Chapter 95

Matt

The night hung heavy with an oppressive stillness, broken only by the distant hum of city life. Matt stood hidden in the shadows, heart pounding, his breath a silent echo in the park. As much as he told himself not to do it, he couldn’t help following Celeste and Alyx around on their date. The sight made him sick to his stomach. It should have been him with her.

They strolled down the sidewalk, laughter and flirtatious banter punctuating the cool evening air. Celeste's radiant smile, once meant solely for him, now danced across her face in Alyx's presence. It felt like a thousand knives, each twist of the blade reopening old wounds.

Alyx, with his bed-tousled hair and confident stride, seemed to have charmed his way into Celeste’s world. Matt clenched his fists, resentment simmering beneath the surface. He should have been the one to take her hand, to share these moments. But he had let his insecurities build a wall, and now he was condemned to watch from the shadows.

Just as Matt was steeling himself against the ache in his chest, the evening took a sudden, sickening turn. They had just been sitting on a bench, talking, but something had changed while Matt was getting his emotions under control.

When he finally looked back up, they were making out and Matt reached out to steady himself, the ache in his chest growing tenfold. His eyesight became sharper and he knew his eyes had turned. The feelings from a few days ago were returning. He had to get out of there.

But then he heard Celeste whimper. Even in the dark, he could see that she was struggling in Alyx’s arms. Alarm jolted through Matt as he recognized the sudden shift in Alyx's demeanor. The bastard wasn’t taking no for an answer.

The world seemed to blur as Matt's instincts kicked in, overriding any fear of Jack that held him back. Without a second thought, he stepped forward, propelled by an unstoppable force.

As Matt approached, the trees seemed to close in around them. Shadows danced menacingly, but he focused solely on the figures before him. His body was shaking with barely controlled rage. He couldn’t wait to slam his fist into Alyx’s face.

As he got closer, Matt's blood ran ice-cold. He could now see where Alyx’s hand was. Everything went red.

"Get off her!" Matt's voice sliced through the tension, a sharp contrast to the darkness that threatened to consume them all. He stepped forward, determination emanating from every fiber of his being.

Alyx pulled away from Celeste, his eyes ablaze with a mix of surprise and anger. He hadn’t anticipated this interference.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alyx spat, his voice laced with venom.

Matt's fists clenched, knuckles turning white with the force. "You've gone too far, Alyx. This ends now."

Celeste's wide eyes shifted between them, caught in the crossfire of their brewing storm. Fear and hope mingled in her gaze, a plea for salvation. Matt clenched his teeth, fighting with his wolf. He didn’t want to shift here. Not in front of her. Not yet.

Alyx, undeterred, sneered. "This isn’t your business, Matt. Stay out of it."

But Matt couldn’t. Not anymore. He refused to let the woman he cared about suffer in silence. With newfound resolve, he advanced, a wall of determination blocking out the world. Alyx raised an eyebrow.

The park seemed to hold its breath, the atmosphere charged with electricity. Every heartbeat echoed like a war drum, urging them towards the inevitable clash. Matt's fists were poised, a silent promise of protection.

Alyx took in Matt’s stance and got up off the bench, stepping in front of Celeste, blocking her from Matt’s view. The meaning was clear. Alyx thought Celeste was his. Fuck that.

Matt geared up to throw a punch, but it was Alyx who struck first, a wild swing aimed at Matt's head. Instinct guided Matt's movements, a dance of evasion and retaliation. Each strike was a declaration, a testament to his unwillingness to back down.

Their altercation was a whirlwind of motion and sound, a chaotic ballet of anger and desperation. Celeste, her breath hitched, watched with a mixture of awe and terror. The reality of the situation was stark, the violence contrasting painfully with the fragile beauty of the night.

With a final, determined surge, Matt's fist connected with Alyx's jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. The impact reverberated through the park, a thunderous punctuation mark to their tumultuous encounter. Alyx groaned, dazed and defeated.

Breathing heavily, Matt turned to Celeste, his heart pounding. Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. He was there for her, unyielding and unwavering.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice gentle yet urgent.

Tears glistened in Celeste's eyes as she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you, Matt."

In that moment, the weight of his actions lifted, replaced by a profound sense of purpose. He had made a choice, taken a stand, and in doing so, had reclaimed a part of himself he thought lost forever. Fuck what else happened. He could deal with Jack later.

Matt helped Celeste to her feet and shifted his gaze as she fixed her dress, but he didn’t miss the trembling of her hands or that she was touching her dress like it was on fire. Whatever confidence she’d gained that night in order to wear that was probably gone. It was just another reason to hate the man at his feet.

He held out his hand to her, not sure if she would take it after what she had just been through. He wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to touch another guy after tonight. But to his relief, she took his hand without hesitation, squeezing it tight enough that it would have hurt if he was human.

Matt watched as Celeste slowly made her way to where Alyx’s head still rested against the concrete. Matt smirked. He must have hit him pretty hard.

“I never want to see you again,” Celeste told him and Matt felt a rush of pride. She was so much stronger than she realized. If only he could make her see that.

Celeste tugged on Matt’s hand, pulling him away. HOwever, Matt couldn’t help but aim a swift kick to Alyx’s stomach. He grinned as Alyx folded in on himself with another groan. He thought about spitting on him, but decided not to. He was above that.

“How did you find me?” Celeste finally asked him when they were far enough away that she could breathe a little easier. Matt brought his free hand up and ran it through his hair. He had told himself that he wasn’t going to lie to her anymore and he meant to keep that promise.

Even if it was a bit embarrassing and made him seem like a creep. It couldn’t be worse than what Alyx had just done.

“To be honest, I was following you all night,” Matt said and was pulled to a stop when he realized that Celeste hadn’t continued walking.

“Why? So you could report everything to Jack?”

She had just given him a perfect excuse to hide behind and for a split second, he was tempted to take it, but instead he shook his head.

“No…I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I…” Matt trailed off. As much as he wanted to tell her how much he cared about her, he didn’t want to do it with Alyx’s assault hanging over them. It wouldn’t be fair to her.

“Sure…because you care about me so much,” Celeste said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. Matt grimaced. He deserved that.

“I know I’ve been an asshole for the past three months, but that doesn’t mean I stopped caring about you,” he said, but apparently it was the wrong thing to say because Celeste burst into tears, sobs wracking her body.

Matt stood where he was, awkwardly watching her. He wanted to hug her, to reach out to her, but he didn’t dare.

“Just take me home, Matt. I want to go home,” Celeste said when the worst of it was over. She sounded exhausted…and defeated. And Matt had no idea how to make any of it better.