Chapter Five
Snow covered the sidewalks as Matthew walked to work the next morning.
It was below freezing and Matthew felt the cold down to his bones.
Matthew had woken up alone in his bed, a deep ache inside him, and he pined for the Alpha.
He'd felt safe and happy for the short time Grey had been with him, but the Alpha had left him at some point in the night and Matthew realized now that he didn't even have Grey's phone number, although he had a hazy memory of giving Grey his number.
He missed Grey already, even though he tried to deny it.
He knew any sort of emotions where the Alpha was concerned came with a promise of pain and hurt.
Nothing could change the fact that they were mates, though.
It was their scents that made them want and need each other but Matthew knew he had to fight his natural instincts somehow.
The fear that Grey would turn out to be just like Kelvin ate away at him, making him feel cold when he should be feeling warm and fuzzy after finding his mate and bonding with him.
Grey had offered repeated assurances that he wasn't interested in anything other than being with Matthew and he got the sense that Grey was as lonely as him, but that wasn't enough to reassure Matthew, not when the pain from his break up with Kelvin and the rejection from his parents had tore his heart in two.
As he made his way to work along the quiet, snowy streets, he glanced at the festive window displays but they only made him feel more depressed.
He wondered what it would be like to spend Christmas with Grey after enduring the awful ones he had spent with Kelvin and last year's one on his own, trying to mend his broken heart, but it seemed like a fantasy that was out of his reach, especially because Grey was so keen for him to meet his pack.
Once the Delta Mountain Pack realized he couldn't bear children, any chance he had of a happy ever after with Grey would be gone.
Matthew quickly set up the shop and served the early morning customers and before he knew it, the shop was full and he'd barely had a minute to think further about Grey or their future.
Wendy arrived mid morning and waved over at him.
Matthew waved back but he was thankful that the line was still stretching out the door and he wouldn't have to answer any of her questions just yet.
He'd just put together a complicated order for a particularly difficult customer when he heard the door bell go and he glanced up, nearly dropping the cup when he saw Kelvin Patrick enter the shop, accompanied by Jackson Lowe, one of his more sadistic betas.
Matthew glanced over at Wendy but she kept her eyes firmly down as her Alpha approached the counter.
Kelvin walked right up to Matthew and took the cup from his hand, handing it to the customer who took it and scuttled away.
The whole shop had grown quiet and Matthew saw that two more of the Red River Pack's betas had arrived and were guarding the door.
"Well, look who it is, the town slut." Kelvin leaned on the counter, his voice booming, ensuring every customer in the place heard the insult he tossed Matthew's way.
"What would you like, Alpha? It's on the house." Wendy had come over and was standing wringing her hands, glancing nervously at Matthew.
"I want this slut out of town before noon today. That means that you're going to be a staff member short, Wendy, but I'm sure you'll make it work."
Wendy's mouth fell open but she looked down at the floor when Jackson took a step toward her.
"I don't have anywhere to go. Please, Kelvin." Matthew heard himself begging and hated himself, but what choice did he have? Kelvin had made sure he had no family or friends to turn to, and he didn't have the funds to move to another town and start again.
"You should have thought about that before you tried to embarrass me with Grey Lawson."
"But-" Wendy began but was quickly silenced by a sharp slap from Jackson. Matthew took a step toward his friend, but Wendy put her hand up, warning him not to come any closer.
"This is not up for negotiation, Matthew.
I'm sure you don't want any harm to come to your friend here, or her husband, for that matter.
I've been generous with you, Matthew. I've tried to be patient, but you've thrown it all back in my face by prostituting yourself out to the first Alpha that came along.
I'm going to give you another chance. All you have to do is leave town today and I won't harm your friends, and I won't kill Grey Lawson. Now what's it to be?"
Matthew swallowed, feeling his whole world come crashing down around his ears. He looked at Wendy who was cradling her face and crying softly. He looked back at Kelvin and nodded.
"Say it," Kelvin snarled.
"I'll leave, just don't hurt her again. Please."
Kelvin laughed and reached forward, stroking Matthew's cheek before grabbing hold of his hair and twisting it. Matthew cried out, his pain only encouraging Kelvin to twist more.
"And you'll stay away from Grey Lawson?"
Tears fell from Matthew's eyes, splashing on the counter as he realized just how much Kelvin hated him. "Yes," he said, his voice barely a whimper in the silent coffee shop. Kelvin roughly released him and Matthew shot his hands out to stop his face hitting the counter.
"Good boy," Kelvin said and looked around at the customers. "Show's over, folks." He sneered once more in Matthew's direction and then walked out of the coffee shop, surrounded by his betas.
The locks had already been changed on Matthew's apartment when he got there.
He'd grabbed his coat and bag and ran out of the coffee shop as soon as Kelvin had left, ignoring Wendy's cries for him to wait.
He slid down the wall, sitting in the cold hallway, putting his head in his hands and tried to breathe through the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him.
Why was Kelvin doing this? The Alpha had dumped him and moved on with his life.
He had a new mate and he was Alpha of one of the largest packs in the territory.
Matthew struggled to understand Kelvin's latest vendetta against him.
It had to be because of Grey. Grey was a far more powerful Alpha than Kelvin.
Matthew had sensed Grey's power the moment he had first laid eyes on him and Kelvin was obviously threatened by Grey.
Even though he had promised Kelvin he wouldn't see Grey again, Matthew knew he had no choice but to go to Grey and hope that the Alpha really did want him as a mate.
Grey was the only one who would be able to protect him against Kelvin and he needed that protection now.
Matthew got the sense that Kelvin would stop at nothing until he had destroyed him.
Matthew felt hot and cold at the sickening realization that Kelvin would eventually kill him and it was enough to force him to his feet.
By the time he got back outside, the snow had started to fall again.
The footsteps on the sidewalk had already been covered up and the blizzard made it difficult to see where he was going.
He staggered along the street to the bus stop, the howling wind fighting him all the way.
He didn't really have a clue where Grey's pack territory began, but he knew it was somewhere past the Delta Woods.
The bus would take him as far as the Mountain Pass and he would have to take it on foot from there.
The bus had just pulled up at the stop and Matthew climbed aboard, sinking down in the seat and grateful for the meager warmth that the heater on board afforded him.