Page 138 of Wild Omega

“What does her message mean?” I muse out loud, my gaze tracking down the entranceway to the door. A spasm of panic runs through me, leaving me breathless, but the hurricane of pressure remains simmering threateningly in the distance. The worst is over.

Rickon sighs and runs a hand through his white hair while gazing at the sloppy handwriting. “I’m not sure, since she has lots of secrets, but apparently she believes she’s failed us in some way.”

“It’s the other way around,” I growl, squeezing my hands into fists.

“Yeah,” he says sadly. For a minute it feels like he means himself as well, but surely he’s more self-aware than that. Red loves Rickon like nothing else in this world. That much I know for sure.

Rickon drops into the seat beside me before he continues explaining. “She was searching for an alpha back in the Center, but wouldn’t tell me why. If he exists, his scent wasn’t in the sample folio.” Ricky sighs like the weight of the world’s on his shoulders, and even though Red’s not mine, I know how he feels. “Do you think you’ll be all right here, Calli? I’ve left a message on her phone, but I’ll go ask around if anyone in the lobby saw her and check out a few of our favorite haunts.”

I nod. “I’ll be fine. I’ll try calling her again.”

Rickon squeezes my shoulder once, and then busies himself getting presentable to leave the house, tripping over the remnants of our ordeal. After he goes, I stare at the sawn-off library door. Even if it was in a small way, Red let me help her through her heat. If any chance exists, however small, that she might let me into her pack, I’ll take it.

In fact, I’ve got more than one woman to make amends to in my life.

I slip off the stool and stumble through the water bottles and comforters to find my phone.

Come back to me, Red, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.

Chapter fifty-eight

Red

I stare at the OCB agent and draw a deep breath. This is going to work. It has to. I turn, and the uniform-clad reflection swivels away from the mirror. I barely recognize myself in the trim blue uniform and sensible black boots with my red hair done up in a stern bun. I’ve also slathered myself in enough scent neutralizer to sink a boat. As long as I don’t get too excited, I should get mistaken for a beta today.

I stayed up half the night coloring the costume uniform’s white seams with a blue permanent marker, and digging into records about OCB hierarchy, as well as watching Alpha Lodgings documentaries. Plus, I’ve spent years watching spy movies, so I know I can channel the role. It’s a bit of a hollow plan, really, but I need to get inside the prison no matter what.

And I need to get out again.

I pick up the business card on the side table and grab my phone. The log shows three missed calls from Rickon and two from Callisto, but I can’t afford any distractions right now. They’ll ask me where I went and what I’m doing, and I have no way of explaining it all. I dial the number on the contact card.

The line clicks on. “Hello, Wired Logistics.”

I tap the corner of the card against my lips. “I call and you haul, right?”

“That’s right, ma’am. How can we help?”

“I need to speak with Lionel.”

She puts me through, and a familiar voice responds. “Hello?”

My ears tingle. No turning back now. “Lionel, this is Red, from the airplane. Is that offer to help still on the table?”

An hour later, Lionel picks me up in his truck. He looks me up and down with a whistle. “I had no idea you were an agent. I was surprised you’d never flown before.”

I smile and hoist myself up the side of the big truck. “True. I avoided it for as long as possible.” I rest my fake badge against my knee for a moment, to solidify my story, before tucking it in a legal case. Operation Alpha Search is underway.

“You’ll be fine if this ends up as a cross-country haul?” I ask. “Might turn into a special case.”

He nods. “Yeah, since it’s official business, guys are covering my other runs. It’s fine.” He steals a glance at me before pulling out into traffic, curiosity practically vibrating off him.

I swallow down a lump of guilt. The only thing official about this is me officially finding an alpha, so I guess that means I’m dragging this kind man into my crime. But at the very least, Lionel should be able to deny knowing anything.

It’s a longer drive than I anticipated, and every mile notches up my nervousness. I chew on my fingernail. How many prisons will I need to search? And what if my missing alpha is still mired in the underground world? I’ll have to search everywhere.

Fuck, what if he’s not even in this damn country?

My stomach sloshes with nausea and I screw my eyes shut. Sinking deep, I gather the resolve of the woman who can survive anything. It’s time for Red Hawk to shine.

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