Chapter Nineteen
Remington
I ’m feeling pretty good about today. The ice-breaker helped all of us open up about ourselves, and I feel like I know each of the suitors a little better.
My session with Finn went well enough this morning. I did a lot of talking and then we talked about some different ways to deal with my panic attacks. I don’t think we really did anything super deep today, but it makes me feel better knowing he’s there to support me.
Reaching behind me, I pull my shirt over my head and toss it onto the lounge chair. I was a little surprised that all nineteen suitors came downstairs to the basement pool with me, but I could already feel a headache brewing behind my eyes from being outside in the sun for so long.
The sun might give us nutrients we need to survive, but the headaches I get from being outside for long periods of time aren’t worth it.
“Hey, Remy. Can we talk to you for a minute?”
Turning at the sound of Gracie’s soft voice, I smile when I see her and Rhys standing there. “Of course. Why don’t we go over to the table in the corner? It should be far enough away from the others that they won’t be able to overhear us.”
“That would be great, Remington. Thank you.”
I wrinkle my nose at Rhys’s formality as I lead them to the table and sit. “So what’s going on?”
Gracie and Rhys look at one another for a moment before Gracie slips her hand into the alpha’s. It seems to give Rhys the confidence he needs as he straightens his shoulders and faces me.
“Gracie and I wanted to talk to you because the two of us have a connection. It was instant, and we weren’t able to ignore it. We know it would have been best if we could’ve talked to you about it first, but that time has passed.” He takes a deep breath. “I hope you won’t hold it against us, but this kind of thing doesn’t happen often and neither of us is willing to give up the other.”
I lean back in the chair, considering them. Even before they were holding hands, they drifted toward one another. It wouldn’t have taken me long to pick up the connection. They could’ve tried to hide it from me, but instead, they made sure to come to me straight away.
It’s not like I care if the suitors are interested in one another or what they do about it. But when it becomes serious, like I think it is between Gracie and Rhys, they become a package deal. That isn’t necessarily going to be a good thing. But I won’t hold it against them.
How can I?
We love who we love, and I’m never going to stand in the way of that.
“I appreciate you letting me know. I’m glad you’ve found each other, but this does bring up some questions.” I pause, trying to figure out how to phrase the most important one. “Do you still wish to remain on the show? Are you still interested in having an omega? Do you still want to be considered for my pack?”
“Of course we do.” Gracie’s eyes are wide as she leans forward. Of all the suitors, Gracie is the one I don’t think I ever have to worry about hiding how she feels about anything. She seems to wear her feelings on her sleeve purposefully, and I love that. “What Rhys and I have found is just the beginning. We’re meant to be with one another, but it won’t just be us. We were meant to be part of a pack. We won’t know if we’re meant to be a part of your pack unless we give it a try, will we?”
I nod, smiling. “You’re right. Rhys?”
The alpha flashes me a smile. “I’m still just as interested in getting to know you now as I was when I arrived. This thing with me and Gracie? It was unexpected.”
“I’m sure.” I snort, shaking my head. “Just to be clear, you know this will tie your fates together. If this is what you truly want, I won’t separate the two of you. I will act as if you’re a pack—albeit an unbonded one—from here forward. If I decide I don’t want one of you, then the other will be sent home as well.”
They share another look before nodding.
“We understand, Remy. Thank you.” Gracie stands, moving around the table so she can lay a hand on my cheek. “You are such a kind soul. Not everyone would be as understanding as you’ve been. I believe you’ll find everything you need from your pack here. You will live a happy and fulfilled life, helping others find their happiness as well.”
A shiver runs down my spine at her words, tears prickling behind my eyes.
Why did that sound like more than just a guess?
I can’t seem to break away from her stare, losing myself in her brown eyes until she blinks and looks away. “Thank you again.”
Rhys takes her hand as she reaches him and the two start to head back to the others, coming to a stop when Brooke rushes up to them.
“What did he say? Is he kicking you off? Was he unkind? He said we could mingle with the suitors, but sometimes omegas lie. Please tell me you’re staying.”
I’m already pushing to my feet and hurrying over. “Brooke?”
Her pale jade green eyes are wild as they meet mine. “You didn’t hurt them, did you?”
“He didn’t hurt us, Brooke.” Gracie reaches out and lays a hand on the other woman’s arm. “Remy wouldn’t do that.”
Brooke shakes her head. “He said he wouldn’t, but omegas are allowed to change their minds. Their word is law. We can’t argue even when they gave us permission before.”
I don’t think this actually has anything to do with me—which makes me feel a little better. I would hate it if Brooke really thought I would harm someone.
“Hey, Brooke,” I say softly as I pull her into my arms. “You’re right, I told you it would be okay to be involved with the other suitors, and I haven’t changed my mind. I’m happy for Gracie and Rhys. They’re going to remain on the show until I know if they’ll be a good fit or not—just like the rest of you.”
I press a kiss to her forehead, noting how badly she’s shaking in my arms. When I pull back, she’s staring up at me with wide eyes. I don’t think simply hearing the words from me is going to settle whatever has her so rattled.
“Why don’t we step out for a few minutes so you can settle down without everyone else watching? Finn’s office is just down the hall. I’m sure he’s still there.” I hope like hell he’s still there. “It’s really cozy in there, and we can talk about this. How does that sound?”
“I…uhhh…” Brooke glances around, noticing she’s caught the attention of most of the other suitors and wincing. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”
Gracie’s hand falls away as I lead us toward the door, but I pause when she calls out, “Do you want me or someone else to come with you, Brooke?”
“No. I’m okay. Thank you.” Brooke buries her face in my bare chest, her face flushing.
I hurry us from the room, and Brooke doesn’t relax until we’re in the hallway. I slow our pace as I lead her to Finn’s office. I knock, hoping he’s still inside.
It takes a moment but the door swings open to reveal a confused Finn as he glances between me and Brooke. “Is everything okay?”
“Brooke and I need to have a conversation about something that just happened, and I think it might be better if you’re here for it.” I beg him with my eyes to understand. I don’t know what I’m dealing with when it comes to Brooke and how she just reacted, but if there’s anyone who can help her, it’s Finn. That’s why he’s here, after all.
“Of course. Of course.” He steps back, gesturing for us to come inside. “Bring the lass to the loveseat and sit with her. My office is always a little colder than the rest of the building, so I’ll grab a blanket for you.”
Right. Because Brooke is in a tiny scrap of a bikini, and I’m just wearing swim trunks.
I walk over to the loveseat, waiting until Finn returns and drops a blanket onto the leather before sitting. I pull Brooke down with me and wrap us in the second blanket Finn offers me.
“Better?” he asks, glancing between the two of us. He lets out a sigh when Brooke nods. “Okay, then. Why don’t we start with what happened?”
When Brooke remains quiet, I fill him in on the situation with Rhys and Gracie before moving on to Brooke’s reaction.
Finn runs a hand over his beard. “Aye, I can see how this would cause some concern. Brooke, has Remington ever given you a reason to believe that he would hurt you or any of the suitors? I’m not just talking about physically but verbally as well.”
“No. Of course not.” She shakes her head, refusing to meet my eyes as I glance down at her.
“Good. That’s very good. But there’s a reason you responded the way you did.” Finn leans forward, waiting to see if she’ll speak. When she doesn’t, he just nods. “I know it can be hard to talk about traumatic events in our past, but we cannot move past them if we do not. If it would be easier for you, we can ask Remington to leave.”
“No.” Brooke clings to my arms as she shakes her head. “No, I want him to stay.”
Finn hums. “That’s good. I believe it will benefit him to hear what you have to say. Do you think you can tell us?”
Brooke bites her lip, finally glancing up at me once more. “I didn’t really think you would hurt them. I know it sounded like it, but I just couldn’t push past my panic.”
“If anyone understands that, it’s me. I promise.”
She nods, taking in a shaky breath as her eyes fall back to her fidgeting hands in her lap. “I have an older sister—I told Remy a little about her. She’s a year older than me, and she revealed as an omega. It came as a shock as we were expecting her to be a beta, just like everyone else in the family. After her reveal, everyone began to treat her differently. She was no longer expected to do anything around the house, leaving all the chores for me. I didn’t mind because omegas should be treasured, but she changed.
“Because we’re so close in age, we’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. It’s always been us against the world, but then it was all about her. She no longer cared how I was doing or feeling. She looked at me as if I was beneath her. I’d been dating the same boy since our sophomore year. We graduated and life was great. His birthday was before mine, and he revealed as an alpha. He assured me it wouldn’t matter what my designation was. He loved me, and he wanted to be with me for the rest of our lives.
“I really think he believed it when he said those words, too. We knew my sister’s heat was coming—it was her third—and my parents had added on an entire section of the house for her so she’d have everything she needed. She was meant to stay over there until after her heat was over, but she didn’t. She came to my room, where my boyfriend and I were making out. It’s all kind of a blur, but he ended up leaving to help her with her heat.”
Her voice wavers for the first time. “She bit him—claimed him. Somehow, he managed to not return the bite. I was already heartbroken even before I saw the mate mark on his chest, but when I saw it, I knew I would lose him. She said she hadn’t meant to. She could smell him from her rooms and sought him out, needing an alpha. She hadn’t been able to stop herself from claiming him. She was so sorry, and of course, she’d never take him from me. We’d work it all out. I believed her.
“But I shouldn’t have. I should’ve just ended it then and there. It would’ve been better all around, but I loved him. And I loved my big sister. I was sure it would all work out. She’d bring me into her pack, maybe? I didn’t know how it would work, but I wanted it to.” She sighs. “A few weeks later, I revealed as a beta, and she lost her shit. She started spewing bullshit about how she wouldn’t share her alpha with a beta. That I wasn’t worthy of an alpha. She said a lot of hurtful things.”
“Damn, Brooke.” I tighten my arms around her, a soft rumble starting in my chest.
Holy shit. Am I purring?
Whatever the hell I’m doing has Brooke relaxing back into me.
“The worst part is my parents and my boyfriend took her side. Apparently, you can’t force an omega to be true to their word. They can change their mind at any time, and it doesn’t matter who they hurt. They’re always right. I left my house that day and never went back. Luckily, the university I was attending let me have access to my dorm a few weeks early. There were a few omegas who I went to school with, and they were all like my sister except one who became my best friend.
“Etta is the only reason I know all omegas aren’t the same. She’s the one who convinced me to come on Heated . I couldn’t bring myself to watch the show, but she’s obsessed with it. She showed me clips here and there, so it wasn’t too hard for her to convince me to give the show a chance.” She swipes at the tears now drying on her cheeks. “I saw the type of omegas who were seeking their packs, and they weren’t like my sister. You’re not like her, Remy. I know that. It’s just…hard sometimes.”
I nod slowly, never taking my eyes off her. “I can understand that. Thank you for telling me. I didn’t think it was something I did to set you off, but I wasn’t sure.”
“Brooke might not have even known she was reacting out of the norm,” Finn says quietly. “Trauma affects everyone differently, and yes, Brooke, this is a trauma you went through. It affected your entire life. That you were able to befriend an omega and come on the show is proof that you knew deep down not all omegas are the same. Even without knowing it, you’ve been trying to work through your trauma.”
“I have?”
Finn nods. “Our minds are always trying to take care of us. Whether that’s by forcing us to work through something or making sure we don’t think of the traumatic event. I assume you’ve never returned home?”
“No. I haven’t spoken to any of them since I left, either.”
“Is that something you want to do?”
Brooke considers him for a moment before inclining her head slightly.
Finn smiles. “I can help you with that, if you’d like. Obviously, you’re not allowed communication with the outside world while you’re on the show, but we can work together to figure out how to approach it once the show is over. Is that something you’d be interested in?”
“I think so. Yes.” Brooke offers him a half smile. “Does this mean I’ll need to meet with you regularly, too?”
“We’ll set up an appointment for this week and then go from there. How does that sound?”
“That sounds great. Thank you.” Brooke stands, turning to smile down at me. “Thank you, Remy. For taking care of me and for knowing I needed to talk. It’s been a long time since anyone but Etta has cared about me. I think I’m going to head up to my room for now. Will you let Camila know?”
“I’ll be happy to.”
She gives one last nod before leaving me alone with Finn, who’s watching me closely.
I roll my eyes, already knowing what he’s going to ask. “I’m fine, Finn. She wasn’t actually upset with me, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that. It’s also not the first time she’s made a comment about omegas like that. I knew there was a story there—even if that wasn’t quite what I was expecting the story to be.”
“I was actually just going to say thank you for bringing her here, lad,” he says with a laugh.
“Where else was I going to take her? I don’t spend enough time with people to know how to deal with someone’s trauma.” I shrug, ducking my head. “Although I should probably figure out how to deal with people being upset. I’m sure this isn’t the last time it’ll happen.”
Finn slaps his hand against the arm of his chair, grinning as he stands. “You’re right about that. Having this many people in a house together with limited access to the rest of the world can make it feel a bit like a powder keg. It could explode at any time. That’s why Bree and Tessa brought me on, so everyone has someone they can talk to. They take mental health seriously, as do I.”
“Well, thank you for helping Brooke. I can’t imagine going through what she did. I also have an older sister, and she never would’ve done something like that. I might have only gone through a handful of heats without suppressors, but I don’t think I would’ve bitten my sister’s boyfriend in the heat of the moment. Hell, I wouldn’t have sought him out in the first place.” I shake my head. “Even losing ourselves to our instincts…I just can’t see it happening.”
“We’ll probably never know. The only one who can answer that is Brooke’s sister. Now, I’d like to spend the rest of the day with my pack, and you have suitors to get to know. I don’t want to see you back in my office today.”
Laughing, I stand. “Whatever. Seeing me is the highlight of your day.”
“Unlikely,” he snorts. “I have another omega who’s much prettier than you waiting for me in my cabin.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I wave him off and step back into the hallway, feeling a lot lighter than I did when I led Brooke here.
It’s definitely time to enjoy some time with my suitors.