Cerulean Feathers

Chapter 19

Evan carried Smitty as gently as he could to his office, painfully aware of Jonathan's eyes on his back.

He tried to shrug off the Omega's stare, opening the door and slipping inside. He sat Smitty down on the sofa in the back of the room, then ran a hand through his hair. As a sigh leaked from his lips, he glanced at his watch.

6:32 am.

He could hear some of the other guys starting small talk, and the distinctive click of a door upstairs.

There goes Jon again.

Evan let out a small groan as he let the Omega invade his thoughts.

Since he had met Jonathan a few days ago, it was like his mind had been stuffed full with azure plumage. His few hours of sleep that his exhausted body had forced him through were crowded with falling feathers. The addictive scent of lavender and vanilla seemed to smother him wherever he walked, and the cling of perfect blue eyes had him drowning in seconds.

Evan ran a hand over his face, forcing thoughts of Jonathan away as he took in the ivory-colored Omega that slept in his office.

He could handle that predicament later. Now, he needed to handle the problem in front of him.

His gut gnawed at his heart as he was reminded of the reason he had offered to take Smitty in the first place.

Evan knew of all the dark glares that Brian sent him.

He had seen the skeptical glances from Tyler, John, and Marcel.

His own conscience had worn away at his anger until his heart filled with guilt.

He glanced at his desk, where a picture frame laid flat.

He picked up the frame, looking at the smiling faces that stared back up at him.

It was him and Brock in the Omega's old truck, a couple weeks after they had started their life on the run. Evan was smiling as he held the camera in an awkward selfie, Brock's lips quirked in a smile as he relaxed in the driver's seat. The lights of the city they would soon call home glinted in the far distance behind them, the setting sun burning their faces gold.

Evan stared at his own features of sleepless joy in the image as he sat with his longest best friend.

He had been so trusting and confident in their friendship.

Evan felt the weight in his chest lift slightly.

He knew what he needed to do.

Evan cracked his office door open, scanning the living room and kitchen for the guys.

John was still on the couch, vape trails twirling around his hair and antlers. Brian was leaning on the balcony, his icy stare on the traffic below. Tyler had his eyes glazed over as he watched a nearly muted tv. Scotty and Marcel hovered over pans of bacon and eggs. Craig wrapped a scratch on Luke's arm as the Alpha watched the same screen as Tyler.

The rest of the gang appeared to be upstairs, returning to their broken sleep.

Evan stepped away from the door, not risking the click of the door alerting anyone.

He didn't want anyone to know what he was doing just yet, he wanted to do this alone.

Returning to the sleeping Smitty, Evan carefully scooped up the Omega before slowly pushing his office door open a bit more. He crept toward the door to the stairs, repositioning Smitty slightly so that he had a free hand to twist the doorknob without a sound.