I’m pretty sure my breath is still lodged in my throat. My name isn’t in either group.
“Lilah, unfortunately, you will not be going on one of the group dates. However, you will be going on a solo pack date. At the end of your date, they will have an option to offer you a trinket or send you home.” He pauses and glances around at the group. I know what’s coming next, I’ve watched every season ofOmega in Paradise, the one on one dates start now. And I’m the first. My stomach drops as he parts his lips to add, “Your date will be tomorrow before the ceremony.”
“Damn girl, can you say jackpot?” Chad says as the rest of the room erupts in chatter.
“Jackpot?” I pin him with a glare. “This is not a good thing, Chad. What if they send me home?”
Suddenly, I really want to stay. Which is the complete opposite of what I should want. Staying will lead to heartbreak, I can feel it. Every time I’m around any of them, I can feel myself falling. Even with Rafe’s acting, it’s hard to separate fake from real.
He makes a dismissive noise that isn’t quite a snort, but close enough that I narrow my eyes on him. “Those alphas are not going to send you home. Especially if Rafe has a say in the matter.”
Sighing, I shake my head. He’s wrong, but I already expressed that to him earlier, and if Chad’s anything, he’s persistent in what he feels.
“Rolling your eyes at me doesn’t change the fact that you are the luckiest bitch here.”
I laugh and push off of the couch. “Since I get to have a day off, I’m going to go get in my swimsuit and go relax in the hot tub.”
Chad unfolds from the arm of the sofa and trails after me. “It might be the closest I get to a spa day, so I’ll join you. There are hours before I have to be ready.”
We obviously set a trend because Tyler, Chelsea, and Annie join us in the hot tub. Steam rises off of the water, and the bubbles relax me, even with the other omegas with us. It’s the perfect early fall day, and I plan to stay in the hot water as long as possible.
As I allow my mind to drift, I begin to tune out the chatter of the omegas around me. This whole experience has been a whirlwind—one I didn’t expect to embrace, but here I am, not hating it as much as I thought I would. Even with the playing pretend and feeling like a boat at sea somedays. Watching the show on television never prepared me for the reality of being in it, and I know I'll never see it the same way again. Yet, beyond the surface, I feel something unexpected happening inside of me.
The part of my soul that was shattered by the betrayal of my ex and my best friend is beginning to stitch itself back together, piece by fragile piece. Being here, away from the reminders of that terrible day, is like putting miles of emotional distance between me and the pain I never thought I’d escape. It’s not just the distraction—it’s the challenge, the newness, the way this chaotic journey has forced me to focus on something other than my own broken heart.
Maybe that’s why it feels like healing. Every step forward in this process, every unexpected turn, is pulling me out of the darkness I’d been trapped in for so long. Ashlyn signing me up for this show, as crazy as it seemed at first, may have saved my life. It’s not just about winning or losing anymore—it's about reclaiming the parts of me I thought were lost forever.
“What do you think, Lilah?” Annie asks, dragging me out of my thoughts.
“About?” I focus on the group again.
“Which alpha has the bigger knot?” Tyler says.
The corner of Chad’s mouth quirks up with amusement when my mouth pops open. “I say Miles.” He shrugs as his pouty lips form a wide grin that walks the line between evil and mischievous.
The blush that rises to my cheeks has nothing to do with the heat and everything to do with the topic. “That isn’t something I’ve given much thought about…” I trail off when they each make a disbelieving sound at my answer.
“Come on, all of us have thought about it,” Chelsea says, rolling her eyes.
She’s right. I’ve thought of each of them in ways I probably shouldn’t. But I think it’s the situation the show put us in. It’s hard not to fantasize about what could be. And sex, I know from past seasons, isn't off the table.
Withholding a smile, I press my lips together before playing along. It’s better to have friends here than enemies. “Elliott’s a mountain of a man, I’m sure his knot’s the biggest.”
“Is that so?” Rafe’s voice comes from behind me, and I want to sink into the water and accept a watery death rather than turn to face him.
My eyes lock with Chad’s, and he looks as if he’s holding back laughter. He knew one of them was approaching and he let me answer that question. I’m going to kill him.
“We have about twenty minutes before we leave for the escape room. I could grab him and we can test that theory,” Rafe says.
Apparently ignoring the alpha will not make him go away, and the omegas in the hot tub are no help as they disperse like leaves on the wind. Leaving me to face Rafe on my own.
Closing my eyes, I take a steadying breath before turning to look up at him. He grins down at me like the devil himself before squatting lower.
“You’re beautiful when you blush,” he admits, his voice lowering to an almost gravelly sound that plays over my skin like a physical touch.
I snort, holding his stare, determined to ignore the way my body reacts to him. “It’s the heat of the hot tub. And you don’t have to say stuff like that, no one’s here anymore. You scared them all away. And the camera crew is filming your dates getting ready.”
He laughs and stands back up. “All in the plan.”
