.
“What do you think is going on?” I ask the others as we eat the amazing lunch prepared for us. “He should’ve been here by now.”
Quinn nods. “Maybe I should go ask Lucas and Mike if they know anything?”
“Would you mind?” I hate asking him to walk away from his lunch, but I just feel like something isn’t right.
“Of course. Especially if it’ll make you feel better. Keep eating.” Quinn points to the pasta I stopped eating, picking up my fork and continuing to eat as he makes his way over to our security.
I watch them talk for a few minutes before Quinn returns. “Lucas says the only thing he knows is that Bree and Tessa are coming to talk to us. They should be here in about an hour.”
Biting my lip, I push away what’s left of my pasta. I no longer have an appetite.
I almost wish Quinn hadn’t gone over there because now I know something is wrong, and I have no idea what. Even worse, I have to wait to find out.
Everyone picks at their food before pushing it aside, and I leave them to find Nathaniel.
“Hey, Remington, is everything okay?” he asks with a frown.
“We’re not sure. One of my suitors didn’t make it downstairs this morning in time for our date.” I fill him in on the rest of what we know before shaking my head. “We kind of lost our appetite, which sucks because the food is amazing. I was kind of hoping we could go back to doing trivia? I think it could be a much-needed distraction.”
The smile he gives me is soft and a little sad. “Of course. If there’s anything you need, you’ll let me know, won’t you?”
“I will. Thank you.”
Making my way back to the table, I let them know we’re going to restart trivia. As excited as I was for today, I’m too anxious to enjoy myself overly much after that. The others seem to have the same issue, and we end up calling it after one more round.
With nothing else to do, I make my way to the jukebox and flip through the music. I’m not really paying it any attention, it’s just something to do as a heavy cloud of worry settles over me. I lay my head on the glass and sigh.
Hands land on my shoulders, and I jump. I was so lost in thought, I hadn’t heard anyone approach.
With a twist of my head, I see Quinn has joined me. His strong fingers dig into my tense shoulders and an unbidden moan slips free.
“You looked upset and stressed out,” Quinn says, continuing to massage my shoulders. “Not to mention, a little lost in your head. I swear your shoulders were getting closer and closer to your ears with each passing minute. I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing, so I figured a shoulder rub was in order.”
“You won’t hear me complaining,” I tell him, eyes falling shut as I lean back into his touch. “That feels amazing.”
I don’t know how long we stand there like this, but every moment feels like heaven. We only break apart when the front door opens.
My eyes pop open and as soon as they land on the showrunners, I’m rushing across the bar toward them. “What’s going on?”
“We’ll tell you everything, Remy, I promise. But can we please sit first and maybe get a drink? It’s already been a long day,” Tessa says.
“Of course. We’re sitting over here.” I lead them over to our booth and Nathaniel grabs them a drink while we settle in.
I want to demand that they tell us what’s going on, but they both look exhausted. What in the world could’ve happened in the last few hours we’ve been gone?
“Lorenzo won’t be continuing on Heated ,“ Bree says softly, reaching across to take my hand. “He’s had a medical emergency that makes him unable to continue.”
“A medical emergency? What happened? Is he okay?” My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest. I barely know the man, but the idea that he had a medical emergency is about to send me straight into a panic attack.
Quinn wraps his arm around me as Lee lays his hand on my thigh. Quinn’s chest rumbles with his purr as Lee speaks to me. “You need to take a deep breath, Remy. Don’t freak out before you’ve given them a chance to explain.”
It’s not until Brooke leans across Quinn and lays her hand on my chest that I can tear my eyes away from the table where I’ve been staring while I lost myself in my thoughts. “Breathe with me, Remy,” she tells me as I meet her eyes.
She taps my chest in a slow rhythm as she takes a deep breath before releasing it. When she does it again, I match my breath to hers. With just a few focused breaths and the three of them grounding me, I’m able to fight back the panic as I turn back to Bree.
“Fates, I’m sorry. I’m just making this harder on you. Please, continue.”
Tessa shakes her head. “You’re not making anything harder, Remy. We knew this would stress you out but didn’t want to hide it from you. We can’t tell you much without Lorenzo’s permission, but what we can say is that he’s currently in a diabetic coma. The doctors at the hospital are working to get everything under control, and they’re confident he’ll wake up.”
“They don’t know when he’ll wake up,” Bree says when I open my mouth to ask just that. “There’s more to it than just him being diabetic. We’ll let everyone know once he wakes up, and we’ll pass along whatever he’ll allow us to. For now, you just need to focus on getting to know your other suitors. So we’ll leave you to your date.”
“I don’t know about the three of you,” I say, glancing at Lee, Brooke, and Quinn, “but I don’t feel much like continuing on as if nothing has happened.”
“It wouldn’t feel right,” Brooke admits.
Tessa glances around when Quinn and Lee nod their agreement. “Then I guess we’ll take you back to the compound. Will you be okay to meet your next set of suitors?”
“I don’t know.” I hate saying it, but it’s the truth. Right now, I feel so overwhelmed, I can’t think about meeting four new people. I also know what it’ll mean to push back the meeting to another day. “If I have to answer right now, then no. If you can give me a few hours in my nest first, the answer might be different.”
“Of course you can have some time. We don’t want to rush you into anything.” Bree runs a hand through her hair. “We’ll have Lucas and Mike bring you back to the compound, and I’ll check back in with you around four?”
That’s a little less than two hours and we still have a thirty-minute drive back, but if I’m not feeling up to it by then, I won’t be an hour later. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”
We all make our way outside, no one saying anything as we climb into separate vehicles. This time, I choose to sit in the back, dragging both alphas to sit beside me before pulling Brooke into my lap.
“I’m not sure this is safe,” she murmurs as she buries her head in my neck.
Quinn huffs. “Not really, but let’s at least see if we can fit the seat belt around both of you.”
It takes a bit of work, but between Quinn and Lee, they’re able to get us belted in. We ride in silence, the only sounds are of Lee’s and Quinn’s purrs as they hold me and Brooke between them. I barely know any of them, but right now, I just need to be held.
Thank goodness no one else has any complaints. It seems finding out Lorenzo is in a coma has us all needing to feel closer to one another.