Page 9 of Loving My Omega (The Perfect Designation Trilogy #2)

Chapter

Nine

O f course Mike didn’t explain himself. His stride was wide and I ended up having to jog to keep up with him. He lead us to the teacher’s lot where he waited at the back door of my car. Blinking, I tried to remember Colton’s warning about Mike knowing everything.

“Hopefully, he’s just being over dramatic.” Beau gave me a wave as she took off down the sidewalk. “If you need me, give me a call. I’ll come help.”

I nodded, hoping that she was right. Unlocking the car, I got into the driver’s seat and Mike slipped into the back. It was an odd choice, rather than sitting in the passenger seat, but that was not the question I was going to waste time on.

“Mike, I need to know what is going on.”

He reached forward to the center console where he plugged in a wire attached to his phone. My Jeep’s screen flickered and then directions out of the parking lot came up. Pulling out, I followed the directions, looking both ways before turning west on the main road.

“Mike! Now! Otherwise my dragon is going to take over. I promise you, he can’t drive and this car will be destroyed.”

He hummed as he was leaned forward, looking out the front windshield. “Mrs. Truman died.”

My eyes widened and I glanced back at him. “What?”

“Colt found her in her apartment. She had had a heart attack. He got her to the hospital. All the tests looked good. It was only a minor one and with her age and as a bear shifter without a mate, it’s not unusual. Only, she had a second one. A big one at the hospital.”

I glanced down at the navigation before making a quick right. “She seemed like a wonderful shifter. I know, just from the few interactions I had with her, she cared for Colton deeply.”

“Well, the feeling was mutual. Colt loved her. She was a mother that he never had. She gave him a love he had never known before.” Mike sighed. “She found out about his designation and predicament. When she did, she embraced him. Gave him a safe place. She even went to one of his doctor’s appointments.”

This was all news to me. I knew that they were close and they talked, but not the extent of their relationship. It was wrong, but I did feel a stab of jealousy that she got to go with him to one of his appointments. It was something that I was hoping to do with him. Especially since I had questions of my own.

“Except that Colt hasn’t lost anyone before. Turn left here.”

I looked down at the navigation before making the left turn. We were headed out almost to where I headed back home. There was one main road that lead out west of the city. It was a road that condensed into a country road leading to the next major city about four hours away. It seemed like we were bypassing the usual evening traffic.

“Don’t slow down, the light will be green for you.”

My brow furrowed and I started to shift my foot to the brake when the light turned green. “Did you…just change the light?”

He chortled. “Yes. Now keep going. The bus dropped him off about twenty minutes ago. We need to get there before he hits the edge of the city.”

“What do you mean the edge of the city? What is he planning on doing?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Mike grumbled, his eyes down on his phone. “He knows what will happen if he leaves like this. He’s being an idiot. If his pack catches him…and they will at this rate…”

Pressing down on the gas, I moved faster through the traffic. If this was something that his old pack could be involved in, it was more than trouble. Mike didn’t seem at all bothered by my speed as we raced down the roads. According to the navigation, we were still five minutes out with how traffic was shaping up.

“Do you not have a car?”

“I don’t usually drive. I’ve got too many tickets.”

I looked at him in the rearview mirror. “Tickets? Like speeding tickets?”

“Speeding, parking, evading police, assaulting police, property damage, endangering lives, caught with explosive material, terrorist activity, and a few others.” Mike was still looking at his phone as he rattled off his rap sheet like there wasn’t a problem with anything he said.

“I’m sorry… what ?”

He looked up, his eyes catching mine in the mirror. “The difference between a terrorist and activist depends solely on who is the one in power at the time.”

Sighing, I shook my head. I didn’t want to know more. The less I knew about Mike, the better. I knew that. It now made me wonder if Colton’s so called fake ID was real. Mike seemed resourceful enough to get what he needed whenever he needed it. On the flip side, I was sure Mike could make Colton disappear and be completely untraceable by anyone.

“Slow. We are getting to the last time I tracked his location.”

Mike rolled down his window and put his whole body out. I slowed, well aware we were on the only road out of the city. There was almost nothing on this road outside a few back roads that went to houses, like mine, tucked a ways away off the road. Then the sporadic gas station or fast food before you hit the other main city.

There was a sign saying “sorry to see you go, hope to see you back soon” that we passed. Mike cursed as he looked back at the sign.

“Fuck. We need to hurry.” He pretty much was sitting on the door as he held onto the frame of my Jeep.

“Why?” I rolled down my window and yelled.

Mike leaned forward. “Because there is a camera on that sign. It takes videos of everyone coming and going into the city. It’s controlled by the Council.”

“And?”

“ And …goddess you’re naive…the Council is corrupt. They happily take extra bribes to give out what is supposed to be confidential information or turn a blind eye. You would be surprised what goes on behind closed doors.”

My lips pursed, not taking too kindly to being called naive. “What does that have to do with Colton?”

“He would have been caught on camera walking past. His Alpha has a flag out for him. Basically, if Colt’s on his own, he’s in danger of getting…there he is!” Mike pointed ahead of us, cutting himself off.

Not waiting for me to stop the car, he opened up the back door and jumped out. Slamming it shut behind him, he took off on foot after a figure off in the distance. I followed him, a little faster before I could actually make out Colton. He was wearing a coat, a red scarf, and his backpack. Pulling over on the side of the road, I got out and shut the door.

“You stupid fucking wolf!”

Mike yelled and Colton jumped, turning around to see his friend. My eyes widened. He looked awful. His face looked haggard while his eyes looked completely sunken in and raw. It hit me like a knife in my chest. Colton had been going through this all on his own. Not once did he reach out to me.

“Mike…I…”

“No! I don’t want to fucking hear it, Colt! There is nothing for you out there! You know that! The camera’s already got you! You think that Alpha Genesis isn’t already on his way here? What were you going to do? Just accept death? Let them take you?” Mike stormed up to Colt who shrunk even smaller. “You’ve done some dumb things these past few years, but this has to take the cake.”

Colton grabbed his coat, pulling it tight. “I just…I don’t…I didn’t have another way. This was the only way.”

Even from where I was standing, I could hear the tears in his voice. However, whatever anger that was pent up in Mike wasn’t done. It also seemed like he was more than a little scared.

“You don’t have a car. I don’t have a car. You think you would make it even a mile without the pack catching up to you? You can’t even walk alone in the city. What was your plan? You can’t keep down food. Where were you going to sleep? Did you even think any of this through?” Mike scoffed. “Don’t answer that. I know you didn’t.”

Crossing the road, I came closer to the two of them standing off. “Mike, I think that’s enough.”

“ Enough ?” Mike actually growled at me as he turned to me, waving his hand at Colton. “This idiot almost got not only himself killed but his pup! I am responsible for his safety! He is my best friend! He might as well have just jumped off a cliff!”

Colton let out a sob and shook his head. “I was only…I wasn’t…”

Mike turned back to him. “I told you I’d get you through anything. I told you I would be there for you and protect you. That’s not just when the wolves descend. It’s also when you don’t know how to handle someone’s death!”

Shaking my head, I pulled Mike back a few steps. “Calm down, Mike. You’re going to swallow him.”

“I hope so! I know how much he loved Bridgett! She was an amazing shifter! But if she knew you were throwing your life away…what the hell would she say?”

Colton covered his mouth and leaned over, his sobs barely letting him take a breath. My heart broke from my little mate. Stepping up to him, I pulled him to me. His face buried into my chest. I held him tight as he cried, running my hands up and down his back.

“Honestly, I should just murder you myself right now. If you wanted to meet her in the afterlife and get your ass kicked by her for even thinking that it was okay…”

“That it enough! Stop. You’re not helping. Go get in the damn car!” I roared a Mike, looking at him through gold eyes.

Mike huffed and stormed across the street. I didn’t know if I Alpha commanded him or if he knew he went too far, but he slammed the back door. Even Colton flinched with how hard he shut the door. Taking a breath, I slipped down onto one knee in front of Colton.

“Colt, look at me.”

Slowly, his head lifted up and I wished I could take the pain away. His eyes didn’t hold a single hint of light. They were dark and dull, his grief overwhelming everything. I gave him a sad smile as I reached up and brushed a tear away.

“There is my little wolf.”

He shook his head, his eyes squeezing tight as tears streamed down his face. “I wasn’t…I didn’t…”

“I know, Colt. I know that was never your intention. That doesn’t change the fact that Mike is right. This wasn’t thought through nearly enough.”

His head fell again but I lifted up his chin. “She left me a house…”

“A house?”

He nodded slowly. “I wanted…I wanted to smell her cooking again. I wanted her to see her plants up on the window sill. I wanted to hear her laugh. Or hit me with her romance novel. I was…we were…” Colton was crumbling.

“Do you remember? Her laugh, her cooking, her plants? Do you remember the times you shared together?”

Colton nodded again.

“Then you have everything you need, right here…” I brushed some hair back on the side of his face. “…and here.” I let my palm press on top of his heart.

It beat erratically and I couldn’t help but feel how boney his ribcage was. He was so thin and I wanted to sweep him up and take him to the hospital. Something to help get some nutrients into him. I needed to focus on his mental state right now though.

He stared at me a for a long moment. “She can’t be gone. She was…everything. She took care of me. She was my rock.”

I nodded. “And she loved you. She proved it over and over again. Even I knew she was something special to you. That love, doesn’t go away, Colt. It stays right here.” My eyes looked down for a moment before I leaned my head to the side and cupped the side of his face. “Some people are meant to be fleeting in our life. They make huge splashes, no matter how short the time. Bridgett gave you something you never had before. She gave you the courage and acceptance that you are allowed to be loved. You are worthy of it. Don’t think I don’t know that it’s because of her that you gave me a chance. It wasn’t just Mike or Sabrina. It was thanks to her.”

“I still need her.”

Smiling, I nodded. “I would have loved to have more time with her too. Sadly, she gave us what she we needed. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“But…”

“ What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. ”

He let out a hollow chuckle. “Helen Keller…said that.”

I nodded. “She did. What about ‘ Those whom we love and lose are no longer where they were before. They are now wherever we are ’.”

“St. John Chrysostom.”

“When was that?”

Colton narrowed his eyes for a moment. “It would have to be before his death in 407 A.D.”

“You have a piece of Bridgett with you always. The love that she shared with you. It will always be with you. That will never change. It had molded you and shaped you.” I took a breath before pulling him closer to me. “It’s not going to hurt any less. Not right now. It will get better through. Because you’ll remember, that this is the very last thing that she would want for you.”

He hung his head. “She…she’d probably kick my ass.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, she probably would have. At the very least would have tossed one of her romance novels at you.”

“ Colton, why the hell did you do something so stupid? In all my years, I never thought I would have to tell a shifter to pull his tail about of his ass. ” Colton mimicked her tone and then chuckled to himself. “She hated when I did things on my own. When I didn’t rely on anyone.”

“She might not be here, but you’re not alone. You still have those you can trust. You have Mike and Sabrina. You have me and my sister. Maybe don’t go to her for the serious stuff…but she’s good for everything else.”

That got another chuckle out of him. “She would be mad you said that.”

“I’m sure she would.” I dried his cheeks with the heat from my hands. “I’m in this with you all the way, Colt. I don’t want this to be fleeting. I don’t want to lose you. Please rely on me more. I can’t…I can’t help if I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry.”

Shaking my head, I stood up and brought his face up to mine. My lips pressed onto his forehead and I nuzzled the side of his face. He let out a sigh and I pulled him back into my arms.

“I don’t need an apology. I understand completely. I just need you to try. I am here for you. With everything, good or bad. Happy or sad. I am here for you.”

Colton pressed splayed his hands against my chest. “Thank…y…”

His body fell slack and he started to crumble. I crouched a bit, catching all of his weight. For a moment, I panicked, but his breathing was still normal. Colton had just passed out.