Love in Unexpected Places (Mayport Pack #6)

Chapter One

T he silence in the car was heavy. Sullivan wasn’t surprised. After all, they were heading to meet people who were technically their enemies. There was no way to know if this would end up being a mistake or if it was the right thing to do, but Sullivan hoped for the second. What their coven was doing wasn’t right, and there was only one way to fix it.

The fact that they were being driven to the pack by a bear shifter didn’t help. Sullivan had already gone through this, but it was the first time Michelle, Ryan, and Braden visited the pack. Sullivan had gone first in case the pack tried something, but wanting help seemed to be Chance’s only goal. Sullivan had managed to create a relationship with the alpha. He wouldn’t say they were friends, but they weren’t enemies, which was all that mattered. He hoped that, eventually, working together would mean they could fix the coven and everything wrong within it.

Or maybe they would have to destroy the coven.

Most coven members hated what the leaders were doing, but they didn’t have a choice. When their leaders ordered something, they obeyed, and that was that. Saying no wasn’t an option if they didn’t want to die or their families to pay. How strong Sullivan and his allies were didn’t matter—the coven leaders were stronger. They had even more power now that they were using dragons for their spells. Sullivan could do the same to stand up to them, but he refused to use other human beings. He’d done what he could to help the dragons when the coven had attacked their clan, but it hadn’t been enough.

Nothing Sullivan did was enough. He hoped that by accepting the pack’s help, he could finally change things, but he didn’t dare hope, not yet. It was too soon, and they weren’t really allies.

“So, you were born in the pack, right?” Michelle asked James, who was driving the car.

Sullivan sucked in a breath. James wasn’t the nicest person he’d ever met. He wasn’t rude, but he was curt, probably because Sullivan and his friends were mages.

“Weren’t you born within your coven?” James asked in a harsh tone.

Luckily, Michelle wasn’t offended. “I wasn’t, actually. No one else in my family had magic. They didn’t know what to make of me when we found out that I did, and they decided that I was evil. They kicked me out when I was sixteen.”

James’s gaze flickered to the rearview mirror, probably to look at her. She was in the back seat with Sullivan and Ryan, while Braden was in the passenger seat. There was no other way to do it, considering how big Braden was. He would’ve taken half the backseat on his own, squishing the other two. Michelle, on the other hand, was tall but slender, so they fit.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” James said, sounding slightly nicer.

“It was a long time ago, more than twenty years. I’m fine now.” Michelle grimaced. “Well, not fine, but I have a roof over my head.”

“I understand how hard that can be. My boyfriend lived on the streets for a bit.”

Sullivan blinked. He’d heard that the pack had welcomed a smaller pack of shifters who’d been homeless, but he hadn’t expected James to be so open about that information, especially since it involved this boyfriend. James was the kind of person who was fiercely private, especially with people he didn’t know.

“But he’s fine now, right?” Michelle asked.

“He is. He’s part of our pack, and I’ll do anything in my power to protect him.”

Michelle nodded as if she couldn’t hear the threat in James’s voice. “Of course you will. You love him.”

To Sullivan’s surprise, James’s cheeks flushed. “I do.”

That was something else Sullivan hadn’t expected. Michelle was a mage, and apparently, she was so magical that she could convince James to be nice.

“That’s why we’re all here,” Braden said in a rumbling voice. “To protect the people we love.”

James’s shoulders tensed, and Sullivan sighed. He’d known this wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d hoped it would be easier than it was.

“It is,” Michelle quickly agreed. “And we’ll be able to do that as long as we work together. No one here wants to hurt anyone.”

Yet the mages had hurt people. They’d had to choose between their lives and the lives of the people they hurt, but still. Knowing that didn’t make Sullivan feel any better. Sometimes, he wished he’d chosen to save people instead of hurting them, but if he had, he would be dead now, and no one would be working to stop the coven leaders. Sacrifices were necessary, even though Sullivan hated them.

He was relieved when he realized they’d entered pack territory. They drove through the small town, heading closer and closer to the meeting with Chance.

Sullivan liked the alpha. He was willing to listen, even though technically, Sullivan was an enemy. It was the only reason Sullivan had agreed to bring along some of his allies within the coven. If he hadn’t thought he could trust Chance, they wouldn’t be here. They were his friends, and he wanted to protect them.

“This is pretty,” Michelle said as she glanced out the window. “And not at all hidden. Aren’t you afraid that people will find you?”

“You mean, aren’t we afraid that a bunch of mages will attack us?” James asked.

“That too, I suppose. Or maybe I’m just so used to having our home protected with spells that make it impossible to find it that I find it hard to believe not everyone needs or wants that.”

“We’re working on it.” James still sounded grumpy.

Sullivan knew who he was talking about. Several mages from their coven had ended up becoming pack members. It had been a surprise when Sullivan had gotten Lester’s phone call, but a good one. He’d been happy to find out that Lester and his friends had made it out of the coven in one piece and found a place to call home. If only he could do the same, everything would be peachy.

James parked the car in front of Chance’s house. Sullivan recognized him and several others who were standing on the porch, and he didn’t hesitate to exit the car. His friends were a bit slower, but they followed his lead. James had been the first out, and he stood next to the car, his arms crossed over his chest, ready to intervene if anything happened.

The only thing that did was that Chance walked down the porch steps, leaving his partner behind. He stopped in front of Sullivan and smiled, offering him his hand.

“It’s good to see you again.”

Sullivan shook Chance’s hand. It was good to see him again.

He turned to the others to introduce them. They were cautious, but Sullivan doubted anyone had expected a different reaction from them. After all, they were three mages in the middle of a pack. Anything could happen to them, and even if they used their magic, they might not be able to make it out.

“These are three of the people who are willing to help us, including Braden,” Sullivan explained.

Braden stepped forward. Sullivan noticed how some of the people present seemed surprised to see him, but that was a reaction Braden always got. He towered over everyone, and he looked like he could easily pick up Chance and carry him inside the house. Chance wasn’t a small man, but Braden was even bigger.

“I wish we’d met under different circumstances,” Braden said in his deep voice. He was smiling, probably to put Chance at ease.

The alpha didn’t look one bit intimidated, which was good. Braden might be big, but he was a good person, and deep inside, he was a softy. He loved animals and nature, and he hated what the other coven leaders were doing. He was a leader, but there was only so much he could do since he was a minority.

“I agree, but unfortunately, this is the situation we’re in,” Chance told Braden before turning toward Michelle and Ryan. “I’m Chance, the alpha of this pack.”

Michelle didn’t look scared as she stepped forward. “I’m Michelle.”

“Welcome to the Mayport pack, Michelle.”

Everyone’s attention turned to Ryan. He’d always been the quietest of their group, and today wasn’t any different. He looked like he might start running at any moment, but Sullivan knew he wouldn’t. No matter how scared he was, he wouldn’t abandon the rest of them.

“Ryan,” he said quickly.

Chance nodded. “It’s good to meet you, too. Why don’t we go inside?” he suggested, gesturing at the house.

Sullivan heard Ryan suck in a breath, but he wasn’t surprised when Ryan nodded. He went to move, only to be interrupted by a loud voice.

“Mages!”

* * * *

M atty groaned at the sound of Francis’s voice. It wasn’t the first time the guy pitched a fit, but this was probably the worst moment in which he could have done it.

Matty leaned closer to Seth. He wasn’t scared because he knew that most of the people present would jump in to help him if anything happened, but he didn’t like Francis, and he didn’t want anything to do with whatever was about to happen. At the same time, he was intrigued by the mages. He wished he could move closer, and he might have tried talking to them if Francis hadn’t decided to be an asshole.

“After a bunch of dragons and weird shifters, now you’re welcoming mages into our pack?” Francis asked as he stopped close to Chance.

Matty noticed Red leaning into his boyfriend and whispering something that made Charles snicker. At the same time, Charles pushed Red behind him, which probably meant he expected something to happen.

Matty shifted even closer to Seth. Matty was a bear shifter, but that didn’t mean he knew how to fight. When their ragtag family had been on the streets, Matty hadn’t been a protector. That role had gone to Dustin, Seth, and Theo.

“Is there something you want?” Chance asked Francis. He looked like he wanted to kick the guy’s ass. Matty didn’t think anyone would blame him if he decided to do just that.

Francis seemed to realize that, or maybe it was Chance’s annoyed tone. His face turned red, and Matty wondered for a moment if the guy might be about to faint. Or maybe he would have a heart attack. That would save Chance a lot of trouble.

“This is our pack,” Francis snapped. “We’re bears.”

“We’ve never been a pack of only bears,” Chance answered. “In fact, that’s why my great-grandfather made a point of calling this a pack rather than a sleuth. I seem to remember that your grandmother was a fox shifter.”

Oh, burn. How was Francis going to answer? Matty didn’t really care because he was over this already. Clearly, Francis was trying to get Sullivan and the other mages to leave. Did he not understand that the pack needed them? Did he not see that without them, the coven would eventually win?

Matty was pretty sure there was an even higher possibility of Francis having a heart attack now. His color had gone from red to purple. “We’re not talking about my grandmother here. We’re talking about these people.”

The emphasis on these made it clear what he thought of the mages. If Matty was in their shoes, he’d be offended, but when he looked at them, all four of them were staring at Francis as if he were an interesting insect they were about to squash—although Ryan kept glancing at James’s car as if he was wondering if he could hide inside.

Matty’s attention drifted to Sullivan. He wondered what the mage thought of all of this. He had to have been stunned when Lester had called him. Being here was a risk for him and his friends, yet he hadn’t hesitated. He wanted the coven to stop what they were doing as much as Chance and the rest of the pack, and Matty hoped they could trust him.

“They’re not becoming pack members,” Chance said in a tone that told everyone who knew him that he was losing his patience. “They’re only here for a meeting. It’s not the first time I’ve allowed leaders and alphas to enter this territory to meet with me. What do you want, Francis?”

“For everyone who isn’t a bear shifter to leave. You’re putting us in danger. Can’t you see it?”

Matty hated Francis with a burning passion. Francis probably didn’t realize the implication of what he’d said, but even if Chance forced everyone who wasn’t a bear shifter to leave, some of them would be allowed to stay. Matty hadn’t been born in this pack. He’d lived on the streets with his family for a long time, but that didn’t make him any less of a bear shifter. Francis wouldn’t want him to stay, though. He didn’t hate shifters who weren’t like him or mages. He hated anyone who hadn’t been born in the pack.

“I’m trying to save us,” Chance snapped.

If Francis wasn’t careful, he was going to get his ass beaten. Matty would pay to see that happen. Francis didn’t seem to realize it, though. At this point, Matty wondered if maybe Francis would just push until Chance exploded and kicked his ass or forced him to leave the pack.

“This is going to end in the death of the pack,” Francis said. “I won’t allow that. I’m taking my family and leaving.” He stopped talking, clearly waiting for Chance to answer.

Matty bit his lower lip. If he had to guess, Francis expected Chance to beg him to stay. He thought Chance would choose him over the mages and Theo.

He really should have known better.

“You’re free to leave the pack whenever you want,” Chance said with a shrug. “I’ll be sorry to lose your family since you’ve been pack members for generations, but I can’t force you to stay. Have a good life, Francis. Keep your family safe now that you’re responsible for them.”

He turned around, dismissing Francis. Francis gaped at him, frozen in place, and Matty had to resist the urge to stick his tongue out at him. It would be juvenile, and even though Matty was only twenty-two, he felt like more of an adult than Francis. He hadn’t been the one who’d thrown a tantrum in front of so many people.

“Let’s go inside,” Chance said, gesturing at Sullivan and the others to follow him.

They moved as one, Sullivan taking the lead even though Matty knew that Braden was a coven leader. He would’ve been intimidated just because of that, but the fact that Braden could snap him in half without even breaking a sweat made him stay away as they walked past him. Michelle seemed nice, while Ryan still looked like he wanted to run.

Then, there was Sullivan. Matty didn’t look away as he walked past him. If possible, the man was even more handsome than he’d been the last time he’d visited pack territory. Matty kind of wished he could talk to him, but Sullivan wasn’t here to make friends, or rather, not the kind of friend Matty wanted to be. Sullivan was here to talk to Chance and come up with a plan to kick the coven leaders to the curb. There was nothing Matty could do to help with that.

Sullivan looked up, and his gaze caught with Matty’s. Matty sucked in a breath, feeling his eyes widening but unable to look away. It wasn’t his fault that Sullivan was so handsome. Not only was he tall, but his floppy dark hair fell in front of his face, giving him a mysterious aura. His brown eyes seemed to sparkle, and his lips stretched into a smile that was just for Matty.

Or at least, Matty hoped so.

Sullivan was older, and he looked like he could protect Matty. Matty could protect himself, but he didn’t particularly want to. After everything he’d gone through already, he wanted someone who would take care of him and pamper him. He wouldn’t go as far as wanting a Sugar Daddy, but he couldn’t deny he was attracted to bigger and older men.

Which was what Sullivan was.

Seth knocked his shoulder against Matty’s. “Breathe,” he muttered.

Matty did just that, and by then, Sullivan was inside the house. His friends followed, then Red and Charles and Theo. Matty made to go after them, but Seth caught his arm. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Matty frowned at him. “Why shouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know, maybe because it’s obvious you’re going to do something with Sullivan.”

“I don’t even know him.”

“Yet. I know that face, Matty. You should leave him be. He’s a mage, and I don’t know if I can trust him.”

“We also don’t know if we can’t trust him. I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m going to throw myself at him.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Matty wasn’t because it was tempting, but he ignored Seth and slipped in. If there was anyone who could answer his questions about Sullivan, it was Theo, and he happened to be inside the house.

* * * *

S ullivan had known that Chance had to deal with people who were unhappy with what was happening, but he hadn’t expected to see that kind of scene. He was surprised that Chance had allowed it to happen in front of people who could be considered his enemies. In a way, it looked like Chance had chosen Sullivan and the other mages over his pack member, which didn’t make sense, but Sullivan knew how complicated relationships within the coven or pack could be. Clearly, the man who’d been yelling outside had already given Chance trouble. Sullivan was curious, but it wasn’t his place to ask.

“Sorry about that,” Chance said as he led them to his office. “You can understand better than a lot of people what it’s like not to agree with your leaders.”

Sullivan snorted. “We can, but if any of us ever dared stand up to our leaders like that man did, we wouldn’t make it to the end of today. You were incredibly gracious.”

“I don’t know that Francis will feel the same way. He didn’t expect me to let him leave and choose the safety of the entire pack over him and his family. To be honest, I’m not happy that we’ll lose the rest of his family because they’re good people, and they deserve to be protected, but Francis made his decision. Hopefully, his wife will make a different one.”

Sullivan supposed that was one way to go about it. If Francis’s wife decided she wanted to stay, Chance would no doubt allow her to. Sullivan wondered if Francis had kids. What would happen to them if their parents separated?

Instead of sitting around the desk like they had the last time Sullivan had been here, Chance guided them to the couches by the window. There was more space here, which they would need since there were four mages present instead of one.

Braden sat on one of the couches, taking up almost half the place. Michelle squeezed next to him while Ryan and Sullivan chose the other couch. Chance had the only armchair, which wasn’t a surprise.

“So, Braden,” Chance started.

Before he could continue, there was a quick knock on the door before it opened. Theo came in carrying a tray. He slammed the door shut with his foot and smiled, his gaze stopping on Sullivan. “It’s good to see you again.”

Sullivan had talked to him a few times, and he liked him. “It’s good to see you, too. Are you saying for the meeting?”

“I am. I might not be an alpha anymore, but this is my home.” He put down the tray. “I brought coffee, but if anyone needs anything else, just let me know.”

“This is perfect,” Braden said with a smile.

Chance caught Theo around the waist and pulled him close. Theo didn’t sit in his lap, but it was close enough since he settled on the armrest. “So, Braden,” Chance started again. “You’re a coven leader.”

“I am. In our coven, it’s something that follows family lines. My mother was coven leader before me.”

“Yet you allowed the coven to attack the dragon clan and decimate it.”

Luckily for everyone, Braden wasn’t a hothead. He didn’t take offense easily, no matter what other people said to him. Instead of snapping at Chance and ruining any possibility of an alliance, he leaned back against the couch. “I tried to oppose that plan. I voted against it, but it was me against the four other coven leaders. We follow the majority, and as you can imagine, I don’t often get my way.”

“The other leaders are opposed to peace?”

“Pretty much. I might be able to sway one of them, but the other three? That would be impossible. The only thing that will stop them is death.”

Theo sucked in a breath. “Is that what we’re talking about here? Killing people?”

“We might not have a choice,” Sullivan told him. “I don’t think anyone here wants more people to die, but you don’t know the coven leaders like we do. They won’t stop for anything, and they don’t care about the coven, not really. We’re in as much danger from them as you are. One wrong step and the leaders wouldn’t hesitate to kill us.”

“Which is why you haven’t done anything against them yet,” Chance said.

Braden nodded. “Precisely. I’m not the only one in the coven who wants to stop what’s happening, but there aren’t enough of us. Most of the coven is too afraid of the other leaders to want to take a stance. I don’t blame them. They have families who would get hurt if they were to stand up to the leaders.”

“And you don’t?”

Braden sucked in a breath. Sullivan knew his history, and he didn’t think Braden would go into details. He never did.

“Not anymore, but even if I did, I would find a way to make it work. The problem is that, on my own, there’s nothing I can do.”

Chance nodded. “Which is where the pack comes in.”

“The pack won’t be able to do anything against the coven by itself. The only way to do this is to work together. Between your people and ours, we can do this.”

Chance took a moment to think about it. He and Theo looked at each other, and when Theo nodded, Sullivan knew.

Chance had already agreed to an alliance but wanted to meet Braden since he was a coven leader. Sullivan wouldn’t call him the leader of their rebellion, but he was the closest they had to one.

“Let’s talk about this,” Chance said with a smile.

They talked about every aspect of what was happening, including the ones Sullivan wished he didn’t have to think about. Sullivan disliked admitting he’d done anything wrong, but he had. He might have been forced to because he wanted to stay alive, but that didn’t make him any less guilty. By the end of the meeting, though, he felt slightly better. They were finally doing something to help the mages who didn’t want to follow their leaders’ orders.

“I want you to know that you’re welcome to visit whenever you want,” Chance said as he walked Sullivan and the others out of his office. “I understand it might be dangerous, especially for you, Braden, but you have friends here.”

Sullivan glanced into the living room as he walked, his gaze meeting with the same man he’d seen earlier. He wanted to ask the man what his name was, but he didn’t dare. Chance might have welcomed him and the others because he needed allies, but how nicely would he take it if Sullivan were interested in one of his pack members? Besides, now wasn’t the right moment for romance.

Even though it would give Sullivan something else to fight for.

“You’re staring at him like you want to eat him,” Michelle said as she elbowed Sullivan in the ribs.

“I’m absolutely not doing that.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure if I were you. If I didn’t know you, I’d think you were a wolf shifter.”

“He’s cute, but that’s all there is to it.” It was all there could be to it.

“It doesn’t have to be.” Michelle’s voice was softer. “This is why we’re rebelling against the leaders. We all want a chance at life and love.”

Sullivan glanced at Braden, but he was still talking to Chance and Theo. Ryan was by the door, looking like he might leave on his own if they didn’t hurry. They were all distracted, thankfully.

The guy was handsome. Sullivan didn’t know anything about him, but if the situation had been normal, he might’ve approached him for a chat, and maybe he would’ve asked for his number if he’d thought they could get along. As it was, he couldn’t help but wonder if the man wouldn’t laugh in his face. Considering who Sullivan was, Sullivan wouldn’t be surprised.

“He’s still staring at you,” Michelle teased.

Sullivan already knew because he was still staring at the man, too. He didn’t even have a name, dammit.

“That’s Matty,” Theo said, suddenly standing next to Sullivan.

Sullivan checked, but Chance and Braden were still talking. He wasn’t sure how Chance would have taken his interest, but Theo didn’t seem angry. “One of your friends?” Sullivan asked.

“One of my brothers. He was part of my small pack when we lived on the streets. He’s been through a lot.”

“He’s lucky to have you and the pack, then.”

Theo nodded. “He is. He’s single, by the way.”

Sullivan wanted to ask Theo why he would say that, but he knew. He wasn’t being discreet. “Good to know.”

“But I don’t have to tell you what will happen if you hurt him.”

“I’m not planning on hurting him or anyone else.” But Sullivan knew that sometimes, hurting people was unavoidable. He just hoped that Matty wouldn’t be one of those people.

* * * *

“H e’s looking at you ,” Seth said from his seat on the couch next to Matty. Matty made to turn, wanting to know if it was true, but Seth grabbed his arm. “Don’t look.”

“How am I supposed to know that he’s looking at me if I don’t look?”

“I didn’t tell you so you could check. What, you don’t believe me?”

“I just want to see it for myself.” Matty would always take the opportunity to stare at Sullivan. The man was too handsome to miss one.

“Well, don’t.”

“Why? It might be my only chance.”

Seth rolled his eyes. “Only chance for what? It’s not like he’s never coming back. He and his people are working with the pack, so he’ll visit again.”

“Yeah, but usually, he’s here to work.”

“Which is why he’s here today.”

That much was true. Sullivan wasn’t here to see Matty. He was here to talk to Chance and Theo about the coven and what they were supposed to do about it. Hell, he probably hadn’t been staring at Matty. Maybe he’d been lost in his thoughts. Maybe he was already thinking about what was waiting for him at home.

Matty wished there was something he could do, but this wasn’t his fight, not entirely. If the pack needed him, he’d help because it had become his home, but he wasn’t about to do anything stupid. He’d gone through enough in his life. Now that he’d found safety and stability, he wasn’t going to put that in jeopardy. He’d do what he could to protect the pack, but he was scared.

“Do you think he’s single?” he asked Seth, eager to distract himself from thoughts of what the coven could do.

“How would I know? I’ve never talked to the guy.”

“Well, what do you think?”

Seth cocked his head. He’d told Matty not to turn and look, but there was no way Sullivan wouldn’t notice Seth watching him. Maybe it would be better if Matty did this on his own.

“Well, he’s not wearing a wedding band,” Seth said. “I guess there’s a good chance he’s single.”

“Not being married doesn’t mean he’s not single.”

“Plus, not every married person wears their wedding band.”

Matty groaned and bumped his forehead against Seth’s shoulder. “I thought you wanted to help me, not to make me feel worse.”

“What do you have to feel bad about?”

“How about a bunch of bloodthirsty mages who are planning to attack the pack and destroy it?”

Seth grimaced. “Okay, that’s a good reason to feel bad. It doesn’t have much to do with what’s happening between you and Sullivan, though.”

“There’s nothing happening between us.” Unfortunately. “I’ve seen him twice. Do I think he’s hot? Yeah, of course I do. I have eyes. It doesn’t mean anything is going on.”

“But you want something to be going on.”

“Don’t you? With someone else, I mean.”

Seth grimaced. “Hell, no. I’m fine being on my own.”

Matty wasn’t sure that was true. Seth had always put distance between himself and the people he was with, but a lot of that had to do with the fact that he didn’t trust easily. He’d been betrayed by the people who should have protected him and loved him the most—his parents. It made sense that he didn’t trust easily now, even people he liked. Hopefully, having a steady home and seeing how happy his brother and everyone else was would help with that. Seth might be fine on his own for now, but eventually, he’d want more, and Matty hoped he’d find it.

He wanted that for himself almost desperately. He might be young, but after everything he’d lived through, he could think of nothing better than to have a steady home where he could come back at night and have someone greet him with a smile and a kiss. Maybe he’d even want children one day. For now, the thought of having them terrified him, but he was only twenty-two. He had plenty of time. Besides, he needed to find someone to have those kids with first. He wasn’t planning on being a single dad.

“But you’re not,” Seth said softly.

“I mean, I’m fine. I just don’t want to be alone.”

“And you think Sullivan is the right man for you?”

“Again, I don’t know him. I just think he’s hot, and I wouldn’t mind getting to know him.”

“Then maybe you should.”

Matty sighed and finally glanced at Sullivan. He and Theo were still talking, and he wasn’t looking at Matty. Maybe Seth had been teasing him about Sullivan watching him, but Matty didn’t think so. Seth wouldn’t do that to him.

“This really isn’t the right moment to start something with anyone, let alone a mage who belongs to a coven that wants to destroy us,” he murmured.

“His coven might want to destroy us, but he doesn’t. He and his friends are on our side. It’s why they’re here.”

“You really think they want to help?”

“Chance wouldn’t have allowed them in if they didn’t. It’ll take time and work, but I’m positive that those mages are on our side.”

Matty wanted to believe that, and he trusted Chance to know what he was doing. He was glad he wasn’t in charge, though. He wouldn’t have known what to do or who to trust. As it was, he only had to trust his alpha—both of them. Theo might not be an alpha anymore, but he’d always have that role in Matty’s eyes. He’d been the one who’d kept Matty and the others safe while they lived on the streets. Matty would never forget that.

He was happy that Theo had found love, and he wanted the same. Surely that wasn’t too much to ask? It might not be the best moment, but this was how it always happened in books, right? People fell in love when they shouldn’t and used that love to help them survive.

Matty hoped he wouldn’t have to survive anything, especially not a fight, but he wasn’t fooling himself. The coven wouldn’t stop.

“I don’t know,” Matty said as he glanced at Sullivan again. This time, Sullivan was watching him, and they stared at each other. Matty desperately wanted to get up from the couch and move closer, introduce himself to Sullivan, and maybe ask him on a date, but how could he? Sullivan’s meeting with Chance and Theo was serious. Matty couldn’t bother them.

“No one is saying you have to marry Sullivan tomorrow,” Seth said as he bumped their shoulders together. “Just talk to him. See what he wants. Hopefully, it’s you, and you’ll live happily ever after.”

“What if he doesn’t want to leave the coven? I can’t leave the pack.” Not when it was the first home Matty had in years and the first place where he’d felt safe.

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Matty. You don’t have to marry the guy. You don’t even have to date him. Yes, you like him, but it doesn’t mean you’ll continue liking him once you get to know him. You said it yourself—you find him hot, and that’s all there is to it for now. Maybe you’ll fall in love, and maybe you won’t. Maybe he won’t want to leave the coven, but maybe he’ll be happy to move here with the pack. Lester was. His friends were.”

“But Sullivan wants to save his coven.”

“Of course he does. Wouldn’t you want the same in his position? He probably has family and people he cares about. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t move for you.” Seth huffed. “And seriously, why are you already talking about moving him in when you’ve never even talked to him? You need to fix that before you get ahead of yourself.”

Matty wasn’t sure he’d have the guts to talk to Sullivan. He’d always been a dreamer, but everything was easier if that was all there was to it. He could dream and never have to fear rejection. If he talked to Sullivan in real life, Sullivan could tell him he wanted nothing to do with him, and Matty’s dreams would shatter.

Really, he should have kept them focused on that actor he liked so much. At least there, he knew there was no way he’d ever meet the guy, which meant he’d never be rejected.