11. CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 11
Even though he'd been doing his best to come to terms with his attraction for Renzo since getting back to Sanctuary, Coleson hadn't expected to suddenly be thrust back out with him where they were virtually alone. Okay, that might not quite be true as there were five others with them, even so, it felt that way since they spent pretty much every minute of every day together as they traveled from abandoned town to abandoned town.
That they were the ones sitting together in the front of the pickup truck while three Alphas; Westland, Raman, Oxley, and two Omegas; Wilder and Amesi were on horseback. Why it had been arranged that way, Coleson honestly didn't know. Something about experience with horseback riding and being too sore to move without it.
At the time, it had seemed reasonable, but he was positive Amesi, who'd he'd been friends with his whole life, had never been on a horse. Yet, that first night they camped out, he hadn't seemed to suffer from the hours of riding. Then again, his friend had worked on Lowen's farm, so it was possible he was used to being on a horse.
"We have about ten miles before we hit the edge of town." They were heading northwest, so they didn't have to cross the river. It wasn't ideal as it would lead them to what used to be Interstate 80, which would have been highly traveled when it was encouraged everyone move east of the Mississippi. But it would also take them through Des Moines, what used to be the state capital. It would likely be picked over, but because it had been a large city, they were hoping to find it not completely devoid of supplies.
Even though Lowen and his dads had already searched the surrounding towns, including Des Moines, they had mainly been looking for food and equipment for working their farm. Not medical supplies. With a lot of luck, they just might find what they need closer to home, but—if he was being completely honest—it was doubtful. Then again, the longer they were traveling, the more time he could spend with Renzo. He just wasn't positive he was ready for that.
"That should put us there just in time for lunch." As much as it pained him to admit, Renzo was correct. Not about the lunch part, but that it was an hour away. The roads were… well, they could hardly be classified as roads any longer. The potholes had potholes big enough to swallow their truck.
It would have been a lot faster if they'd just all traveled on horseback, but they'd been hoping to find enough supplies on this trip to fill up the bed of the truck. A few saddlebags weren't going to cut it–they hoped anyway.
"According to Lowen, our first stop, Monroe, is fairly small, so it shouldn't take us long to search it before moving on." If they were lucky, they might just make it to the next town before stopping for the night.
"Unfortunately, that might mean we won't find much, especially since it's so close to Des Moines." Renzo had a point, but they were stuck with their path since there were several waterways in other directions that might or might not have been passable.
Only because this was the route Lowen took to meet up with the other traders on land did they feel reasonably certain any overpasses were still standing. It didn't mean they weren't in other directions, but until they'd searched the routes they knew were still intact, they didn't want to waste time on roads they couldn't be sure were still standing.
"Fuck," Renzo cursed as they came upon a huge…well, it couldn't be called a pothole when three-quarters of the road was missing. Thankfully, when they edged along the grass on the side of the road, they hadn't run over anything that had popped a tire.
They had started out with four in the truck's bed, but had already used one on the first day of their trip. It wasn't a huge deal since there were vehicles that had been abandoned in every town, according to Lowen. Car dealers and rental places were the most abundant Lowen had assured them. But they also had to make it to a town to find more. Something they hadn't been certain would happen after losing a tire within three hours of leaving Sanctuary.
"Too bad none of us know how to repair roads." Actually, now that they'd moved to Sanctuary, Coleson was realizing there were a lot of things they should have been learning to do to sustain a town outside of the amenities east of the Mississippi. "I probably should have been studying that instead of something as useless as law."
Renzo's face scrunched up in a scowl as he turned his head to glance at Coleson before concentrating on the severally disintegrating road. "How is the law useless?"
Coleson couldn't stop from barking out a laugh. He gestured around them. "What good is it going to do me out here where there are no laws? Not to mention, I wasn't able to actually go to college since I'm nothing but an Omega. It's not as if I actually have a degree."
Renzo was frowning but said nothing for several minutes, even though Coleson could tell he wanted to. Then, as if he just couldn't stop himself any longer, Renzo said, "Tell me something. Why law? What was it about it that fascinated you enough to study it even though you couldn't go to school?"
Anger, frustration, and passion surged through Coleson as he thought about how he'd wanted to help his fellow Omegas. "Because it is the one tool that might actually make a difference in this fucked up world." He knew he was too loud considering they were sitting a foot apart in an enclosed vehicle, but he just couldn't help it.
"This world sucks for Omegas. We're treated like we don't even matter and no one is willing to do anything about it." That was what frustrated him the most. There were Alphas that claimed it wasn't right, but none of them seemed willing to actually do anything about it.
"You did."
He hadn't known what, if anything, Renzo would respond to his argument, but it hadn't been that. "What?"
Golden brown eyes met his for a moment when Renzo said, "You did." His gaze once more returned to the road, but the Alpha kept talking. "You were determined to make a better life for you and your friends and any other Omega who needed help, and you did. You found that place. You got them there. You made Sanctuary livable. And you arranged for everyone to contribute their talents to building a town where they feel happy and safe. That is no small feat."
Coleson just knew his mouth hung open and his eyes were practically bugging out of his face as he stared in astonishment at Renzo. He'd just been one of the group who'd done that, yet this Alpha seemed to think he'd done it on his own.
"I already know what you're thinking," Renzo said before Coleson could refute what he'd said. "Did your friends help? Yes. But from everything they've said, it was you who got them there. If you hadn't pushed, none of it would have happened. You are a leader and that is something no school could teach. So, degree or not, you should be proud of everything you've accomplished. That includes studying law and realizing Omegas need not just a few laws changed but a place they can live their lives the way they want, not as an Alpha dictates."
"But I only…"
"Got you and your friends out of a bad situation," Renzo said, cutting him off. "Led them to a place they were free from being forced to marry, procreate, or told they weren't good enough to do what they wanted with their lives. Turned an abandoned town that wasn't in terrible shape but needed a lot of work into a place where others could come and live free from being abused and sold like they weren't even human beings."
Renzo smiled at Coleson brightly enough that it made his golden brown eyes even brighter. "You don't give yourself enough credit for all you've done."
He didn't? Coleson hadn't really considered it before. He'd always just done what needed to be done. Wasn't that how life worked?
"But I…"
Renzo chuckled, cutting him off. "There's no but, love. You are an amazing person. That you do it when our world is built to try to tear you down makes you even more remarkable. I just wish you could see that."
Huh.
He honestly wasn't certain what to say. Except… "Then why don't I feel I do much? I mean, yeah, I admit I was the one to find Sanctuary, but that was a fluke when I'd met Damon, who had known the place existed from his days on his Alpha father's riverboat. But I didn't actually do anything. It wasn't me who went out and searched for a town that we could use."
"But you did." Renzo seemed so certain, but he just couldn't understand how. When he opened his mouth to explain again it hadn't been him, the Alpha stopped him by saying, "That you know of, had any of your friends asked around about a town that would work considering it needed to run with green energy?"
Coleson frowned. They hadn't, but that was more because they hadn't believed that, even if they found it, they could travel there without being caught. "No, but…"
Once again, he was cut off. "Again, there are no buts. You never gave up searching not only for a place like Sanctuary but a way to get there without involving any Alphas who might either stop you or take advantage of you trying to disappear."
Coleson was still having a hard time digesting what Renzo was saying, but the Alpha did have him thinking about each time he'd tried to find someone who would be able to get them across the Mississippi until he'd found Damon.
"You not only found Sanctuary, but you found an Omega who had refurbished an old boat to get you across Lake Michigan, as well as another one who had a tractor trailer in order to bring supplies to where another Omega waited for you with a riverboat no one knew he had, who also knew the Mississippi well enough to take you to an abandoned town that was off the beaten path enough no one would look for you there." The way Renzo said it, he made Coleson sound like some sort of superhero.
Even better, Coleson was starting to believe what he was saying.
"I know your parents didn't encourage you to believe you could do anything you set your mind to, but they were wrong." Renzo's words had his heart beating faster with sheer pleasure. "You are a testament to why Omegas shouldn't be diminished just because of their designation. You are a human being and deserved to be treated with respect and dignity."
Damn. If he kept talking like that, Coleson was going to fall in love with the man.