Page 5 of Season's Greetings
But he couldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be here.
Then the conference room door burst open, and the man Daniel had hoped never to see again barged through it.
“Daniel. I need your help!”
Daniel swiveled so fast he felt a twinge in his neck. “Matthew?”
For a moment, he still thought he was lost in memory. That voice—it still had the power to send a rush of heat down his spine and pool in his belly.
But what was he doing here?
Matthew
Blind panic wiped all logic from Matthew’s mind. If he’d been even half in his right mind, he wouldn’t have rushed into the offices of Sanders & Sanders and hunted down Daniel. He’d gate-crashed a meeting, bursting through the door all dramatic and declaring that he needed help.
Seriously—could he have gotten any more cliché? Maybe. Possibly. Heck, he didn’t know. The only thought running through his head was that he needed to get to Daniel.
His day had started out pretty normal: dropping Toby at school, taking Barney for a walk, stopping at his local coffee shop on the way. He hadn’t expected to be blindsided by an officer of the Shifter Council serving him papers demanding he surrender Toby to his ex-wife.
For a full minute, he’d stood there stunned, his mouth opening and closing as he waited for his brain to catch up. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wrap his head around what the guy was saying. His first response was that it had to be a mistake—that they’d mixed him up with another omega. He tried to explain that the matter had already been settled, that Toby was his, and Claudia had no claim.
Except that wasn’t what the papers said.
His feet moved automatically while the rest of him went numb. White noise filled his ears, and his heart raced as if he’d just run a marathon. Barney, ever the happy pooch, trotted beside him, enjoying his extended walkies, blissfully unaware of his master’s inner turmoil.
This wasn’t the first time Matthew had run to Daniel in the hope of rescue.
That time, it had been a young alpha from a rival wolf pack—one who’d dogged his steps for weeks. Everywhere he went, the alpha followed. Almost like he’d become Matthew’s shadow, his presence was a constant weight, a suffocating pressure that lingered even when Matthew was alone.
The alpha wouldn’t speak. Wouldn’t touch. Just watched. His predatory gaze promised a future Matthew didn’t want.
He’d tried everything to escape the unwanted attention—changed his route to class, skipped the library, avoided the coffee shop where he usually met friends. But the wolf was always there, a silent sentinel radiating power and threat that made Matthew’s skin crawl.
He’d confided in his friends, but they dismissed it as an overreaction, a misunderstanding. They didn’t know the look in alpha eyes—the possessive gleam that spoke of a life of oppression and control.
Pleading with campus security had been useless. They shrugged, claiming they couldn’t do anything unless the alpha made a direct threat. The guards were all human. They didn’t understand the subtleties of a wolf’s stare, the unspoken language of dominance and territorial claims.
He’d even gone to his pack’s enforcers, hoping they’d intervene. But they were more interested in maintaining peace between packs than protecting Matthew. They dismissed his fears, told him to “calm down” and that “the alpha was just admiring him.”
It was only when Daniel had the guy pinned against the wall that anyone paid attention.
Daniel had an understanding others didn’t. He’d noticed the fear in Matthew’s eyes, the desperation he couldn’t hide. He knew the threat that alphas posed—the potential for forced bonding, the violation Matthew was trying to avoid.
Apparently, running to a bear shifter for protection caught the pack’s attention. Suddenly, the enforcers swarmed the scene, their faces finally grim. The security guards, who had ignored him, started asking questions.
It was a bitter victory. A validation of his terror. And a clear reflection of how little the authorities cared about a lone omega—until a bear shifter, who was also the football team’s captain and an alpha, got involved.
Just one lungful of Daniel’s scent calmed his panic—only for another need to flare to life. It coiled in his belly, hot and urgent. He was seconds away from throwing himself at the alpha, intending to climb him like a bear cub, when he became aware of another omega in the room.
The lust and comfort he’d felt moments ago burned away, replaced by jealousy.
If Daniel hadn’t snaked a restraining arm around his waist, who knew what might’ve happened. His burst of rage and possessiveness melted away as he swayed toward the bear shifter. As soon as he felt another strong arm wrap around him, he couldn’t hold back the tears welling in his eyes.
His legs gave way as the tension drained from him, and he slumped against his alpha.
“Okay, I think that’s my cue…” the brown-haired omega said, making to stand from his seat, his expression unsure.
“Sorry—so sorry. I didn’t mean to hijack your meeting. I just needed to see Daniel. I can wait, honestly.” Matthew’s coat sleeve muffled his words as he wiped at his wet face. He still felt shaky and was clinging to Daniel like a life raft, but he was determined to get himself under control.
