Chapter Three
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NOW THAT A FEW DAYS had passed, Matthew hoped that Alan had had the time to wrap his mind around everything and was ready to talk to him.
He’d stayed away after the meeting in Rikar’s office, and it had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
Both him and his wolf desperately wanted to go to Alan, but Matthew’s human side understood how overwhelmed his mate had to be.
It was why he’d decided to wait, and he didn’t regret that decision.
He just hoped it wouldn’t be necessary anymore.
Alan was still staying with Rikar and Hayes.
Matthew had almost offered to take him home with him the other day, but from the spooked expression on Alan’s face, he’d been able to tell his mate would say no.
He hadn’t wanted to be rejected, so he’d gone home alone that day.
He’d spent time with Franklin and the rest of his friends, gossiping about everything that was happening.
Everyone in the village knew about Nysys and his mate visiting.
Most of the details had been kept a secret, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
It never did in a place like the village where so many people lived close together.
Everyone knew everyone, and everyone knew everything there was to know about everyone.
And everyone was talking about Alan. Only a handful of people knew that he was Matthew’s mate, and that was fine with Matthew. He and Alan hadn’t even talked about what it meant for them yet. Matthew was fine with keeping everyone else out for a bit longer.
But he was done keeping Alan out. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake as he walked to Rikar and Hayes’s house.
His mate might not want to see him, and he might tell him to fuck off.
He also might agree to talk to him, though, which was why Matthew was here.
They needed to start somewhere, and a walk through the village was something Matthew hoped Alan could deal with.
If he couldn’t, they’d find something else to do.
Alan couldn’t go home. He couldn’t get any of his things, contact his family, or return to work. With the one conversation he’d heard, he’d lost his entire life. He was stuck in the village, and as far as Matthew knew, he hadn’t been leaving Rikar’s house.
He could. The village was as protected as it could be, and Matthew didn’t think that Alan’s former boss even knew he was here.
Alan hadn’t walked around the village, though.
Matthew would know if he had. He’d have heard it from someone.
He disliked the thought of his mate stuck in Rikar’s house for so long, especially when he could have a bit of freedom, so here he was, about to knock on Rikar’s door.
He was really fucking nervous.
He knocked, telling himself that he didn’t have a reason to be.
What was the worst that could happen? That was actually something he didn’t want to think about, so he was grateful when the door swung open, revealing Hayes.
He smiled at Matthew and stepped aside, waving at him to come in.
“I was wondering when I’d hear from you.
You stayed away longer than I would’ve expected. ”
Matthew grimaced. “I didn’t want him to feel overwhelmed.”
“I think he’s going to feel overwhelmed no matter what you say or do. It’s not about you, not entirely. The poor man just lost his entire life because of something he didn’t do. It’s going to take him a little while to wrap his mind around that.”
“How is he?”
“Surprisingly fine. I think he’s mostly angry. He truly believes in helping people, and he hates that Victor ruined that for him.”
“I don’t blame him.”
“Neither do I. That man used Alan, and it’s not right.”
Hayes and Matthew knew that their lives weren’t right or better than a lot of people. After all, they’d been in the labs they were trying to get rid of.
“Anyway, if you want to talk to him, he’s in the living room,” Hayes continued, putting Matthew’s shoulder. “I’ll be in the kitchen with Samara.”
Matthew nodded before taking a deep breath and turning toward the living room.
He still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that his mate was here.
Their relationship might not have started on the right foot, but Matthew hoped he could fix it.
At the very least, he hoped he could put a smile on Alan’s face. He felt like Alan needed it.
When he walked into the living room, it was to find Alan on the couch, bundled into a blanket, staring at the TV screen. Alan blinked when he looked up, and, to Matthew’s relief, he smiled.
“I was wondering when I’d see you next,” Alan said.
“I was giving you space.”
“I think I needed it. You could’ve visited without talking about what we both know we need to talk about, though. It would’ve been nice to have some company.”
“I’m sorry.” Matthew didn’t know what else to say. He hadn’t expected his mate to want to deal with him just yet, but clearly, he’d been wrong.
“It’s fine,” Alan reassured Matthew. “And you’re here now. Are you ready to talk?”
“Actually, I thought we could go out for a walk. Hayes told me that you haven’t been leaving the house, but you’re safe here. The village is protected because some of the people we rescued from the lab have moved here permanently. We want them to feel safe.”
“Hayes told me. It was just a lot, you know?”
“Do you still feel that way? Because we can stay here if you’re more comfortable.”
Alan got to his feet. He was wearing clothes he’d borrowed from Hayes. Matthew recognized the hoodie. “I’d like to go outside, actually.”
“I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“Why don’t you show me the village? I have a feeling I’m going to spend a lot of time here.”
“If you don’t want Victor to hurt you, probably. I’m really sorry.”
Alan shrugged. “It’s not your fault. Besides, it could have been much worse. I realize how lucky I am to have ended up here, of all places.”
He had been. If he’d taken another road, if Franklin and Matthew hadn’t been running in the area when Alan had crashed his car, if Victor had succeeded in what he’d been trying to do, Alan and Matthew might never have met.
Alan might be dead right now. It wasn’t something Matthew wanted to think about too much, but neither he nor Alan could deny it.
It made Matthew want to drag his mate into his arms, but he didn’t. Instead, he waited for Alan to finish getting ready, then followed him out the door.
As soon as he stepped out, Alan stopped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then another. Matthew wondered if he was scared, even though the village was safe. It would be of no use to tell him again that he was protected here, so Matthew kept his mouth shut.
“So, tell me about you,” Alan eventually said as he walked down the porch steps. “How did you end up in a Nix tribe, raiding labs and helping people?”
“Well, I was one of those people once. I was kidnapped and put in a cage. I was experimented on.”
Alan stumbled and turned wide eyes to Matthew. Maybe Matthew should’ve been more careful with how he conveyed the information. He was so used to everyone around him knowing about it that he hadn’t thought about how he was speaking.
“I’m fine,” he told his mate. “I was rescued and decided to do the same for other people. It was the least I could do, especially with the ability that was forced onto me.”
“What ability?”
It looked like Alan didn’t know about the mutants yet.
Matthew had thought that Hayes would have told him, but clearly not.
That would fall to Matthew. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining to his mate that some people considered him a monster, but he couldn’t hide what had been done to him.
He didn’t want to. His ability was part of him, and if Alan was going to be with him, he’d have to accept it.
Hopefully, he would.
* * * *
THIS WASN’T THE DIRECTION in which Alan had expected the walk with Matthew to go.
He didn’t exactly consider this their first date, but the conversation had taken a turn.
He’d thought they’d talk about their families or things like that, but no.
They were talking about Matthew having some kind of ability he didn’t have before ending up in one of the company’s labs.
Alan still had a hard time wrapping his mind around that.
His mate had spent time locked up in one of the Glass Research Company’s labs.
Alan could all too well imagine what had been done to him there, and he hated it.
He hated that anyone had to suffer like that.
It wasn’t specific to his mate, although he supposed that he felt closer to the situation because of Matthew.
He wanted the labs to be closed and the people there to be freed and allowed to return to their normal lives.
Except that, from what Matthew had just said, they couldn’t have a normal life.
How could they? Matthew had come out of the lab changed.
Alan wanted to know how much, but he was also afraid to ask.
He didn’t think that Matthew would avoid answering.
He seemed pretty open about that part of his past. Alan just didn’t want Matthew to have to think about it again.
He shouldn’t have asked Matthew about his ability, but he’d been stunned when Matthew had mentioned it. He still was.
“It’s not widely known, but some of the people who were in the labs were experimented on and changed. Hayes, for example, can fly,” Matthew explained.
Alan blinked. “You mean like a bird?”
“He doesn’t shift. He’s human, and I guess that hasn’t changed. No, he can fly as a human.”
Alan couldn’t even imagine what that looked like. “And what do you do? If you’re okay talking about it, of course. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine,” Matthew answered with a smile. “I wouldn’t have been a few years ago, but I’ve made my peace with what happened to me. You don’t have to worry about hurting me.”