14. CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14

The moment Coleson dove back into their kiss, the fear that had been gripping Renzo in an iron fist melted away. Don't get him wrong, they were far from smooth sailing, but he'd seen the conscious decision Coleson made to be with him. Or try to anyway.

There were never any guarantees in life, but deep in his bones, Renzo knew Coleson was the one for him. He would do anything for his Omega.

"Need," Coleson moaned as he reached for the front of Renzo's jeans. His hand cupped his bulge, pressing against it with those long, deft fingers.

Damn, he could come just from his Omega's touch if he wasn't careful. And as much as he wanted nothing more than to sink deep into Coleson at that moment, he knew the others would most likely be sending someone back to check on them soon.

That didn't mean he couldn't make his love feel good. Pulling Coleson until he was just barely on the tailgate, he unfastened his jeans and fished his cock from inside and stroked it. Wanting to feel more, he used his other hand to undo his own pants while delving his tongue into the recesses of that delicious mouth, coating it with the taste of this Omega who had become everything to him.

With his knee, he nudged those long, slim legs open and stepped between them until he could wrap one hand around both of the lengths. A deep guttural moan was pushed into the kiss from both of them as the sensation of feeling all that heat emanating from their needy pricks.

Strong hands held onto his shoulders as Coleson tilted back slightly, allowing his body to straighten enough that they were groin to groin with no hindrance. The feel of Coleson against him, skin to skin, was like nothing Renzo had ever known in his life. He wanted this moment to last forever but between having lusted after this man for weeks, as well as knowing they wouldn't have much time before someone showed up, he stroked with purpose.

"Please," Coleson begged, before nipping on Renzo's bottom lip. "I need this so bad."

His hips bucked up to push his cock through Renzo's fist as if to prove his impatience. His nails dug into the skin above Renzo's collar and he couldn't deny loving the thought of his Omega marking him in that small way.

"I've got you, love," he promised as Renzo stroked them with a firm grip even as he pushed their bodies closer together. "Come, Omega," he ordered, and damn if he didn't get to witness the most perfect sight he'd ever seen.

Coleson's mouth formed an ‘O,' those beautiful eyes with their blown pupils widening in surprise before pure pleasure shone from his entire being, lighting up Renzo's entire world. Fluid flowed over his hand even as Coleson called out his name, making him feel like a God.

He'd done that. He'd been the one to give that to this amazing Omega.

His own cock throbbed hard, and he soon followed as his orgasm rolled through him, bringing him the bliss of being with his Omega. Nothing could have ever been more perfect. Well, maybe actually being inside Coleson, but he wasn't going to complain about witnessing the euphoria that had enveloped them both.

But when Coleson stiffened in the next minute, Renzo just knew he was already beginning to regret what they'd done. He just didn't know if his heart could take it. So before Coleson could ruin the moment, he looked into those panicked eyes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Please don't regret this," he begged. Hell, he'd get down on his knees if he had to in order to stop Coleson from saying the words that would kill a part of him. "I know this is scary for you, especially after everything you've been through, as well as hearing how the other Omegas you've encountered had been treated, but I'm not one of the Alphas who would ever do that. Especially to you."

The doubt still lingered in those blue eyes, and Renzo just couldn't hold back the tears that were threatening to fall any longer. He'd meant it before. He would do anything for Coleson, including staying away from him if that's what he really wanted.

"Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?" he asked morosely.

His expression didn't change other than it was now mixed with regret. He reached into the cab of the truck where their backpacks with a couple changes of clothes, canteens, and some snack bars were stored. Then he went back to where Coleson still sat. He couldn't resist cupping that beautiful face and tracing the ridges of his cheekbones before sliding his fingers down to those lips he could kiss all day, every day, for the rest of his life.

Leaning in, he pressed their mouths together for a brief, barely-there kiss. "I love you. That will never change. I really hope you find the life you need to make you happy."

Then he stepped back. Drinking him in with his eyes one more time, he turned on his heel and walked into the trees that lined the road. It was time to find a way back home because if there was one thing Renzo knew, he couldn't torture himself by staying with someone who didn't want him.

It wouldn't be fair to either of them.

And damn if Coleson didn't just let him go.

You're an idiot, he told himself for about the millionth time since he left Coleson behind. But there was no changing that. Nor would he, even if he'd been given a chance to do it over again.

He was making Coleson miserable, and himself too, if he were being honest, by sticking around. The Omega might never accept an Alpha in his life, even though he could see the longing in those blue eyes every damn time he looked at Ford and Lowen.

His Omega wanted that life. Love, family, happiness. Yet, for some reason that Renzo still couldn't fathom, he was too afraid to go after it. Which was how he'd ended up walking through the fucking state of Iowa with no clue how he was going to make it to the Mississippi, much less cross it.

Not that it mattered. Without his Omega, there really wasn't any point in worrying about the future. Renzo had to figure out how to get through each day. Waking up was the hardest, not that he really slept, but trying to force himself to face each day was far more challenging than he'd imagined.

Not even when he'd been taken hostage with no real chance of escape had he felt so… desolate. Crawling out of his makeshift bed, which was more or less a thin mat, he left his one-man tent and went to the fire pit. Then he glanced in his bag and realized he'd run out of coffee the day before, so there was no point in starting a fire.

Grabbing his canteen and some jerky he had, he took a long drink and a bite of the dried meat. With no reason to sit around, he broke down his meager camp and put everything away. Once the backpack was on his shoulders, he took another bite of the beef, stuffed the rest in the front pocket of his shirt, he headed toward the rising sun.

Maybe if he started out the day navigating his way to the Mississippi, it would take his mind off of Coleson. He doubted it, but sitting around the campsite drinking coffee had never helped.

"I'm telling you, I saw lights in the distance last night."

Renzo froze, glanced around, saw some overgrown bushes he could hide in if he could get to them without being overheard. Fortunately for him, whoever was talking kept doing so, hiding his movements.

"I'd overheard Omegas chattering that there was a place they could go to and be safe from Alphas. I've been looking for it ever since."

Terror crashed into Renzo before he'd gotten to his hiding place, nearly getting him caught as the voices drew nearer. He'd only barely made it behind the foliage when he heard their footsteps snapping twigs close enough he swore he could reach out and touch them even though he knew that was his own fear of being caught–or worse, those assholes finding Sanctuary–taking hold and making him imagine they were right next to him.

A different voice scoffed. "Please. Do you also believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy?"

"I'm serious," the first one insisted. "I mean, yeah, I know they could have been making it up, so they'd feel better about being caged, but the way they were whispering and checking to be certain no one was listening had me wondering."

A third voice barked out a laugh. "Clearly not well enough if you were listening in. How do you know they weren't saying that because they knew you were there?"

"Okay, but then how do you explain the over one hundred Omegas who escaped in Memphis, never to be seen again?" The first one exclaimed. "Not one of them has ever been found. And considering they were chained up or caged, someone had to have set them free."

"What does that have to do with this mythical place?" the second voice exclaimed.

Their voices were getting more distant but needing to find out what they knew–mostly the first voice–Renzo carefully extracted himself from his hiding place and followed them. Thank fuck, none of them seemed to pay attention to their surroundings as he damn well knew he was far from stealthy.

"Whoever freed them had to have taken them somewhere." There was a snort, but Renzo didn't know from who before the first added, "Plus, based on those who were at the port that day, they claimed a person involved lived somewhere west of the Mississippi, where the one omega I was talking about claimed the town was located."

"Fine," the third voice said. "Let's say you're right and there is some Omega safe place. How do you know the lights you saw are related? They're probably nothing more than the camp we work for that keeps Omegas until they can be sold at places like Memphis."

Breathing a little easier that the two others didn't seem to believe the one guy, Renzo continued to slowly follow them. The only problem was, without risking discovery, he wasn't keeping up, making it more challenging to hear them.

"Because these were electric lights."

The moment the first guy announced that little tidbit, Renzo knew Sanctuary was in trouble. Okay, so technically, he already had known that when he'd overheard them to begin with, but there was no way the other two wouldn't help find the town at that point. Electricity wasn't an issue east of the Mississippi, but from what he'd overheard from the Alphas who'd kidnapped him, it hardly existed west of the river.

Glancing east, he shook his head. As much as he hadn't wanted to torture himself by being around Coleson, Renzo knew he had to go back and warn the others. Who was he kidding? He had to return and do whatever it took to keep his Omega safe.