Page 13 of Knot Our Reality (Heated #5)

I force myself to pull away, keeping my smile in place as I look up at him. “How about you? What have you been up to for the last few months?”

“Not too much,” he admits. “Mostly just working and helping your brother with his work.”

“Oh?” This is the first I’ve heard about him working with Remington. Although, my brother has been kind of hush-hush with his research lately. I think he’s close to a breakthrough, but he’s afraid to jinx it by telling anyone about it.

Ian nods. “He’s trying to convince me to come work for him full time. He’s making it hard to say no to him.”

“Does he think that drugs might be the way to move forward?” I grasp Ian’s arm.

He shrugs. “Honestly, I’m not sure. We’ve been mixing different compounds to see if anything will help, but he had me stop that last month. But he seems to think he’ll need me going forward.”

That’s my brother for you. Knowing what he’ll need before actually needing it and not telling a damn soul what he’s working on.

“Are you going to do it? He doesn’t bring anyone in easily. That program is his baby, and they throw money at him like crazy. I can only imagine the pay you’d make.”

“No shit. When I saw the salary they were offering, I almost passed out. I’m leaning toward doing it. This would allow me to help people on a much larger scale.” Ian takes a deep breath as his hand musses his hair. “But Remy said to wait until after the show to decide. ”

I narrow my eyes. “Are you telling me that my brother knew you were going to be on the show?”

Ian’s eyes widen, glancing over my shoulder before returning to me. “Uhhh…yes?”

“That asshole. He said he didn’t know anything.” I shake my head, startling when I feel the baby kick. Smiling, I grab Ian’s hand and lift it to my belly. “He’s kicking.”

Even if I couldn’t feel the kicks myself, I’d have known the moment he felt it. A smile lights up his face, tears pooling in his eyes as he looks down at me in awe.

“That’s the baby?”

I nod, wondering if I went too far. Was it weird to make him feel the baby?

Does it really matter? It’s far too late to take it back.

“That’s so amazing.” Ian’s hand rubs along my belly, his smile only growing when the baby kicks again. “I feel you there, little man. You’re already so strong, but maybe give your mama a break. I can’t imagine what it feels like being kicked from inside.”

I laugh. “It’s a little weird, but as long as he’s not trying to play soccer with my bladder, I don’t mind his kicks. It lets me know he’s rolling around in there—growing big and strong so he can come out into the world to meet me and his brothers.”

“Is it weird to say I’m glad something good came from the bad that happened to you?” Ian winces. “Fuck, yes. That’s so bad. Maybe I should quit while I’m ahead.”

I shake my head, grabbing his hand when he tries to pull away.

“No, that’s a good way of looking at it.

Each child is precious, and I would never hold the events that led to my son’s conception against him.

He’s mine, not Simon’s. He’ll bring me joy.

I love being a mother. I’ve been blessed with three children when many can’t even have one. ”

“You’re right. They are a blessing.”

“And you’re cool with the idea of taking on three kids?” I lift my eyebrows as I continue to smile at him. “So far, I’ve gotten six yeses. ”

Ian snorts. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. I understand why you feel the need to ask, but you don’t need to worry about me. I like Jasper and Hawk, and I’m sure I’ll like this one when he comes out, too.”

My heart melts a little more as he turns his hand over so he can lace our fingers together. Too bad my words fail me once more as I stare into his eyes.

Someone clearing their throat has me jerking away. My eyes find Reginald, who’s smirking at me again as he tells me to wrap it up.

Something tells me he’s been trying to get my attention for a while, which is so embarrassing.

How am I becoming this woman?

“Apparently, our time is up, but it’s been wonderful chatting with you again,” I tell him.

He lifts our entwined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of mine before releasing it. “I could spend forever talking to you, Emilia, if you’d give me the chance to. But I’ll leave you to meet your next suitor.”

My eyes follow him as he makes his way over to Maverick, Dalton, Tessa, and Bree.

Where the hell did that come from? Was he like this with Remington? I don’t recall seeing him flirt with my brother like that, but it’s not like I was around all the time.

Shaking my head, I tear my eyes away from him and face forward. Reginald catches my eye and makes a crude gesture, so I flip him off as the last limo of the night pulls up.

The man who steps out is the tallest of my suitors thus far. He’s at least a full foot taller than I am and at least twice as wide. The man is built.

He flashes me a smile, his white teeth standing out against the deep, warm umber of skin. His black hair is in dreads, falling to just past his shoulders. The goatee he sports looks damn good on him.

There’s a bit of recognition when I look at him, but it’s there and gone again .

“Hello, Emilia.” He nods his head when he comes to a stop a good ten feet in front of me, causing me to frown as hints of coffee and cinnamon scent waft toward me. “I’m Dylan Whitlock from Sophia’s season.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Maverick growls, and I jump as I spin around to face the rest of my suitors.

All three of them look practically rabid, confusing me. Bree and Tessa seem to be the only things keeping them from storming over to me.

Dylan sighs, full of pain and regret, bringing my attention back to him. “I’m sorry, Emilia.”

“Sorry for what?” I ask, tilting my head as I consider him.

“For making them respond as they have.” Dylan shakes his head. “I take it you didn’t watch my season?”

I shrug. “I’ve seen bits and pieces of each of them, but it’s my brother who’s the rabid fan. Did something happen with you?”

“You could say that.” He glances over my shoulder, holding his hands up in surrender. “I promise not to get any closer to her unless she wants me to.”

“You shouldn’t even be here, Dylan.” Dalton’s voice is cold—completely opposite of how he’d spoken to me and Maverick.

“Will the two of you shut the hell up?” Bree yells, and I can’t help the smile that slips across my face as I watch the petite omega stand off with alphas twice her size while Tessa stands in front of Ian.

“Do you really think we’d bring someone onto the show who would be a danger to Emilia? Especially since she’s pregnant.”

Ian scoffs. “You already let him hurt one omega.”

I hold my hand up when Dylan goes to speak, turning my attention to my other suitors.

“Clearly, I don’t know the situation yet, and I never will if you don’t shut your mouths.

I trust Bree and Tessa. If they say Dylan isn’t a danger to me, then I believe them.

I don’t know what makes you think he is, but I’d like to find out—from him. ”

Ian, Dalton, and Maverick look sufficiently chastised as I shake my head and turn back to Dylan.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning? ”

Once again, his eyes travel to the other suitors before returning to me. “First, I want to inform you I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar I. When I was on the show before, I hadn’t been diagnosed. This isn’t an excuse for what I’m about to tell you, but to let you know it’s under control currently.”

“Okay.” I don’t know much about bipolar, but I know they’ve made some serious breakthroughs with medications for each designation that are more effective than the ones used before the Event.

“While on the show, I had a manic episode that led me to do many things I regret. The first was forcing Chase into my lap while we were on a date with Brooks and Sophia. Then fighting with Brooks—though, how we got away with that, I don’t know, since there’s no violence allowed on the set.

I bruised Chase’s wrist from my hard handling, but that’s not even the worst of it,” he admits, tears filling his eyes.

“The things I said to Chase…I’m ashamed of how I treated him and his pack.

Really, all the suitors. I’m lucky Ulf didn’t write me off then and there. ”

He swipes at his eyes, trying to hide his tears, but it’s impossible as they continue to fall down his cheeks.

“It took me a full year to reach out to him and admit I needed help. I’d hit rock bottom, and I had no one else to turn to.

I’m so damn lucky he picked up the phone and was willing to help me.

If it wasn’t for him and Adrian, I would probably be dead right now.

I lost my job almost immediately upon my return after leaving the show.

“It was for the best. Being a firefighter requires you to be able to focus, or you could end up dead or cause someone else’s death.

Thank the stars they fired me before it came to that.

Not that I took it well back then. I started drinking—heavily—and ended up being arrested for assault and battery after just about killing another alpha at the bar.

I had no one to turn to, or so I thought, and ended up living on the streets.

I started using drugs—it didn’t matter what they were.

I would do anything that would help me forget my life for even a short time.

“Adrian is the one who found me on the streets. I tried to get him to leave me alone, but he wouldn’t.

He dragged me off the streets and to his home, helping me detox.

Then he helped me reach out to Ulf because I knew something was wrong.

I didn’t think he’d give me the time of day since I knew he was part of Sophia and Chase’s pack, but I had to try.

I needed him to know just how sorry I was for what I’d done. But more than that, I needed him.