“Morning,” he says as he drops down next to me. His gaze travels over my face like an inspector. “Your makeup’s good today.”
Rolling my eyes, I hide my smile as I sip on the warm coffee in my grasp. “It’s good every day, and you know it.”
“He’s just jealous,” Willow says. She smirks at him and goes back to reading her book.
He suppresses a smile, while crossing his legs. “What torture do you think they have planned for us today? Lord, I could use a spa day.”
“You are sort of a pampered prince, aren’t you?” As if agreeing with my point, a dove starts calling from a nearby tree. I search the branches for the bird as Chad scoffs.
“I know my worth, we’ll work on that with you.”
Laughing, I bring my attention back to him. “Yeah?”
“Of course, what are friends for? And from one friend to another, I think Rafe has it bad for you. Nothing I do is turning his head.”
“Agreed,” Willow says, pulling herself out of her book and proving she is listening to everything we say. “That boy’s in full-on-lust with you.”
Rafe.
I set the coffee mug down, my fingers absently going to the bracelet he gave me at the first ceremony. It flips around my wrist as I fidget with it.
My body's reaction to just his freaking name is too much. I swear, perfume would be like a cloud around us right now,not to mention the way my hands go clammy and my chest tightens with withheld emotion.
“It’s all pretend. He isn’t looking for an omega. Sorta like how you aren’t actually looking for love,” I say to Chad before glancing at Willow. “And you don’t seem interested in any of them either.” She rolls her eyes and focuses on the story in her hands.
Chad’s eyebrows raise, his gaze dropping to my fidgeting fingers, but he doesn’t say a word to acknowledge what I just told him. “So, what do you think the chances of a spa day are?”
“Considering the last group date was hiking, probably not the best. They don’t seem like the type to frequent spas.”
We fall into a comfortable silence, and I finally pick back up my coffee and sip on it. Out here, away from the remaining omegas, it feels like we are in our own little world. And as crazy as it sounds, I like Willow, and Chad’s becoming like a friend. Sure, he’s abrasive and pushy, but he is also honest. Which means he isn’t going to hide something from me and stab me in the back like—shaking my head, I yank myself back to the present. She doesn’t deserve my thoughts, even if they are fleeting.
“True,” he murmurs. “Do you think I’m the villain of this season?” His foot bounces, giving away his anxiety about being painted in a negative light.
“No, I think that would be Hailey,” Willow replies.
Chad smiles at her. “She’s a real bitch, isn’t she? I can say that, and I’m not the one that caught Rafe’s attention. And it would make sense for her to be the villain after all the crap she put Rafe through. Especially since Lilah’s probably the sweetheart of the season.”
I snort. “I’ve done nothing to be a sweetheart.”
“Yeah, it just comes naturally,” he says, bumping myshoulder. “We should get in there, the pack will be here soon.”
Just as we enter the living room, the front door opens, and camera crews pour into the house like rats escaping a flood. Thomas calls for all the omegas to gather in the front room, and a flurry of motion takes hold of the mansion like a living breathing tornado. I sink into one of the couches beside Willow, and Chad perches on the arm next to me.
Turner Clark strolls into the room once we are all assembled. He has two envelopes and he hands one to Hailey and the other to another omega, Kristy.
“Enclosed in the envelopes are the names for the two group dates, you’ll be going as a group with all three alphas. One date will be going to an escape room, while the other will be going on a ghost tour. At the end of each date, the pack can save one of you from the next ceremony. Who’s ready for today’s dates?”
A cheer goes up amongst the omegas, and Hailey opens her envelope. Please let me not be with her. I cross my fingers, hiding them beneath my leg as she starts to read out loud.
“You’ve been invited on a date to a ghost tour. Can you face the unknown and keep your head? The following omegas will join the pack for a night of thrills: Hailey,” she smirks and lifts her eyes to the group, as if her name is the only one that matters. “Tamika, Marcus, Abby, Chad, Gwen, Willow, and Parker.”
“A ghost tour?” Chad whispers. “What does someone wear to a ghost tour?”
“The pack will be here to get you at nine o’clock, enjoy your day,” Turner Clark says. He nods at Kristy, and she hesitantly opens the envelope, lacking the confidence Hailey just showed.
“You’ve been invited on a date to an escape room.” Her voice comes out small and unsure. “You’ll use your wits tohelp get out. Can you find the solution and escape? The following omegas will join the pack for a day of puzzle solving: Kristy, Ben, Chelsea, Annie, Kathleen, Veronica, Tyler, and Blair.”
“You have a half hour to prepare for the pack’s arrival,” Turner Clark says to the second group.
