Surprised at the question that had come out of nowhere, he glanced over at Jesse, who’d curled up in the other armchair, feet tucked under him as he clasped his mug in his hands.
Maybe he saw Matt’s surprise, because he gave a little shrug. “You look tired. I was reading about packs earlier, and I just thought—I see why alphas of big packs do it, all the money and power they can get, but six shifters? What’s the point in all that worry?”
Matt picked up his coffee, giving him an excuse to hide his face. Jesse was looking at him, head tilted to one side, curiosity in his sharp blue eyes. Not just curiosity. He was examining Matt as if hewantedan answer. As if he were trying to figure Matt out.
“It just happened,” Matt deflected.
Jesse made a soft sound that Matt couldn’t interpret. “That didn’t answer my question.”
Damn. Matt hadn’t expected Jesse to push. Most people took his word as final. He rolled his shoulders, attempting to dispel his tension. He wasnotgoing down this road, the one that led to the past. Not ever, and definitely not with Jesse Turner, who’d already gotten under his skin.
“Because someone had to.” His words were clipped.
Jesse didn’t seem to hear the finality in his tone, closing down this conversation. His gaze was fixed firmly on Matt’s face, those perceptive eyes of his seeing too much.
Matt had the sudden, absurd thought that if Jesse asked again, he might actually answer. So he did the only thing he could. Standing, he picked up his almost full mug.
“You want another coffee?” he asked, already moving.
And Jesse let it go.
* * *
While the coffee machine was working its magic, Matt began to unload the dishwasher. To his surprise, Jesse joined in.
“If you’re feedin’ me, I should help,” he said, taking some mugs and putting them away in the plate cupboard.
“They don’t go there,” Matt said.
Before he could tell him where theydidgo, Jesse huffed exasperatedly. “They do now,” he informed Matt, and doubled down on his statement by shoving more mugs in amongst the plates.
Matt already knew Jesse didn’t like to be told what to do or to be corrected, but he had no idea how the hell he’d survived so long without someone wringing his neck.
“I can’t let you do this to Jason’s nice, orderly kitchen. He doesn’t deserve it.” Matt reached past Jesse for the mugs, and their arms brushed.
Matt halted, every muscle drawn so tight he was almost vibrating. Heat licked up his arm, curling in his chest. He wasn’t even breathing. Neither was Jesse, equally locked in place beside him. Matt’s pulse hammered as his world narrowed to a single point of focus—Jesse’s warmth against him. Even through the soft cotton of his shirt, he could feel the burn.
The creak of the back door swinging open broke the moment. Air rushed back into Matt’s lungs, like coming up from being underwater, and the rest of the world filtered back in, extra bright, extra loud.
He turned to see Jason hovering in the doorway, looking uncertain. God, Matt thought he’d lost that look, the one that had been his constant companion when he’d first come to Matt’s pack. The one that said he knew he didn’t belong.
“Coffee?” Matt offered. Sue him, it was his go-to.
Jason wiped his feet and came in, looking more sure of himself. Maybe he’d picked up that he’d interrupted something.Matt still wasn’t looking at Jesse, who, from the sounds of it, was intent on destroying any sort of order in the cupboard he was rooting around in.
“I wanted to get started on dinner,” Jason explained.
“Anything we can do?” Matt tensed for an instant at the ‘we’ that had come out of his mouth unbidden.
“I’m good, thanks,” Jason said.
“Think that’s our cue to get out of his hair, Jesse,” Matt said.
Forgoing his coffee, he made his way outside. Heshouldhave been on his laptop, getting at least some work done remotely after taking the day at home to sort out the Jesse situation, but he knew he’d be unable to concentrate. Might as well use the uprush of physical energy that instant by the cupboard had left him with.
He expected Jesse’s usual complaint when he offered him a pitchfork to clean the stalls, but Jesse simply took it. In fact, Jesse hadn’t said a word since that moment by the cupboard.
“Only a few stalls to clean this time of day,” Matt said. Not like him to fill a silence, but this one was beginning to unnerve him. “Missy’s staying in, the gray’s still on stall rest, and the two itchy goofs would tear themselves up outside.”
