Chapter 6 : Going Home with Matt

*Kenna*

I woke to a pounding pressure behind my right temple and groaned. After I parted ways with Reid last night, I definitely drank too much. I told myself that I needed to get up and go downstairs, but it was hard to actually make my muscles move. I really wanted to go back to sleep, but that wasn’t going to happen.

A knock at my bedroom door preceded Juniper entering with a tray of food. She was already showered and dressed for the day. I sat up just in time for her to climb into bed beside me and lay the tray on our legs. There were two plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and two tall glasses of water. She set a bottle of aspirin on the tray and sighed dramatically. “I’m so hungover,” she whined. “That party was crazy.”

“If you say so,” I muttered. “The last few hours are a bit of a blur.”

“That’s why I brought food,” she said. “I want to hear about what you do remember.” She elbowed me and waggled her eyebrows cartoonishly.

I laughed and shook my head at her. “You want the gorey details?” I asked.

“All I’m saying is that Mama and Daddy are already out at the festival, so if you wanted to share, no one will overhear,” she answered.

“So you’re bribing me with breakfast in bed?” I teased.

“No, I just have to leave soon to meet up with my parents, so I figured we could talk and eat to save time.” She picked up her spoon and took a bite of scrambled eggs.

“So I’ll be on my own today?” I asked. I unscrewed the lid from the aspirin and poured two into my palm, then swallowed them with a swig of the water.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone to keep you company,” she joked. “Maybe you’ll run into Reid again. Speaking of, tell me how your night went after we split up last night.”

I hummed and took a small bite of toast. “We danced for a while, then we went up to his room.” She slapped my shoulder and we both laughed.

“You’re so bad,” she said. I knew she was joking. Juniper wasn’t a prude and I knew she didn’t judge me for my attitude toward casual sex, even though I was a little more liberal about it than she was.

I shrugged and poked at my food. “He was surprisingly sweet, not like a lot of the guys I’ve been with. I think he really likes me. He said he wants to see me again. He’s a pretty romantic guy, I think.”

“Romantic?” she said skeptically. “I don’t know if a guy who shares with his friends can be called romantic.”

I shrugged at that. “I don’t know,” I said. “Are you sure that isn’t just a rumor?”

“No,” she answered. She screwed up her face in an exaggerated show of distaste.“But considering how much time he spends with Jack and Matt, it wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

I frowned at that. I hadn’t met Matt yet, but from what I’d seen of Jack, he didn’t seem like the sharing type. It honestly surprised me to hear that someone with such a cold glare could be friends with someone as warm as Reid. Then again, Jack had come to my rescue at the mate ball and he’d seemed interested in our safety, even if he was condescending about it. Maybe there was more to him than met the eye.

We chatted and ate for a few more minutes, then Juniper took the tray and left me to my own devices. I took a shower and found a blouse and jeans that seemed comfortable enough to walk around in. I didn’t have a destination in mind when I left the house; I just wanted to explore a bit more. I knew that there were several ceremonies taking place today, but my pack wasn’t there so I didn’t feel the need to go.

I ended up at the sparring ring again. It was nearby and there was cheering coming from that direction, so I was curious. I didn’t know the wolves who were sparring, but I didn’t really expect to. I looked around the ring and was surprised to see the hazel eyed man that I’d noticed at the sparring match yesterday. He was watching the match with interest, but after a moment, he slowly turned and made eye contact with me.

I was a little embarrassed to be caught staring at him again and I held my hand up in a brief, friendly wave. It must’ve looked as awkward as it felt, because he just raised his eyebrows at me. An amused, teasing smile crossed his face and he started walking toward me. I was surprised, but tried not to show it. When he reached me, he leaned on the railing and turned his eyes back to the match.

“Do you like sparring?” he asked with interest.

“I can’t shift yet,” I answered. I would be coming into my powers soon, but I wasn’t quite twenty-one yet and the shift still hadn’t happened. I was a little embarrassed to admit it to him, but I wasn’t sure why.

“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “You can spar just fine as you are.”

I laughed out loud. “You can’t really expect me to fight a wolf with my bare hands. Do I look like an Amazon warrior to you?”

He looked me up and down in an appraising manner that made me feel a little hot under the collar. He stood up and leaned toward me, whispering into my ear, “I’ll show you.”

He turned from me and snapped his fingers, indicating a large, light haired man that was standing nearby.

The man looked him over and laughed boisterously, looking to his friends and loudly proclaiming, “This won’t take long.” He pulled his shirt over his head to reveal his thick, muscled torso.

The hazel eyed man wagged his finger in a scolding manner. “Fists only,” he instructed.

The bravado fell from the man’s face, but he managed to keep his cool. “Fine by me,” he said.

The match in the ring ended and the wolves shifted back and went to rejoin their packmates.

The hazel eyed man took his shirt off and laid it over the railing, then he grinned at me. “I’m Matt, by the way… so you can cheer me on properly.”

Matt? Could he be the Matt that Juniper had mentioned?

He easily vaulted over the railing, then strove confidently into the ring. He rolled his shoulders and neck to loosen up for the fight. The man he had challenged climbed over the railing and squared up across from him, looking far less confident than Matt was. Matt nodded to him to signal that he was ready and the man returned the gesture.

The man swung at Matt suddenly, his huge fist connecting with Matt’s square jaw. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. Matt rubbed his jaw and spit blood into the dirt. He lifted his head and met my eyes, a devilish smirk crossing his face as he winked at me. Then he turned back to his opponent.

Matt was tall and well built, but he looked small compared to the huge man he’d challenged. I found myself concerned he’d be seriously hurt in his attempt to show off for me.

Then Matt lifted his fists in front of him and lurched forward. The man blocked the punch, but Matt’s fists were moving with such speed that he couldn’t keep up. After only a few seconds, Matt was landing a volley of quick, snapping punches to the man’s head and torso.

The burly man managed to land a few more wild blows to Matt, but they were haphazard and, although they looked painful, they didn’t slow Matt down. The show of strength and tenacity was nothing short of sexy. My eyes were glued on Matt, watching the way his muscles worked as he dodged and swung. The heat that coursed through me as I watched the match surprised me, but I couldn’t look away.

The other man landed another shot to Matt’s head, and Matt staggered back a step. Then he launched forward, putting his hip and shoulder into a powerful punch that landed on the man’s jaw and sent him to the ground.

A cheer went up from the crowd as the burly man slapped his palm into the dirt three times. Matt walked to the man and held his hand out. The man grasped his arm and allowed Matt to help him up. They shook hands, then parted ways.

The man went back to his friends, and Matt walked toward me. There was blood at the corner of his mouth, a small cut beneath his left eye, and a bruise forming on his jaw, but the swagger in his step was nothing but confidence.

He leaned on the railing and gazed up at me. “See, easy,” he said.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t hold back a laugh. Even bruised and bloodied, the man had natural charm. “Shouldn’t you get checked over at the med tent?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” he said dismissively.

I wasn’t convinced. The cut beneath his eye was oozing blood. I looked at him skeptically and crossed my arms. “You aren’t at least going to get that cut bandaged?”

“If you’re so worried, you could patch me up,” he offered with a grin. “There’s a first aid kit at my place.” The lascivious glint in his eye was familiar. It reminded me of the look in Reid’s eyes when he’d asked me to go upstairs with him last night.

I was still heated from watching him fight. I wondered if he could tell. He stood upright, then hopped back over the railing. He stood in front of me with an expectant expression and waited for me to answer.

I wondered if he knew I’d been with Reid, and if he did, did that mean that the rumors about them were true? If he didn’t know, then this was a little too coincidental. Regardless, I saw no reason to deny him. I was attracted to him, and he had just taken a beating to show off for me.

“How far is it?” I asked.

It didn’t matter and we both knew it, but I didn’t want to give him a yes immediately.

He grinned victoriously. “Not far.”

“Alright,” I sighed. “Just to make sure you make a full recovery,” I said.

He chuckled at that and I grinned up at him.

“After all, it would be a shame for a face like that to scar.”

He raised his eyebrows, but the smile was still plastered to his face. “I always thought a scar would make me look more rugged and manly,” he joked.

“Oh no,” I shook my head emphatically. “With that square jaw and the stubble, a face scar would be overkill.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I hadn’t considered that,” he said seriously. “But you make a good point.”

“I usually do,” I teased.

“So, are you coming home with me?” he asked.

“You’re very forward. I like it. Yes, I’ll come back to your place to bandage you up.”

He grinned and waved at his friends, letting them know to continue their day without him.

He pulled his shirt over his head, then put his hand on my back and led me away from the crowd. This wasn’t how I expected to spend my day, but I couldn’t deny the heat that was burning through me just from his proximity.

It was so similar to the effect Reid had on me. I had been half convinced that I was feeling the beginning pangs of the mate pull for Reid, but now I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was normal to feel this way before you fully came into your powers. I’d have to find someone to talk to about it.

For right now, Matt’s hand on my back was all I could really focus on.