Page 41 of Because You Rejected Me

He looked like he was about to cry.

“I already love you,” I said, surprising even myself. “I hope that’s okay.”

Matt stared at me for a long moment, a pair of tears running down his cheeks. “I think I love you too,” he said at last, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing tightly. “It scares the shit out of me.”

“That’s okay, beautiful.” I squeezed him back. “I’m scared too. But I know I want to be with you, no matter what.”

Matt nodded. “Me too.”

I just laid there holding him. And I’d continue to do so until he said otherwise. Matt was everything to me, my perfect mate. We may not have known one another for long, but there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. It was too easy to see that he was the love of my life, the one I’d been waiting for.

And I was never going to let go.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Matt

I was feeling a bit nervous and out of place when Ace and I pulled up to the Fourth of July party at the state park. A part of me wanted to sneak around the building and out to the beach so I could hide from everyone. The only people I knew at the party were Sam and Andy. The rest of the two dozen people were wolves I’d never met. Ace said they were all wolves that had been helped by Sam. Some were at the hotel right now, while others had chosen to stay in Shifter Grove after they got their lives back in order. He said they weren’t really a pack, but they looked out for one another regardless.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, he was right that I should get to know them. With the way our relationship was going, I wasn’t planning on leaving Shifter Grove anytime soon. It would probably be a good idea to know at least a few of my neighbors. When I came to the hotel, I never expected to join a family. But, by the way everyone was conversing and carrying on, it looked like that’s exactly what it was. Sam, by helping all these rogue wolves, had inadvertently created a close-knit community.

It was oddly comforting to be part of it.

Ace stayed by my side the entire time, sensing my nervousness. He laced his fingers through mine and kept hold of me while we made our way through the crowd. The moment that Sam caught sight of us, he pulled me aside and started introducing me to everyone. I met several wolves whose names I forgot almost immediately, although they were nice enough. Andy was there, of course, and there was a muscular wolf named Vincent who ran the small pizzeria in town that I’d already eaten at several times. Apparently, he and Andy had some sort of rivalry over who was the best baker. In my opinion, they were equally matched.

More faces came and went until, finally, Ace pulled me away, telling Sam to give me some room to breathe. He took me out to the beach where we could have some peace for a few minutes. But that didn’t last long because the food smelled too good and I was starving to death.

With plates in hand, we found a space at one of the picnic tables to eat. Before we got more than a couple bites in, several other people joined us, including Sam and Andy. I thought it was going to be super awkward, but the afternoon flew by with easy conversation and laughter. In fact, I was completely surprised when sunset snuck up on us while we were still chatting and munching away under the pavilion.

“Well,” Sam said, slapping his knees in true Midwestern style. “I guess it’s getting about time for fireworks, don’t you think?”

“Is this like Walmart fireworks or a real display?” Andy asked, giving him a bit of side-eye.

“Andrew,” Sam replied, feigning insult. “I haven’t purchased fireworks from a grocery store in nearly three years! How dare you insinuate such a thing!” He looked over his shoulder, calling out to one of the other guests. “Hey Cory! Get the fireworks ready, will you?”

“You got it, boss!” a random blond man called back from the other end of the pavilion.

Sam looked back at us, a big smile on his face. “I hired them out this year.”

“So… you hired Cory to go buy them from Walmart?” I joked, glancing over at Andy, who nearly spat out his drink.

“Oh…” Sam cooed. “You can be a little sassy.” He looked over at Ace. “Better be careful with this one. He’s sassy and a little bit stabby.” He rubbed his shoulder where I’d gotten him with my pocket knife, a playful smile on his face.

“I’m not worried about it,” Ace replied. He took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “But the rest of you should probably watch out. Matt’s not afraid to cut a bitch.” He gestured up at Sam. “Case and point.”

Everyone at the table laughed as Sam pulled Ace away from the pavilion, tackling him playfully onto the ground. The two of them rolled around like a pair of pups, one trying to outmaneuver the other. Of course, Ace had the upper hand, being the Alpha, but he gave Sam a fighting chance. It only took a moment or two for the pair of them to get exceptionally dirty, but I figured there was going to be some running around later anyway. With so many wolves around and darkness coming on, they were bound to start shifting sooner or later, and wolves always ended up dirty. There was just no way around it.

“Will you watch these two idiots for me?” I asked, looking over at Andy. “I’ll be right back.”

“Yeah, I’ll watch,” he laughed. “Wouldn’t want your man getting too roughed up.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about him.”

“Good point.”

I patted Andy on the shoulder as I got up from the picnic table and headed across the grassy park. The bathrooms were on the far side of the mown area, tucked against the edge of the woods. After drinking at least half a dozen beers in the past couple of hours, my bladder felt like it was about to explode. That, combined with the laughing, meant I was an accident waiting to happen if I didn’t answer the call of nature now.

Glancing out over the parking lot, I saw the sun had already sunk below the horizon. There was a bank of high, fluffy clouds in the sky, the undersides of which were still illuminated by an unseen sun. A look over my other shoulder showed me a dark horizon slowly spilling across Lake Huron. Night was coming on fast, and the fireworks show was about to start. I didn’t want to miss it.

As I approached the bathrooms, I noticed the glow of fireflies illuminating just inside the woods. They seemed to pop up out of the grass everywhere, their green light bursting into life in the most unexpected places. I didn’t want to tear my eyes away from them, but I couldn’t hold it any longer.

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