5. Chapter 5
Cassie
Inside the Confessional
I was trying really hard not to sweat through my shirt. The lights were hot, the cameras were closer than I liked, and the entire room seemed claustrophobic. I sat on a little velvet chair and smiled like I was actually excited, trying to ignore my queasy stomach.
"Okay, Cassie," one of the producers said through the speaker, their voice chipper. "Tell us your first impressions of your team. How are the alphas treating you so far?"
I smiled in a dreamy way, just like they probably hoped I would. “Honestly, I lucked out. I mean… have you seen them?” I gave a fake little laugh. “I’d like to thank casting for putting me with the hottest alphas I’ve ever seen!”
Behind the cameras, they chuckled. I felt I was doing good so far - acting flirty, interested.
It would go over well with the audience.
And part of it was true. When I thought back to seeing them for the first time, the aura that they exuded, well, I guess it had been a long time since I was around alphas.
It was natural to feel like I wanted to climb all over them.
And their scents were divine. But again, it had been a while.
I was sure it was nothing, and over time I’d get annoyed with their alpha dominance and bossy behavior, like I usually did with most alphas.
“We made sure to set you up with people who we were sure would be a great match for you. Here are their scent cards, in case you didn’t get a good whiff earlier.
Any favorites so far?” An assistant handed me three cards, and I held them gingerly.
It was almost too much to be near them earlier.
But I lifted them one by one up to my nose, inhaling deeply.
I knew this was one of the parts of the show the audience loved.
Rys and his wooded ocean scent. It calmed me, and beckoned to me.
Leo, his card smelling of leather and bergamot - something about his smell made me feel like he’d care for me always.
And Jace, with his surprisingly good cedar and spice scent, made me feel warm in my core.
I quickly crossed my legs, trying not to ruminate on the scents too much.
It was rare that I liked an alpha’s scent, and yet these three were so good that I wanted to keep the cards and smell them like an addict.
Even Jace’s card. But this wasn’t real, this was just a means to an end.
I pretended to get lost in their smells as the cameras watched me.
“Hmm. Well, how can I choose when everyone is so perfect? Rys is all strong confidence, and Leo is so hot, I mean, he’s got to have a huge fan base already!
So count me in as a fan. Yes, casting did well.
” I said with a giggle. But none of them knew that while I was spouting compliments, I was silently willing myself not to crack. Of all the people to put on my team…
"Speaking of casting, let’s talk Jace," the voice prompted. There was something sly in their tone. "We picked him for your team specifically. You two used to work together, right?"
My entire body stiffened. Ugh, of course they knew he worked with me.
If they picked me partially because of my viral fame, they probably knew it would be dramatic to have him here too.
My only question was why he ever applied in the first place.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes and instead forced a slow nod, like I was feeling something wistful.
“Yes, we definitely have history together.” I made sure to say it with enough weight to spark speculation.
In reality, I wanted to scream out about how it was his fault I was even here, his fault I lost my job, and all so he could get the job position I wanted. But that wasn’t the kind of narrative that kept you on shows like this.
“So, did you miss him after you left your job?” they pried. Oh no. I was going to have to really work this angle, make it seem like we were flirtatious on the job, and fake that this whole thing was totally okay.
I let out a breathy laugh and pretended to blush. “Well, I mean, how can you not miss a face like his?” I bit my lip, looking down. “I just never thought I’d see him again!” Well, at least that was the truth. And they seemed like they were eating it up.
"Well, he’s here, and all yours. At least, if you can win his heart. There is some other competition." They continued, “Speaking of competition, what do you think about Ash?”
That made me pause. Ash and I hadn’t said much, but he didn’t bother me the way a normal omega in my space would.
Maybe that’s because I didn’t care if he wanted to be with the alphas.
He was a male omega, a rarity. He was also very attractive - maybe that’s why I had the strangest feeling, like I wanted to be around him more.
He was clearly playing his own game, but the mention of his name made my stomach flutter in the most inconvenient way.
“He’s... interesting,” I said slowly. “Different from the others.”
"How so?" they asked quickly, leaning in.
I shrugged.“He’s an omega, just like me. That alone makes things a bit more complicated. But hey, maybe that’ll make us stronger. We’ll either kill each other or win the whole thing, right?”
“Is he getting on your nerves already?” The voice asked, and I balked. Wow, they really wanted some drama right away. But, that was the point of the show.
“I mean, he’s not exactly what I call competition. I don’t think he has what I can offer. Anyway, I’m excited to get back out there and into the game!” I said, knowing that little soundbite was all they would get out of me.
They laughed behind the glass, but I could tell they wanted more shade and rivalry. But that was too bad. I flashed another smile and adjusted my legs. “Honestly, the only thing more unpredictable than this team... is me.”
They liked that line, too. But deep down, I was already exhausted. All this acting was harder than I thought it’d be.