“Sounds good to me.”
It did sound good, and spending time with Alan was blissful.Matthew allowed himself to stop obsessing over their future, and after a while, he managed.He wasn’t quite watching the movie, but he was definitely enjoying having Alan curled up against his side, snuggled there like he never wanted to leave.If it was up to Matthew, he wouldn’t.This was where Alan belonged.
Matthew wasn’t sure that Alan would agree with that.Sure, he would agree they belonged together since they were mates, but what about the village?What about the house?Did Alan belong here?
“Okay, that’s enough,” Alan said as he sat up so he could look Matthew in the eyes.“Whatever’s going on in that head of yours, I want to know.”
“I’m fine, I promise.”
“I never said you weren’t fine.I can see that you are, but I still want to know what’s going on.I don’t want you to be unhappy, Matthew.”
“I’m not unhappy.”
“Well, you’re not happy, either.There’s something on your mind, and you’re worrying over that.If there’s anything I can do to help you, I want to do it.I want to enjoy this time with you, and it’s kind of hard when you keep tensing up.”
Matthew hesitated, then sighed.He might as well give in.He’d known he’d have to anyway, and Alan deserved to know.It wasn’t like Matthew could decide what they’d do on his own.“I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.Just tell me.”
“What are your plans now that Victor’s gone?”
Alan blinked as if he hadn’t expected this question.“You want to know what I’m going to do now?”
“Well, you can go back to your apartment.I know you loved your job and that you think you lost it, but maybe you didn’t.Victor will need to be replaced, right?Maybe you can work with his replacement.”
Alan was already shaking his head.“How is that going to work out if you’re here?”
So he knew that Matthew wasn’t willing to leave the village.Had Matthew been that transparent?It was as if Alan had assumed they couldn’t compromise on this.Matthew was willing to try, but he wasn’t sure it was possible.“We’ll find a way to make it work.”
Because even if Alan left, that didn’t mean he and Matthew couldn’t be together.
Matthew had found his mate.He’d bonded with him.He was never letting him go, no matter what kind of sacrifice he had to make.If they had to live apart, then Matthew was willing to do it—although he was sure they could find a solution.
He was willing to do pretty much anything for Alan.
* * * *
ALAN COULD TELL SOMETHINGwas wrong with Matthew, but he didn’t know what it was.Being able to feel his mate’s emotions wasn’t helping as much as he hoped it would, which meant they needed to talk.
He had no idea what to do in a relationship.It had been so long since he’d last been in one, and none of them had been as permanent as the one with Matthew.Hell, none of them had been serious at all.He’d certainly never considered moving in with any of his exes.
But he felt like he belonged here, on Matthew’s couch.He definitely belonged in Matthew’s arms.He knew Matthew felt the same way, so why was he saying that Alan could go back to his apartment?Didn’t he want Alan to stay?
He did.Alan could feel it.He might be confused, but he didn’t doubt that Matthew cared about him.
“I’m not going back to my apartment,” Alan said.
Matthew blinked at him.It took a moment for Alan to realize what he’d said.He’d basically invited himself to move in with Matthew without asking Matthew if that would be okay with him.
Normally, Alan wouldn’t have thought anything of it.Matthew was giving him conflicting signals, though.Maybe he was one of those people who felt better if they lived apart from their partner.Alan wasn’t that kind of person, but he couldn’t exactly move himself in without taking what Matthew wanted into consideration.
“I mean, I don’t have any plans of going back to my old job,” Alan explained.“I’m sure they’ll find someone to replace Victor, but after everything that happened, I don’t think I can continue working there.Besides, I want to help the mutants and the tribe find out more about what Victor did.We need to find the people he worked with.”
Alan frowned.He knew what he wanted to do, but he hadn’t exactly thought things through yet.All of that sounded nice and good, but what if the tribe and the mutants didn’t want him here?He wasn’t one of them, not really.
That couldn’t be right.They’d want him there, if anything, because he was Matthew’s mate, but they might not want him to help with their mission.He wanted to be with his mate, so of course he wasn’t going anywhere, but it didn’t mean he’d be included in their work.
It wasn’t like he had a lot to offer.He was a personal assistant.He was used to paperwork and research, and that was pretty much it.It was what the mutants needed right now, though.They needed someone to research Victor and the people he’d worked with, and who better to do that than Alan, who knew him personally and had considered him a friend for close to a year?
