Page 23 of Knot Our Reality (Heated #5)

“I hate to break it to you, Daniel, but you’re right.

I will be comparing you to my first pack.

You want to know why? It’s because they were everything I wanted in a pack.

Because I’d still be with them if they weren’t ripped out of my life.

Me comparing you to them isn’t a bad thing—except in cases like this.

Because I can assure you, none of them would tell me what I can or can’t talk about.

None of them would act like a child who isn’t getting their way like you did earlier. ”

“I don’t understand why you’re getting so upset,” he says with a sneer. “Isn’t pack life supposed to be all about being honest with one another? I’m telling you, it makes me uncomfortable to listen to you talk about men you loved before. I don’t see what the problem is.”

I scoff. “And I think that’s the real problem.

Let me make this very clear to you, Daniel.

I never used to talk about my pack, but over the last two days, I’ve had eight amazing men tell me it’s okay to talk about them.

That it’s okay to miss them, even when I’m trying to find a new pack.

Suitors who care more about me than themselves.

You’ve made it very clear that you’re nothing like them or the men I once called mine.

But that’s not a good thing. I don’t want you on this date.

In fact, I don’t think I even want you on the show any longer.

That might be because I’m pissed, so I won’t make any rash decisions right now. ”

“Are you kidding me right now?” he asks, and I’m so over him.

“Does it sound like she’s kidding?” Evander practically growls. “You heard the lady. She doesn’t want you here, so get the fuck out.”

Daniel spins around to sneer at Evander. “I’m not scared of you. I don’t have to do anything I don’t want.”

“Except you do if I tell you to leave,” I say slowly.

“You’re just a fucking cocktease bitch like your brother.”

I’m moving before I even think about it, practically throwing myself over the arm of the chair so I can punch the asshole in the face. Before I get a chance to pull my arm back for another punch, Camden is lifting me off the seat and into his arms.

I fight against him, vibrating in his arms as I try to get at Daniel again. “Let me go.”

“Absolutely not.” Wilder steps in front of me, cutting my view off of the asshole. “You need to calm down. You’re pregnant and getting this upset isn’t good for you or the baby.”

I immediately calm down, going slack in Camden’s arms. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to have a problem with my sudden dead weight.

“Thank you,” Wilder says softly, reaching up to stroke a hand down my cheek. “I already called Bree. She, Tessa, and Lucas are on their way. Evander is making sure Daniel doesn’t do anything stupid like coming after you.”

My eyes travel over Camden’s shoulder to see Evander pinning Daniel in his seat.

Camden nuzzles my cheek. “You got him good, sweetheart. He’s definitely going to have a black eye.”

“Good. He deserves it.” I snuggle into Camden’s neck, sucking in lungfuls of his scent and allowing it to slow my racing heartbeat.

The doors to the theater fly open less than a minute later, and Wilder steps back.

I can’t help grinning as Lucas hauls Daniel up by his shirt and bodily removes him from the room as Tessa and Bree rush toward me .

“You’re just having a damn bad day, aren’t you?” Tessa asks, exasperation in her tone. “I don’t understand how all of this is happening all at once.”

I shrug. “I have no idea.”

Bree reaches up to take my hand. “Are you okay? What happened? I think your knuckles might bruise.”

“Only because he has a hard head,” I mutter, smiling when everyone laughs. “I’ll be fine. He was being an asshole about me talking about my pack. Then he talked shit about my baby brother, and I couldn’t let that stand. So I punched him. Does this mean I get kicked off?”

Bree laughs so hard that she bends over at the waist while Tessa shakes her head.

“No, we’re not kicking you off the show.

There wouldn’t be much of a show without you.

Plus, you’re not the first omega to lay hands on one of the suitors.

Although I think you might be the first to punch one of them. ”

“He shouldn’t have fucked around and found out—should he have?”

Camden chuckles, nuzzling my neck again. “Oh, you’re definitely a keeper, little omega.”

I melt into him as Bree slowly calms down.

“Do you want to rethink your plans for the day?” she finally asks, and I shake my head.

“Absolutely not. I want to watch this show with my suitors, but I don’t want to see him again, Bree. I don’t want to wait until the rose ceremony. If I see him, I’ll punch him again—at the bare minimum.”

Tessa shakes her head. “No, he’s gone. Lucas brought him to his room to pack his things.

He’ll be gone within the hour. Even if you wanted him to stay, we wouldn’t have allowed it, just based on what Wilder told us when he called.

This is meant to be a safe space for you, and we’ll make sure it remains that way. ”

“Thank you—both of you.”

There are a few other things for us to go over before they finally leave us. This time, I get to sit between Camden and Evander, and I keep both armrests up. This is how it should’ve been from the beginning .

The show starts off with an epic battle scene that pulls me straight into it, and I forget all about the bullshit I’ve had to deal with this morning.

There’s something to be said for being able to lose yourself in a fictional world from time to time, and it’s exactly what I need today.