Chapter 1
Chapter
One
COLTON
My hand ran over the marble countertop. It matched the color of the kitchen perfectly, even picking up the warm tones of the large dining table.
The expansive windows looked out over the French Riviera.
They constructed the entire wall of windows to maximize the view.
A whistle sounded behind me, Laila coming up behind me.
“This place is incredible.”
I nodded absently. “The pictures definitely didn’t do it justice.”
Normally, I would be excited. This place was amazing.
Mike had done an excellent job of finding it.
This floor was technically the second floor, even though it was the main floor you walked into from the street.
There was one below us, using the slanting mountainside to give each of the bedrooms below a balcony and space to sit out while allowing a huge outdoor area on this level as well.
Out of the kitchen, there was a long grassy area that stretched down the entire length of the house, with a garden area behind it.
It’s where Laila had landed when we finally made the rest of the trip over here.
She was running around in her dress, looking at all the different nooks and crannies of the place.
All it felt now was hollow. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I made my choice. For Marcus and for our little girl.
My hand rubbed my stomach. She had been extra active while we were flying, but she settled down now. Yesterday we had been flying, but I was now officially in my third trimester. There was no text from celebrating the milestone. There was no meeting with Eva. Nothing.
“Why don’t we get you settled? That flight took a little longer than I thought. I’m sorry I pooped out early.” Laila pulled open the refrigerator, closing it as though it hadn’t been full of food.
“You don’t need to stay with me, Laila. I can manage on my own.”
Her eyebrow rose. “Can you? Really? Ever tried picking something up off the floor? Or maybe tie your own shoes? Or how about seeing anything below your waist?”
“Okay, that is completely uncalled for.” I put my hand on my hip. “I can pick things up off the floor…for now. I also don’t have shoes I need to tie.”
“And your knees? You can see those?”
My lips pursed, and she threw her head back laughing.
“I’ve got you, Colton. You’re part of the family now, right? You told me what happened. You’re still mated to my brother-in-law. I’m pretty sure the entire family might kill me if I left you now.”
Letting out an exasperated sigh, I shook my head. Laila wasn’t budging, and from everything everyone had told me, I wasn’t going to get anywhere arguing with her anyway. It was fine. Maybe with her company, it wouldn’t seem nearly as lonely.
“How many people are after you that you need to hide out with your brother-in-law’s pregnant Omega?”
Spinning on her heel, she smirked with a piece of fresh bread in her mouth. “A lot?”
Rolling my eyes, I walked over to her and hip-checked her away. “Go pick out your room and then pick out mine. If you don’t mind putting my bag on the bed in there, that would be great. I’ll start on dinner since you’re hungry.”
“Score! Done!”
Laila headed off, skipping as she did after grabbing my bag. Opening the fridge myself, I smiled as I saw all the foods I’d been making and craving in the fridge. No wonder Laila closed it almost immediately. Grabbing my phone from my back pocket, I sent a quick text to Mike.
Colton
I made it
Colton
Somehow
Colton
Thanks for getting all my craving foods
I didn’t expect an answer. It was six in the evening, but it would be the morning for them. Mike would either have classes or he might not be up at all. Grabbing a few ingredients, I pulled off my sweatshirt and placed it on the dining chair before washing my hands.
In the middle of cutting vegetables, Laila sauntered into the kitchen. “It really is incredible. The downstairs bedrooms are gorg. The view is something out of a magazine.”
“You know, if you got along with your mate, you might actually be able to have a place like this.” I raised my eyebrow at her.
“I don’t need a lecture now. Thank you very much. I am very much aware of my relationship with Peter.” She sat in one of the bar chairs, resting her chin on her arms as she pouted. “I know I messed up. It just got to be too much, and I didn’t want to have the Alford’s bail me out. Again.”
Taking the bowl of vegetables and throwing them into the pot, I stirred it a few times with a brand-new wooden spoon. I should get Mrs. Truman’s spoon that was in my bag, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I’d gone from two boxes to an entire house, and now I was down to a single bag. Shaking my head, I couldn’t fall apart. Not right now. I needed to hold on.
“If you are going to stay with me, then you need to reach out to him.”
“What?” Laila slammed her palms on the marble.
I pointed the wooden spoon at her. “No. You have been missing, Laila. Peter lost track of you and he was worried. He called Mar to see if you had reached out or if he could. He doesn’t know where you are. You will tell him you’re alright.”
Her face screwed up as if she’d sucked on a lemon. “What if I refuse?”
“Then no food for you, and you can get that fat earth-dragon butt out of my house.”
Laila’s mouth hung down in mock horror. “My butt is not fat!”
“Have you looked at yourself in dragon form?” I turned back to the soup I was making. “It’s large.”
“I’m a dragon! Of course I’m large!”
Shrugging, I didn’t answer, but I did smile when I heard her whine. She launched into the intricacies of dragons and how different they were between the types and the different locations each dragon was from. It was actually fascinating, but I was only half-listening.
“Colton?”
I pulled back to reality. “Sorry, did you ask me something?”
“No, you just had that far-off look. I was wondering if you were okay.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “No. I’m not okay. I don’t know if or when I’ll be okay again. I’m sorry. I’m going to be terrible company here.”
“It’s okay. I mean, considering what you’re going through, you’re holding up better than I think most would?”
Isn’t that how it always was. I was stronger than your average Omega. I was stronger than your average shifter. I could handle more. I could deal with everything thrown at me.
My eyes stared into the pot as if it had sung the words at me.
Slowly, I stirred the liquid. I was tired, that’s what I was.
Just because I could do it didn’t mean I wanted to.
Even if I were strong enough, there was always a breaking point.
I could feel mine; tied to the bond that felt like a ghost of what it had been.
Marcus.
I reached out through the mind-link into the darkness and the nothingness that made the loneliness that much worse.
Usually, there was warmth. Sometimes Marcus’ dragon would brush against me, just to check on me while Marcus was teaching or working.
There wasn’t a hint of a connection between us.
Other than the fact that I could reach out at all.
My fingers brushed the mark on my shoulder.
“Colton, you’re doing it again.”
Snorting, I rolled my eyes. “Stop calling me Colton. It’s weird. Everyone calls me Colt, save for my family, and if you met them, you would probably understand why I left.”
“Sorry. Gods.” Laila put her hands up. “If that’s the case, then call me Lai.”
“Because you are lying about speaking to Peter to get some food?”
She huffed. “How dare you. Like I haven’t heard that one before.”
“Well, do we have a deal?” I turned, my hand on my hip.
“Fine, fine. I’m not doing it now, though. Or tomorrow. I need some time.”
I nodded. “That’s fine. I’m not asking for right now. I just think if the two of us are going to be living together, only one of us should be out a mate.”
“Colt…”
Turning the burner off, I moved the pot over and searched through the cabinets for some bowls. “Sorry it’s so plain tonight. I didn’t really want to do too much.”
“It smells good, even though it’s vegetables.”
I turned my head towards her. “What are you, five?”
“No! I jut am an adult who doesn’t like vegetables. Is there a problem with that?”
Scoffing, I rolled my eyes. “No, none at all. I just didn’t realize I needed to buy a kiddie table for you. If you want, I can pour a sippy cup full of milk, and I’m sure I can make a bib out of something.”
“How does Marcus even deal with you? You’re so fucking snarky.”
“He isn’t a child. You act like a child, and I treat you like one.” Ladling soup into a bowl, I put it in front of her and sliced some thick pieces of bread from the one she had been snacking on. “Now eat before it gets cold.”
She started to give me some snarky reply, but I growled at her.
Her head fell, and I ladled a smaller portion for myself.
The last thing I had right now was an appetite.
Still, both Marcus and Eva would kill me if I let everything we had fixed go to waste.
On top of that, I had a feeling that things were going to get worse before they got better.
Laila gasped as I took the seat next to her. It wasn’t exactly easy getting up on a chair this high anymore, but I wiggled myself into it. She looked from the soup to me.
“Why is this good?”
“I don’t know how to answer that.”
I spooned the thinner broth, sipping it quietly.
It was nice and warm, and hearty. Everything was cooked right, and it came down to making sure each of the vegetables had the right time to cook.
There were a few spices tossed in, but not too much.
If I did it over again, and I wasn’t exhausted, I might add some cream, potatoes, and maybe some kind of sausage.
“I mean. It’s good. It’s got green stuff in it, and it’s good.”
“Lai…”
She eyed me suspiciously.
“Eat your damn dinner.”
Smiling, Laila nodded. Her gung-ho slurping noises made me smile, but I kept quiet.
I was glad to have some company. She was silly and childish, but Laila wasn’t a bad person.
Too many selfish decisions and it lead her down a path that she couldn’t turn back.
At least not until someone extended their hand and plucked her out of the mud.
I finished my bowl, eating the soft bread after soaking up the leftover soup at the bottom of the bowl. My phone vibrated, but I had left it on the other side of the counter.
“I got it.” Laila walked around the kitchen and grabbed it, handing it to me.
“Thank you. It probably is Mike.”
Unlocking it, sure enough, it was Mike.
Mike
I’m glad you made it alright.
Mike
A little later than I thought you would make it.
Colton
I know. It’s a far way to fly if you’re not used to it
Colton
We just finished dinner here
Mike
I’m keeping an eye on everything.
Mike
You need sleep, though.
Mike
We can talk tomorrow.
My lips pursed. I wanted to talk now. We needed to plan something.
I needed to have something to do. Otherwise, I felt like I was going to go crazy.
My heart was breaking, and I kept second-guessing my decision.
What if I had fought? What if I had managed to save Marcus?
What if I went to the Alford’s instead of here?
They were eating at me, and I wanted to know if Mason got back home all right. I knew Mike would make sure he got back, but what would the Alford’s do? They could try to storm into the house and take Marcus back. Maybe even kill Ebony at the same time.
The soup wasn’t settling in my stomach, and I took a deep breath.
Colton
I need more than that Mike
Mike
I know you do.
Mike
We will talk.
Mike
But it will be tomorrow. After you get some rest and you can come at this with a level head.
I wanted to break my phone. Slamming it down on the counter, I slipped out of my seat and walked around with my bowl. Rinsing it off, I put it in the sink. I’d find where the dishwasher was hiding later.
“You okay?”
Nodding, I reached for her bowl and rinsed it out. “I’m tired.”
“I can show you which room you are getting! It’s so cool. The view is the best, I think.”
“Thanks, Lai.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Why do I feel like that wasn’t just about picking out a room for you?”
“It wasn’t. For flying me here. For staying. All of it. I’m probably going to be insufferable. So thank you.”
Laila shrugged. “You are family, Colt. I’m pretty insufferable myself. We can see who can out-stubborn each other.”
I chuckled. “Deal.”