A minute later, as if our thoughts stirred him, the shower water runs in the upstairs room. Red tilts her head, listening, and when she catches me doing the same, she grins and waggles her eyebrows.
We sit quietly until Callisto’s steps echo in the hall, and then Zack rises smoothly to his feet, turning expectantly.
Callisto comes out wearing black shorts and a tank top, hair still damp. He stops in the hallway and looks us over. “Umm, hi,” he says, scratching the back of his neck. “So, I went into rut, huh?”
“You did,” Red says with a soft snort. “Gave us a real workout.”
Callisto flushes and rubs his neck. He glances around, his gaze landing on Zack. Ever the self-confident man, he walks over to Zack and offers his forearm. “I’m awake, alpha.”
A thrill rushes through me as Zack clasps his arm, pulling them close together like long-lost brothers. Then he sniffs Callisto and rubs his cheek on both of Calli’s. This time it’s not to pass his scent on to me.
Well, that solves the question of our pack hierarchy. Who knew the great Callisto Wren would submit to another alpha, but here we are. I bet Callisto himself never imagined this, either.
“Eat first,” Zack orders, releasing him and pointing to the kitchen. “Morning comes soon.”
“We made a plate up for you,” I add. “It’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” he says, digging it out. “This feels like old times.” He looks over the fridge door at me, expression serious. “But even better. Someone better pinch me.”
“Well, don’t ask Zack,” I suggest, grinning.
“You then,” Callisto shoots back, heading for the microwave.
He’s right that having him here with us feels familiar, as if a ghost of his presence was always part of our pack. I can’t wait to tell Mom, Simon, and Lector the good news.
Dawn breaks with pale pink hues, painting the mountains first, and then gradually moving down the pine forest slopes. The rain passes, leaving the windows twinkling with droplets.
I lever myself off the couch and join Calli at the table to keep him company.
As I pull out a chair, I bring up the topic we were talking about earlier. “Zack says he wants to work with rehabilitating feral alphas, and he said you agreed to help him?”
Callisto nods through a mouthful of loaded potatoes. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it, because our justice system isn’t designed for them.” He swivels to lock eyes with our omega. “As Red said, it’s so unfair to treat them like other alphas. Even those alphas who get a trauma overload and go feral, at least they know what level of behavior they’re supposed to return to. The ferals don’t have that guidepost.”
He loads up his fork again, and Zack pulls out a chair to join us. “It’s also more hard for us to be in cells and smell other alphas,” the big alpha says. “Feel constant challenge.”
Callisto fills his mouth and waves his fork in Zack’s direction. “Wha’ he said. Need a whole new facility.”
“But aren’t there dozens, maybe hundreds of ferals in the system?” I ask.
Callisto nods. “Pretty sure I heard seventy-two got picked up from the Darinian bust. Minus Zack here and the two in the Nesters pack in Darinian. Plus those lads from the garage lab. And we don’t know how many others could be underground.”
The scope of the project hits me. A facility big enough to give a hundred alphas their own space would rival the size of Laversham’s Alpha Lodgings.
Red drapes herself on the back of my chair, hands dangling across my chest. “Don’t forget you need to get their scent samples into the Omega Center books. They’ll do best if placed with their scent matches.”
Callisto nods. “Good point.” His gaze lingers on her, full of desire. I know that look of an alpha longing for his mate. But then he looks from her to me, and a sweet smile spreads across his face, and the certainty hits me. I’m in his heart as much as his scent-matched omega. I tuck the sensation away to treasure.
He returns to his food, increasing his chewing speed.
“Will—?” My throat catches. I’m way too worked up. “Will you have time for something like that?”
He chuckles. “I’ll make time. I know what you’re worried about, Ricky, but I’ll make things right.” He catches my eye and shoots me a knowing look. “Without killing myself.”
“No killing,” Zack repeats, a warning rumble in his voice.
Calli and I share a sly smile. We better not tell Zack about things like heart attacks and strokes just yet. I’m not sure how Callisto will manage, but if anyone can multitask major projects, it’s him.
And now he has a pack supporting him.
