Page 53 of Your Wild Omega (The Feral Actress #2)

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

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 seem to 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 heat hormones 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.”

Shock grips my chest with icy hands, stealing my breath. “The House of Bitches?”

He lets out a strangled laugh. “Why is that name so well-suited? But yeah. I saw the room. One of the OCB agents who found you took me through.”

He saw it? The padded table with those brown restraints, darkened from years of sweat?

I jump to my feet, scratching at my crawling skin.

“Why? Why would you go there?” A dry sob balloons in my throat, and I can’t swallow it down.

Fuck! The putrid odor of refuse and stale sweat clogs my nose, even though it’s only a memory.

“Shit. I’m sorry, Red. Maybe you should wake Ricky after all.”

The mere mention of my alpha calms me a little and I sink down onto the couch again.

“Nah.” Let Rickon sleep. His body was covered in love marks, like Zack couldn’t get enough of him, but I can’t tell Callisto that.

Besides, I don’t want Ricky to see me so vulnerable and broken. It would stress him out more.

“Why did I go?” Callisto sighs. “Because I’m your lawyer and I wanted more evidence.”

So it was for the damned case. A soft growl escapes me. “Some days I wish I could just shoot that bastard and be done with it,” I mutter, pressing my palms into my eyes.

“You and me both,” he says darkly.

“Fuck. I should’ve kicked him harder and broken his skull.

Then we wouldn’t have to deal with this shit.

” I slump down on the couch, balancing the phone between my ear and the armrest. “When I heard what Hudson said in court, it just reminded me of everything. I don’t think I can face Ray.

At all. I couldn’t bear to sit in front of him while he smiles at me and says I liked it rough. ”

Like, it might kill me.

“I know, Red.” He groans, genuine pain in his tone. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll do my best so you don’t have to do anything.”

Even though he can’t see me, I nod in appreciation. Callisto cares, he truly does. I squirm into a position where I can reach my glass better. I need to polish this off before heading back to bed, although I don’t feel sleepy yet. A few sips thaw the ice in my veins.

“Can you do that?” I ask.

Callisto hesitates. “I’m going to do my absolute best, Red. I promise.”

He’s good at his job, for sure. The lawyers outside the courthouse said Callisto had the Midas touch and the way he stepped forward to protect Rickon in his hour of need was like a modern-day knight in shining armor.

He really will pull out all the stops to help us.

Unlike me, he’s not making things up as he goes along in life.

Callisto has a goal, and he knows how to get to his destination.

But even someone as ignorant as I am knows you need evidence from the victim to make charges stick. And I haven’t given him that evidence.

But, like Leanne said, I’m doing the best I can. I snort softly to myself, not even annoyed her voice has added itself to the actors in my head.

We sit in silence, but it’s nice knowing someone’s on the other end of the line. “What are you doing?” I murmur, wanting to hear his voice again.

“Drinking some horseshit concoction my favorite client recommended.”

I choke on a laugh. “Don’t drink it if it’s so nasty.”

“Nah, I’m fussing on purpose. I just wanted to make you laugh.”

I press a cool knuckle to my smile. “Well, it worked.” A yawn splits my mouth open, and I groan through it.

“Good,” Callisto says, pleased with himself.

“And I’m glad you called me. And, hey, next time, call me when you need a ride as well.

If I’m not in court, I’ll come. And if I’m not available, I’ll set you up with a driving service.

” He grunts. “In fact, tell Rickon to install the app, and I’ll get you an account code.

He knows which one. Don’t accept rides from strangers like that Bradley guy again.

” His click of disapproval sounds loud in the quiet room.

“You never know what kind of problems that could cause.”

I drop my head onto my forearms. “Why are you being so nice?” I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but it pops out.

He makes a noise in the back of his throat that strikes me as a disagreement.

“I can’t blame you for doubting my sincerity, since I didn’t exactly show you my best side,” he replies.

“But you are family now, Red, so please accept it. Money’s not an issue for my family, and if we can make your life easier, I want to do it.

Think of it as society paying you back for all the bullshit you’ve endured.

” He goes quiet for a moment, his glass clinking rhythmically.

“But only if you want it. If you feel pressured, you don’t need to accept anything from me. ”

“Thanks, Callisto,” I whisper.

The truth is, I’m still finding my feet as a capable citizen. I could protest that I earn money now and can pay for driving services, but kindness has been in short supply in my life. And I donated a lot to Rose’s fund for the feral alphas to make sure no one else gets denied a second chance.

Callisto’s concern feels sweeter than anything we’ve shared before.

“You’re right about Bradley. He’s tried so hard to flirt with me. Did you know he propositioned Rickon once, before I met him?” I take another drink from my glass.

“Seriously? What an opportunistic shithead.”

I snort orange juice everywhere. The alcohol burns through my nostrils and trickles down my face. After a strangled moment, I give up any attempt at decency and just splutter-laugh what I can’t swallow into the blanket.

“You okay there?” Callisto asks.

“Yep, just snorting vodka and juice like an elephant in a pool.”

He laughs at the visuals.

The nightmare’s faded into a hazy memory and I feel lighter. “I think I can sleep now,” I tell him once I’ve cleared my nose. “Thanks for listening.”

“Anytime; I mean it. Oh, and look for a letter in the mail. I sent you something. Hope you like it.”

“Better not be a bill,” I retort.

“Ha! Definitely not a bill.”

“Okay, thanks.” I cradle the phone to my ear, reluctant to leave. “Good night, then, I guess.”

“Or good morning,” he shoots back cheekily, and the line clicks off.

I throw the ruined blanket into the laundry sink and run some water, leaving it to soak as I head upstairs. What exactly is Callisto’s sending? If it’s personal and not related to him being my lawyer, it’ll be my first time getting a letter from a friend. The thought makes me smile.