Emma pov

　　I say goodbye to Steve and Gaya along with Ava, and we both head out of the cafeteria in silence. My mind is a bit wary that Matthew won't allow Ava to stay here for the necessary monitoring by the doctor.

　　"Do you think he'll kick me out?" Ava suddenly asks, when we're already near the main house of the pack. Her question makes me stop abruptly in the middle of the path, Ava's face is downturned and worried. I put my arm around my best friend's shoulders and pulled her closer to comfort her.

　　"I doubt he'll do that. He sheltered me... the accused of killing you. He defended me when he shouldn't have. Matthew is a good man, kind of stubborn and headstrong, but good. I don't believe he'll kick you out of the pack," I affirm with affection.

　　"Yeah, he was very gentlemanly when he came to my house, I mean, Emily's house. He's a hottie, don't you think?" Ava's comments are now a bit more animated.

　　I feel a pang of jealousy run through my body, but I don't show any emotion about it. I give an embarrassed fake smile and shrug, pretending disinterest, "Yeah, he has a certain charm," I say with feigned disinterest. "Now let's go, let's talk to him."

　　Alpha Matthew was in the living room with Charlotte, they were both sitting on the floor, with various toys around. Charlotte was holding a plastic horse while Matthew had a slightly larger red dragon than the horse, making roaring sounds as Charlotte galloped with the toy towards the fierce toy dragon.

　　Matthew's eyes meet mine at the exact moment he pretends the sound of fire comes out of the dragon's mouth. I let out a laugh at the scene, finding it very cute and funny at the same time. "Emma! Hi, want to join an epic battle between a fierce dragon and a powerful Amazon?" he invites, and Charlotte gives me an inviting smile.

　　"But of course I do, but before that, can I talk to you for a minute? It's about Ava," I point with my head towards my best friend who is looking at all that with raised eyebrows.

　　"Sure, we can. I'll be right back, Lotte," Matthew responds and gets up from the floor with impressive speed. He leads us to the office, and as soon as he closes the door behind him, he asks the reason for the conversation.

　　"The doctor would like to continue monitoring Ava's improvement, making sure there are no more fainting spells or blackouts because of the spell placed on her. So we wanted to know if she can stay with us for a few more days?" I ask hopefully.

　　"Yes, of course she can stay, Emma. Ava, you are very welcome here at the Night Howlers Pack, feel at home with us. I'll have one of the employees prepare a room for you, next to Emma's room," Matthew announces seriously, but warmly. A smile forms on both me and Ava, but Ava does something bolder. She throws herself into Matthew's arms, hugging him.

　　I notice that the alpha himself is surprised by that, but he returns the gesture, causing me discomfort.

　　"Thank you very much, Alpha Matthew. Thank you so much!" Ava thanks excitedly.

　　Before Ava and I leave the office, Matthew grabs my wrist, making me stop a little surprised by that. "Can I talk to you? In private?" he says with emphasis on the word private, causing Ava to leave the office alone.

　　"Is there a problem, Matt?" I ask worriedly.

　　Matthew scratches his neck, and then runs his hand through his hair before responding. "I just wanted to talk to you about the night we slept together and you just left early in the morning. Did I do something wrong, Emma?"

　　The question caught me off guard, causing me a slight panic. I had almost completely forgotten about our night together, with so many things happening, I didn't remember leaving the room early in the morning. Matthew's eyes search for an answer to the question, and I notice the concern on his face.

　　"Matthew, no, you didn't do anything wrong. In fact, that night, well..." I clear my throat and feel my cheeks blush. "That night was the best of my life."

　　"Why did you leave then? Why did you tell Ava we're just friends?" Matthew asks, anxiety evident in his voice, trying to unravel my reasons.

　　"Sorry, Matt. I got scared, and with everything that's been happening, the accusations, and Ava's whole situation, well, I don't know if I'm ready to start a relationship. I think my heart still needs to heal a little more," I reply honestly, lowering my head so that the tears that want to fall aren't seen.

　　Matthew approaches me, and with a gentle touch, he takes my hand, lifting my chin with the other. There's a gentle smile forming on his lips that makes me feel even more drawn to him. "I understand, Emma. I'll be here when you're ready. Just don't run away from my bed at dawn."

　　I smile at his request and nod. Matthew's reaction surprises me; I didn't think he could be so kind with my confused feelings and insecurities.