Chapter 9 Callisto #2
What will he do if someone in prison is mad enough to threaten him?
I need to see Alhedy immediately and find out if Zack’s in danger.
If so, I’ll get him transferred. We need some kind of house arrest or separate facility for people like Zack.
Is our judicial process so limited that the only place to put him is with fully socialized alphas?
What would be the best solution, given Zack’s one of dozens of ferals rescued from the underground rings?
The agents discuss what lights to look out for, and Pierce finds it immediately in the media footage from the day—a remotely activated portable light on one of the courthouse statues. Someone camouflaged the damn thing to look like a bird deterrent.
“We’ll trace street activity,” Pierce declares darkly, determination setting his jaw. They’ve got a lead to chase, at least. And so do I.
As the conference ends, I ask Colt if we could talk for a minute, and the other agents leave us to it, heading out to track their targets.
Colt turns away from the camera for a moment as his room empties before switching his focus back to me. “What can I do for you, Callisto?” he asks.
Damn, where do I even start? I clear my throat, feeling more nervous than I ever do in a courtroom. “You live with two ferals in your house. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” He runs one hand through his ginger crew cut. “And I’m a certified rehabilitator.”
Another rush of guilt barrels through me. I’ve read the theory book but haven’t found time to go do the physical training. “Right,” I mutter. “Guess that came in handy for the new alphas.”
He chuckles. “You bet, but mostly only for the physical handling. Rosie is the one teaching them and coaxing them back to humanity.”
I nod slowly. “I think it’s the same for Red. Except she refused to put him in a cage, so she trained him to go out on a leash.”
Colt whistles and grins. “Fuck, that takes some balls.” As soon as he says it, he winces and waves one hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it literally.”
A laugh escapes me. “I get it,” I say. If any omega out there has alpha-level courage, it’s Red.
Colt shrugs and continues, “I’m learning the hard way to trust my omega’s instincts regarding those boys.
She seems to know what they need, even without a bond.
” He taps the side of his nose and grins, but then sobers.
“Although, I bonded one of them to suppress the aggression, so we both have a better idea now.”
“I’m sorry, what?” My mouth drops open as I stare at him.
“You bonded one? That must be chaotic as all hell.” Another thought follows on its heels: if I were bonded, I could understand Zack much better.
Maybe. I shake my head. Must be losing my marbles for sure.
Still, if the thought’s crossed my mind, how about Rickon?
That could turn dangerous for an alpha with not much presence.
The agent on the video call nods. “Yeah, it really is chaotic. The hyperalertness is something I’ll take a long time to get used to, and I’ve been in the military and law enforcement for decades.
To these lads, nothing is safe, and even more so when they have an omega.
” He whistles under his breath, and pain colors his deep voice when he goes on.
“Can you imagine never having proper food, or gentle touch, or a kind word? Being sick without nursing, bathing without tenderness?” Agent Colt shifts forward in his chair, locking gazes with me through the screen. “They’re starving.”
His declaration hits me like a blow to my guts, and I slump back with a sharp exhale. And I simply thought Zack was a nuisance—an object in the way of my plan to win Red back.
Colt shakes his head slowly, smiling at some memory.
“At first we thought Rose was making up the scent-matching out of pity for them, and we thought we’d eventually get rid of the two ferals, but Zane and Uno are pack, plain and simple.
” He shrugs, and one side of his mouth lifts.
“She just knew it long before we caught up. And if I was in their skin, I hope someone would give me the same chance to live.”
Like Rickon did. He accepted Zack without question.
I wrestle with my thoughts for a moment but decide Colt’s a perfect reference point for me. “Red’s not doing well without her bonded alpha,” I admit slowly.
He eyes me. “She’s not just your client, is she?”
Misery pins me in place. “No,” I croak out. “But I rejected her.”
Colt’s upper lip curls. “And here I thought you were a smart man.”
Breath hitches in my dry throat. Even if every single person in the world censured me, I’d deserve it for abandoning my omega. “Yeah, I used to think so too,” I mutter.
Colt studies my face and then sighs. “Well, each of us has our own demons to fight. God knows I’m no stranger to making giant mistakes.
” He crosses his arms over his broad chest. “If you want to help her, get her alpha back. But also, if Red accepts you being around her, just be present. She struck me as a confident woman, but I’m guessing she’s as starved as her alpha is, if she’s anything like Rose. ”
He reaches for his coffee mug but wraps his hands tight around it instead of sipping. “I can’t stress enough the importance of routine and normalcy in the home environment for people recovering from extreme trauma. My omega isn’t the only one who taught me that.”
Yeah, that was part of the handbook too, but I never thought to apply the same techniques to Red. I believed keeping my distance was being respectful, but if Red needs me, even subconsciously, maybe I was wrong.
“Thanks, Agent Colt,” I say.
“Just Colt is fine,” he says gruffly. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll be seeing more of each other in the future, since our omegas are friends.”
That sounds like a good idea.
As I’m signing out at the Bureau front desk, I get a phone call. My heart speeds up when I see Ricky’s name on my screen. Eagerly I swipe to accept. “Hey, Ricky.”
“We’ve got a problem,” he announces, voice trembling.
My racing pulse turns frantic at his tone. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Red. She says she wants to go to the Omega Center for her heat. Can you come around?”
My stomach lurches. I’m the one who got Red out of there, so I know how much she despises that place.
And I also know what happened during her last heat at the Center.
If she’s going back, does it mean she’s given up on everything?
A premonition grips me, scaring the hairs on my arms until they stand on end.
I fling my jacket over my shoulder and stride for the door. “I’m on my way, Ricky.”