“Maybe I did!”
“He didn’t.” Ivan places a hand on Derrick’s shoulder and puts some of his weight into it, anchoring the other Alpha to the floor. “Do you know how many times we watched that episode before it was taken off of streaming?”
“Shut up, Ivan.” Derrick elbows his packmate in the gut.
“No, you shut up, Derrick. You’re picking a fight for no reason.”
While they argue back and forth, my eyes drift to the DVDs of the old, cheesy show.
This was our reward.
A reminder.
Of where we came from, of who we used to be.
We argued for ages, as Sax and Onion, about whether the show was real. Even after we left the forum, we still watched the episodes together until the show was cancelled a year later. Neither of us would give up our position in the debate.
An incredulous laugh bubbles out of my throat. Well played, Bridgette and Bradley. Well played.
I slip away from the table and put one of the DVDs into the gaming system hooked up in the living room, and plop myself down in the center of the couch. As the familiar, haunting title music plays, the guys stop their bickering.
“Did you know, they had a budget of only two thousand dollars an episode in season one?” I look over my shoulder and gesture for them to join me. “It’s why it looks like one of those spooky found footage movies. After they got picked up by a network for season two, the production value increased dramatically.”
Ivan vaults over the back of the couch and takes a seat beside me, and Grant sits on my other side. Derrick lowers himself into the chair across from me as I point the remote at him.
“Thatis how I know it’s not fake, Sax. The shipyard may have been in season two, but they still didn’t have the money for crazy special effects.” He’s got a strange look in his eyes as he listens to me, and the corner of his mouth is ticked up in a small smile. “What?”
“I… this is better than I could’ve ever imagined.”
“What is?”
“Arguing with you. Seeing your passion in person.”
I duck my head, cheeks hot, and try to ignore the way his words make my stomach flip.
Because I was thinking the same thing.
Audience Reactions
EPISODE THREE
snowyreads>Knot What You Expected
SHUT UP. SHUT UP. Listen to them argue like they’re kids again They love each other SOOOO much. Derrick and Ariana are TOTALLY endgame.
thatbeccagirl_reads>Knot What You Expected
Okay, but I need more DETAILS about that bath!! Grant was BLUSHING soooo much in his interview.
yikes!Rutherfordium>Knot What You Expected
DAE think that Ariana is being kind of a baby? like boo hoo, you’re scent matched to three impossibly hot men. cryme a river.
ultracrepidarianbetaboy>Knot What You Expected
That heat spike was fucking hotttttttttt. Derrick is a #consentking for real. All the producers need to do to get more viewers is put that scene in an ad, and they’ll have people tuning in every night. Anyone else hoping she goes into heat while they’re in the house?
Knot What You Expected
