Chapter Ten
Camila
K issing Remy was everything I hoped for, but watching him kiss Nikolai and Alexei afterward? It was surprisingly hot. The scents rising in the air didn’t hurt things, either.
Scents might not affect betas in the same way alphas and omegas are affected, but it doesn’t mean they have no effect on us. I’ve always had a sensitive nose and I’ve smelled more than a few scents that had me running away from someone.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen two men kissing—obviously not counting my family packs because, ew, of course, that’s not going to be hot—but it’s the first time it has turned me on.
Is it because I’m attracted to Remy, and I wasn’t attracted to the other men I’ve seen kissing?
That has to be it because I can’t think of another reason.
What I do know is that it blew my mind, along with Remy’s. The poor omega’s eyes glazed over when he stumbled into his suite. Not to mention how hard his cock was. Based on the size of the bulge in his pants, he’s packing.
And damn, do I want to have that confirmed.
Unlocking the door to my room, I’m surprised to find Brooke sitting on her bed, painting her nails. “Oh, I didn’t expect you to be here.”
She laughs as she glances up from her nails. “We’re back to being stuck on the second and third floors, so I decided I was going to do my nails before the interview.”
Sniffing the air, I find her lemon and lavender scent has filled the room. It’s not strong like an omega’s or even an alpha’s is, but it’s steadily seeping into the room. It’ll be interesting to see how our scents combine.
“Weren’t they done before?” I ask, seeming to recall seeing them painted last night when I met her.
“They were, but I like to change this up every few days. It means they’re never chipped, and I can paint them according to my mood.”
“I never paint my nails,” I admit, sitting on the edge of my bed. “Since I work in a restaurant, they chip way too easily. I keep them looking nice, but I’ve always wished I could wear color on them.”
Brooke grins, gesturing to her bed. “Well, get over here. You have at least a few weeks until you have to be back at the restaurant—eight or nine weeks if you’re lucky. I love doing other people’s nails. You can pick out a color while I finish mine up. I couldn’t bring all my colors, but I have a good selection with me. They’re in the box on the floor at the end of the bed.”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“Mind? Not at all. Honestly, you’ve just made me super happy because we can do our nails together. Maybe next time we can invite Victoria. I’m not sure if she’ll say yes, but we can at least ask.”
I sit on the floor next to the box she indicated, jaw dropping when I see there’s like a hundred nail polishes inside. They’re all in plastic pockets that line the walls. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many nail polishes before.
“I know it can be a little overwhelming,” Brooke offers, her head appearing over the edge of the bed. “You should see my entire collection. I have at least five times this many at home. Whenever a new color comes out, I buy it. I haven’t worn a lot of them, but I enjoy owning them.”
Looking between her and the polishes, I don’t even know where to start. “Maybe you should choose for me?”
Brooke considers me for a moment before struggling off the bed with her hands held in the air.
“I don’t want to smudge them,” she tells me with a shrug. “They’re fast drying, but I don’t trust it. Now, I think I have the perfect color for you.”
She runs her hand across the first row of polishes before moving on to the second. I figure at this rate, it’ll take her half an hour to find the one she’s looking for, but within seconds, she taps her finger against one. “This is the one.”
I grab it, shaking it and considering the color. It’s a bright red, similar to the lipstick I wore last night. Usually, my lipstick is the only bold color I wear. I’m not sure how I feel about also wearing that bold of a color on my nails.
“Just trust me,” she says, taking the bottle from me.
We both settle on the bed and ten minutes later, I have to give it to her. My nails look amazing. The color doesn’t look so harsh against my skin, and I love it.
“Thanks, Brooke. This is awesome. I promise to always trust you with nail polish choices.” I hesitate for a second before finally asking, “Who’s Victoria?”
Brooke’s face lights up. “Just the hottest woman alive. She’s one of Remy’s alpha suitors. She’s here with her pack—a male alpha and a male beta. She comes across a little cold, and I don’t think she’s into women, but I can’t help drooling over her. It’s not fair how hot she is at forty. I can’t imagine how hot she must’ve been when she was my age.”
I snicker. “That hot, huh?”
“Oh, go ahead. Make fun of me, but you’ll see when you meet her.” She pauses. “I never asked. Are you just into guys?”
“Nope. I’m an equal opportunity dater,” I tell her with a laugh. “Although before coming on Heated , I’ve only ever dated betas.”
Brooke’s eyes go wide. “You’re really missing out. There’s nothing like fucking an alpha. I’ve only been with one female omega during her heat, but that was also amazing. Not that I haven’t had amazing sex with betas. But alphas have huge dicks and knots, and omegas? So. Much. Slick. It’s insane.”
“I’ll take your word for it. What time is the interview again? I don’t want to be late.”
Brooke glances at the alarm clock on her bedside table. “We’ve got about an hour.”
“Excellent. Do you think I’m safe to shower with these yet?” I wiggle my fingers at her, and she laughs.
“Yeah, you’re good.”
Knowing I won’t want to put my dirty clothes back on, I pull out a pair of comfy sleep shorts, a tank top, and a matching bra and panty set. Even though no one will see them, I always love matching.
Brooke might have a nail polish obsession, but I have a lingerie obsession. I try not to think too hard about how much money I spend on lingerie. If I were to add up the amounts, I’m sure I’d lose my shit. Rather than do that, I just pretend like I don’t know.
Walking into our shared bathroom, I giggle. I wonder if everyone is like me and Brooke. Do they all have something they’re obsessed with and spend too much money on?
I stare at the bathtub longingly, but if I take a bath, there’s no way I’m getting out in less than an hour. Working on my feet for ten to fourteen hours a day means I need to pamper myself when I get home. That usually means taking an hour-long bath with my favorite bath salts and candles. Sometimes, I’ll just lay there, but more often than not I’m reading or watching something on my tablet.
For today, a shower will have to do. It’s not like I spent all day on my feet, just a few hours while we cooked.
I loved the date Remington planned. I never would’ve thought to take a cooking class for a date, but then again, most of the people I’ve dated just wanted me to cook for them. Not that I minded—most of the time.
I may have grown up surrounded by large packs, but for the longest time, I didn’t think I wanted one. I dated the same beta for eight years, and I thought he was the one for me. We met as freshmen in high school and stayed together while he went to college and I learned the ropes at the restaurant. Then one day, he came to me and said it was over because he met a pack, and he was in love.
I’d been heartbroken and slept around a lot for that first year. Then I just kept picking the worst men and women to date. I was so tired of dating.
One of my moms convinced me to come on the show. She told me I needed to see what it was like to be part of a pack and then I’d understand. Today showed me she was right.
No, I’m not part of a pack now, but today’s date? It felt like we could be a pack, and I loved it. It explains why my dating life has been in the toilet. I’ve been out there searching for something I didn’t need.
It’ll be great if Remy chooses me for his pack, but if he doesn’t, I won’t be out looking for just one person to date any longer. I don’t know how I ever thought being with just one person would be enough for me after the way I grew up.
I think I was just hanging onto the dreams I had for me and Ivan, but no more.
I’m a new woman, and this woman wants a pack of her own.
Thank goodness. How bad would it have been to have Remy choose me at the same time I realized I didn’t want to be part of a pack? My mom knew what she was doing getting me to join Heated , that’s for sure.
Stepping into the shower, I let out a low moan as I lean my head under the hot water. It streams over my head and down my back, my muscles relaxing and releasing any tension I’ve been carrying. I love baths, but sometimes, we just need a steaming hot shower to set us right.
By the time I step out of the shower, Brooke is knocking on the door. “We only have ten more minutes, Camila!”
“Okay, it won’t take me much longer. I’ll be right out.” I pull on my clothes and run a brush through my hair before throwing it up in a messy bun. I don’t have time for makeup, but I don’t mind.
I prefer to wear makeup, but it’s not because I don’t think I look pretty without it. I just like the way it makes me look and feel. I’m confident enough in my skin to not need makeup.
Brooke is practically dancing from foot to foot when I open the bathroom door.
“Finally!” she shouts, pushing me to the side. “I didn’t know you were going to take that long of a shower. I have to pee so bad.”
I laugh, feeling a little bad for hogging the bathroom, but I know there are other bathrooms she could’ve used. As soon as she’s finished, we’re out the door and heading toward the second-floor living room.
Bree’s already there, chatting with the other suitors when we arrive. She lifts her hand in greeting, waving us over to join them. There are four couches and a loveseat set up in a horseshoe, facing a camera. There are a few others set up at different angles, but this seems to be the primary ones.
“I’m sorry we were almost late. I decided I needed a shower,” I tell Bree, and she nods.
“That’s not a problem. We still have a few minutes. The suitors tend to arrive a little early just because you’re all sequestered up here. Go ahead and meet the other suitors and then we can get going.”
Nodding, I turn to find the twins waiting for me. “Hey, Alexei. Nikolai. This is my roommate, Brooke.”
“Twins?” Brooke’s eyes widen. “Damn, you’re both hot. Sorry. I’m Brooke. Wait, she said that already. Hi.”
Alexei laughs, reaching out to take her hand. “It is nice to meet you, Brooke.”
“And an accent? I’ve died and gone to heaven.” Brooke lifts her hand to her forehead and pretends to swoon. “I’m just kidding. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
Nikolai just nods at her as Alexei wraps an arm around my shoulders and drags me toward the others. “We have met everyone. We will introduce you.”
“Thanks, Alexei.”
He pulls me over to a woman, who must be Victoria, and when she turns around, I understand what Brooke was going on about. She really is the prettiest woman I’ve ever met, and I can’t believe she’s forty.
“Victoria, this is Camila. Victoria is the head alpha of her pack. This is Eric and Milo.” Alexei points to the broad alpha and the slender beta, who’s grinning at me. I only get a chance to wave and say hello before he drags me to the next group of people where Rhys is chatting.
I meet Quinn, the hot alpha actor I’ve had a crush on for years, plus alphas Daniel and Lee. This time he gives me a chance to at least shake their hands before he’s pulling me toward one of the couches.
“Alexei, what are you doing?” I ask with a laugh.
“I am making sure you are safe. These are new people, and we do not know them. Nikolai and I will keep you safe.” He pulls me onto the couch beside him, Nikolai taking my other side.
I bite my lip, my eyes meeting Brooke’s. She’s wiggling her eyebrows up and down, and I don’t even want to know what she’s thinking right now.
“While I appreciate you both looking out for me, I don’t think I’m unsafe.”
Alexei shrugs. “And we will make sure you are not. It is fine. We are friends. Do not worry.”
I don’t think I’m going to convince them I don’t need their protection. It’s adorable, and more than a little hilarious. As if there aren’t cameras everywhere. Patting their knees, I settle into the couch.
“Thank you.”
Nikolai grunts and Alexei beams at me.
Rhys snickers as he walks by, obviously having heard what Alexei said. “And what about me? Do I not need protection?”
“No,” Nikolai growls. “You are alpha. Alpha can protect self. Camila is beta female. So small.”
I bury my face in my hands, biting back my laughter. He sounds so serious and sincere.
“I’m a beta and smaller than she is. Does that mean you’ll protect me, too?”
Glancing over my hands, I see my redhead roommate glancing between the twins, her mouth turned up in amusement.
Alexei considers her for a minute. “Maybe soon. We do not know you. For now, we protect Camila. If you need us, we will help you, but we must keep Camila safe.”
“Okay, that’s fucking adorable,” Brooke squeals as she sits on the couch across from us. “Why didn’t I get to come on with the protective twins?”
Milo drops onto the couch beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. “Because the protective twins need protection from you.”
Her mouth drops open. “That’s rude.”
But it doesn’t keep her from cuddling into his side, and I just shake my head as Eric sits beside him, pulling Victoria onto his lap. Daniel and Lee sit on the loveseat while Rhys and Quinn take the last couch. Everyone already seems so comfortable with each other, it’s kind of weird. It’s not like they’ve been here much longer than I have.
“Alright everyone, now that you’ve all met and are settled, let’s get this interview going, shall we?” Bree smiles as she steps beside the camera.
None of the questions are unexpected. The twins, Rhys, and I talk about our initial reactions to Remy and how our date went with the other suitors adding in comments here and there.
I’m surprised how easy it is to relax with practical strangers surrounding me, but I think it’s because they’re all so comfortable with one another. This isn’t quite what I was expecting.
All of us are here because we want to be a part of Remington’s pack, which kind of makes us competitors, right? Shouldn’t there be more animosity between us?
Maybe it’s because we’ve all just arrived and we’re all finding our places. This is new to everyone, and we find comfort where we can.
“Thank you, suitors,” Bree says as she wraps up the questioning. “Enjoy your evening. I’ll see you all here tomorrow at the same time with four new suitors.”
Leaning my head back on the couch, my eyes find Brooke. “Now what?”
“It depends. We can watch a movie in the theater or head up to the game room. We can order dinner whenever we’re ready. We had pizza last night, and it was amazing.”
Milo lays his head on top of hers. “I could watch a movie. I’m feeling lazy today. But I think I want comfort food for dinner.”
“I could go for some fried chicken and mac and cheese,” Daniel says, leaning forward to rest his arms on his legs. “I’ve been craving it all day.”
“That sounds amazing,” I admit. “Do we get to request what we want?”
Victoria laughs. “Technically, we’re meant to eat whatever Remy and his suitors are having, but the woman I spoke to last night said as long as we all agree on the same meal, they don’t mind making what we want.”
Everyone seems okay with fried chicken, and Daniel practically crows when they tell him they’ll make mac and cheese without him having to ask for it. We settle around the living room while we wait for dinner, and once more, I’m struck by how at home I feel.
And here is my silly ass, thinking I didn’t want to be part of a pack. The people surrounding me aren’t a pack—well, most of them aren’t—and I’m already more at ease than I’ve ever been with any of the people I’ve dated in the last few years.
How fucking weird is that?