Page 63 of Your Wild Omega (The Feral Actress #2)

Chapter forty-nine

Callisto

I fidget the business card between my fingers, alternating between rereading the company name and staring into the distance. Steve’s Car Sales . Money front for the group my dad contracted to keep Simon and Lector at bay—a plan that backfired on him.

More important, engaging their services could cost a man his life. Or his career.

My hands itch, as if the gravity associated with the decision leaks out via the skin contact, so I set the card down and flex my fists.

I’ve been a lawyer long enough to know when I have a watertight case and when I’m on shaky ground, and this one’s shot down before I’ve even begun.

I’ve worked harder than ever, leaving no stone unturned, interviewed every witness, and still gotten nowhere substantial.

It’s like Ray has a genie covering his tracks.

We found a smattering of evidence to try Ray for the more heinous crimes, including testimony from nurses and doctors at the OCB about things Red mentioned, and traces of his DNA in the nest. But nothing conclusive.

Not only that, but I’m facing the most aggressive defense counsel on the planet.

I flip open a folder containing a list of Antonio’s recent cases.

Big criminal lawsuits which stopped the entire world.

I even went as far as finding out his going rate, which only pissed me off more, because I know Ray’s paying for his services with Red’s blood money.

Antonio Pike is the king of getting criminals off the hook, and my hook isn’t even barbed.

If Red testified, it would be a different story, but now, the only question that remains is how far am I willing to go for the omega I rejected? I can’t help stewing on the what if scenarios. What if I hadn’t rejected her that day? What if I’d admitted my mistake before Zack came into the picture?

But I know better than anyone that I can’t return to the past.

“Get a grip, Calli,” I mutter under my breath.

An alarm chimes on my phone, and I shove the business card into my pocket before silencing the noise. Time to get my tattoo expanded.

Juan greets me with his customary enthusiasm as I walk into the ink parlor. “Right on time, alpha,” he calls, waving me over. “I know time is money, so let’s get started.” He leads me into the back where he has the equipment wrapped in plastic film and the chair reclined.

The artist shows me his completed design, and I whistle as I admire his drawings of the almonds and macadamias.

“No mistaking those for anything else, right?” he quips.

We share a grin, and then I sign the tattoo agreement and strip my shirt while he prints off the transfer to lay the design on my arm.

Excited goosebumps run down my spine as I glance at the temporary markings merging into my existing tat.

Since this one sits lower on my arm, I can see the shape easier without a mirror, and a small pang pinches in my chest as I stare at the beautiful design.

Perfect for reflection. My dad’s death wasn’t my fault, but this painful moment was all my doing.

I settle into the chair, taking a few moments to find the most comfortable position since we’ll be here for hours.

“That’s a sad expression,” Juan says quietly as he opens the sealed cartridges and needles in front of me. “Are you going to tell me what this clock means?”

I rest my free arm over my eyes and sigh. Juan’s a safe bet, and it’s not like I have time to see a therapist. Maybe I would’ve booked in with Dr Leanne, but that’s a conflict of interest now.

I wait until the first needle punches into my skin, the pricking pain lancing my conscience. “I rejected my scent-matched omega,” I admit quietly.

To his credit, Juan doesn’t flinch. “Tell me,” he says quietly, focused on his work.

“I was on my way to court, and she just appeared before me. Next moment, this red-haired angel straddled me on the ground.” A grin ticks at my lips. It’s a meeting fitting of the fiery, unpredictable omega.

“Why’d you turn her away?”

I snort. “Thought I was too busy for an omega. Tried to justify it as a decision for her sake, you know? Like, she’d be lonely because I didn’t have time to take her on dates. Ended up fucking shattering her heart instead.”

Juan cocks his head from side to side, fingers digging into my arm to hold it still. “And what about that sweet little alpha who shadowed you everywhere in school?”

I blink back tears. “Ricky?”

He hums in agreement.

The burn in my heart far outweighs the sting on my arm as the needles drill in and out. “He’s her scent match, too. Only, he accepted her right away.” I chuckle darkly. “Well, he always was smarter than I was.”

Juan gives a surprised little noise. “Really? He never showed it.”

I nod. “Yeah.”

Ricky never showed off, since he wasn’t motivated to excel like me. And he was happier living in the shadows. If people paid attention to him, then they dug up his painful home-life story, and he hated that even more than being called an al-mega .

“Everyone assumed you two would pack up after high school,” Juan mutters.

“I—” A chill squeezes my throat as I hesitate. Why didn’t I ever suggest moving in together with Rickon?

My mind flashes back to the time I walked in on Zack fucking him, and before that when we curled up together on the mattress during Red’s heat. Realization quivers down my spine.

“I’m such an idiot,” I mutter into my wrist.

I never asked him because Rickon was already pack in my mind. The line between pack of origin and future pack got blurred along the way somewhere through adolescence, and I was so caught up in my studies and career after that, I took him for granted.

Rickon used to send me text messages almost every day; even if they were memes or a funny sign he saw, those little snippets of attention proved he was thinking of me. Now someone else lives rent-free in his thoughts . . . and they have his body, too.

And damn, that body of his is fine. Another thing I always took for granted.

He fits so well tucked into my side under my arm.

Touching him was as natural as breathing because we’ve always been around each other.

But thinking of his innocent face now, lips lustfully parted and pale body strained, makes blood rush to my cock. My breath catches.

If Juan notices, he’s gentleman enough not to mention it.

It wasn’t only my future with Red I haphazardly tore apart that day in front of the courthouse. How many times have I decided things for others without knowing how they really feel?

When we take a short break so Juan can stretch out his wrists, I shoot Rickon a message. Just a silly legal joke one of my clients randomly told me. The thing is, it’s not that I never think about Ricky. No, my thoughts often turn his way; I simply believed I never had the time to act on them.

A man sued an airline company after it mislaid his luggage. Sadly, he lost his case .

While I stare at the screen, a tiny laughing emoticon reaction pops up from the man in question.

A thrill flashes through me. I keep watching to see if he replies, but no dots flash up and I re-pocket my phone in disappointment.

Is this how Rickon felt for years, waiting for my time, waiting for my attention?

Or am I being egotistical to think he wanted that from me?

“Turns out, time is worth more than money,” I mutter as I settle back into the chair.

“It sure is,” Juan agrees. “It’s the one thing you can’t get more of.” He chuckles good-naturedly. “Better to figure that out now than at the end of your life, hey?”

I nod in agreement. “Truth.”

The end of my life, huh? Will I drop dead of a heart attack, like my father?

Perhaps in the courtroom, or the lonely, silent confines of my office late at night.

It’s a grim vision. I’ve been fighting so hard for my win streak and the firm partnership, but the once-clear goal now feels blurry. Like Hale said, I’d forgotten about it.

But the pack I missed out on? I can’t stop thinking about them.

Even that barbaric feral occupies my mind.

A strange need to have a conversation with Zack burns in my instincts—not one with words, but an exchange of alpha presence.

He threw me out, but he didn’t crush my spirit.

It’s a feeling that can’t be put into words.

The hours blur as Juan finishes his artwork, stamping more than just ink onto me. The repeated pain buzzes through my arm, focusing me. Stripping my soul bare allows me to rethink my future with eerie clarity. As much as I love the legal world, sometimes it feels hollow. And so fucking commercial.

But if I weren’t working for Harkman and Laurance, what would I do with my time?

“All done,” Juan says, startling me free from my daze. He wipes the excess ink off and beams down at his work. “One more timeless beauty.”

I snort at his joke, and he winks at me before fetching the mirror. I study the pair of clocks for a long moment, poignant reminders to never forget the true value of time. A bitter lesson I’ll remember.

I nod in satisfaction.

Juan applies the gauze and wrapping but I don’t hear his chatter.

As I pull out my Alphescas Honor Platinum card to pay for the tattoo, another realization hits me. I never have to check my balance to know if I can afford something. I don’t even need to justify the value of my time via an hourly rate.

When Juan’s clerk hands me the credit card terminal, I add another zero on the number pad before quickly swiping my card.

She goes to hand me the receipt and gasps as she spots the number. “Oh, I’m so sorry, sir! I must have typed the number in wrong. Um, what do we do about this?” She flutters nervously around the desk, probably looking for a manual.

“Don’t worry about it,” I say with a grin. “Tell Juan it’s for his therapy services.”

Money isn’t a problem when your family runs one of the country’s biggest upmarket retail chains, so why did I act like earning more would change my worth?

I run one hand roughly through my hair. I’m negotiating buying a fucking city-center apartment building without breaking a financial sweat, for crying out loud.

Well, I can think of one good place to spend my money, to buy a certain omega a little peace of mind. I dig into my pocket and pull out the business card for Steve’s Car Sales .

Flagging down a taxi, I give the street name to the driver, choosing a location a couple of blocks away from. Should I see if they have a cute car that might suit Red, in case she gets her license in the future? And with the car comes their maintenance package .

A necessary solution. I’m risking everything by crossing this line, but really, isn’t that what I should have done for Red in the first place? Now I’m simply putting things back how they should be.

Having failed her once, I can’t let it happen again. I need to secure her future.

No matter the personal risk.