Page 13 of Love in Unexpected Places

Instead, he left the house and headed straight for the forest.As soon as he was out of sight, he stripped and shifted, abandoning his clothes at the base of a tree.He had too much energy, both from happiness and the prospect of seeing his sister again and from grief.He’d always known that his parents didn’t care about him and never would, but they’d seemed happy with Sabrina.

But they’d done the exact same thing to her as they had to him.He hated that his little sister had to live through that, but he was glad she’d thought of messaging him.He was even more glad that he could bring her here and that he hadn’t lived on the streets in months.She didn’t have to know what he’d gone through.She just had to know that soon, they would be together again and that they’d be safe and loved.

Matty ran until his energy finally dropped.He felt pleasantly tired when he got back to where he’d left his clothes.He quickly shifted and put them back on, shivering a few times.Spring wasn’t quite here yet.He was eager to see how the forest changed when it finally arrived.It felt like it would be a rebirth for him and maybe for his sister, too.

As soon as he was dressed, he grabbed his phone from his pocket and opened the app to the messages Sabrina had sent him.He could see she was still online, so he grinned and started typing his number.This would be easier if she could call him.Whatever happened, they were doing this.Matty was going to pick up his sister and bring her home.

To a real home, this time, a home where no one would ever kick her out.

Chapter Three

Sullivan felt reliefas soon as the coven house disappeared behind him.He’d barely given it a second glance as he drove away, knowing he needed to take advantage of the time he had.

He didn’t have to tell anyone when he left, and the leaders generally didn’t care who came and went, but Sullivan was sure they kept tabs on everyone.For as much power as they had, they didn’t trust anyone but each other, and Sullivan wondered if that was actually the case.He doubted that Linette, Fred, Deborah, and Clarence trusted Braden.Braden certainly didn’t trust them.Sullivan couldn’t help but wonder if the four who actually worked together trusted each other.

He would bet the answer to that question would be no.

That was what came with being power-hungry, evil people.They probably hated each other as much as they hated the rest of the coven.

But that wasn’t Sullivan’s problem, and hopefully, it never would be.He was fine with never being a coven leader.In fact, he felt sorry for Braden, who had no choice but to deal with all of this.Sullivan felt guilty because of the orders he had to obey, but he could only imagine how Braden felt when he tried going against what the other leaders wanted, only to be refused every single time.He had to feel as powerless as Sullivan, maybe even more so because, as a leader, he was supposed to have power.

He didn’t, not really.He didn’t even have the respect of the other leaders, and a lot of coven members also tended to avoid him.Even those who were on his side and wanted all of this to stop didn’t dare be seen with him.Sullivan knew that the other leaders kept an eye on him because he was close to Braden, which was why they tried not to be seen together, but Sullivan missed his friend.He hated leaving Braden and the others behind, but he wanted to update Chance and his pack on what was going on.

Even more than that, he wanted and needed some time away from the coven house.After what had happened to Trevor, it felt like ghosts inhabited the house.People hurried down the hallways, never spending a lot of time exposed in case one of the leaders saw them.The kitchen and living room were almost always empty, and when they weren’t, it didn’t last long.Even the meals had gotten weird, with most people taking their food back to their rooms.

Sullivan breathed easier the more space there was between him and the coven house.He was feeling lighter by the time he reached pack territory, and he grinned at the guard standing by the gate.The man recognized him and let him in, which was always a surprise to Sullivan.He didn’t feel like he belonged here, and technically, he didn’t.He was here as a pack ally, but he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be a pack member.

His thoughts drifted to Matty.Hewas a pack member.From the little Sullivan knew, he hadn’t been one for long, but he’d looked like he was home the few times Sullivan had seen him.He’d certainly looked at home on Chance and Theo’s couch, shooting the shit with his friends and sneaking glances at Sullivan.

Sullivan smiled at the memory.He hadn’t been sure that Matty was interested in him, but the way Matty kept looking his way had made him wonder.He still did.There were more important things for him to focus on and worry about, but thinking of Matty felt like a break that Sullivan desperately needed.

Since Matty was a pack member, what would happen to them if they ever got together?There was no way Matty would ever move to the coven house, which Sullivan would understand.Hell, he’d probably try to change Matty’s mind if he offered to do that.The coven house wasn’t where Matty belonged, and it had nothing to do with him being a shifter instead of a mage.Honestly, Sullivan thought that the house should be destroyed once they were done with the leaders.He didn’t think it would ever recover from what had happened inside its walls.

What would happen to the coven if they destroyed it?They’d have to find another place to live, and without leaders, Sullivan wasn’t sure they could.They would have to find new leaders, too, but how were they supposed to do that?How would they choose the right people?

All these questions were moot until they got rid of the leaders they had, anyway.Sullivan should probably stop obsessing over it.

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