I watched his car drive away until the taillights disappeared. What came over me inside the bar? I wasn’t entirely sure, but I’d said what needed to be said. I was afraid that if I hadn’t said it right then, he’d disappear again, and I’d never get the chance. Now, he was gone. I understood it, but then again, I didn’t. I wanted him to say something. I wanted to kiss him and for things to go back to the way they’d been before.

A car honked snapping me out of my daydream. I held up a hand, apologizing as I moved out of the road. I jogged back into the bar and found my friends still chatting with his cousin. Moving through the crowd a hand stopped me before I reached my friends. It was my opponent.

“Mr. Davies. It was great getting to fight you tonight.”

“You know who I am?” I asked puzzled.

“Of course! I was scared shitless when I saw you, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, you know? Thanks.”

I smiled and shook his hand. “No, thank you. I needed that tonight. Keep going, you’ll go far.”

We parted ways and I was finally able to get to the others. I hated that Matthew had left, but that small moment of recognition on my opponent’s face — that happiness — that made me feel better. I meant what I’d said to Matthew. If I could change it, I would go back and do so in a minute. But I couldn’t, and knowing I was an inspiration to someone made me want to work harder, too. I wasn’t going to give up after one little hurdle. I was going to keep pushing until I had him back.

“Corbin, right?”

The man nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” I said slowly. “Could you give me Matthew’s address? I won’t go by tonight, but at some point, I’d like to be able to explain myself in person.”

Corbin seemed to be searching my face for something. Finally, he nodded, and I pulled out my phone, saving the address. I couldn’t help the smile that crept across my lips. I was going to see him again and if I had to explain things all over, if I had to beg, I’d get him to give me another chance. Being close to him, even with his scolding looks and disapproval had confirmed one thing; we were meant to be together. I’d seen it in his eyes, the way his body moved toward mine, everything screaming out for something. And then he ran away. That was okay too, I’d fix things. I knew I would.

“Thanks,” I said with a sigh of relief.

“Don’t make me regret giving it to you. Matt was low for a while after you left. I basically took care of him until he could shake it off. I don’t ever want to see him like that again.”

Corbin’s face went from carefree to serious, quickly. When he spoke like that, I could see a slight resemblance between the two of them. He had the same stern look on his face that Matt often had when he lectured me in the past.

“I wouldn’t dream of hurting him again.”

I left shortly after, not really in the mood to hang around and party. Instead of grabbing a ride back, I decided to run. I waited until I was alone before starting to change. Bones reshaped themselves, fur covering my body as my nose elongated and my teeth sharpened. A howl left my mouth as I ended up with my paws digging into the dirt. I felt completely free in this form, more than I did any other way. I needed some time to run off the emotions that were clouding my mind. I had to find a way to reach Matthew.

By the time I made it back to Mason and Niko’s, I was covered in dirt and exhausted, but at least I’d been able to think things through clearly. I shifted back, knowing I’d need a serious shower. If it was one-sided and Matthew didn’t love me back, I wouldn’t pursue him. After tonight though, I was pretty sure that wasn’t the case. The way he’d leaned into my palm, the look on his face as I’d explained how I felt; his eyes held a longing, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. His guard was up, but that only meant I’d have to work harder to break it down and be let back inside.

I didn’t bother doing anything except dropping onto my bed and sighing. Matthew still wanted me on some level, still had feelings hidden away from me. I wanted to know exactly what it was that he felt.

* * *

No matter how much I wanted to check on Matthew, I kept my promise. I didn’t bother him for a few days. I knew he’d need some time to cool off and get his head back on straight. Instead, I threw myself into working out again, keeping my mind occupied as I tried to give him space. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to see him.

I arrived at his place with a bouquet of flowers from a local shop and knocked. Flowers were a mystery to me, but thankfully the shop girl had fixed me up, making a beautiful arrangement before smiling knowingly at me. I figured it was obvious that I’d screwed up. I knocked on his apartment door a second time. The door opened.

“I was wondering where you were. Hurry up, I want to grab something to eat…you’re not Corbin.”

Matthew stared at me wide-eyed as I smiled and shook my head. “Afraid not. Can I come in?”

He still looked too surprised to really take anything in and simply nodded. As soon as he made room for me, I moved inside and held the flowers out to him. Matthew took them hesitantly and set them on the kitchen counter before he turned to look at me.

“What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I asked Corbin for your address. I wanted to come and check on you after the other night.”

He seemed to calm down a bit. “Oh. That’s actually pretty nice. I’m okay, really.”

“Are you sure? You seemed really upset.”

I watched him bite his lip, something that always made me have to restrain myself, to keep from jumping him. He moved around the counter and picked up the flowers, touching the petals with his fingertips before he emptied a vase of wilting flowers and refilled it with the fresh ones. He turned to face me.

“Yeah, I’m fine now. I didn’t mean to run off, I just couldn’t stick around much longer that night.”

“Yeah, I could tell you were having some difficulties.”

His cheeks flared red. “You could tell?”

I chuckled. “I can always tell. I think every alpha in the place was ready to chase you down.”

He laughed. “How do I always end up around a bunch of wolves? I swear I really don’t try, but it always happens.”

“You act like you’re not a wolf. I think it’s just nature. We’re all drawn to each other, even if it’s only subconscious.”

“Good point,” he turned on his coffee pot and after he’d poured two mugs, added cream and sugar. He sat beside me and put one mug in front of me. “Yeah, I’m fine now. I’m glad you checked on me though. I didn’t really think I’d see you again.”

“Why, because of a little rejection? Please! I seem to be a glutton for punishment when it comes to you. Even if you were still angry at me, I probably would have found some excuse to just keep coming back every day.”

“That’s why I let you in. You always were a pain in my ass.”

I chuckled, sipping at the hot coffee before I looked him up and down. “You know you can be one too, right?”

He scoffed. “I’m a perfectly reasonable person.”

“Right,” I grinned. “Perfectly reasonable.”

“Stop it.”

“Sorry, sorry!” I pretended to wince when he slapped my arm. “I really am glad you’re okay. I was really worried that I’d done something you didn’t like, and I really wouldn’t get to see your face again.”

Matthew touched his cheek. “Don’t just go around saying things like that!”

“It’s the truth though!”

“Well, thank you,” he said quietly.

Both of us went back to sipping our coffee. I was suddenly very aware of just how close our bodies were. I could practically feel the heat radiating off him. Glancing at him I wondered if he felt the same way. We sat in silence, but it wasn’t awkward, just tense. As if we were both aware of finally being alone and neither of us knew what to do about it.

“I’m surprised you didn’t come back home with a boyfriend,” Matthew said finally. “You were always so popular here.”

I shrugged. “I dated a little, to be honest, but none of it was ever serious. Mostly, I just wanted to focus on boxing, training and then spending a lot of time to myself in bed. I watched way more reality TV than anyone ever should.”

Matthew stifled a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“What about you?” I asked as I looked back at him.

“No, I just focused on school. When I finally figured out what I wanted to do, it was all I had time for. I tried a few dates here and there, but they were awful. One guy spent an entire night only talking about himself. It was so annoying.”

I smiled. “He sounds like an ass.”

“He was. We went out twice more.”

“Matthew!”

“I was lonely,” he said as he buried his face in his hands and burst into laughter.

I reached over and pushed my fingers through his hair. He glanced up at me, the laughter slowly dying before I pulled a stray flower petal loose and showed it to him. The way his cheeks were heated, I could tell I’d done something he liked. He leaned towards me slowly and I wasn’t going to waste another chance. I closed the distance between us, my lips touching his and immediately feeling the velvety warmth. Matthew’s kiss was urgent, almost frantic as he kissed me back, his tongue pushing between my lips eagerly seeking mine. I gave it to him willingly, drowning in the sound of his moans.

His scent surrounded me. It was like intoxicating oranges in summer, refreshing and mouthwatering. The scent of an omega was always nice, but his was more enticing. I found my hands pushing up along his arms, trailing over the fabric of the sweater he was wearing before I pushed it down his arms. He didn’t need encouragement, he shoved the sweater off, tossing it to the floor before he stood up and wrapped his arms around my neck. It was more than enough to see that he wasn’t holding back, not this time. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him.

I stood up, hearing the chair fall back and hit the floor, but my mind was too focused on him. My hands gripped his legs, hoisting him up against my body before he wrapped them around me. I sat him on the counter, shoving the cups out of our way before I was ripping at his clothes. Fighting was usually the only time I was aggressive, but Matthew brought it out of me in spades. I didn’t bother being polite. Instead, I ripped his shirt off, my palm pressing him flat against the island as I kissed his chest. He arched against my mouth, his breathing mere shallow panting as I tasted every inch of his skin.

“John,” he mumbled. “John.”

On his lips, my name sounded like a prayer. I dragged my tongue up his flesh, running it over his hardening nipples and making him gasp. When I gazed up at him, he was looking right back, lust in his eyes as he bit his hand lightly. His other hand tangled in my hair, fingers pressing against my scalp and squeezing as he tried to contain how much pleasure he was feeling. I wasn’t going to let that happen. My teeth tightened round his nipple, tugging on it as he let out a cry and shook his head quickly.

“Sensitive. Don’t.”

I did it again and watched him claw at his own thighs. Every weakness he had was still etched into my brain like a movie. I knew exactly where to touch, lick, breathe, bite. My fingers worked deftly to slip his pants free from his body, his boxers coming down easily along with them. They ended up on the floor with his sweater before I took in the sight in front of me. Matt was still all lean muscle, his body perfect and warm beneath my touch. I traced my fingers over his already stiffening cock before leaning down and licking the head. His eyes went wide, his body bending so hard I was almost afraid he’d break.

“No one’s touched you like this for a long time, is that it?”

He nodded quickly. “Not for a very, very long time.”

“Is that what you were thinking about the other night when you ran away from me?” I bent down and trailed my tongue along his thigh making him shiver hard in my hands. “Did you come back here and jerk off thinking about me doing this to you?”

The redness of his face said it all, but I wouldn’t move until he gave me an answer and he knew it. Matt nodded quickly, glancing away for a second as if he was embarrassed, but I knew better. To everyone else, he’d always seemed the innocent one, but I’d known him long enough to know that wasn’t true. I leaned back down, my tongue running over the opposite thigh now as he held his breath and watched me closely, his eyes boring into me.

Slowly, I moved my way back to his length where it stood wet and twitching. My fingers traced over his flesh, gripping it before I gave him a squeeze. He shuddered and bit his lip. I grinned as I began to stroke him slowly, driving him crazy by moving at my own speed. His hips shot up, trying to get more, but I wasn’t going to allow that. Every time he moved, I made sure my hand was still. I made him wait.

“Why are you doing that?”

“I want this to be only mine,” I said as I glanced back at him. “I want every inch to only belong to me and for you never to be able to forget that.”

He swallowed thickly. “John, please,” he groaned desperately.

“I won’t make you say it now, but you will. I promise you that.”

Being with Matthew was all I wanted, and I wasn’t going to give up on that anytime soon. I could balance my career and my love life. If I had to convince him every day for the next ten years, I’d do just that until I had him again. I slowly removed my hand, leaning down and darting my tongue up his length again as his head dipped back. He moaned. My tongue ran over his length, making sure every inch of it was wet before I finally slipped him into my mouth. A slow exhale pushed through his lips, his body almost melting under my attention.

I took my time, moving my lips up and down as my tongue danced behind them, dragging and twisting around his cock until he went from a puddle of need to a desperate moaning mess. The taste of him lingered on my tongue, right where it belonged as he rolled and shifted his hips, taking every bit of pleasure I had to give. My mouth came free with a pop, a strand of saliva still connecting me to him before it finally broke. He shuddered as he watched, biting his hand again. I grinned. He’d done that so many times in college after we’d gotten complaints for being too loud.

I moved down his body, pushing his legs further apart until my tongue darted over his balls and dipped to his tight hole. A sharp intake of breath above told me he still loved this more than anything else. I slipped my tongue inside him, grabbing his thighs and holding him in place so he couldn’t escape. The minute I began to pick up speed, he was begging me to stop.

“You know I can’t take it, please. Please, John, please! Fuck!”

I knew he was trying to hold on with everything he had, but I didn’t stop. Instead, I picked up the pace, the sound of my wet mouth enjoying him filling the room until I thought I’d lose it just from doing this. I couldn’t help it. I was greedy for more, and more. After so many years spent pent up and repressed, it was all coming out at once and I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to draw out every moan, gasp, whimper and whine that I could pull from his pink lips.

“I want you,” he moaned. “Fuck me, John!”

The way he said it sent electricity shooting up my spine. His fingers tightened in my hair, his nails almost painful, but I loved it. That pure, unrestrained need for me, it felt amazing. Matthew needed me. I released his trembling thighs before I picked him up and he clung to me. Moving through the apartment, pushing into his room as he directed me, I dropped him onto the bed before climbing on top of him. I started attacking his neck, my tongue running over the crook between his shoulder and throat, the urge to bite him there, to mark him and make him mine, so strong that I almost couldn’t resist it.

“Drawer,” Matthew cut in. “In the drawer.”

I snapped back to reality and nodded. Reaching over I opened the drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom. I tore the package open and passed the lube to Matthew. My clothes came off and he seemed momentarily distracted by my body, his eyes devouring me without a word passing between us.

“Get yourself ready,” I grinned. “Hurry up.”

Matthew snapped back to life. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

I chuckled and watched as he opened the bottle, squeezing the lube onto his fingertips before he spread his legs and without hesitation pushed two fingers inside that pink pucker. He bit his lip, eyes closing as he worked those fingers in and out. I watched for a moment, enjoying the view as he teased himself further, his fingers spreading and opening himself up for me as he added more lube to make it comfortable for both of us. I rolled the condom on before I slowly removed his fingers and licked them, instantly making him turn a deeper shade of red.

“Should I take it easy on you since it’s been so long?”

“Don’t you dare.”

I laughed. “I thought not.”

I gripped my hardened length and guided it inside him as he tilted his head back and groaned. Every inch that I sank inside became torture and heaven all at once. He squeezed around me so tightly I could feel myself pulsing and throbbing inside his warmth. I couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped my lips as he reached up and wrapped his arms around my neck. He kissed me deeply and I pushed in roughly making him cry out.

After that, I didn’t hold back. I pushed his thighs back, opening him up even more as I thrust inside him roughly. My teeth found every spot of skin to nip at, the yelps and moans he gave in return encouraging me to keep going. He reached down, stroking himself into a fever pitch as I pushed further inside him, his body trembling underneath mine as he moaned my name over and over.

“John.”

“Louder.”

“John, John.”

“Louder,” I growled into his ear.

“Fuck, John!”

I moaned as I pushed in deeper and pumped freely. His eyes were half-lidded, but he wasn’t taking them off me it seemed. I could tell I was pushing him to his limits, pushing him to the edge of everything as he stroked himself faster, his breath mere gasps now. He finally gave in, coming hard. Ropes of thick cum covered his stomach, his back arching as I leaned down and bit his neck. I followed right after him, an explosive orgasm making every inch of my skin tingle as I cried out.

For a while, neither of us moved or said a word. We didn’t seem to be able to. I finally decided I was probably squishing Matthew underneath me and shifted to one side slowly. When I slipped free from his body, he moaned deeply, his toes curling as he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. I walked to the bathroom and came back with a towel for him and he thanked me.

“I meant it though.”

“Meant what?” he asked, still half out of it and puzzled.

“I want to be with you again.”

He hesitated a moment as he sat up and cleaned himself off. “I know you do.”

“You don’t?”

“I didn’t say that. I just don’t know right now.”

“Mattie.”

“Let me have some time to think about it, okay? All this is a lot to think about. I can’t afford to go through any of that again,” he said quietly.

I nodded finally. “I’ll give you some time to think. I’m not giving up though.”

Matt smiled. “Never really expected you to quit.”