Torn Between Tides

Chapter Eleven

It's already killing you.

It's already killing you.

It's already killing you.

Diana's words kept ringing in Colt's head over and over again as he walked back home. He still had work to do, but his body simply wasn't on his side and he felt faint. He wanted to lie down, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to get any sleep. But it was better for him to be indoors than risk any of his pack members seeing him in such a state.

As he reached his front porch, Colt blinked as he stared up at the man waiting for him right outside of his door. Colt's vision was blurry, and he was beginning to see spots. He had to squint to recognize that it was none other than his beta.

Theo looked pissed. He was folding his arms in front of his chest, his lips turned downwards in a thin line as he all but glared at his best friend. If Colt wasn't also his Alpha and they weren't in pack territory, then he would already be screaming at him for being so dense.

"What are you doing here?" Colt managed to speak.

"Diana called me," Theo answered. Just before Colt could reply, he continued, "and before you blame her for doing that, she only did it because she was worried about you. Said you rushed out of her house looking like you would pass out any second. She figured I must know about your mate and how you're rejecting him."

The r word made Colt flinch, but he didn't comment on it, not wanting to prove Theo's point correct.

"I'm fine," Colt muttered. He was far from it. He knew it, Theo knew it, but there was no way that he would ever accept that. He was too stubborn for his own good. Which was the exact quality that landed him in this trouble in the first place.

"Yeah I do have eyes, you know? And at least a semi-functioning brain," Theo scoffed. "You look...you look terrible, Colt."

"Thanks," Colt said, "it's just a bad hair day."

"Sometimes I swear—" Theo paused, holding himself back from cursing at his Alpha. He took a deep breath in, throwing a jacket at Colt that he barely managed to catch. "Come on, we're getting late."

"For what?" Colt asked.

"To pick up Trevor from college," Theo replied.

"What? And why are you dragging me along for that?"

"So that you can catch a glimpse of your mate and hopefully being in the same vicinity as him would help make you feel better. I've already spoken to Trev, he's joint to Roman by the hip," Theo explained, making Colt frown. "Chop chop, let's go now."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Colt said.

"And I don't think it's a good idea to ignore and reject your true mate when it's clearing killing you, but we're both not listening to what the other thinks, now are we?" Theo sassed.

If Colt had any energy left in him, he would've called Theo out on being snarky. But the man could barely keep one foot in front of the other, and even talking was sucking the life out of it. So Colt exhaled deeply, not giving Theo any sort of response as he followed his beta to his car.

All Colt did during the entire car ride was look out the window with a blank expression. Thankfully, Theo had turned on the radio and the music filled in the tense silence. The closer they got to the university, the more Colt began to fidget in his seat. He didn't feel nervous or excited, he didn't know how he felt at all. The only thing he knew, deep down, was that he wanted to see Roman.

Colt didn't even realize that they had reached their destination until Theo parked the car and began to unbuckle his seatbelt. As if suddenly broken from his trance, Colt did the same before getting out. The moment he stepped out, he knew that his mate was near.