Page 11 of And Omega Makes Four
But I can't risk getting those guys involved.
I have to do this on my own.
I have to keep moving.
8
KYLE
"He's gone."
Devon sounds panicked as I answer the phone.
"What? Who?" I frown, leaning against the car and looking toward the pile of wood I've been hired to chop by hand.
"River." Devon is breathing hard into the phone. "He's not here. We split up. We were gonna meet back here in an hour, but it's been two hours and there's no sign of him. I checked the shops he was supposed to be visiting to look for work, but none of them have seen him."
"Shit." I swear under my breath as I let my shoulders slump. I haven't made a secret about my mistrust of the omega, and I've been pretty outspoken about him joining us, but... I can't deny that I'm worried about him.
"Where are you?" I clench my jaw, annoyed that I made him feel so unwelcome. It’s probably my fault that he took off.
"The little park at the end of Main Street." Devon has that pitch in his voice that I hate hearing. It means he’s upset, and I never want him to be upset. "I'm sitting on the bench by the fountain."
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't worry, we'll find him." I say it as much to myself as to him.
I hang up and turn to the old man who hired me to chop firewood. He's standing nearby, watching me with a curious expression.
"Sorry, sir," I say. "I've got an emergency. I'll come back later and finish the job."
"No worries, son." The old man waves off my apology with his hand. "I understand. Family comes first."
"Thank you." I quickly pile up the wood I’ve already split and hurry back to the car.
I'm not sure why I'm so concerned about the omega. Maybe I'm used to looking after Devon and Frankie. It's just my protective instinct. Nothing more than that.
I pull up to the park and spot Devon right away. He's pacing back and forth in front of the fountain, his brow furrowed in concern. I climb out of the car and approach him.
"I've been trying to catch his scent, but it's like he just completely disappeared," Devon says, shaking his head.
"Let's just stay calm, okay?" I'm not just reassuring Devon with those words. I'm reassuring myself. "We'll find him."
"But where do we start?" Devon looks around like River might just appear from behind a tree. If only. "There's no trail to follow."
My nostrils flare as I turn toward the wind. With closed eyes, I take a deep breath, focusing on the scents around me. There are so many people in this town. So many unfamiliar scents. But then, I catch it.
River's scent.
It's faint. I might not have noticed it if I hadn't been so close to him all night...holding him in my arms. Soothing his trembling nerves as he shivered with uncertainty. "I've got him. Let’s go."
"What? How?" Devon seems shocked that I was able to do what he couldn’t, but I don't give him an explanation. Truthfully, I don’t have one. Not yet. And now isn’t the time for any deep analysis of anything. We've already lost so much time and every second counts.
I lead the way through the streets, following River's scent. It's not easy to hold because there are so many people around and the wind keeps changing direction. But I stay focused, and eventually, we reach the edge of town.
The scent is stronger here. He lingered for a while...standing here.
I look up and down the road, but there's no sign of him.
"You looking for the kid who was just here?" a woman calls from a nearby front porch.
