Page 6 of Love in Unexpected Places

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 youwantsomething 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.

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