Page 31 of Free Me

“Miko, that’s not fair,” Dad snapped in a sharp tone he rarely pointed at Miko. “Your brother spent most of his life with a deadly illness hanging over his head.”

“Oh, I know, believe me. From the day you told me about Donal Syndrome, I saw how you treated us different, even if you didn’t realize it. My entire childhood made more sense. Favoring Peyton, doing what he wanted to do when him and I disagreed on an activity. I’ve spent the last ten years of my life as the extra kid. Not the baby of the family like Linus or Jenson, just the extra kid. Hell, if I’d been beta instead of omega, you probably wouldn’t have thought of me at all.”

Dad growled. “Miko, that’s not fair. I know you’re upset about Linus, but we loved you and Peyton equally. I thought we’ve shown you that.”

“Saying it daily and showing me daily aren’t the same thing.” Goddess, he’d wanted to say all these things for years. Things he’d thought and wrote about in his journals, but had never voiced to anyone, not even his best friends. Because his best friends had always been going through their own shit, and Miko had been their sounding board. The person they vented to. The person who stooped low to hold the weight of everyone else’s burdens on his own shoulders.

When Emory Cross was abducted and missing for five months, Miko had been out of his mind with worry, his imagination spinning out on what was happening to his beloved friend. He’d done his best to comfort Emory’s omegin Kell and to hide his own grief. When Emory was returned to them, pregnantwith triplets, Miko had avoided seeing Emory at first, unwilling to overwhelm Emory with Miko’s tumultuous emotional state. But when Emory reached out, Miko had once again swallowed his emotions and supported his friend. He’d supported Emory through bed rest, boredom, his eventual Cesarean birth (and the heart attack that came with it), and his recovery. Most nights, Miko had cried himself to sleep, so he could get up and put on a stoic face for others the next day, just like when Peyton was in his coma.

Years of pent-up anger and turmoil had finally reached its boiling point, and Miko couldn’t hold it back anymore. “When I came out of Linus’s room tonight, I needed you. I had just seen my mate fall completely apart and sob in my arms, and I needed you but you just sat with Peyton.”

Omi choked on a sob. “When you came out, you looked and acted like you needed space, and then you sat alone and texted us. We were trying to give you space to process what happened in Linus’s room.”

“You’ve given me space my whole life! Smother me for once, instead of Peyton! This is happening tomymate, not his! Just for once in this family, I need something to be aboutme! Not him.”

“We didn’t mean to make this about Peyton, I swear.” Omi was openly crying now, and Dad put his arm around Omi’s shoulders, leaving them close together, and leaving Miko a world apart. “We love you so much, Miko. We never meant to hurt you.”

“It just happened, right? Because I’m so independent you don’t think I need a safe place to fall apart? That I can just handle everything without support? Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I can’t. For the last four years, I have watched people I love hurting, seen them sick and in pain, and I have ached for them. Alone, always fucking alone, and I’m still alone. Peytonhas Layne, Emory has Eriq, Caden has Zaq, you guys have each other. I don’t have anyone except my mate, who’s stuck in a hospital bed, can’t smell our bond, is missing his leg, and I don’t know what to do!”

Miko despised the wail in his voice at the end, and it was followed by a harsh noise not quite a scream, not quite a growl, that seemed to erupt from his very core. Dad’s shoulders went back and he shifted his weight, adopting a defensive position, as if expecting a direct physical attack. Miko had never struck another person in his life, but he’d also never experienced this sort of blind rage before, and he didn’t know what to do with it.

“You aren’t alone,” Dad said “I know it feels that way right now, because you’re angry and overwhelmed and can’t see a way out. I’ve been there. You are not alone, son.”

“Please, Miko.” Omi reached out a trembling hand.

Miko didn’t think; he slapped that hand away. Omi gasped and drew closer to Dad. His mate and protector. Shame and disgust clashed with Miko’s fury. He stalked toward the front door and did a mental check that he still had his wallet and mobile phone.

“Miko!” Dad slid into the small space between him and the door, and it took all Miko’s restraint not to shove at the wall of alpha blocking his escape. “Please, don’t leave.”

“I need space. It’s what you guys love to give me, right? Give it to me now.”

“You’re too upset to drive.”

“I’m going to walk three blocks to the bus stop. Move.”

Dad narrowed his eyes, his inner alpha not liking the order, or much liking Miko’s belligerent tone. “Where are you going?”

“Out!”

“It’s late on a weekend, you’re upset, and you’re an unmated omega. That’s not a good?—”

“I’ve got pepper spray on my keychain, I’ll be fine. And it’s your fault I’m upset. I can’t stay here.” Dad’s mobile rang with a familiar, programmed tone that sent Miko’s temper boiling again. “Better get that, Peyton needs you.”

Instead of stoking his temper, Miko’s snapped words seemed to deflate Dad. He stepped aside. Miko grabbed his coat off the wall hook, and he fled his childhood home.

He fled the parents he loved and all the reminders of his life spent as runner-up.

EIGHT

Even though Linus’spain level was still about a seven on the zero-to-ten chart, he didn’t ring the nurse and ask for anything extra. He’d turned down Dr. Westin’s offer of a morphine pump because that shit made him loopy as hell, and even though part of Linus wouldn’t mind sleeping through the next, oh, year or so of his life? He wasn’t going to drug himself out of his problems.

The neuro tests he did with Dr. Westin were annoying, but the doc seemed impressed with his ability to remember words, follow a pen, and do a few other things while not actually moving around too much. Linus kind of wanted to test sitting up completely, but Dr. Westin assured him a physical therapist would see him in the morning to begin that process.

Joy.

Dr. Westin had also reassured him that temporary loss of one of his senses was not unusual after a concussion, and hopefully with time, his senses of smell and taste would return to normal. Linus really hoped so. Not just so he could enjoy food the way he always had but so that one day he’d be able to properly scent and know his bondmate.

Maybe. What young, virile omega would want a broken alpha? None of them. Good thing this accident happened beforehe found his bondmate, or he’d have burdened someone with caring for an invalid who probably couldn’t smell it if his own hair was on fire.

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