Chapter 9 #2
Callum didn’t have much to spend, given his attempts to—gag—save money.
If he was going to stick around in Smyrna City for a while, he couldn’t expect his parents to dole out the same allowance they gave him for staying away.
He’d need to decide if he wanted to put down real roots here and, if he did, he’d have to find something to do with himself. Preferably something that paid.
Like a job. Eew.
Callum was pondering his sorrows, when the object of his thoughts appeared, her biggest bodyguard trailing behind her.
The walkways weren’t crowded, but the awnings and archways of the shopping village were adorned with huge arrangements of spring flowers that made it difficult for someone as large as Daniel to navigate.
Callum chuckled to himself as he watched the big alpha stoop to avoid the hanging lobelia, only to knock loose several clusters of hyacinths.
Callum made his way toward Bianca. She hadn’t noticed him nor the struggles of her enormous bodyguard, who was quickly falling behind.
She had her gaze locked on a shop window, where a pair of iridescent pumps shimmered in the sunlight.
Callum adjusted his trajectory so that they’d meet at the shop that had caught her eye.
As he approached, hand half-raised in greeting, Bianca abruptly stopped short. A man had stepped into her path, emerging suddenly from another shop, and nearly colliding with her. Callum couldn’t see the man’s face, but he could see Bianca’s clearly.
Her expression went from surprised to annoyed to absolutely horrified in a matter of seconds.
The man reached out as though to steady her, saying something at the same time, and Bianca jerked back as if she’d been burned.
The man dropped his hand, stepping toward the wide-eyed omega, who looked like she might be sick. Callum quickened his stride.
“What a happy accident! I hoped I might run into you while I was in town, since I can’t exactly call and ask you out for coffee,” the man was saying as Callum approached. “Looks like it was meant to be. What do you say, Binks?”
Everything about Bianca’s body language screamed discomfort.
Callum bristled, her distress setting him on edge.
Whoever this guy was, he needed to get the fuck away from Bianca immediately.
Callum saw Daniel approaching swiftly, preparing to intervene, but he caught the big alpha’s attention and shook his head, gesturing toward the valet stand.
Daniel narrowed his eyes, glancing back at Bianca and the stranger, before giving Callum a curt nod and pulling out his phone.
That nod said he’d let Callum handle it for now, but he’d better be quick about it.
“There you are! I’m so sorry I’m late, love!
” Callum exclaimed, brushing past the stranger and embracing Bianca, deliberately placing himself between them.
Though he was well-built for an omega, Callum was still considerably smaller than most alphas.
That didn’t matter one bit when Bianca clung to him tightly, which was all the encouragement he needed.
Callum would rip the man apart with his bare hands if he had to.
He pulled back and gave her a warm smile and a conspiratorial wink.
“We can still make our reservation if we leave right now. Daniel already called the car.”
Callum glanced dismissively at the stranger, a generically handsome alpha who looked both annoyed and intrigued by the intrusion. His clothes were expensive, but several seasons old, and there was something decidedly shifty in his gaze. Callum liked him less and less.
The alpha looked between the two omegas quizzically as Callum draped an arm around Bianca’s shoulders. Callum smiled apologetically and deftly began to maneuver her away. The stranger scowled, making as if to follow them.
“Callum, this is–,” Bianca began, but Callum cut her off.
“Of course it is! Charmed, I’m sure. So sorry to interrupt, but we really have to go.” Callum gave the alpha another disinterested glance, before turning back to Bianca. “You ready, sweetheart?”
Bianca smiled gratefully, and Callum felt his chest puffing up with pride. A familiar Rolls Royce pulled up to the curb and Daniel moved to open the rear door. The stranger eyed the big bodyguard warily.
“I’ll see you around Bianca,” he said, reaching out for her once more.
Callum tucked Bianca against his side, taking the stranger’s outstretched hand and shaking it firmly. “It was so nice meeting you, but I’m afraid we can’t stay and chat. Enjoy your visit and get back home safe now!”
Callum didn’t give the man a chance to respond.
He guided Bianca into the backseat, wiping his hand on his pants to rid it of the strange alpha’s sweaty touch.
It was a relief to catch Daniel’s comforting candy scent as he shut them safely inside the car.
The stranger watched them pull away, his face set in a frown.
Eventually, Bianca sat up, disentangling herself from Callum’s arms. She seemed calmer but also colder, and he wanted to find the words that would help her to relax. She spoke before he could, however, her gaze fixed on some distant point outside the window.
“That served me right. If I hadn’t flaked on you in the first place, we probably never would’ve run into–,” she began, before breaking off and swallowing hard. “Thank you for rescuing me, even though I didn’t deserve it. I suppose I owe you an explanation.”
Callum placed his hands on her shoulders, ducking his head so that she was forced to meet his gaze.
“You don’t owe me anything, sugar. I just needed to get you out of there.
I know I come on a little strong and maybe I pushed you too fast. It’s okay if you aren’t ready to be besties just yet.
Daniel can drop me off and we can plan another hangout when you’re feeling up to it. ”
“No!” Bianca exclaimed, grabbing his hand in a way that made warmth spread across his skin. “I want you to stay. Please.”
Callum felt like he could’ve bench pressed the Rolls Royce. Bianca Bonnycastle wanted him to stay. He would guess she’d rarely said such a thing to another human being. He settled back against the seat, not letting go of her hand.
“I do want to explain what that was back there. It’s honestly a pretty good explanation for why I’ve been avoiding you.” Bianca laughed humorlessly, her gaze on their joined hands. “If you want to go home after you hear my sob story, I’ll understand. I don’t want you to feel obligated–”
“Hush,” Callum interrupted, squeezing her hand. “Tell me whatever you like. I’m honored to be your confidante.”
He was pleased to elicit an eye roll and a sarcastic snort that was more characteristic of the fierce omega he’d fallen for so quickly. “You’re a weird man, Callum Clifton-Merriwether.”
“Honey, you have no idea. Now dish,” he commanded.
He was grateful that she held his hand while she told her story, because if she hadn’t, he might’ve been tempted to dive from the car and go back in search of that piece of shit alpha.
Apparently, the shifty-eyed bastard at the shopping village was Bianca’s ex-mate…
if you could even call him that. In actuality, the dude was a fucking groomer who’d taken advantage of a lonely girl and then cut and run at the first opportunity.
Callum gritted his teeth against a growl.
“I don’t know how I expected my parents to react, but it was worse than whatever I imagined.
They called me and my so-called alpha into their office and told me that I was about to learn a valuable life lesson.
And they were absolutely right.” Bianca gave a wry smile that was so full of heartache that it turned Callum’s stomach.
He almost didn’t want to hear anymore, but he’d meant what he’d said about being her confidante.
He squeezed her hand encouragingly and she continued.
“My fathers proceeded to explain to Robert that he was welcome to have me, but that my family would disown and cut me off completely. He and his soon-to-be packmate would get me and only me, without so much as a sliver of the Bonnycastle empire. Our children wouldn’t be recognized as heirs, and our line would never receive a single dime.
Robert and Frank would be free to pursue their big dreams with me as their omega, but I would be a nobody with nothing to offer them but my love. ”
Bianca’s love sounded like a fine prize to Callum.
Holding her hand, wrapped in her spicy apple scent, it was hard to imagine needing anything more.
But he could tell that this story didn’t have a happy ending.
Somehow, this beautiful creature had ended up unbonded, which meant she had endured the kind of pain that most omegas only heard about in academy lessons or their worst nightmares.
Bianca smiled that heartbreaking smile again, her voice as dry and hard as her titanium eyes when she continued.
“Then my fathers presented an alternative. Robert could relinquish his claim, he and Frank would sign non-disclosure agreements, and never speak to me again. In exchange, they’d receive fifty thousand dollars in startup funds for their tech company.
Of course, they’d never be allowed to tell anyone what had happened between us, could never ask for more money, and could never pursue me again. ”
Callum’s free hand balled into a fist. “That son of a bitch.”
Bianca nodded. “Robert didn’t even hesitate. He didn’t bother to discuss it with Frank. I suppose he already knew what he’d say. They took the money and never looked back. I haven’t seen or heard from either of them in ten years. Until today.”