“Get those hands up! What the hell are you doing, Davies! Pull your head out of your ass kid!”

I panted, waving my hands before I threw the gloves on the ground. Anger and adrenaline pumped through me in equal measure. My sparring partner handed me a bottle of water and I drank before climbing out of the ring to dry off a bit. My coach could be a pain in the ass, but he was good. In his day, he’d won so many matches people had been legitimately terrified to fight him. I considered it a point of pride that he saw something in me, but he really knew how to get under my skin.

“Quitting already, Davies?”

“I need a minute.”

“You’re not gonna have a minute come that match! One more week and Drake will be wiping the floor with you if you don’t get it together.”

“I got it, I got it,” I muttered.

I could still hear him lecturing me when Mattie came through the door. He was wearing his scrubs, his bag slung across his chest as he made his way over. I wiped my face down, smiled and waved at him.

“How’s it going?”

“Great! I finished my shift and only got yelled at twice. I’d call that a record.”

I laughed. “You’re so optimistic.”

“Davies quit chatting with your boyfriend and get back in the damn ring!”

Matt looked worried. “Sorry, should I go? Am I distracting you?”

“Nah, he’s just cranky today. Let me go for a little longer and then I’ll work out after. Is that okay?”

Matt nodded, still looking a bit worried. “I’ll be over there.”

I watched him move off to the side of the gym where he sat down and crossed his legs. He looked like a kid, watching me. It helped knowing he was there, I knew he was rooting for me. I shoved my gloves back on, rolling my neck and nodding. Every blow felt like bricks, but at least I was able to push back, gain some ground and finally land a few blows of my own. By the time Carl called for us to stop, I was pouring sweat, dying for a shower and a drink. I could feel a bruise forming on my cheek that wouldn’t go down quickly.

“Not bad,” Carl said finally. “You gotta focus more and keep those hands up if you don’t want to be eating ring all night. Otherwise, you’re getting better and better.”

I smiled as relief flooded me. I put so much into this, knowing that it was paying off meant a lot. I shook hands with my partner before I climbed out of the ring to a waiting Matt. He handed me a fresh towel and a bottle of water as he looked me over.

“You always get so banged up.”

“At least you’re not freaking out about it anymore.”

“I might as well look after you and make sure you’re still in one piece. Besides, being here shows me how much you put into this. I know you’ll be able to protect yourself.”

“I appreciate it. Really.”

I saw the smile creep onto his face before he pulled the first aid kit he’d taken to bringing with him from his bag. He cleaned up any small cuts I had before grabbing ice and putting it on my bruise. I let him fuss over me and it seemed to calm him down too, a win-win for both of us.

“Let’s get dinner after I work out.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

I waved a hand. “I already told you, you’re important to me. Besides, getting a little dinner will do my body good and let me have a little bit of a rest.”

“Sounds good then.”

We went to dinner and stayed late until Matt insisted I go home and get some rest. I didn’t mind, my body needed it, but I hated parting ways with him. I went back to Mason and Niko’s place and crashed in the guest room, wishing Mattie was sleeping next to me. I’d tried to convince him, but he’d turned me down. It was still too early for him.

I didn’t push him. He showed up at every single practice he could manage to get to. When he couldn’t come, he always sounded disappointed. I could feel us getting closer and closer. It made me want to work harder, to be better for both of us. I knew I’d win him over eventually. As I left practice that evening, I saw him and smiled.

“You came.”

He nodded. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to, but one of the girls at work covered my shift for me. She owed me. Want to go catch a movie?”

I grinned. “Of course, I do.”

I took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Going out with him felt like being a teenager all over again. The excitement in my chest was enough to make me giddy. We headed to the theatre to decide on what we wanted to see, resulting in the same old battle as always. We liked the same comedy movies, but aside from that, we had opposite tastes.

“I want horror.”

Matt wrinkled his nose. “I’m not in the mood for that. I want to see one of the new romance movies.”

“They’re never good.”

“You’re a liar, you’ve loved a few of them.”

I sighed. “Will it make you happy if you get to pick?”

He seemed to perk right up. “You know it will.”

“Fine, then you pick,” I grinned. “You’re spoiled.”

He elbowed me, but I didn’t complain. Instead, I bought two tickets for the movie he wanted and helped him carry the snacks into the theatre. It appeared almost empty, except for a few people sitting up front. We made our way to the back and settled in. We’d always liked sitting as far from the screen as possible. That random thought popped into my head and made me smile.

“What are you grinning about?”

“I was thinking about how we used to always come here and sit in the back just like we’re doing now.”

Matt smiled. “Yeah, except that was usually because we were fooling around.”

“We could still fool around.”

He waved a finger at me. “Don’t even think about it.”

I grinned as he shut me down. There would be plenty of chances to try, but I’d leave him alone for now. Instead, we ended up watching the movie together and it wasn’t half bad. Cheesy, like I thought it would be, but the ending felt satisfying. I hope we get an ending like that. The minute I found myself thinking it I wanted to groan. That was why I didn’t watch romance. A small part of me, very small, was a sucker for it.

“Where should we go to eat?”

“What are you in the mood for?” I asked as I stood up offering my hand, Mattie following me out of the theatre. “Oh, is that Japanese place still open near here? Lotus?”

Matt nodded. “Yep and it’s still amazing. We should definitely go there.”

“Let’s do it.”

We walked the four blocks to Lotus and instant nostalgia smacked me in the face. The same red double doors, upscale dining room and soft music playing as if we were still in college. We followed a slender woman dressed in black who led us to a booth.

“Hey, remember when I brought you here after you were up for like two days studying for your test?”

Matt grinned. “I fell asleep at the table and you took pictures of me with sushi on my face. I was so pissed, but I felt better. Some of the tension wore off.”

I smiled. “That’s all I wanted. I knew you were working hard and if you kept it up you were going to stress yourself out and freeze up on the test. You used to do that in high school too.”

“You’re right. I guess you do know me after all.”

“Of course, I do. We’ve been in each other’s lives for way too long not to.”

“We haven’t seen each other for a long time either. Things could’ve changed you know.”

“Have they?”

Matt smiled. “Nothing major. Except I can say no to you now.”

“That’s for sure. You’re more stubborn than you ever were.”

He laughed as the waitress walked over to take our orders. We ordered way too much sushi and a bottle of apple flavored sake to go with it. For once, I saw Matt not care about how much he was drinking, quickly refilling our glasses when they were empty and eating heartily. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“So, why do you keep boxing? Aren’t you afraid?” his words slightly slurred.

“Afraid of what?”

“You know, getting hurt. Or what if you die? Or what if you end up like your dad?”

I frowned. I hadn’t thought about my dad in a long time, at least not about his death. I’d looked up to my dad as a kid, even if he was often traveling and getting into trouble. I idolized him. He was the reason I’d pursued boxing in the first place. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to box, but that I felt as if I had to. It’s what my father did, what my grandfather did. We were fighters.

“I worry about it sometimes,” I admitted finally. “And then I think I wouldn’t want to let my dad down, you know? He would’ve been proud to see how far I’ve come.”

Matt nodded. “Are you proud though? Do you really like it?”

“I like parts of it,” I said. “I like winning and I like the adrenaline. The challenge.”

“And you want to do that for the rest of your life.”

I took another shot of sake and sucked air through my teeth. “Honestly? I don’t know. I know you don’t like it, but it’s what I know now. Can you at least understand that?”

He nodded slowly. “I can understand that, and I’ll try to live with it. I think there’s a lot of things you can do besides fighting though.”

I smiled. “I know you do. You’ve always thought the world of me.”

“Kinda still do,” he threw back a shot and shook his head, cheeks flushed, and his eyes half closed.

“Alright, that’s it. You’re cut off. Let’s get you home.”

He grinned. “You’re just tryin’ to get me naked.”

“I’m not, come on you lightweight,” I laughed.

I paid the check and headed out with Matt’s arms wrapped around one of mine for support. We walked back to his apartment, and heading inside I glanced around. Matt was already aiming for the couch, plopping onto it face first and fully dressed. I shook my head.

“I remember this from college too.”

“You don’t know me,” he mumbled into the cushions.

“Not at all.”

I helped him out of his shoes and socks and picked him up to carry him to his bedroom. Laying him on the bed, I pulled him out of his clothes knowing he always got hot in the middle of the night when he drank. When he was stripped down to his stripy blue and grey boxers, I pulled the blanket back and tucked him in.

“I better get going back to the house. Call me in the morning?”

He smiled up at me. “You should stay. I don’t want to go to bed yet.”

I kissed him as he leaned up searching for my lips, but shook my head. “You’re drunk. Now, tell me again when you’re sober and I’ll be in this bed in less than a minute.”

I kissed him once more before heading out. Looking around, I slipped off the main road and shifted, shaking my fur. It would be faster to run home. I took off towards the house, paws digging into the dirt as I thought about my date with Matt. Things felt so right with him. I could only hope it would continue.

* * *

“Hey!”

The sound of Matt’s voice made me glance up and I smiled at the sight of him. He had on a pair of scrubs covered with puppies and I laughed at the irony. I was waiting to start another round of training with my coach but talking to Matt between rounds would give me a boost. We’d been on a few dates and I really felt like we were close to getting back together. Or at least I was anxious to get back there. I pulled at one of his sleeves and raised a brow.

“Are you trying to secretly tell the world something?”

“Shut up, no!” he chuckled. “I just thought they were cute.”

“You look cute in them.”

He beamed. “Thanks. How’s training today?”

“Good, but my body is sore all over. I’m going to get a massage tonight so I’m not all tense for the big match. You can come with me if you’re not busy.”

“I’m all free for the night and I’d love to.”

“Alright, sounds good. One more round, and then we can go.”

“I’ll be waiting with the band-aids.”

“Ouch, have some faith in me.”

“Sorry. You can do it!”

I shook my head as I climbed into the ring and shoved my mouth guard into place. When we started, I focused, paying attention to every move. I knew Matthew was watching me, wanting me to do better, to go further. I worked up a good sweat, but the fact that Carl didn’t scream at me afterward told me I’d done well enough for him. I wiped my face, pulling my guard free as I listened to him.

“Get some rest and be ready for tomorrow.”

“You got it. Thanks, Coach.”

“Almost at pro level John! I’m rooting for you!”

I slipped out of the ring. Everything felt better. Carl was happy, the future was looking good and I hadn’t had the crap beaten out of me. I chalked it up to a win and looked around, but Matthew was nowhere in sight. Frowning, I asked someone where he’d gone, and they pointed to the door leading outside. I pushed through and froze as I spotted him.

“So, how about that date?”

I narrowed my eyes. One of the other boxers was talking to Matthew, his body much too close as he smiled at him. I’d barely paid attention to the guy before, but now I wondered how much he’d been eyeing Matt on his visits to see me.

“Oh, I don’t know about all of that.”

“You said the two of you weren’t together so what’s the problem? Come on, one date.”

I pushed out of the door forcefully, hearing it slam behind me. Before I could even think straight, I was in his face, gripping his shirt and yanking him close. He trained at the gym often enough, but I’d hardly paid him any attention until that moment.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Calm down, I was just talking to him.”

“Yeah, it sounded like a whole lot more than just talking.”

I felt a hand on my arm. “John, let him go! Come on, you’re not supposed to be fighting outside the ring.”

“You didn’t see him with me almost every day?”

“Both of you said you weren’t together!”

“Doesn’t matter,” I growled.

“Stop it. Let him go or I’ll be pissed.”

I glanced at Matthew and could see how serious he was. For a moment, my brain stubbornly told me to punch the jerk, but I finally let him go, shoving him backward. He adjusted his clothes, scoffing as he turned back towards the gym.

“What the hell was that?” Matt questioned.

“I don’t know.”

“Well you better figure it out because I don’t need any of your alpha male bullshit,” he hissed at me. “If you’re going to be jealous of guys talking to me, I don’t know what to tell you.”

I frowned. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it? Speak up, John.”

I leaned against the wall, taking a minute to calm down before I completely lost it. When I looked at him, Matt was pulling at the hem of his scrubs, his face deep in thought. I was sure I’d pushed him too far and he was pissed off now. I couldn’t help that the wolf in me screamed mine whenever he was around. His scent was so strong, and I knew other alphas smelled it too.

“I guess I got a little possessive,” I admitted. “I know it’s stupid and childish, but I want to be with you. I don’t want to see you with anyone else,” my stomach twisted and turned, but I kept going. “I need you in my life. I forgot how good it feels to be us.”

“Is that what’s been bothering you so much?” Matt asked quietly.

I nodded slowly. “I’ve been trying to be patient, but I really want to be with you. And I mean only with you. Not going on dates, I want us to be together.”

Matt nodded. “That’s what I want too.”

“It is?”

He smiled, and I watched his cheeks turn pink. “Of course, it is you dummy. I was worried that you hadn’t grown up enough, but I can see you’ve changed a lot since back then and it’s not fair to keep holding it over your head. I care about you, John. I want to be with you too. As long as you don’t pull this stunt again,” he reached up and caressed my cheek, his fingers brushing over my stubble. “I still love you.”

“I love you too.”

I pulled him against my chest and hugged him tight. The relief that flooded me was nothing compared to the excitement. I could win any fight feeling this way. Matt laughed as he nuzzled against me and quickly pulled back. He crinkled his nose and made a face.

“No offense, but you are one sweaty man. Why don’t you shower off and we go get those massages you promised?”

“Anything for you.”

I leaned down and kissed him before jogging back into the gym. My day couldn’t get any better. Matthew and I together again? Everything was going to go perfectly this time. I’d make sure of it.