Page 111 of Your Wild Omega

The line goes silent for a while, and I can’t help wondering what he’s thinking. Time to move the topic away from this sensitive relationship quicksand.

“I, ah, borrowed some of your top-shelf stuff to put in my drink. Hope that’s okay.”

Callisto laughs, but it sounds a bit strained. “Help yourself to everything in the house. Oh, except for my case files. Those are confidential, but there shouldn’t be any out in the open.” Another pause. “What did you choose to drink?”

“I dunno, but it’s the tallest bottle. I put it in my orange juice. Tastes weird.”

“The tall one? That’s probably vodka. Go easy on that stuff.” He snorts softly. “And did you say orange juice? Red, you’re pushing my limits.”

I laugh and he joins me, letting out a rich chuckle that’s even more soothing than his regular voice.

He sobers too quickly for my liking. “Seriously, don’t take any sleeping pills or painkillers, okay? They don’t mix with vodka.”

Damn, some painkillers might’ve been a better idea than alcohol, but too late now. “You should have one too,” I murmur.

“With fruit juice?” He snorts, revulsion twisting his voice. “Gross.”

“I dare you.” The stool clatters on the floor as I slip free and retrieve the bottle from the shelf, tilting the label to see. I spell out the letters silently: V. O. D. K. A.

Callisto scoffs, but a moment later, glass clinks. “Let’s see what they’ve got here. I have a miniature bottle of whiskey and one of red wine that’s likely nastier than old socks. Plus milk and apple juice. For the record, I am not doing milk.”

“Apple juice then,” I order, holding in my laughter.

He grunts in disgust, but a moment later I hear liquid sloshing. Callisto talking about mini bottles makes me think he must still be in a hotel.

The alpha clears his throat, and the line crackles a little as he moves around. “Did Ricky stay home because of what happened with his parents at the courthouse?”

“Oh, no. He’s handling that pretty well. He told me all about what those cunts did to him.” I’m getting angry all over again, just thinking about it. Could have been a lot worse too, if Callisto hadn’t shut the situation down. “And thanks, by the way, for stepping in,” I add.

“That’s my job,” he says confidently. Then his tone softens. “I was worried, though. It’s been a really traumatic situation forhim. Pretty sure I told you kids bullied him a lot at school, and it got worse when people found out his parents up and left him.”

I tip my glass back and forth, watching the orange liquid slosh. Having no parents at all might be better than having ones that discard you like a paper plate. But neither’s good. “At least he had you,” I mutter before taking another sip.

Callisto grunts. “Yeah, but doesn’t feel like I did enough.”

We hang in solemn silence for a moment, lost in our thoughts but not alone. Then I remember my earlier realization. “You’re staying in a hotel?”

“Yeah, but it’s nice. I’m right across the road from my office, so it’s super convenient.”

My body hurts perching on the stool, so I top my glass up with the vodka and take it over to the couch. “Callisto, I’m sorry about kicking you out of your own house.”

I’m not sorry Zack took the stance he did, but I am sorry it got so messy.

He sighs down the line. “You know, Red, it hurt like hell, but strangely I don’t think Zack was wrong. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I wasn’t fair to you. I regretted not being there for you on the first day so much, and in my desperation, I tried to make you need me. Depend on me. And underhandedly, at that. I should’ve just been open and expressed myself properly.”

I lean the cold glass against my forehead, letting his words wash over me.

He goes on. “You’re only just getting on your feet, and you didn’t need that kind of complicated approach.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and sigh. “Honestly, what you’re saying sounds just as complicated.”

Callisto chokes out a laugh. “Sorry. The long and the short of it is your alpha has a strange wisdom about him, as much as I hate to say it.”

I smile. “Yeah, he does.”

“Hey, don’t ever tell him I said that. Shit.”

I laugh. “If we’re being honest, I felt like I was going to say yes only because I had to.”

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