8. Chapter 8
Leo
“Today’s challenge will be an obstacle course!
Each team will try to make it through the course we’ve laid out, and let teamwork guide you!
Our cameras will be rolling to catch every moment, so remember, no cheating!
” The host said with a beaming smile as each of the teams started lining up.
We were supposed to do a ropes course, scale a wall, and other various scenarios laid out in front of us.
“Get to your starting positions!” the host shouted, as our team scrambled to the various posts. We got a few glances from the competitors, and a few sneers, but I shrugged it off.
Obstacle courses don’t scare me. I’d lived through high adrenaline and intense games plenty of times. I’d been chewed up by sports media and spit out because my knee went left when it should’ve gone straight. I’d played the golden boy, the alpha prototype.
But this? An obstacle course was nothing compared to managing two teammates who are this close to brawling.
“Why did they make the wall so tall? This is obviously favoring alphas over omegas.” Cassie said with her arms crossed, the yellow jersey that they had us all wear far too big for her frame. It was cute as hell to see her all riled up.
“Technically, it’s only regulation height,” Jace offered from behind her, cool and logical, and with no clue how much he annoyed Cassie. She spun to face him.
“Jace, I swear to god, if you mansplain one more rule…”
“It’s not mansplaining if the instructions literally say - ”
“OH MY GOD.” Cassie flung her hands in the air, her voice echoing across the training field. “You ruined my job, now you want to ruin my chances at winning this show!” she huffed as Jace looked helpless, a camera capturing the entire incident.
I chuckled as I watched them. Despite her reactions to him, I could tell that there was something between them. She disliked him a little too much - in fact, I would say she was overcompensating. I’d seen the way she blushed when he got close to her.
Ash, who was currently perched on the grass beside me, muttered, “We’re so going to be the ‘disaster pack’ this season.”
“Yup,” I said cheerfully as I stretched my arms. “And I love it.”
He blinked up at me. “Why?”
“Because,” I said with a grin, “you two are chaotic, Jace is wound tighter than a baseball, Rys already has a fan club, and I am having the time of my life.” And I meant it.
The moment I stepped on set and caught sight of our mismatched team - a high strung art girl with a chip on her shoulder, a quiet omega who calmed her down instantly, an outdoorsman who smelled like moss, and a lovesick tech bro alpha with a jawline you could cut granite on… I knew . These were my people.
I’d joined the show with realistic expectations. My manager told me it would be good for my career now that I was retired from the field. I figured I’d have a good time and maybe even win some money. But after I met this group, something inside me clicked into place.
We were perfect together. They might not realize it yet, heck even the producers might not have meant to match us up so perfectly, but I felt it deep down inside.
The team would too, once they stopped worrying about their individual hang ups and motives and just felt how we were together.
And that would just take a little time, and a lot more teamwork.
“Alright team, let’s go!” I shouted, and Rys nodded before sprinting to tackle the ropes. I wasn’t worried about him. “Ash, you take the mud crawl.” Ash started to protest, but when he saw the wall, he decided to take the obstacle closest to the ground.
Cassie and Jace looked like they might start making more fireworks, so I jogged over to the climbing wall with a grin and clapped my hands once. “Okay, lovebirds, less bickering, more scaling. Who’s first?”
Jace decided to run after Rys, and I turned to Cassie. “I guess it’s just you and me on the wall!” I said with a joyful smile.
Cassie crossed her arms. “I can do it myself.”
I leaned against the wall beside her and nodded. “Sure you can. But we’re a team now. Helping doesn’t mean weakness.”
She narrowed her eyes, but her cheeks flushed. Her scent spiked, now a tangy citrus laced with frustration, and a little bit of… was that… arousal? I knew she felt more for our pack than she let on! And I’ll be damned if it didn’t make my pulse jump.
“I don’t need a pep talk,” she muttered, pushing a dark tendril away from her heart shaped face.
“No,” I said, lowering my voice just a little. “But I think you might need a lift.”
She sighed and stomped toward the wall. “Fine. Make yourself useful.”
I laced my fingers together, crouched low, and steadied my stance.
She stepped into my hands and I hoisted her up in one swift move.
The little omega was lighter than I’d realized.
She was now scaling the wall with great speed, not looking down until she’d reached the top.
Then she paused, straddling the wall and catching her breath.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She looked down, biting her lip as her eyes widened. “Uh, how… how do I get down?” She peered over the other edge.
“Just climb down the other side. You can do it!” I said with encouragement.
Cassie cautiously put her foot on one of the grips on the other side of the wall, then seemed to freeze.
She looked down at me, her eyes wide. I knew that look.
She was most likely afraid of heights. Which meant someone needed to help her scale the wall.
“Hold on.” I said, before quickly climbing to the top. Once I was next to her, I could see that she was trembling.
“Don’t worry, Cassie. I won’t let you fall. It’s not even that far down.” I murmured, trying to soothe her as her knuckles turned white, gripping the wooden wall tightly.
“I’m not scared. I can do it. I’ll have you know I managed a team of five before, and I broke every sales quota I’ve ever been given! I’m very capable!” She said stubbornly, but every time she glanced down, she seemed to grow paler.
“That’s alright, I’m going to help you descend anyway.
” I wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her tight next to me.
Her body was so warm and fit perfectly against me, and then after a moment she seemed to relax, melting into my side as I moved slowly down the wall step by step.
Her arms clung to my body, and she started to feel like a magnet.
She grew so comfortable in fact, that she nuzzled right into me, letting out a little sigh laced with the tiniest whine.
And then there was an electric jolt of awareness, as if Cassie suddenly realized what I had known all along. Her scent was laced with adrenaline and warm sugar, and when her dark eyes locked with mine, I felt a growing excitement, like I was on the precipice of something new. Neither of us moved.
“Cassie…” I said quietly.
Her lips parted like she might say something. Then, a shout from below.
“Get a room!” Ash yelled from the mud pit, half-crawling under a series of ropes with a wicked grin on his face. We were only about a foot from the ground now. I hadn’t even noticed, I’d been so caught up in holding Cassie. She scrambled off me, her cheeks now full-on crimson. “I, um, thanks.”
“Sure!” I said, dusting myself off. “Great teamwork!” She shoved my shoulder, but it was light and teasing. I turned just in time to see Ash pull himself out of the ropes, covered in mud but smiling like a fox.
“Bet you thought I wouldn’t make it!” he said, panting. I reached down and offered him a hand. “Not for a second.”
That was a lie. Ash looked delicate at first glance, with his lean frame and slightly sarcastic attitude. But under his shell, he was turning out to be stronger than I thought. He didn’t complain, didn’t stall. He just did the damn thing.
And looked real good doing it. As he stood, dripping and grimy, he gave me a tired smile that stirred something in me.
The spark that Cassie lit was now even more ignited in me, quick and hot as I watched him, savoring in his dark plum and sage scent that was stronger now that he’d done some exercise.
His yellow jersey was soaked with mud, clinging to his frame and showing me every taut muscle on his chest. Despite the mud, he somehow looked even sexier.
I don't know how the producers did it, but they picked the absolute best omegas in the world to match with me and the team. If I wasn’t careful, I’d fall a little too hard for them.
“Nice form,” I said, clearing my throat. “You looked great out there.”
Ash eyed my body, looking me up and down. “You didn’t look too bad yourself.” He walked past me with a wink, and I definitely turned to watch him go.
By the time Rys and Jace cleared the final section of the challenge, I was riding high.
Sure, we were trailing the dance pack and the influencer squad, but we weren’t last. And more importantly, we were starting to gel.
I knew from my years on various teams that once we started to connect, everything would get so much easier.
And I was proud of us. The cameras caught our challenge, and I thought we were doing great.
Ash gave Rys a nod and muttered something that made the older omega smile.
Cassie was so relieved to be off the wall that she forgot to threaten to kill Jace for five whole minutes.
And when she nearly slipped on the mud while we walked back, Jace caught her elbow and just said, “Careful,” before letting go like it didn’t mean anything. However, it meant something.
I saw it. Their tension wasn’t negative anymore, it was lighter now. And all this pent up desire was pulling all of us closer, no matter how chaotic we were.
As for me, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt to have Cassie in my arms… or the way Ash looked crawling through the mud. And despite their spicy and aloof exteriors, I was pretty sure they were feeling something towards me as well.
Maybe, this show might just end up in an actual connection after all. I knew one thing for sure - my alpha side was ecstatic to have two omegas around.