“Chad,” he begins, and my lips twist into a reluctant smile for him. I guess he did work his magic today. “I would like to give my first token to you.”
Chad looks over the rest of us, a smirk on his face before he shakes his ass up to Miles. It’s hard not to laugh at the antics, while the other omegas either glare or shift uncomfortably.
“Will you accept?—”
“Yes. Of course I will,” Chad cuts Miles off. “Anything to keep getting to know you.”
Miles smiles ruefully at the man, obviously enjoying his over-the-top personality. At least he isn’t being abrasive right now.Look, he can be charming. Who knew?
When he shakes his ass out of the room, Rafe moves up next to Miles and reaches for a box. There’s no pause with him; he doesn’t pretend to look the omegas over. He almost grimaces and says, “Hailey.”
“Cut!” Thomas shouts. He moves around the cameraman and glares at Rafe. “What is that? You’re an actor, at least pretend this is an exciting time.”
Pressing my lips together, I shift on my feet. Hailey’s bright red with embarrassment. After pretending they have a connection all day, I bet this is like cold water dumped over her head. Other omegas openly stare at her, and Thomas calls order to the room.
“From the top.” Thomas spins his hand in the air as he walks away.
Rafe sets the box back down. When the cameras count him in, I watch the physical change come over him. His shoulders relax, and his face softens. He lets a smile spread across his face, slowly lifting his head and meeting the stares of each of the omegas. The brief touch of his attention has bees exploding in an angry mass in my stomach. Even with the knowledge he will utter Hailey’s name.
I know it’s fake, I watched the transformation in front of my eyes, but there was a heat in his golden eyes when they landed on me that made me feel alive. Even with his attention moving on to Kayla and Brad does nothing to lessen the feeling. I smooth my hands down my stomach in a soothing motion and hold my breath.
“My first trinket will go to—Hailey. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we always find our way back to each other,” he pauses as Hailey moves in front of him. “Will you accept this token and give us another chance to make it right?”
I choke down a possessive growl as it rises in my throat at the over-the-top way he offers her the box. She gushes and plays her part. My inner omega does not care that it’s fake, it takes everything not to launch myself across the space and tear the box from her fingers. My nails bite into my palms, and I attempt to focus on my breathing, instead of the jealousy burning a path straight through my body.
The ceremony moves on, name after name called. Some make sense, while others I have to struggle to remember who they actually are. Down to nine, then eight, now seven, and still no token to stay. And maybe part of me wants to stay. Because my heart thunders in my chest before lodging itself firmly into my throat as Rafe steps forward for his last pick.
He slowly slides his attention over the seven of us still left standing on the dais like a bad line up. His eyes linger on Kayla before skipping over Roxanne and landing on me. They are like a branding on my soul as his gaze roams over myface. I can see the decision being made. Swallowing drily, I attempt not to fidget. Although, I can understand why omegas on the show do it now that I’m living it.
He flips open the box and snaps it shut as he draws in a slow, deep breath. Then the corner of his mouth lifts as if he’s remembering something that amuses him, before he says, “This last box is going to go to the omega who has come into my life like a tornado. Tearing up my foundation and tossing it around. I hope you’ll stay and help with the aftermath…Lilah?—”
My ears ring and my legs feel shaky as they carry me across the space to him. I’ve watched him say beautiful things to each of the omegas he’s picked, but this feels different to me. It feels real. Not that it is. He’s just a really great actor. Yet, try telling that to the part of me that leads with emotions. I come to a stop in front of him, and his gaze dances over my face, spreading warmth all the way to my belly.
“Lilah,” he almost whispers. “Will you accept this token and stay for the clean up?”
Miles shifts next to him, pressing his hands into his pockets. While Elliott grins like a kid in a candy store knowing he gets to buy anything he wants.
“Of course, as long as you think you’re ready for me,” I say, adding the flirty tone to my words for the camera. At least that’s what I tell myself as I accept the box. And when he leans forward and presses a soft kiss to my cheek, my heart tries to leap from my throat. He didn’t do that with anyone else.
My cheeks warm, and I know they are red as I step back, taking in the pack standing together like they were when I first saw them. Only now, it isn’t embarrassment that fills me, it’s something much worse. It's a fragile hope. I need to kill that before it grows.
“I’m always ready for a challenge,” he says cheekily.
His words alone chase me from the room, and I join the other staying omegas. Ignoring the rest of them, I flip open the box. My eyes find the perfect little heart charm on a blue velvet pillow. It’s the same as everyone else's, but I still add it to my bracelet from the first night.
CHAPTER 14
Lilah
There area few things I’ve learned over the last few days.Omega in Paradiseproducers love drama. They arrange dates making them look random, but they aren’t. There’s always at least one pair of omegas who don’t like each other in the house going on the same one.
And the second thing I’ve learned is, I actually do want to stay. I don’t know if I want to win. But even during the last ceremony that eliminated three more girls, bringing us to seventeen, my heart raced like a runaway horse until Elliott offered me a token to stay.
The last thing is, Chad’s persistent and charming with the guys. It’s an interesting mask to see him put on. Because in the privacy of the house, when he seeks me out to see if I’ve made any progress, he’s clearly not in love. Or even falling. His heart’s walled up as tight as the day he arrived, and it makes me wonder who hurt him before.
As if thinking about Chad can conjure him, he saunters onto the back patio, looking like a snack. His hair’s styled to perfection, and his clothing appears like it’s made for his body. He will make some pack happy, someday, but I don’tthink it will be with Miles, Elliott, and Rafe. No matter how much he tries.
“Here he comes,” Willow mutters. I’ve slowly gotten to know her on the group dates I've been on with her. And I like her. She’s sweet and sassy. My kind of girl, even if I’ll be keeping her at arms length.
