36. Chapter 36
Jace
Cassie’s words hurt. I couldn’t deny that.
When I watched the video, slowly realizing that she was speaking with her sister honestly, and that these might be her true thoughts, I nearly blacked out.
It was possible that she might resent me so much that she never really liked me.
She might just be here on the show to win.
But then I thought about how her cheeks burned when she was flustered.
It happened at work when she was trying so hard and the smallest slip up happened.
It happened during her viral moment. And it happened here, when she was with me.
I knew that she put up a front to look strong and capable, that she had trouble admitting when she needed help.
And I knew, in my heart, that she wasn’t here to mess with our feelings.
She may have wanted to win, get money, be famous, but she would never hurt people in the process.
I knew the show producers would never be reasonable. They wanted drama from the beginning, and they didn’t care about our connection as a team, and a pack. So we would play their game, better than they ever expected.
Which led to us standing in front of the cameras, with the other teams, as the host introduced the next challenge.
“After last night’s shocking elimination and the most dramatic vote of the season,” he announced, pausing for effect, “we’ve got one final challenge to determine it all. Who will rise? Who will fall? Let’s find out who will be… the Last Pack Standing!”
The other teams looked excited and nervous. A few of them shot us glances, smirking as though this was just a game and not a heart wrenching moment for us. I didn’t mind them. They meant nothing to me. The only thing that mattered was getting my pack whole again.
The host moved between teams with his usual manufactured excitement, interviewing the others first. One of the dance team alphas smirked into the mic.
“Our team is proof that fake doesn’t last. Real packs don’t fall apart after one bad clip.
” His teammates snickered behind him, but I ignored their jabs.
Another team alpha made some offhand comment about how they’d been “waiting for the fake teams to implode so the real winners could step forward.” I was so over this whole charade.
But I had to wait until it was our turn.
When the host finally approached our team, his tone was still the same, as if he thought he was still in charge. “And Team Silver… rough night for you all. But as of today, you’re still in first place. How are you feeling heading into the final challenge?”
I stepped forward before anyone else could speak, my voice calm and deliberate as I spoke to him, looking directly at the cameras. “We’re not.”
The host blinked, then tried to recover. “I’m not quite sure what you mean, can you elaborate?”
“We’re not heading into anything,” I said again, making sure everyone could hear. “Not unless Cassie is brought back.”
Gasps rippled as the crew and the remaining contestants realized what we meant.
The host’s fake smile faltered. “That’s…
not how the show works. The viewers voted.
She was eliminated. And you still have a chance to win the grand prize!
” He glanced around nervously, the smile plastered on his face.
But no amount of money would ever be enough for me to let Cassie go like that.
The alpha in me had chosen her, long before we were ever on this show.
Leo stepped in beside me, arms crossed and practically daring the host to challenge him. “Then we’re eliminating ourselves. See ya.” And with that, Leo walked off the stage, threw his mic off and didn’t look back.
Rys followed, then Ash, who turned back once, his words full of resolve. “We came here as a pack. We leave as a pack. No Cassie, no us.”
The other teams were silent, their mouths open as they tried to comprehend what we were doing.
The host stammered as he tried to gain control of the narrative.
His eyes darted to the production crew. He leaned in, covering the mic as he spoke to us in a hushed tone.
“You can’t just walk off! There are contracts, agreements-”
“Then roll the cameras,” I said with a sharp smile. “Let the viewers see what a real pack, and real love, looks like.” And with that, we collectively turned and walked off the set, heads high, leaving stunned silence and scrambling producers behind us.