Page 112 of Your Wild Omega

Callisto groans. “Fuck, Red. Stop talking.” I go to protest, but he adds, “Please. Just for a moment.”

I clam up. More liquid sloshes and I picture him refilling his glass. Did I upset him? The murmur in my brain doesn’t change pitch, so I can’t tell.

The alpha sighs and after a long moment, he says, “All right, thanks.”

“You’re not gonna tell me what just happened?”

Callisto huffs under his breath. “You just admitted you were thinking about saying yes to me joining your pack that night.” He gets a grumbly note in his voice. “I needed a moment to process my loss.”

Somehow, hearing that he’s been reflecting on what happened makes me feel better. “Right. But it’s behind us now, right?”

“Mm-hmm. Just friends. And your lawyer when needed.”

I twitch, nearly spilling my drink, as a thought flashes through my head. “Shit, you aren’t charging me by the hour for this call, are you? I hate to think what the after-hours rate is.”

Callisto laughs. “Well, it’s five hundred and fifty an hour for after hours. Are you going to pay up?”

“What the fuck?” I cry, sitting bolt upright. “Are you for real?”

He chuckles. “That’s the rate, but don’t worry. This is a friends call, not a work call. Charge is only a disgusting cocktail.”

I slump back in the couch with a huff. “It’s mean to tease,” I grumble. I wind a lock of hair around my finger, waiting for his response.

“Sorry.” Too much amusement bubbles in his voice to believe his truly apologetic.

Still, it feels nice to be relaxed enough for him to tease me. By admitting what happened between us, the complications seemto have fallen away. Being friends isn’t so bad. Out of anyone, Callisto knows the most about what happened to me, and what would trigger my nightmares.

“Can I ask a lawyer question, though?” I murmur.

“Of course. This one’s on the house.”

“The guy, the alpha who—” It’s so much harder to say it out loud. “Ray, from the trafficking hub. Is he walking around free?” Was he in the crowd today, or might I run into him at some park?

Callisto goes quiet. “Yes. I’m sorry, Red, but he made bail around the same time you brought Zack home. He has to remain in the state until the case finishes, but I don’t have the date for that yet.”

I draw my legs up and tuck my feet under myself. So, that fucker is walking around living a normal life.

“Red?”

I sigh heavily. “Yeah, I’m still here. I just . . . He was in my nightmare.”

“Ah, damn. I’m so sorry, Red. That’s awful.”

“For sure.” I hum under my breath, playing with the fraying end of a blanket. “You know, at Hudson’s trial, he said something I couldn’t handle.”

“Want to tell me about it? Or I can talk about something else if you want to get your mind off it?”

Strangely, it’s easier to talk to Callisto about this dark part of my life than anyone else. The gory details don’t scare him. “Hudson said Rickon liked it rough. Ray used to say the same thing because I fought him, instead of, you know . . .”

“Submitting?”

I swallow around a lump in my throat. “Yeah. Wasn’t a damn thing I liked, except my omega hormones didn’t always accept that fact. It’s like you’re not even yourself anymore once heathormones kick in. You’re locked in your mind and can’t get out, no matter how hard you try.”

Callisto clears his voice. “Sounds a bit like when I go into rut, and my body takes over, doing things I couldn’t imagine having the strength for any other time.”

“Right. Like you’re backseat driving.”

He swears softly, distress tingeing his voice. “But, Red, no one should have to go through that. I don’t think I told you this, but I made a trip out to the facility.”

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