Page 70 of Your Wild Omega

Yesterday was the first day, with the opening gala . . . everything that happened rushes in. I plop back onto the bed and stare at the ceiling. Callisto asked for a second chance. He got down on his knees and apologized, and we still said no. My stomach churns. Am I a horrible omega for feeling relieved this came to a head? Relieved that Zack made the choice for me? At the same time, I sense a wound in my heart that won’t ever fully heal. An absence of a soulmate.

“Come on, sleepy head,” Rickon says, hauling on my arms. “We gotta get moving.”

My head throbs a little with a hangover, and something more besides. “Where’s Zack?” I ask, swinging my legs over the bed.

“In the shower.”

His eyes are red-rimmed and another pang runs through my heart as we silently assess each other. He’s probably also wondering if he should bring up the topic or not.

I sigh. “And Callisto? Have you messaged him?” Just saying his name makes a gob of pressure expand in my throat.

“Yeah.” His gaze drops to the tangled comforter. “He stayed at a hotel. He said not to worry about him.” My alpha sucks his bottom lip through his teeth.

I rub sleep crust from my eyes as I digest his report. Of course Callisto has the money to stay at a hotel any time. He probably has a second house somewhere. But I still feel uneasy for him. And for myself.

“We’ll need to look for a new house,” I muse, studying the walls. This place grew on me. Like the sign over the bed instructs, I got cozy. I enjoyed living in Callisto’s house, knowing he’d come and go and we’d at least see him occasionally.

I guess I wanted to tie Callisto to me as well. That’s why I never looked into hiring a different lawyer and told myself I was too busy to go house hunting. But now we’ve crossed a line. Something broke. Even the hum in my head belonging to the absent alpha seems quieter.

“Come on.” Rickon steps back and offers me both hands. “Stop getting lost in the dark. We need to go.”

I let him haul me to my feet, wishing I had a bond with both my alphas so I could know what he’s thinking. He covers it well, but I’m sure he’s hurting too.

Rickon plays the role of a sweet drill sergeant, getting Zack out of the shower and me in—with no crossover allowed because we “don’t have time for more canoodling.”

Some hot water, a painkiller, and a coffee later, I feel more human. When Rickon tries to get Zack’s collar on, the bigger alpha sweeps him off his feet and kisses him soundly before allowing the leather to close around his neck.

Rickon and I both giggle, and Zack looks smug.

Although Zack steals constant glances at me, he remains calmer than ever as we go through the process of loading into a car with an OCB agent riding in the front with Rickon. I wonder if it’s because he’s now assured of his position in our household.

We hold hands for the drive, and I run my fingertips over the scars on his hands.

Who’d believe that a wildling alpha who’s only been out in the world for a month could bring so much dominance to the table? I can’t wait to call Rose and tell her everything that’s happened. Her ginger alpha, Colt, had pack leader vibes all over him, so no way one of her ferals would challenge him for the position. I mean, they might try, but they’d never win against him. At least, I don’t think so.

Zack wouldn’t even understand what the title means. For him, it was all instinct.

Rickon easily finds parking in the hospital lot among the half-full bays. Zack eyes the five-story building warily but obediently follows us through the sliding doors. In fact, he shows no sign of the dominance he manifested last night, except for his ever-present powerful scent. Like me, he knows how to act. The idea makes me smile. Even Rickon hid his crush on Callisto for years.

We’re a family of actors.

We have to wait a while before the doctor can see us, so I sit on Zack’s lap while Rickon scrolls through searches for rental properties, showing me ones he thinks might work.

“No, hold on. It doesn’t have a tub,” he mutters, returning to scrolling. “This one doesn’t have parking. Kitchen’s too small.”

It’s just a guess, but he seems like he doesn’t want to leave Callisto’s apartment either.

“Zackary Jones?” the nurse calls, making us all twitch.

I stand up and tug Zack to his feet. “Let’s go, alpha. This is coming off today.” I tap on his cast, which, with its frayed edges, teeth marks, and stains, looks like it’s ready to fall off on its own.

The doctor, a rotund man with curly gray hair scans us up and down, eyeing the length of the leash. “I’m not sure how to proceed here. The notes say Zackary was rescued from a fighting ring and broke his arm in prison?”

“That’s true,” I say. “But he’s very obedient.” In public, at least. I offer a reassuring smile.

The doctor scratches his nose. “We might all be safer if he’s restrained first. With more than a leash, I mean.”

I shake my head. “No, that won’t be necessary.” I don’t want to see my alpha chained up ever again.

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