Page 17 of Love in Unexpected Places

Sullivan frowned as he opened the string of texts he’d exchanged with the alpha.He prayed nothing bad had happened and quickly scrolled up to check the first one he hadn’t read.

Theo just told me you’d decided to go with Matty.What are you up to?

That text was quickly followed by another.I’m not saying I don’t trust you, but this feels odd.Why would you want to go with Matty when you’ve never talked to him until today?

There were a few minutes between that text and the next one.Theo tells me you’re interested in Matty.I don’t have to tell you what will happen to you if you hurt him.He’s one of Theo’s brothers, and Theo takes protecting his family very seriously.I won’t put myself between you and Matty if this is what you both want, but be careful, Sullivan.We might be allies, but it has its limits.

It was clear that the limit of their alliance was hurting Theo’s family.Sullivan could understand that, and he had no plans of hurting Matty or anyone else.He just wanted to spend time with Matty.

He quickly typed an answer.I’m not planning on hurting him.For now, I just want to get to know him.

Chance’s answer was almost instantaneous.Why?

Sullivan shook his head.He hadn’t expected Chance to be so protective of his pack members, but maybe he should have.Chance might be a leader, but he was nothing like the coven leaders.He cared about his people and wanted them to be happy, and he was clearly ready to step in if he thought someone was hurting them.Sullivan felt lucky to be on Chance’s side and not fighting against him.He suspected the man would be scary in a fight, especially in a fight to protect his loved ones.Chance loved Theo, and Theo loved Matty as if he were his brother.That would be enough for Chance to spill Sullivan’s blood.

Because he’s cute, and he seems sweet.We haven’t talked much so far, but he needed a mage to go with him, and I don’t see a problem with me being that mage.Do you?

Sullivan watched the three dots move on his screen.It took Chance a moment to answer this time, and Sullivan waited patiently.He kept glancing at Matty, who was focused on the road and humming along with a song on the radio.He clearly had no idea that his alpha was giving Sullivan the shovel talk.

As long as you don’t have any ulterior motives, I don’t have a say in this.Matty is an adult and can make his own decisions, especially when it comes to relationships.

Chance was running ahead.There was no relationship between Matty and Sullivan, not yet, anyway.Sullivan wondered what a relationship between them would look like.He wasn’t sure it could exist in the world they lived in right now.Maybe once the coven had been dealt with?Sullivan wanted to hope, but he had no way of knowing if he’d even be alive by the time the coven leaders were gone.

He sighed.My only ulterior motive is that I didn’t want to go back to the coven house so soon.Living there is hell, and I really could do with a distraction.I promise I won’t hurt Matty and that I’ll keep an eye on him.I’ll protect him if anyone attacks him.He’s safe with me, Chance.I wouldn’t put our alliance in jeopardy for something like this, but even more than that, I don’t want to hurt Matty.

Sullivan found it odd to pour his heart out through texts, but he couldn’t exactly call Chance while Matty was sitting next to him.His attention might be on driving, but he had ears.

Fine.I’m letting it go, but remember that Theo and I will keep an eye on you.If Matty has anything bad to say about you, I’ll have to step in.

Sullivan took that as a win.He texted Chance a thumbs-up emoji, then finally put his phone away.It didn’t vibrate again, which he hoped meant that Chance was giving it a rest.Sullivan was glad that Matty had people looking out for him, but this felt like a lot.Of course, he only knew part of Matty’s story, but even that was enough to know that Matty was incredibly close to Theo, and, through him, to Chance.They were more than alpha and pack member.

They were family.

“Everything okay?”Matty suddenly asked.

Of course he’d noticed that Sullivan had been typing what felt like a novel on his phone.“Everything’s fine.Chance had a few questions.”

“Is he wondering where you are?I told Theo that you were coming with me, and he had questions.”

“Theo told him.He knows that I’m with you, and I’ll talk to him when we return to pack territory later today.I didn’t have important news, anyway.”

“So everything’s fine?”

“Everything is perfect.”That was partially a lie, but right now, it was easy to forget about the coven leader and how much blood they’d spilled and were still spilling.It was easy to focus on Matty and how cute he was, on the way his cheeks flushed every time he noticed Sullivan staring at him, and on the way he licked his lips as if he wanted to kiss Sullivan.

Sullivan hoped he did because he definitely wished he was kissing Matty right now.

* * * *

As he drove, Mattycouldn’t stop thinking about Theo’s words.Theo had said that Matty should give what was happening between him and Sullivan a chance, but Matty wasn’t sure therewasanything happening between them.Sure, he thought Sullivan was handsome, and apparently, Sullivan thought the same of him, but that didn’t make a relationship.

It could be the beginning of one, though.

Matty wasn’t sure what he wanted.Yes, he wished he had someone to come home to at the end of the night, but could that person really be Sullivan?He was a mage and belonged to a coven that was actively trying to destroy the pack.He might be the pack’s ally, but what would happen once the coven leaders were gone?Would Sullivan want to leave the coven after he’d worked so hard to save it?There was no way Matty could leave the pack.It was his home, and after not having one for four long years, he wasn’t giving it up.It was where his family lived and where his sister would live, so Matty wasn’t going anywhere.

He felt like he was going a little nuts.This was a lot to put on a relationship that didn’t exist.Today was the first time he and Sullivan talked, and even though they liked the way the other looked, that might be all there was to it.Maybe they’d hate each other once this road trip was over.

Matty hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

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