“It's amazing.”
“I thought that you would like it,” he said as he directed me to take a seat. “The one in Shakespeare's time looked nothing like this one.”
I looked at Matt. I had totally forgotten that he was an archangel and not just my hunky friend. “Are you serious?”
He nodded. “I mean, they had a similar structure, but this one is more polished from the tools that are available today. I liked the other better. It was better in that they had to devote a lot of time and love to make it beautiful.”
I stared at Matt. Never in my time of knowing him did he share such a love of art. It surprised me. “There are so many things about you I don't know.”
He grinned. “I'll tell you whatever you want to know,” he said, scratching his arm and revealing the tail of a tattoo.
“That,” I nodded to the ink. “If you... aren't from here, where did you get those tattoos?”
Matt laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “Funny story, actually. A couple hundred years before Jesus walked the earth, I was sent to what is now Sweden to run off or kill a dog demon that was terrorizing a village. But first, I had to blend in, as I had to here. So, I got these tattoos. Now, of course they have been cleaned up over the years so they don't look as crude as they used to, but I did get them way back when.”
“Is that the story? Did you get the demon?”
Chuckling uncomfortably, Matt shook his head. “I did get the demon. I ended up killing him with a big mallet. He put up quite a fight, spraying blood all over me... my hair, my face, and my beard. Unknown to me, some of the villagers witnessed my slaying of the beast. They knew that no mortal could have done it and decided that I was a god. I tried to convince them other wise, but I couldn't compel the entire town once they started talking. Michael was not please with that myth.”
I frowned. “A myth rose from that? Which one?”
Again, he laughed uncomfortably. “The one of Thor.”
“Holy shit! No way,” I breathed. I had always joked to myself about Matt being Thor... and now I find that he really was. Or, responsible for the myth at least. I laughed so hard that I snorted.
He smiled. “What's funny?”
“You don't how many times that I thought of you as Thor!”
“Why?”
“Blond, huge, Swede with Norse tattoos? Plus, you sort of look like that Chris guy that plays Thor in those Marvel movies.”
He laughed. “The movie and comics actually got that wrong... in the legends, Thor has red hair.” When I looked at him blankly, he continued, motioning to his head and face. “Blood in my hair and beard.”
“Hmm.” Matt was Thor. How funny. “I like that story,” I said and then giggled when my mind went into the gutter. “You never let go of that hammer though, did you.” I smiled at him mischievously.
“I didn't bring it...,” he said before he saw the expression on my face as I looked at his groin. “Oh.” And he laughed as pink hues warmed his cheeks. “Yep, it became one with my body.”
“Yeesh, glad I didn't meet you before that happened,” I teased. “Wouldn't be the same without it.”
Matt's eyes sparkled at me as he laughed. “Ugh, Kenna,” he sighed unhappily and looked back to the stage. “I don't know what to do anymore.”
“What do you mean?” I had a feeling this wouldn't be good.
“I went to Michael and asked him to reassign me.”
“Why?” My heart thundered. Would Matt be leaving for good?
He turned his eyes to me and they raged with the same blue fire I had seen the last night we were together. “Because...,” he started and shook his head. “Because I love you. I love you too much to see you with Azariah. I want you for me.”
I didn't know what to say. I had very strong feeling for Alex, but I had equally as strong of feelings for Matt, thanks to our history together. I wished that I could have both, but I knew neither would accept that as an option. It would certainly let me off the hook for making a difficult decision.
I leaned into Matt's shoulder.
“Michael turned me down. He said I was too invested into this mission. He said he knew that you'd be finding out what we both were soon enough... I just thought Azariah told you.”
I smiled. Matt wasn't leaving, not just yet anyway.
“Kenna...,” he started. “If I have no chance of winning your heart, please let me know. Or if you've already picked Azariah, tell me.”
“Why didn't you tell me how you felt when you felt it?”
“I was afraid that I'd lose you if I did.”
“And what made you tell me now, after all this time?”
“I was afraid that I'll lose you if I didn't.”
Matt took my hand into his and brought it to his chest. “Have I lost you?”
His question caused my heart to race. I watched some people walk across the stage as I debated my response. “Please let me get my thoughts out here and don't try to jump to a conclusion, okay?”
Matt took a deep breath and nodded.
“You are the first man... or whatever... that made me feel good about myself, made me feel good in my own skin. You showed me things about myself that I didn't know. You were there for me when I didn't know I needed someone. God, I owe you so much.” I paused, looking at my hand against his chest.
“But,” he sighed, bowing his head.
“I told you not to jump to a conclusion,” I reminded him. “I have strong feelings for both you and Alex.”
Matt cringed at the mention of his name.
“I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's true.”
“So... you want me to wait until you figure things out, is that it?” There was a slight bitterness to his tone.
That's exactly what I was asking, and I felt like a piece of shit because of it. I didn't respond. This was a huge decision and I wasn't going to rush it. While both of the guys were immortal, I wasn't.
“Promise me something then. I will wait for your decision, but you have to promise you won't sleep with him again.”
I nodded.
“I know that means that I cannot have you as well, but at least I won't be worrying that you're... with him.”
“I promise.”
Matt chuckled.
“What?”
“Uh, nothing.” He smiled. “Let me take you home. I'm sure you need some rest after the past couple of nights.”
“No, what were you laughing at?”
Matt quickly brought his lips to mine and kissed me so deeply that I felt he was attempting to capture my soul. Everything floated around me; time had no relevance.
After a couple of cat calls on stage, he pulled away from me, smiling. “I was just thinking that I'd still be able to do that though.”
“Hmmmm,” I said as I slowly opened my eyes.
Taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger, he kissed me lightly and smiled. “I need to get you home so you can get some rest.”
My mind was a boiling cauldron of confusion as Matt helped me back to his truck. What was I to do or think about all of this? Which of the two angels would I choose? I loved Matt deeply, yet there was something about Alex that made me unable to turn him away.
We spoke very little on the drive back to my house. I was with my thoughts and he was with his. Nothing in the world sounded better to me than my bed. I felt both mentally and physically exhausted.
Matt helped me out and into my house when we got there.
“Thank you for helping me with this,” I held up my foot as we stood just inside the door.
“Well, it was my sword that caused it,” Matt smiled.
I couldn't help the evil grin that curled my lips. “You sure it wasn't Thor's hammer?”
He laughed. “I'm sure I would have remembered that.”
I found myself staring at Matt's plump lips as he spoke and something Alex had said came to mind. “Hey... I have a question.”
“Yeah?”
“Alex sa
id that archangels could bite people but they don't because they would never be with a human.” I felt a slow heat build at the apex of my thighs in remembering the pleasure of being bitten.
“Kenna...” Matt said as if he knew what I was getting at.
“Have you ever?”
He stared at my neck for a moment. “We aren't supposed to.”
“But have you?”
“No.”
“Well, you're not supposed to lay with a mortal either though, right?”
He nodded, continuing to stare at my neck.
“But you've done that. Aren't you curious?”
He didn't respond.
“I would let you, you know.” I had to be crazy. All of those vampire movies seemed ridiculous when the characters offered their necks to the blood-suckers... and here, I was eagerly offering mine.
“What, right now?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
Matt searched my eyes. “I don't...”
“I want you to taste how you make me feel.”
The huge blond angel stared down at me, his eyes searching my own – he was breathing heavily. Before I could utter another word, Matt's lips were sealed with mine; his muscular arms wrapped tightly around me. Slowly, he drew a breath from my lungs and moved his lips on a little trail to my jaw... and then my neck.
“Are you sure?” he growled softly between delicate kisses.
I nodded, holding his head to my neck. I knew what was coming, but I still didn't expect it. When his teeth finally pierced my flesh, the earth stopped its rotation. My knees gave way and I would have fallen if Matt wasn't holding me against him. My every cell cried out in ecstasy as he pulled my blood into his mouth. As he slowly released his lips from my neck, the world came back into focus and I found the ground beneath my feet. Matt breathed heavily against my skin.
“I never imagined...” he whispered hoarsely, pressing his growing hardness into my hip. His towering presents made me feel safe... and full of desire. “Now I wish that I didn't make you promise to not sleep with Alex so I could take you right now.”
I giggled, looking up into his eyes. What I saw there caused me to gasp in panic. Matt's crystal-blue eyes were black.
Matt realized something was wrong himself and he staggered backwards. “What... what's happening... I need to go,” he muttered, batting his eyes several times as if attempting to fight the blackness that was there, but nothing changed.
“Matt?” The next time I blinked, he was gone. I leaned up against the wall and closed my eyes tightly with dread. What had I done?
****
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Truth in Legends [Part Three of the Thicker than Blood Series] Page 4
