Marie Reynard
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Mattress Testers Wanted Chapter 2 & Ryder Chibi!
🕑 Added 2025-11-26 00:00:03 +0000 UTCSince we did Storm last week, it's Ryder's turn this week! It seemed appropriate for his crystal ball to have a little bit of a soccer flair to it. đ
(Art by Lipeka https://www.instagram.com/lipeka_art/)
CHAPTER TWO - RYDER
Ryder leaned against a pile of mattresses and watched Tristan work his magic. Literally. Swirling yellow tattoos lit up on Tristanâs outstretched arms, and a faint yellow glow kindled in his irises.
The studio began to transform.
Three beds were already set up in a row, and more would be switched out after theyâd used those, but that wasnât nearly enough for the MateHub writers. Their artistic vision demanded more.
Even though Ryder sensed what Tristan was doing, his eyes refused to focus as reality blurred and the walls seemed to shimmer and melt away. The space before them appeared to open up, stretching out endlessly in a strange parody of a mattress showroom.
Beds popped up one by one in the illusion. Dozens of them, hundreds of them. They came in all shapes and sizes, from singles to kings, from dorm-room bunks to Japanese-style futon mattresses that lay on the floor. Some were fit for royalty, with large canopies arching over them; others were rickety frames that might be found discarded on the side of a road. Soft ambient lighting flooded the place, while bright spotlights showcased the latest models.
Ryder clapped as Tristan lowered his hands. No one cast illusions quite like him. Ryder couldnât do them for shit, but Tristanâs never failed to impress. He was easily the best mage Ryder had ever met when it came to glamours. Other mages aside, very few people would understand the skill that went into his spells. It was insanely difficult to create a believable illusion. Too often, it fell into the uncanny valleyâsomething not right about it that caused a personâs brain to reject what they were seeing. But this? This looked real. Ryder could imagine someone walking straight into the now-invisible walls if they werenât aware magic had concealed them.
Tristan surveyed his handiwork, nodding to himself.
âNice,â Ryder said.
âHow much do you want to bet the viewers wonât even notice?â
âA coffee from the break room?â
âGlad my workâs appreciated.â Tristanâs dry tone carried a hint of amusement.
âHey, if youâre wanting some appreciation, Iâm sure theyâd let youââ
âNever gonna happen. Iâm good on my side of the camera, thanks. Iâll leave the moaning about getting pretend-knotted to you.â
âOh, but itâs so big and hot and pulsing.â Ryder writhed with each word, his back arching, his gaze half-lidded. âAnd itâs filling me so full andââ
âSave it for the cameras. I still canât believe you want anything to do with wolf shifters. Most of them are obnoxious bastards.â
âYeah, man, why would anyone get involved with a wolf shifter?â He snaked his hand out and wrapped it around Tristanâs wrist.
Shadows flickered through his mindâelectric sparks that brought bits and pieces of the future with them. Yellow tattoos unfurling over a muscular chest, the whir of an espresso machine, the soft brush of fur against his skin.
Yep. It was still there.
Tristan yanked his arm away and scowled at him. âStop that. Donât even. I donât want to hear it.â
Ryder laughed. âYou arenât curious aboutââ
âNope. Not interested. And if youâre tempted to tell me against my express wishes, let me remind you I know a spell that will make you feel like your asshole is itchy.â He gave Ryder a vicious smile. âFor the rest of your life.â
Ryder had no doubt that he did.
âIt wouldnât matter if I told you. Itâs not destiny, just a possibility. Fate doesnât exist. You always have a choice. Maybe the universe gives you a nudge, but you make the final decision.â
âAnd if you make the wrong one, I can predict the future too,â Tristan said with a deadly sort of cheerfulness. âTen years from now. Itâs a pleasant day. Youâre walking down the street⊠and your asshole itches like crazy.â
While the future wasnât certain, Tristanâs wrath was, and Ryder would rather not risk it, especially with how crap he was at breaking curses.
âBut seriously. Most of MateHubâs top stars are wolf shifters. Thatâs where the money is. If I refused to do scenes with them, Iâd barely have any work. Besides, theyâre hot. Just because mages and shifters generally donât get along, doesnât mean I canât let a few fuck me.â
Tristanâs gaze tracked movement behind Ryderâs back, and Ryder turned to see Storm Swell entering the studio with a smooth, predatory grace. His jeans and t-shirt fit his tall frame tight enough to hint at all the muscle beneath. Obnoxious bastards or not, wolf shifters were ridiculously attractive, and Storm was no exception, from his strong jaw and high cheekbones to his broad shoulders and spectacular ass. His black hair was closely shaved, and the deep, rich umber of his skin glowed under the studio lights, accentuating his striking features.
Storm must have felt them watching him because he glanced over, his wolf flashing in his dark eyes. He nodded, then strolled toward his dressing room.
Ryder suppressed a shiver of arousal. Yeah, letting someone who looked like that fuck him was not exactly the hardship Tristan made it out to be.
âWell, I better go get myself prepared for this supremely absurd scene.â
âEnjoy that pretend knot,â Tristan said wryly, his attention returning to his illusion as he tweaked a few of the beds.
âAlways do.â
Ryder headed to his own dressing room. Because obviously, the naive character heâd be playingâa straight guy whoâd shown up without realizing what his new employer was expectingâwould also arrive perfectly cleaned out and waxed for porn close-ups. They truly did strive for realism at MateHub, and no one could say otherwise. Not even in his last scene, when he, an avid sex doll collector, had enchanted his toys to come to life and gang-bang him. If that wasnât realism at its finest, he didnât know what was.
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Comments
Marie Reynard
Thank you! đ„°
Melissa
Love this!
Marie Reynard
It's honestly so much fun to write, so I'm really happy to hear that! Thank you! đ„°đ„°đ„°
MissMX3
Love this Matehub world so much! Itâs such a unique premise and both funny as hell and HOT AF!!! I love every word!! â€ïž
Marie Reynard
Tristan's life is so hard. đ
Nicole Sparks
Me too!
Adzriel Rose
Adorable! I never got to read the original of this, so I'm literally hanging on every word, desperate for the full story!
phoenix.writing
đ„° So cute! (And LOL Tristan.)
