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I sucked in a breath.
“It happened a few more times at a few more events with work colleagues,” she admitted. “Each time, the outfits got more risqué. After one particular night, one of their bosses hit on me.” She sniffled and tried to swallow a broken sob.
Crawling across the seats separating us, I wrapped her in my arms.
“He cornered me by the bathroom and tried to kiss me. I got away, and I went to tell my pack, but they joked they probably would’ve gotten a promotion if I’d just blown their boss.”
“Assholes,” I hissed, rage simmering in my blood.
“They laughed it off, told me not to be dramatic.” She shrugged, a tear falling down her cheek. “So, I let it go, but I found reasons not to go to any more dinners or events with them when I could. Then my heat happened.”
My heart sank. “Did they hurt you?”
“Not in the way you think,” she replied. “My heat was great, coming out of it, not so much. They didn’t know I was awake, and I heard them talking about me. Bragging about how they’d managed to win a bet with another pack to land the Dutton princess. How bonding me would open up doors for their pack.”
I was practically vibrating with fury now. How dare these guys use my sweet, loveable best friend?
“Then they started talking about how, even though I was a stupid little girl, I could take a knot like a pro. They made a bunch of crude jokes, and I just laid there, listening to them rip me apart,” she went on bitterly.
“Oh, honey,” I murmured. “You’re so much more than that.”
“Am I?” Calla lifted her eyes, and I saw all the uncertainty and self-loathing. “Let’s face it, I’m not the smartest girl. I got halfway decent grades, and I have a learning disability.”
I gasped. “You’re dyslexic, Calla, and I know for a fact you worked your ass off to find ways to handle that. There isn’t a damn thing wrong with being different, and fuck anyone who says otherwise.”
She nodded. “I guess. But when they realized I was awake and upset, they didn’t even care. Mal—Silas’s brother—laughed at me for being a drama queen. He said some really hateful things, mostly about omegas only needing a good knot and shiny things to be happy. Like I wasn’t even a person. I tried to leave, and he kept goading me, telling me he’d prove it. Finally, I just gave in. It was easier.”
My heart fucking stopped beating. “What do you mean you gave in?”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes. “It wasn’t a big deal. I was still emotional and hormonal from my heat… Mal and Pietro—another of the alphas—pushed me onto the bed. They just kept kissing me and licking, and we had sex. When we were done, Mal laughed and said I’d proven his point. That all omegas wanted were knots and a cushy life like the one they would give the Dutton princess.”
“Calla,” I whispered, horrified. “Sweetie, that’s assault.”
She frowned. “No, it wasn’t. I mean, I didn’t want to, but I also didn’t say no. And it didn’t hurt. It was easier to just get it over with, and then I left. I canceled the courtship, and then I decided to enroll in college to prove I was more than just…” She looked sick as she trailed off.
“Just what?” I prodded.
“An alpha cum dumpster,” she said, her voice barely audible.
“I’m going to fucking kill those guys,” I snarled. “Where are they? You said Pack Capshaw? I’m sure?—”
“No!” She grabbed my hands in a brutal vise. “Hazel, you can’t tell anyone.”
My eyes widened. “Calla, none of this was your fault. Not a single, goddamned thing.”
“Can we just change the subject?” she asked wearily. “I hate reliving it. It’s humiliating.”
“It’s criminal,” I argued. “Alphas can’t use your designation against you to manipulate you sexually. That’s rape, Cal.”
“I’d already spent my heat with them. What court in the world would think I didn’t want it?” Her tone was wooden, resigned. “It’s over now. We can just forget it.”
“Calla—”
She pushed the blanket off and stood abruptly. “I need to go to the bathroom.” She all but fled the room, leaving me in stunned shock until Jude came to the room.
Hesitating in the doorway, Jude’s muscles were pulled tight. “You okay, pretty girl?”
“No,” I admitted, turning sad eyes to him. “Did you hear any of that?”
