16. CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 16

Unable to let go of Coleson, Renzo kept his arms around him as he told his story to the room. He hadn't known they were having a community meeting, but it had been the only place he'd thought to look when he had seen no one at all outside. It was convenient that he'd only have to tell this once, especially since he really wanted to only be with Coleson at the moment.

"When I was hiking east, I overheard three Alphas talking about finding Sanctuary." Technically, it was just the one convinced it existed, but the others had become believers when they found it. "I followed them to just outside of town. They talked about the best way to take as many Omegas prisoner as possible and decided they would need to get more Alphas and weapons."

Coleson stiffened in his arms. "Where are they now?"

He shook his head. "They aren't far, but they were headed in the direction where I found them yesterday morning. We should be able to catch up to them relatively easily, but we'd need to head out fairly quickly to catch them. I have no idea where their boat is docked, so if we don't find them by tomorrow, we may not get another chance."

Lowen, Westland, Oxley, and Raman all headed for the door, as did about half the Omegas. "Hold on." Coleson stepped between them and the door to stop them. "Exactly what are you planning? Are you really going to just murder them in cold blood?"

"What would you have us do?" Westland asked. "Wait until they bring back more men with weapons?"

Renzo had to admit he hadn't really considered what they would do with the men when they caught them. Yeah, they'd had to kill to defend themselves, but this seemed so… cold and calculating. "That's a good point, Coleson. Is killing them really something we want to be a part of?"

"If it means keeping us safe, yes," Raman exclaimed quickly.

More than half in the room nodded their heads in agreement. But there were quite a few who were frowning. Coleson was one of them. "I admit I don't want to put us in danger, but I can't condone killing someone just because they've threatened us."

"How in the hell are we supposed to stop them from trying to destroy this town and take all the Omegas to sell them?" Westland asked. "Ask them nicely to leave us alone?" The sarcasm dripped from his voice.

"We have a jail," Ford reminded them. "Maybe we can keep them there."

"Talk about ironic," Fennec blurted out. "Imprisoning those who plan to imprison us."

He had a point.

"Are any of the cells even viable?" Lowen asked.

Coleson shook his head. "As far as I know, we've never checked them out."

"All right." Lowen pointed to Renzo. "Take Oxley, Raman, Westland, and anyone else who wants to go, and find those Alphas. Take weapons in case they fight back. Bring rope to tie them up." Then he pointed to Coleson. "You and I are going to check out the jail. If it won't work, we'll have to come up with a place to keep them."

The need to be near his Omega was strong, but Renzo was the only one who knew where the Alphas were headed. That didn't mean he would not show Coleson he would rather be with him. Tugging on his hand, Renzo pulled him close. "I hate leaving you right now, but I will be back as soon as I can."

He loved the way Coleson melted against him, tilted his head up and pursed his lips. Not about to deny his Omega the request, Renzo kissed him softly. "I love you, Coleson. I'll see you as soon as I get back."

As much as it pained him, he followed the others and left his Omega. That it felt as if his heart had been ripped out of chest didn't help. Since Coleson mentioned they shouldn't kill them, he hated taking the rifle offered to him when they'd gone to the armory.

"Are you okay, doc?" Oxley asked him as they left the town.

Was he? Honestly, he had no idea. "Not really," he answered honestly. Not about finding those wanting to hurt the Omegas, but because he hated the thought of leaving Sanctuary when Coleson finally seemed willing to accept him as his Alpha.

Oxley nodded, as if he completely understood. "I get it isn't easy, but if it means protecting them…"

He didn't finish the rest of his statement. Nor did he give a reason for it. Yet, Renzo knew there was zero doubt it was because he also knew Oxley was leaving the Omega he loved.

They hadn't acknowledged their feelings, but he knew Oxley and Fennec were meant to be together. Just like he and Coleson were made for each other.

"We will find those Alphas and stop them from coming to Sanctuary." Even as he said those words, he feared they wouldn't yield the results he'd hoped for.

"What direction?" Weston asked, as the other Alphas as well as six Omegas, only because they were practiced in stealth were they allowed to follow. Admittedly, there were too many of them to not be heard, but they were hoping since the enemy had no clue they were being tracked, they wouldn't hear them.

Renzo led the way. He often stopped them when they were making too much noise as they got closer to the other Alphas. For two days they followed. Renzo had hoped it would only be one more day because he seriously wanted to get back to Coleson, but once they'd picked up Alpha's trail, he and Westland had decided it was better to stay back in order to know these men.

First, and it was extremely important, whoever the Alphas they'd been tracking, who also seemed to accept Sanctuary existed, had been working for others who'd sent them there. That was a huge problem. It meant others might try to find them if none of them returned.

Second, they had seen how many Omegas lived in Sanctuary. It was possible, even if the Alphas they were tracking didn't return to those they worked for, but would find others to come back with in order to take the Omegas. The fact there were so many of them in one place would ensure someone would come after them.

Worse, those Alphas had learned a lot about Sanctuary. Like a whole lot. "Did they just suggest impregnating every Omega and selling their own fucking children before selling the Omegas who gave birth?"

Westland might have asked but every one of them was filled with rage. Renzo couldn't even fathom the thought of Coleson being possibly captured. There was nothing he wouldn't do to keep him safe.

Stop.

Nothing was off the table, if that was what they were planning. Not even murder. He would literally annihilate anyone threatening to kill his family.

They hadn't planned on putting distance between them and those they were after, but one omega had twisted his ankle and they'd stopped to bind it. Too afraid to leave him behind with those Alphas around, they'd slowed their progress. But Renzo knew where they were headed, so they weren't worried.

Except…Fuck.

He blinked at the location where he'd originally run into the Alphas. There was no one there. He'd been certain they would return if not there, close to it. Yet none of them heard any sound that would give their location away.

"Spread out," Westland ordered softly, yet resolutely. Within seconds, he had two Omegas paired with an Alpha as they searched each direction. But none of them found any sign of those they'd hoped to catch.

When they'd regrouped, Oxley growled at him. "Are you positive this is where you encountered them?"

He pointed to the small, yet still overgrown bushes he'd hidden behind. "Yes. That was where I hid the first time I'd heard them. I can't be certain how I stayed out of sight after that, but I'm positive they didn't know I was there when they passed me by."

Right?

Yeah. He was positive. The problem was as he followed them, Renzo wasn't certain he was as stealthy as he needed to be. Which left Sanctuary where?

From what he'd witnessed, there had only been three Alphas. No matter how many weapons they might have had, there was no fucking way those three could invade and capture Sanctuary, which held over a hundred and forty Omegas and five Alphas. Right?

Fuck if he knew.

None of that was his field of expertise. Renzo was a healer, not a fighter. That said, he was also prepared to do whatever it took to defend his Omega.

Stomping back to Sanctuary, he grew more frustrated with every step. The thing was, if Coleson knew he was ready to take on the world to keep him safe, his Omega would fight him tooth and nail that it wasn't Renzo's right. And it wasn't.

Except…

Nothing and no one, not even Coleson, would stop him from doing exactly that. Did that make him a bad Alpha? What if his Omega had done the right thing by letting him walk away?

"Stop," Weston told him as they headed back into town. "I mean, I get it. Love isn't easy." Then he shrugged as if he wasn't actually certain of his words.

"He's right," Oxley admitted. "Each moment…" But he cut himself off with a headshake. "No, each fucking word is like a bomb. One we do not know will go off or not."

Actually, that described things perfectly even before he'd come back. Yes, Coleson had seemed to welcome him back into the fold, but he had no idea if that was real or not. And what if it wasn't?

Yeah, that wasn't something Renzo wanted to even think about. Especially when he'd completely failed at doing the one thing he had been born to do. Protect his Omega.