Page 45 of Your Wild Omega (The Feral Actress #2)
Chapter thirty-seven
Rickon
The powerful scents of my pack in the apartment chase away some of my distress. Zack tugs me down onto his lap on the couch, and I drop my head onto his shoulder, soaking in the warmth emanating through his shirt. I loosen his top button and slip my fingers beneath to find skin.
I’ve avoided regular bread since I confirmed I was gluten-intolerant at age seventeen, and I still miss the wheat variety sometimes.
But with Zack’s bread and maple syrup scent soothing me, it’s like I’m not missing out anymore.
His unrestrained scent blooms strong enough to feel like I’m actually eating.
“Mmm,” I murmur in appreciation, digging my nose into his neck.
Red clangs around in the kitchen for a minute before bringing me an iced chocolate. My lips quiver as I take it. I only told her once that I didn’t like hot drinks, but she’s remembered ever since and never served me one.
“How did I get so lucky?” I mutter, wrapping my hands around the cup. The ice cubes tinkle against the glass as I chuckle. “Guess that’s why I had no luck in my childhood. The universe was saving it up to meet you guys.” I lift my eyes to meet Red’s tender gaze.
She nods. “You and me both, baby. And Zack as well.”
Yeah, when I think about it that way, we all got screwed over big-time in our childhoods. I sigh and lean back against Zack’s wall of a chest. “I owe you an explanation.”
“You don’t owe me shit, alpha,” Red says vehemently.
Her expression softens as she reaches for my knee.
“But anything you want to tell us is welcome. And anything we can do to help? Well, we’re here for you.
” My omega gets a sly look on her face. “Not like I didn’t have plenty of secrets when we first met. ”
And she still has more, but everything in its own time.
I sip my drink, letting the chill focus me for an unpleasant trip down memory lane.
I lick a droplet off my lip and get started.
“We were never a particularly happy family. It’s a bit fuzzy now, but I remember my parents complaining about how hard having a kid was.
Guess that’s normal for a teen pregnancy.
My mom was a beta on a student-exchange program from England, and my dad was on an arts scholarship.
Neither of them could hold down a steady job. ”
Zack slips his arm around my waist. It’s surprising he hasn’t asked yet, but he sits quietly, cheek resting against my hair like he’s listening intently.
I rest the cold glass against my heated face, letting it cool my feverish skin.
“They argued a lot, but it was just normal for me. One day during the school break, they suggested we spend the day at the zoo.” My voice catches and I take another sip, letting the silky chocolate slip through my strained throat.
“They said they were going to get lunch and told me to wait on the lawn in the shade.” I snort.
“Stupid thing is, I figured I was too old and too cool for the zoo, but I was so happy about finally having a family outing, I never even mouthed off that day.”
My voice catches, and it takes another minute before I can go on. “So I waited. And waited.” I grit my teeth as the memory haunts me. I don’t want to cry another tear for those jerks.
I can’t bear the sadness in Red’s gaze, so I turn to stare out the window, the memories I’ve tried to suppress burning through my mind.
“I waited until the sun went down. Then I just left and walked home. Was about fifteen miles and took me all night. Wasn’t the first time they’d forgotten about me, you know, so I kinda wanted to punish them with bleeding feet.
Make them sweat when they couldn’t find me. ”
A rogue tear escapes, and I swipe at it angrily. “But the joke was on me, ’cause when I got home, they’d cleared the place out of just about everything except in my room. Was like they’d never existed. And that’s when I realized it wasn’t an accident this time.”
“Oh, Rickon,” Red moans. She drops her head into my lap, fingers digging into my thighs. “That’s so cruel. To think parents could do that.”
I set my glass on the side table so my hands are free, and run my fingers through her scarlet hair. “Yeah, it was cruel, but for a long time, I thought it was my fault. It’s a hard assumption to shake off.”
My omega sighs and shakes her head, brushing over my thighs. “What did you do?”
“I lived on my own until the landlord discovered it. He tried to report me to Child Protective Services, but Lexi Wren found out and took me in. I think she felt responsible because she’d been involved in the student exchange program back when Mom was a part of it.
” I shrug. “But I was already friends with Callisto, so that’s how she discovered my situation. ”
Red rolls over, her beautiful gray eyes glimmering with concern. “Did they ever reach out?”
I shake my head. “Never. After I left school and started earning money, I hired an investigator to find them. They were living two states away, enjoying their best life, child-free. When I learned that, it just broke the last attachment I had. I didn’t even want an answer by that point. Not from them.”
I play my fingers across Red’s forehead and nose. My hands are probably greasy and I’ll mess up her skin, but she’s so beautiful, it’s impossible to resist. I know we’ve been through a lot, but what if some things are too much? The desire to know what she thinks burns through me.
“Do you think they cast me aside because I’m a useless alpha?” I whisper.
“No, Rickon.” Red rolls over and kneels up, pressing into my chest. “It had nothing to do with you! Hear me? They were selfish children, and they gave up on something so precious it can’t be put into words.”
I sink forward, slumping against her. She means every word.
Red also knows what it means to be abandoned, but she doesn’t blame herself for it.
I’ve worked hard all my life to build a positive self-image and love who I am, but I guess that shaky foundation always chipped away at my confidence.
Honestly, I hadn’t even finished maturing as an alpha when my parents left me behind.
Zack catches us both and nuzzles into me as I cry. “White Mine,” he murmurs, his tongue flicking out to taste the droplets on my cheeks. “Tears?”
“Yes,” Red answers, sweeping the drops off my other cheek. “Rickon is sad.”
“Sad,” Zack repeats slowly.
“Yeah,” Red presses her hand into his chest. “It aches in here. That’s sadness.”
Zack’s warm breath mists my nose, drying up the last tears. “Why sad?”
I press my face against his, feeling the scratch of his permanent beard shadow. “You could say my first pack left me.”
Zack stiffens and glances toward the entry hall. He knows the word leave since I’m always harping on about it being time to leave in the mornings. His arm around my waist digs in tighter.
“Pack not leave.” He swallows hard, quivering with the force of his concentration. “White Mine stay. Zack no leave. Mine no leave.”
Red and I both murmur in surprise. This is the first time Zack’s ever used his own name.
Our omega throws her arm around his neck. “I agree!” She turns her head to see me. “We aren’t going anywhere, Rickon. You’re stuck with us ’til the end, and I’ll bargain with the death god for you after that.”
I snort. “While threatening him with a fork?”
Red grins. “Double or nothing. I have a knife now too, remember?”
The laugh that spills through me washes me clean. “I can picture that.” The tension streams out of me like a gust of wind. “But truly, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It just isn’t the sort of thing to bring up in a random conversation.” Damn, there I go, making excuses. I grit my teeth together.
“Hey,” Red says, massaging my back. “It’s okay, alpha. We have years ahead to tell each other everything.” She clamps my face between her hands, her expression turning serious. “Years, you hear me?”
I nod slowly, anxiety leaching away and leaving me limp until I’m held up by her strength alone.
But some things need saying immediately.
“Those two might try to intrude further. The only reason they’re coming forward now is because you’re famous and they want to ride your coattails. Get a free good life out of us.”
Red cocks her head. “You heard Callisto back there. If they try it, I’ll label them as stalkers and get a whatsit.” She snaps her fingers, searching for words.
A smile tugs at my mouth. “A restraining order?”
“Yep.” She beams. “You’re our alpha, and we’re not letting anyone else have a piece of you.”
I press my lips to hers, gratitude and love mingling into a heady cocktail within. Callisto flashes through my mind, but I sweep him away. I doubt I’ll ever stop thinking about him, but in time, it will be less painful.
With my ass planted squarely in Zack’s lap, I feel his arousal as he watches Red and I kiss. I smile into her mouth, taking a few more sips of her lush lips before drawing back. “Hey, Zack. Want to have sex?”
His eyes light up. “Ask? Yes, now.”
Red and I both laugh at his eagerness. “Let’s go upstairs and shower first. It doesn’t feel like a couch kind of day.”
Zack surges to his feet, spilling us with him but catching us before we can fall. He’s fast on his feet; that’s for sure.