Knot Broken (Hiddenverse)

11. Lilah

CHAPTER 11

Lilah

The groups meet back up briefly enough for Chad to find me and gush about Miles taking the bait. I roll my eyes, attempting to distance myself from the clinging omega. I feel too raw at the moment.

“Did you make things worse with Rafe?” he asks, fixing his gaze on the man in question.

I feel my cheeks heat, and I drop my eyes to the ground. The kiss might have been for the show, but apparently my body didn't know that. And my head’s just as clueless.

Chad grips my forearms, dipping his head to capture my gaze. “What did you do?”

I wet my lips, the slight candy bar taste still there. Or it could be all in my head , I mentally chastise myself.

Chad's eyes widen comically. “You didn't,” he gasps. “I guess kissing him is one way to stay. I'm not jealous.” He waves away the act like it's not a big deal to him, and I believe him.

Miles approaches us after pulling himself away from the group. He smooths his cashmere shirt over his stomach, coming to a stop in front of us. He looks a little nervous .

“Did you two get cider and a donut?” He hooks his fingers into his front pockets as he glances between us, his eyes lingering on me. They leave a warmth behind as he traces my face with his gaze, even though I'm not looking directly at him.

I actually hadn't had either. The agreement to be Rafe’s shield distracted me from eating or drinking anything.

Chad looks him up and down as if he’s his next meal and says, “I could use something to quench my thirst.”

A reluctant smile tugs at my lips when Miles looks back at Chad in surprise at the undertone of his words. Almost as if his flirting isn’t what he expected when he came over here.

“We do have apple cider if you are thirsty.” Miles nods back the way he came.

"I know a thing or two about satisfying thirst, and it isn’t cider I was thinking of,” he replies flirtatiously. My smile widens, realizing he’s as awkward as I am with the flirting.

Laughing, Miles throws back his head with one-hundred percent amusement. "Oh, I bet you do, Chad. But let's keep it PG for the cameras, shall we?"

He’s being playful with him. A strange feeling, a mix of amusement and jealousy, hits me, and I glance at the cameras. They follow our every move, and they are hard to ignore. But if I’m going to follow Chad's crazy plan of being rivals, maybe I should start that storyline now for the viewers.

Miles glances at me, a slightly teasing smile lifting his lips. "Unless, of course, you prefer the uncensored version, darling."

That’s the opening I need. A euphoric warmth spreads through me, reflecting in the curve of my lips. Stepping forward, I touch Miles' arm and blink up at him. A little zip of energy seems to flow between us, and I almost forget the purpose of closing the distance as I fall into his sky blue eyes. They seriously match the vivid cloudless sky behind his head. And they leave me a little stunned for a moment.

“The donuts are actually one of my guilty pleasures, I would love to join you and have a few,” I admit, flirting a little and throwing Chad a covert glance.

Chad suppresses a smile as he sees what I’m doing, while lifting his eyebrows in challenge. Frenemies it is. “ Sweetheart , I think you are on Rafe’s group date. Maybe you should have him get you a donut.” He wraps a possessive hand over Miles’ bicep, and the urge to knock it off kicks me in the stomach.

I release Miles' arm and fall back a step, catching my breath from the shock of pure emotion that hit me. That was not part of an act. What was that?

“Of course, how could I forget,” I say, attempting to cover up the purely territorial omega reaction that’s unfolding inside of me. One sniff and my inner omega thinks she owns him. That is fucking perfect.

Down girl.

Rafe approaches us, and I hold my breath, waiting for what he is going to say or do. It could be anything after that kiss in the orchard.

He smiles for the camera, because I know after our conversation, it isn’t actually for me. “Lilah, you disappeared while I was getting the cider and donuts.”

Attempting to play along with the scheme he suggested, I step into him. Forcing myself to relax into his warmth as his arm circles my waist, and he pulls me closer into his heat. “I hope you saved some for me.”

Miles narrows his eyes on us, as if he can sense the lie between us. Chad watches with a calculating look that says we will be talking about this development later. A kiss, I suppose, is one thing, while Rafe seeking me out is definitely something else .

“Of course I did,” Rafe replies. “Miles, Chad, excuse us.”

He leads us away before I can say a word of goodbye to either of them. “What the fuck, Rafe?”

“Flirting with Miles,” he pauses, his voice lowering dangerously when he notices the cameraman trailing behind us. “That isn’t part of the plan, Lilah.”

“Jealous?” I quip, knowing it isn’t true but still wanting to get a reaction from him.

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “No.”

Disappointment strikes me like a physical blow, leaving me breathless. It isn’t as if I actually thought he was jealous. My wires are just crossing or something. I didn’t actually expect to come on this show and meet a pack that I fit with or even alphas I almost instantly crave. And two out of the three is insane odds, really it’s three out of three if I am honest with myself. Because I did want Rafe in that club. And I did lose myself in his arms not even an hour ago.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here for love.”

“Keep it that way,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple as we approach the group of omegas who look like they want to murder me.

Rafe wasn’t joking when he suggested I could be a shield. The second we climb back onto our bus, he drops down next to me. A friendly smile on his face and smelling like the freshness of outdoors. Granted, I’m pretty sure all of us smell like the great outdoors after spending the majority of the day in it.

Hailey sits on his other side, plastering herself to him. The cameras zoom onto the three of us, and I scoot over the seat attempting to put distance between us. It’s one thing doing a whole fake rivalry with Chad, but I have a feeling that Rafe’s ex is a whole different ball game .

“I’m so glad they invited me on this show, so I can prove to you how sorry I am,” she says.

Rafe doesn’t shove her away like I want to do, instead he gives her a beaming smile. “There isn’t anything to forgive, Hailey.”

I snort, sounding a lot like my sister. She would be so proud.

“Do you have something to say?” Hailey asks, leaning forward to glare at me over Rafe.

My hackles raise. I’ve never been good at staying quiet in the face of omegas who are obviously pure bitch. “Did you ever stop to think that if you were the one, Rafe would have never agreed to come on Omega in Paradise ?”

She gasps as if I have slapped her. Her eyes widen almost comically. “You don’t know anything about our relationship.”

He wants a shield . So much for attempting to detach from the situation because I just dived into the deep end. I lean into Rafe’s side, my hand landing on his thigh. His muscles bunch beneath my touch, but I don’t give myself time to analyze it as I pin the omega with a sugary-sweet look.

“I know that the tabloids say he wasn’t faithful to you, even when you were together. Seems you like that though, if you came on this show where you have to share him with thirty other omegas.”

Her lip lifts in a sneer. “Better than what the tabloids say about you. A drunk, broken omega, jilted at the altar. Is this the only option you have to find love? Or do you just like your humiliation to be played out for millions to see?”

I can feel the blood drain from my face. The truth to her words hits me square in the chest. Fuck, she’s right. I can’t go along with a plan that will leave me standing at the end with nothing to show for it. I’ll look broken-hearted all over again, only this time on national television.

My fingers loosen on Rafe’s leg, and I press my lips together. Just as I’m about to move back, Rafe drops his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. Tucking me into his side, allowing a purr to rumble from his chest. Can you fake purrs? I don’t think you can. My mom used to say she knew Dad’s moods just by the rumble of his chest, because alphas can’t control that. Maybe it was just him. But it’s a romantic notion I’ve never let go of.

It says more than words ever can. Still, he pins Hailey with a venomous look. “Back the fuck off. You know as well as I do that I don’t want you here.”

Hailey gasps, pressing her hand to her chest as she glances at the cameraman sitting across from us. The red light blinks, telling us all that this is being filmed. That it could be used on television.

“You are picking the pathetic omega that puked all over you in that club? Over me?” Her voice is shrill in my ears, and I cringe.

“It was never a choice.”