Chapter 141

The cabin was less of a cabin, and more a mansion. It was huge. The minute we pulled up the long gravel drive, and the house appeared between the trees, I felt my jaw job. It had several floors, with large wooden balconies, and tall windows. It was rustic, built in the style of a log cabin, but the sheer size of it was overwhelming.

“This is not what I pictured,” I admitted. I got out to stand beside the car, gazing up at the house. Matt got out and watched me.

“It belongs to Nina’s family,” he said. “She said we could use it this weekend.”

“Wow.”

“The Peacekeepers use this as a safe house sometimes,” he continued. “And we train new recruits here.” He gestured at the surrounding woods. I couldn't see it, but I could hear the soft lapping water of the nearby lake. “We have miles and miles of forest between us and anyone else. It’s a good place for new wolves to train.”

“Wow,” I repeated. “Did you train here?”

Matt nodded. “I did when I joined the Peacekeepers. We used this as a base during the war.”

“How many rooms are there?”

Matt thought about it for a moment. “Twenty, I think. The ones in the basement have bunk beds.”

“Do you have your own room?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow.” It was the only word I could think of to describe it.

Matt chuckled and started gathering groceries into his arms. “Come on, we should get this stuff inside. Then I can give you a tour.”

The kitchen was as big as I expected. It looked like something from a cooking show, and I couldn’t help but look in all the cabinets. Matt put the groceries away, watching me with a small smile. He then took me around the house. The top floor had Nina and Enzo’s room and a small sitting area. He didn’t show me, just pointed to the stairs.

The second floor had his and Seth’s rooms, plus a few others that I didn’t ask about. The main floor had a kitchen, a dining room with the biggest table I’d ever seen, a breakfast nook, a sitting area, a den with an elaborate entertainment system, and a few locked rooms that Matt said were offices. The basement had rooms that resembled dorms, a gym, a weapons room, and another sitting area with a wide TV. Matt didn’t open the locked door at the end of the hall, and I didn’t ask about it.

Every room seemed to have balconies that led out to a huge wrap-around deck. The deck on the lowest level had a hot tub and a small bar. Then a stone bath led between the tall trees, going all the way down to the lake.

Matt took me down there, my hand in his. We walked in silence, and I took in the sudden sunshine and the sounds of the forest. Birds chirped, and the undergrowth rustled. As we neared it, the sound of the lake grew louder.

There was a dock, and a few feet away, a wide boathouse. Matt didn’t show me the boathouse, just took me down to the end of the dock. The lake was calm, and the water rippled easily beneath our feet. Sunlight glinted off the water, making the surface look like thousands of tiny diamonds moved just below the surface.

An island sat in the middle of the lake, covered in rocks and trees. “We swim out there sometimes,” he said. It seemed far away. “Wolf thing,” he said when he noticed my expression. “We have a lot more stamina than a human. I wouldn’t recommend swimming out there without it.”

I nodded.

“We have a canoe and a few kayaks in the boathouse. As well as a small pontoon boat.”

“So, Nina’s family is super rich.”

He laughed. “You could say that.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. The sun was warm, and the air smelled like the earth. It was peaceful, and I watched the water for a while. Matt didn’t speak, just rubbed his hand along my back.

Eventually, I tilted my head back to look at his face. He gave me a sad smile.

“Matt,” I started.

He just shook his head. “How can I deserve this?” he murmured, kissing the top of my head. “After what I’ve done.”

“It was an accident.”

“I killed her.” His voice broke a little, and I felt my chest tighten.

“It wasn’t your fault,” I said, hugging him tighter. “I know it feels that way right now, but you can’t blame yourself. The people who turned her should be blamed. Not you.”

“I don’t…” he trailed off. “I don’t know.”

“We need to make sure it never happens again,” I said, leaning slightly away from him to look at his face. “We need to find the people who did this.”

He nodded and kissed my cheek. “We will,” he murmured. “We’ll stop them.” He kissed my other cheek, then the tip of my nose. I lifted my head slightly, and he kissed my lips.

It was soft, almost sorrowful, but I gave the kiss everything I had. I needed him to know how much I cared about him. How much I loved him.

He pulled away first and hugged me close, burying his face in the side of my neck. “Thanks for being here,” he said, his voice muffled.

“Of course.” I hugged him tighter. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

~

Matt decided to cook me dinner, and I couldn’t help but swoon a little. I took up a place at the counter and watched Matt cut vegetables with an expert hand.

“You’re good at that,” I said.

He smiled. “Lots of practice. I’ve always liked cooking.”

“I like it too. Jack never lets me make anything interesting, though.”

He frowned and slid a few carrots off the end of his knife with his finger. He put it down and looked up at me. “You deserve so much better than the way you’ve been treated.”

I had to look away. “I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Jack can be harsh, but he’s all I’ve got.”

“That doesn’t mean he should get to treat you like shit.”

I nodded. “I know. I’m learning to stand up to him more. He says he has his reasons, but I just don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand it either. You’re a good person, Celeste.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled. I could only guess how red my cheeks were. It was a curse that I always blushed so deeply. Fiona never blushed, even when she was embarrassed. Meanwhile, my face just gave everything away.

He chuckled and resumed working. At least Matt seemed to find it endearing.

When he was done, he put the food in the oven and gestured to me to follow him into the living room. We were only sitting there for a few minutes before his phone rang. He sighed and picked it up.

“Nina, hey.”

I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I could tell by the tense look on Matt’s face that it wasn’t good.

“Tell him she’s fine.”

He sighed, his expression darkening. “I didn’t kidnap her, Jack. Stop freaking out. No…no we’ll be back on Monday. Jesus, slow down.” Matt rolled his eyes. “Threats won’t get you anywhere.”

Jack raised his voice, and I could suddenly hear him.

“Where the fuck are you? I’m coming to get her.”

Matt gave me a questioning look. I shook my head.

“She doesn’t want to leave. We’ll be home on Monday.” He hung up before Jack could answer.

“Why was he calling you on Nina’s phone?”

Matt sighed. “I guess he cornered her and Enzo, demanding to know where you are. He’s been searching for you all day.”

“Great.”

“He sounded panicked.”

I shook my head. “He needs to calm down. Nothing bad is going to happen to me if I’m away for a couple of days. I’m safe.”

Matt squeezed my hand. “I’d never let anything bad happen to you.”

I just leaned in and kissed him.