I absentmindedly nod, not giving a shit about how good he is. He has been insulting the princess to her face and behind her back for years. I’m sick of it. I don’t know why she agreed to work with him.
He snaps his fingers in my direction. “Did you hear me?”
I look up at him. “No, not a damn word.”
He rolls his eyes. “Well, I just said you didn’t need to go to Gary in the first place. I told you I had your back.” He places a folded piece of paper on the table.
I pick it up and read it. There’s an address and some room numbers scrawled on it. I glance up at my cousin, frowning. The address is for the hotel that I own. I raise a brow at him. He smirks. “What the hell am I supposed to do with this?”
“Pack your bags, and head into the city. That is where you will meet the production team’s manager for your interview.”
I instantly jump over the table and knock him out of his chair in a bear hug.
He laughs as he slaps my back. “Told you I had your back.”
I squeeze his shoulder. “Thanks, man. This means a lot to me.”
He slaps my back one more time before pushing me off him. “You better get going. Your interview is in three hours.” I glance at my watch, noting the time. “Oh, and make it count because filming literally starts in two days.”
Chapter 7
Interview Day
JESSICA
PRESENT DAY:
March 31, 2025
“Good morning, Alpha Princess. I trust you slept well?”
I stand in my bedroom in front of my large glass windows, looking over my pack’s houses. Daylight breaks through, painting the sky in beautiful shades of yellow and orange. I haven’t slept. Too many thoughts swirl in my head, like I’m on a hamster wheel running for my life but going nowhere fast. I feel like I don’t have control over my own life, and I meet the men—Alpha males I never met and know nothing about—tomorrow.
The production team insisted that their identities remain a secret. They need to capture my genuine reactions on camera.
The only ones who really know the identity of these men are my parents. They personally handpicked each one of them, based on who they felt would be the best match.
I sigh, thinking back to the day my father and I fought about this whole situation. I cringe. Did I make the wrong choice? Should I have simply chosen?
I tell myself I don’t want or need a mate. I’m an independent woman. I don’t need a mate for protection, financially or emotionally, and I’m not weak. I worked so hard to pave the way for myself.
“Alpha Princess?” I turn toward Carmen, the production manager. I think that’s her title, anyway. She moves behind the scenes, delegating, navigating, and basically telling me how to live my life for the duration of the show.
I offer her a small smile. “Good morning, Carmen. Sorry. I was lost in my thoughts.” I sigh. “I didn’t sleep—in fact, I don’t think I left this very spot since I returned home last night.”
She approaches me and awkwardly pats my shoulder. “Well, let’s get you to hair and makeup so we can get started. We have the entire day to film your interview, take pictures, and showcase you with your parents. Whatever we cannot do today, if that should happen, we have tomorrow morning to catch up. Then, we will prepare you for your introductions with the men.”
I nod, biting my tongue as I follow her out of my suite.
Two hours later, and with my mother’s approval, Carmen gushes, “Aww, Alpha Princess, you look so beautiful!”
“Like I always said, it really does take a team to make me look this good,” I deadpan. Carmen doesn’t respond to my dry humor. Tough crowd.
Ignoring me, she claps her hands together. “Perfect. Now sit here, and we’ll start your interview. When you speak, lookdirectly at the camera. I will sit here and ask you follow-up questions as we go along. This is Christian, our main cameraman. He will be with you most of the time, catching your every move on film.”
Christian glances at me from his setup and gives a warm smile.
I wrinkle my nose. “I hope there are limitations, especially when it comes to following me to my bedroom and using the bathroom. I kind of draw the line there.”
