Page 20 of Love in Unexpected Places

Matty frowned.“I am.Why?Did you think I was human?”

“No.I assumed you were a shifter when I first saw you.I’m just not sure what kind of shifter.”From talking to Theo, Sullivan knew that their little family had welcomed a lot of different shifters, including a dragon and okapis.There was no way for him to guess what kind of shifter Matty was, and he was curious.

“I’m a bear shifter.”

“Like Chance and the rest of his pack?”

Matty’s smile vanished, which didn’t sit right with Sullivan.“Exactly like them.It doesn’t mean that all its members have welcomed me, though.To some of them, I still don’t belong because I wasn’t born within the pack.”

“But Chance doesn’t care about that.”

“He doesn’t, and I don’t think he ever will.He wouldn’t have welcomed Theo and everyone else into the pack otherwise.Theo is a bear, but he’s a polar bear, so he doesn’t quite belong, either.”

“And that’s not to mention everyone else.”

“Right.Chance never cared that Dustin was a dragon shifter, for example.He even opened the pack to Dustin’s brother and other dragons who found themselves without a home after the attack.”

Sullivan’s stomach churned.He’d participated in the attack.He’d tried not to hurt people, but he’d had to obey the leaders’ orders when they were present.He’d attacked some of the dragons and had helped capture them.As soon as the leaders had left, he’d tried helping the dragons who’d been wounded, but it hadn’t been easy.They didn’t trust him, and they were right not to after what he’d done.

His heart ached at the thought of all of that, but he knew that the only way to atone was to ensure that the coven leaders wouldn’t hurt anyone ever again.He was working on freeing the dragons who’d been captured and every coven member who wanted out from under the leaders’ heels.

He’d sworn to himself that he’d see this to the end, but it was proving to be more complicated than he could’ve expected.Maybe he should have expected it.Of course things couldn’t be easy.

“I’m glad you found a home,” he murmured.

“I’m glad I did, too.The pack is a good place to call home.”

If he was insinuating that Sullivan could do the same, it wasn’t obvious, but Sullivan couldn’t help but think about it.Could he really become a pack member?Could he leave the coven behind, along with his family?Or could his family come with him?He didn’t think anything could happen until the leaders were dealt with, but maybe it was something to mention to Chance the next time they talked.It wouldn’t hurt anyone.If Chance said no, Sullivan would know where he stood.If Chance said yes, it would give Sullivan something to work toward.

Matty sucked in a breath, snagging Sullivan’s attention again.Sullivan turned to him, trying to read his expression.There was dread there, but Matty was trying to conceal it.He blinked a few times, then straightened his back and tightened his hands on the steering wheel.

Sullivan didn’t have to ask to know that they’d arrived.

Matty turned onto a street that could have belonged in a family movie.The houses were big, and the street was lined with trees.There were children playing in the front yards, their mothers watching them.A man was walking his dog, and as Sullivan watched, he stopped to talk to one of the kids.The mother waved at him, clearly knowing who he was.

It looked like the perfect place to grow up.

Matty parked on the street in front of one of the houses.It was white, with a dark gray roof and pots that were probably filled with flowers in the summer.Right now, everything inside of them was brown.It didn’t take away from the beauty of the house, though.

Sullivan had a hard time imagining Matty growing up here, but maybe he shouldn’t.This had been Matty’s home once.

Matty turned the engine off, but he didn’t move from his seat.He and Sullivan listened to the ticking engine for a moment, and while Sullivan wanted to give Matty space, someone would notice them if they stayed in the car staring at the house.“Ready?”he asked.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to face my parents.”

“Well, you don’t have to face them.You just have to help Sabrina get her things into the car.You don’t even have to go inside the house.I can do that for you if you’re not comfortable.”Sullivan would do that and a lot more for Matty if he had the opportunity.

* * * *

Matty wished he couldturn away.He almost had several times during the drive here, but the thought of Sabrina had stopped him from doing that.She needed him, and he’d promised her that he’d be there for her.

Having Sullivan there helped more than Matty had expected.He didn’t know the man, even though he’d been thirsting after him since the first time he’d seen him, but he was nicer than Matty could have expected.He seemed to understand what Matty had gone through, even though his life was very different.Matty had no difficulty believing that he’d be there for him if anything happened with his parents.

Matty hoped nothing would.He wanted to get in, grab Sabrina, and get out.He didn’t need to be here any longer than that.

But he was nervous.He hadn’t seen Sabrina in four years, almost five.She’d reached out for help, but maybe that was because she didn’t have a choice.She only had him beyond their parents, so who else would protect her?Who else could offer her an alternative to living on the streets?

Some people became homeless but eventually managed to get out of it.Matty wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to do that if it hadn’t been for Chance.He wasn’t sure how long he would have survived.Four years was a lot, especially for people as young as he’d been when he’d first started sleeping rough.He understood how lucky he’d been, even though it hadn’t felt like it for the past four years.

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