“And because he’s been hurting people.I might be human, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have compassion.It doesn’t mean I want Victor or anyone else to hurt shifters.”
Rikar cleared his throat.“I took the liberty of calling Nysys.”
Moore groaned.“Really?”
“He’s not only a council member, but his mate is the current owner of the Glass Research Company.They’ll both want to know about this.I lowered the shimmering shields so that they can shimmer in without attracting anyone’s attention.”
“Maybe they’re involved.”
Rikar shook his head.“They’re not.I trust them, and you should, too, no matter how you feel about the council.”
Alan yelped when someone suddenly appeared in front of him.He scrambled back in his seat, but Matthew put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, clearly trying to reassure him.Once Alan was over the jump-scare, he realized that he didn’t have anything to be afraid of.
Two men were standing in the middle of the room.One of them looked angry, while the other was beaming.The smiling guy had pink hair and a lot of tattoos and piercings.Alan recognized him from the news.
“You needed me, and here I am,” Nysys declared, opening his arms and nearly smacking the man next to him in the face.
The man took Nysys’s hand and linked their fingers together, firmly pulling down their arms.“Nysys said you mentioned the company?”the man asked.
Rikar gestured at the empty chairs in the office.“Maybe you should sit down.”
“Spill it,” the man ordered.
He was wearing an expensive suit and shoes.Alan was pretty sure that the guy’s haircut cost as much as a month’s rent for his apartment.
“Morin, this is Alan,” Rikar said, gesturing at Alan.“He was Victor Hudson’s assistant until last night, when he heard his boss talk to someone about selling the names of shifters and vulnerable supernatural beings to the labs.Your company was explicitly mentioned.”
Morin turned to Alan, who swallowed.He barely knew any of these people, but he didn’t feel like he had a choice.He had to trust them.
It would be hard not to trust Nysys.He wasn’t smiling as widely anymore, but he looked eager to hear what Alan had to say.Alan was getting annoyed at how many times he had to repeat his story, but he understood.Everyone needed to know what was going on, and what better source to explain the story than the person who’d heard the words in the first place?
He sighed and settled back into his seat.“I’m sure you know who Victor is,” he started, hoping this would be the last time he had to repeat this.
Chapter Three
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NOW THAT A FEW DAYShad passed, Matthew hoped that Alan had had the time to wrap his mind around everything and was ready to talk to him.He’d stayed away after the meeting in Rikar’s office, and it had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done.Both him and his wolf desperately wanted to go to Alan, but Matthew’s human side understood how overwhelmed his mate had to be.It was why he’d decided to wait, and he didn’t regret that decision.He just hoped it wouldn’t be necessary anymore.
Alan was still staying with Rikar and Hayes.Matthew had almost offered to take him home with him the other day, but from the spooked expression on Alan’s face, he’d been able to tell his mate would say no.He hadn’t wanted to be rejected, so he’d gone home alone that day.He’d spent time with Franklin and the rest of his friends, gossiping about everything that was happening.
Everyone in the village knew about Nysys and his mate visiting.Most of the details had been kept a secret, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.It never did in a place like the village where so many people lived close together.Everyone knew everyone, and everyone knew everything there was to know about everyone.
And everyone was talking about Alan.Only a handful of people knew that he was Matthew’s mate, and that was fine with Matthew.He and Alan hadn’t even talked about what it meant for them yet.Matthew was fine with keeping everyone else out for a bit longer.
But he was done keepingAlanout.He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake as he walked to Rikar and Hayes’s house.His mate might not want to see him, and he might tell him to fuck off.He also might agree to talk to him, though, which was why Matthew was here.They needed to start somewhere, and a walk through the village was something Matthew hoped Alan could deal with.If he couldn’t, they’d find something else to do.
Alan couldn’t go home.He couldn’t get any of his things, contact his family, or return to work.With the one conversation he’d heard, he’d lost his entire life.He was stuck in the village, and as far as Matthew knew, he hadn’t been leaving Rikar’s house.
He could.The village was as protected as it could be, and Matthew didn’t think that Alan’s former boss even knew he was here.Alan hadn’t walked around the village, though.Matthew would know if he had.He’d have heard it from someone.He disliked the thought of his mate stuck in Rikar’s house for so long, especially when he could have a bit of freedom, so here he was, about to knock on Rikar’s door.
He was really fucking nervous.
He knocked, telling himself that he didn’t have a reason to be.What was the worst that could happen?That was actually something he didn’t want to think about, so he was grateful when the door swung open, revealing Hayes.He smiled at Matthew and stepped aside, waving at him to come in.“I was wondering when I’d hear from you.You stayed away longer than I would’ve expected.”
Matthew grimaced.“I didn’t want him to feel overwhelmed.”
“I think he’s going to feel overwhelmed no matter what you say or do.It’s not about you, not entirely.The poor man just lost his entire life because of something he didn’t do.It’s going to take him a little while to wrap his mind around that.”
