Callisto nods grimly.
“Was nearly more than a warning,” a deep voice says from beyond the curtain. “But you can thank me they didn’t get there.”
I hook my thumb toward the curtain and lift an eyebrow in question.
Callisto sighs and swishes the curtain back to reveal a bald, tattooed alpha in his late forties sitting in the next bed over. “This is Keith Alhedy, Zack’s cellmate.”
“Call me Al,” the man says, alpha presence oozing out of him in response to the scent of sex in the air. “That’s what your boy knows me by.”
“Control yourself,” Callisto snaps, brow furrowing with irritation. “Or I’ll get you moved to another room.”
The alpha feigns hurt. “Aww, is that any way to treat your newest client? Your precious Zack would be horsemeat if I hadn’t found him.”
I glance at Callisto, expecting him to rage against the man’s reference to Zack as his anything, but surprisingly the lawyer keeps quiet.
“Got bloodied for my troubles too.” Al grunts and points to a bandage on his forehead.
“Then it seems we owe you a lot,” I say.
“You do,” the inmate brags cheerily. “But Mr Wren here’s promised to take care of it.”
Callisto crosses his arms and scowls, but when I meet his eyes, he nods slightly, telling me he’ll make sure Al’s rewarded.
Rickon works his head out of Zack’s armpit so he can speak clearly. “If you’re sharing a cell, I’m pretty surprised Zack didn’t take you out first.” He makes a good point, considering the amount of dangerous prime alpha pheromones the guy’s got going for him.
Al chuckles. “You and me both, but the man-child and I made a deal.”
Zack stirs. “Deal. No challenge, no attack.” He rises on one elbow and stares down at Rickon. “Zack sorry, Ri-ckon. Sorry pull leash and broke outside rule. Sent prison. Not do it again.”
Damn, he’s getting so good at putting sentences together. My heart squeezes at his simple sincerity.
Rickon reaches over and cups his bruised face. “I forgive you, Zack.” His voice quivers like he’s about to cry. “I know you didn’t mean to.”
Zack nods emphatically. “Listened to Rick-on. Not kill. Not fight.”
My breath catches, and I straighten up. “Is that why you got hurt, because you didn’t fight back?”
Zack slumps in misery. He lifts one fist in the air and stares at it, lightly flexing his fingers. “My fight kill weak alphas easy. Zack not kill. Go home.” He snuffles a little, breathing difficult, and glances at Callisto. “Cal-ee deal say no fight.”
Callisto sighs and smacks his hand to his face.
A frustrated groan boils out of me, and I slap Zack’s shoulder. “Stupid! Always defend yourself! How are you going to come home if they kill you?”
His eyes widen in shock, and he looks from me to Rickon, and then to Callisto. “Fight okay?”
Rickon squirms free until he’s upright, and he takes Zack’s calloused fist in both his hands. “Zack, remember the rules say no attacking people?”
Zack nods.
“Well, that applies to everyone. The other alphas aren’t allowed to fight you either.”
Zack scowls. “Did fight. Five and more.”
The bastards ganged up on him? I growl under my breath. “And if that happens, you can defend yourself by fighting back. The law says it’s okay to defend yourself. Right, Callisto?”
Our gazes swivel to the lawyer, and he nods tightly. “Self-defense, yes.”
“You can also fight so long as you don’t get caught,” Al adds, flashing a dangerous smile.
