“Don’t confuse him,” I order, and Al puts his hands up as far as the handcuff allows in surrender.
Zack rumbles, and his eyes widen. “Defend? Defend is fight back?”
I grab his wide jaw and turn his face toward me. “Zack, if someone attacks you, don’t let yourself get hurt again. Fight back. Understand? Prison is dangerous and Ray’s trying to hurt you, but as long as you survive, we’ll get you out as soon.”
A beautiful expression breaks over his face, like the dawn arriving after a moonless night. “Ohm-ga cares for Zack.”
My throat closes around a thick wad of emotion, and I hug him as gently as I can. “Of course, my tiger. This ohm-ga loves you so much it hurts.”
Rickon throws his arms around both of us, and we sandwich Zack between us. When his beard stubble tickles me, I turn my face and find Callisto gazing at us. The longing in his puppy-dog eyes is unmistakable.
Chapter twenty-one
Callisto
I curl my hand up so tight my nails dig into my skin as a bitter sensation consumes me. Red, Rickon, and Zack huddle on the bed, unable to stop touching each other. And it’s clear as day they belong together. In his arms, Red’s finally emerged from her emotionless cocoon.
Yeah, I said a bunch of shit about Rickon and Zack bonding, but that was in the heat of the moment because I was worried for my best friend. Honestly, the wild alpha’s absorbing information at a frightening speed, so much so I’m not sure we can consider him feral anymore. He’s learning, understanding logic, and asking intelligent questions. And it feels like each time he learns something new, I lose something old.
And as I stare at the three of them, giggling and running hands over each other in reunion while knotted together, the name for this unsettling emotion makes itself known: jealousy.
They have a special bond, literal and metaphysical, and I don’t have an invitation to the party.
But Red’s scent still lingers on my skin, a ghostly reminder of how she asked me to hold her just hours ago. Her existence stamped itself on my soul so deep I can’t look away. Ever. Even if she’s not mine.
The man behind me chuckles. “You know, I didn’t believe the mongrel when he tried to tell me Red Jones was his omega.” Al rests his head on one fist as he watches them, a thoughtful look on his face. His eyes rove over the trio. Red ditched her shorts, Zack’s all but lost his hospital gown, and Rickon’s entirely naked body glows under the hospital lights. They’re too beautiful for a filthy criminal’s eyes—which is exactly why I covered them with a blanket.
I whip the privacy curtain closed again and drag a chair close to Al’s bed. “We have things to discuss.”
He chuckles. “Sure do, and some danger money to collect.” Al rubs his fingers together expectantly.
“What happened?” I ask, ignoring his antics.
Al grows sober, and his gaze bores into me. “You didn’t tell me you were mixed up with the Tax Collector.”
I stare at him, waiting for something more.
Al hisses and leans close. “Not a single penny of blood money moves in this state without his say-so. I just didn’t know his real name was Ray.” He swears under his breath. “He turned up in the prison today, and Zack says he’s the one who ordered the hit. Now you, my dear lawyer, had better tell me the full story, because if the Tax Collector says someone needs to die, thugs around here fall over themselves to obey. You get my drift?”
A chill creeps down my spine. Ray’s this well known in the crime world, and yet the OCB searches turned up nothing? His shit must be as well hidden as the Holy Grail. Or someone with power keeps covering for him.
Alhedy snaps his fingers toward the curtain. “Hurry up. I’ma have my work cut out for me to keep that spunky boy alive fromnow on, so I’d better fucking know what the drill is, or my hands get tied way behind my back.”
I glance at the privacy curtain, which doesn’t stop the happy murmur of voices. Thanks to Zack’s knot lodged deep inside Red, we’ll be here awhile.
A sigh escapes me, and I nod. “Red was Ray’s unwilling haze source. The OCB broke the trafficking center and rescued her back in that big raid in January. We just put Ray on trial for his crimes and got him convicted, but as we left the courthouse, we were attacked by some kind of alpha-scent chemical weapon and Zack went crazy. Seems it was pre-planned because the police were on standby to snatch him up and send him to prison before I could bail him out.”
Al’s gaze flits as he mentally tracks the story. “And how exactly does Zack fit into the picture? He was in the Darinian prison.”
I shake my head. “They started here in Laversham but he was rescued from the pit fights in an OCB raid down in Darinian. Red sensed her missing scent-mate and broke him out of prison.”
He laughs, clearly impressed. “That’s one capable omega.”
“Clearly, but keep your grubby eyes off her,” I snarl, inexplicable anger flaring in my chest.
Al snorts. “Easy! Sexy as she is, she’s not my type. I prefer them small and trembling.”
I level him with a fierce glare. “That kind of talk is precisely the reason I have no intention of trying to get you out of prison.”
