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Colt hated that his brother, Ryland, had taken his stupid ass coworker, Tom Ryder, as a mate and effectively integrated the annoying man into the pack. He hated that he could feel Tom through the pack bond, his emotions, thoughts, all of it echoing in the back of Colt’s mind at all times. It had become especially annoying since Ryland had gone off to help what whatever you call it taskforce, the group of science nerds that he was helping save the world. It had been explained to him several times by his twin but the science was far above his level of understanding, he was just glad Ryland was passionate about it.
However, Tom had been a wreck about it since he had left. Longing and I miss you had been playing on repeat over the pack bond since Ryland had gone away. And Colt only had a peripheral pack bond with the guy, linked only by his packmate’s mating bond with him, he can’t imagine how loud it must be for Ryland. Tom Ryder had never been one, in Colt’s experience, to be a nervous wreck but there was just something different in the way he interacted with Ryland, he would say it was cute if it wasn’t so annoying.
There had been brief flashes of emotion through their bond over the past few months, excitement, sadness, panic, but Ryland was good at controlling his side of the bond, the twins always had been. They honestly didn’t have a choice, it had been trained into them by Court as a means of survival, if one panicked the other would as well and when you were living with a dad who routinely beat the shit out of you that was dangerous, someone needed to keep their head during an emergency.
Needless to say when a pure surge of panic screamed its way down the bond into Colt’s mind he was stunned. He could hear Ryland yelling, voice panicked, Stop, you’re murdering me, please. Colt hadn’t heard his twin that panicked since the night their dad had tried to kill him and it brought him to his knees. Head in his hands he tried to think over the loud screaming that muffled everything that was happening around him. He could vaguely hear a commotion, people asking what was going on, but all he could focus on was Ryland.
It was worse when just as suddenly as it started his twin went silent, completely and utterly silent. He tried reaching out, grasping desperately at the bond where it sat in his chest, but there was nothing. No words, no emotions, no indication that Ryland was there at all. The space that second ago was filled with pure, animalistic panic was now a void. Just as soon as Ryland’s side of the bond went empty he could hear Tom screaming on his side, and maybe aloud as well, they were on the same set that day.
Fuck, Tom, where the hell is he, Colt thought as he stumbled to his feet, moving desperately in the direction of his trailer. His dislike of Tom was thrown out the window, he could deal with all of that later, right now he needed to focus on figuring out what the hell was happening to Ryland.
“Tom, open the fucking door,” Colt was pounding on the door, overwhelmed by his own emotions and Tom’s, it should get quieter once they were near each other though, which was why he was so intent on getting inside.
“Colt, Colt what the fuck was that?” Tom must be really out of it if he was using Colt’s first name, the two rarely called each other by anything but their respective last names.
“How would I know? We’re both here and he is, wait, where the fuck even is he, did he tell you?”
“No, I thought he would have told you!”
“Why would he do that, you’re his mate.”
“You’re his twin!”
“Great, so we have no clue where Ryland is and he just screamed that he was getting murdered then went radio silent.”
“Yeah, uh, what do we do?”
“Ok, ok, ok, I’m gonna make a phone call, and you gotta promise you won’t tell anyone about this, ok?”
“Who– you know what? Doesn’t matter, call.”
The phone rang once, twice, the seconds crept by, a third time, then
“Six.”
“Court,” Colt’s voice came out strangled, letting the fear creep into it.
“Colt?”
“I know you said only to use this phone in an emergency but Rylie, he’s gone, I can’t feel him. Tom can’t–”
“I know,” Court cut him off, “I know Colt, I’m trying to find him. Where are you?”
“Some set, I think outside Reno?” He looked over to Tom who nodded, “yeah, outside Reno.”
“Stay put, I’m making some calls,” the line disconnected.
Colt’s relationship with Court had been strained for a long time, even longer if you count the time he had thought his older brother was dead. He had gone years without hearing from him or feeling his bond at all before just a bit of pain, worry slipped through the cracks. Ryland and him had bombarded him with questions, trying to yank on the pack bond to get any sort of answer. Slowly Court had started to answer, well, he gave half answers and neither twin had any idea who he was or what he did. Ryland had been grateful to have his older brother back but Colt was wary of him still.
“Who was that?” Tom spoke, scaring Colt a little bit with how close he had gotten to him without him noticing.
“Court.”
“As in you’re dead older brother, that Court?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok, sure, that makes sense, why not?” Tom spoke rapidly, his voice rising with panic.
“He’s not dead.”
“Mm, I figured, considering I just heard him talking. Do you, do you think Ry is ok?”
“I don’t know.”
The phone rang in his hand, he hadn’t even had the time to set it down. Without looking at the caller ID he answered.
“Hello?”
“Colt.”
“Cory,” god he hadn’t used that nickname since he was a child, it just slipped out.
“Colt, I’m sorry.”
“No, no no no no,” the phone fell from his hands as he slid to the floor. He could hear Court talking from the phone but it was too far from him to actually understand. He didn’t notice when Tom fell to the floor next to him. He didn’t even notice that Tom was screaming aloud. All he could feel was the emptiness of where his twin should be in his heart and soul. It was like a piece of him had been torn away, leaving an ugly, gaping wound behind.
The pain burned hot and bright, radiating from his chest outward until his entire body felt like it was on fire. It hurt worse than his accident, worse than when dad died, or Court, or mom. With them he at least still had Ry, still had the other half of his soul. What was left for him now? A life with a part of him missing. He would never hear Ryland talk, or argue, or cry, would never see him and get annoyed at whatever dumb shit he had gotten himself into ever again. He'd give anything to hear Ryland again, even if he was angry like he had been last time they'd talked. He would take Ryland yelling and screaming and telling him he was stupid all over again just to hear him alive and well. But he wouldn't get the chance, he didn't trust Court but he was connected, if anyone knew it would be him, and he wouldn't lie about this, never about Ryland.