Welcome to Sin City…Sort Of

RHIANNON

Isaac’s pack lands are outside of the city. When we arrive at the pack land, I start to feel nervous. This is very different from Hunter’s land. Everything is so dry.

“Our acreage backs up to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. We have no neighbors for a very long way, even though we don’t own all of the land,” Isaac explains.

In the distance, I see mountains and rocky cliff faces.

There is a huge black fence cutting through the beige desert. Eventually, the fence meets the road.

There is a guard station in front of the gate. The guard gives a respectful nod to Isaac before opening it to allow the truck to drive in.

Inside the fence, everything looks different from just outside. It’s not a barren wasteland, quite the opposite: it’s a desert oasis.

The buildings are modern, no cabins or mountain retreat auras here. Everything is constructed out of dark stone and black glass.

We drive through the community; there is a school, a medical building, a gym, and a pool. There are also several AstroTurf training fields and obstacle courses.

All the green makes everything look more alive, even if the grass is fake.

Isaac stops the car on a circular driveway with a fountain in the center. Surrounding the driveway are several large garages.

When we get out of the car, a man is waiting near the fountain.

He and Isaac do that kind of weird man shoulder hug thing. He then turns to me. He looks at me like I’m offering him free money.

“Luna! I’m Noah, the beta here.” He scoops me into a tight hug.

A loud, rough growl rips through the courtyard. Noah’s shoulders tense and he quickly places me on the ground, slowly and gently.

“Touch her again and I’ll cut off your hands.” Isaac’s voice is eerily calm and cold.

Noah puts his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, Jacko. I wasn’t thinking. I was just so excited to meet her.”

He steps toward Noah menacingly. For such a large man, Noah looks nervous.

“Calm down, Jacko.” I can’t hide the amusement in my voice.

He turns to look at me, his broad shoulders hunched and tense. When his eyes meet mine, he softens and bites his bottom lip to keep from smiling.

“Don’t call me Jacko,” he says, his voice amused.

“No fucking way!” Noah blurts out before looking at me in amazement. “You just… He…” He shakes his head and a huge smile grows on his face. “It is definitely nice to meet you, Luna.”

“Please, call me Annie.” I notice Isaac’s face drop slightly. “At least for now.”

“Have everything unloaded from the truck into the house,” Isaac instructs Noah.

“The pack house?” Noah looks confused.

“No, the alpha’s quarters. I’m not moving my mate into the pack house.”

Noah opens his mouth to speak, but Isaac stops him.

“Don’t you say one fucking word.”

I walk over to Isaac and take his hand in mine, hoping to defuse whatever tension is building again.

Noah notices and shakes his head again, mumbling under his breath, “I’ll be damned.”

Isaac leads me away from the garages. Behind them is a huge, beautifully designed building made of the same black glass and stone.

As we get closer, I notice that the glass is reflective. I can see myself, but not inside.

“That’s the pack house.” He points to the building.

“Almost everyone lives there. We have another much smaller house where some of the older wolves live. The pack house can get a bit loud.”

He smiles like he’s thinking of a specific memory.

“Our house is down that trail,” he points. “It’s not far, the pack house is just blocking it. Where do you want to go? If we go into the pack house, you’ll be bombarded.”

I think back to Hunter’s pack and how welcoming they were. If I’m going to live here, if I’m going to be their luna, I need to just get it over with.

“Let’s go to the pack house. You can give me a tour, then we can go home.”

I guess that was the right answer because he crashes his lips down on mine, hard. He threads his hands into my hair desperately, then pulls away and looks into my eyes. He looks relieved.

I reach up and cup his face in my hand. I kiss him again, softly, trying to convey my feelings. I hate that he’s suffering.

I can see him battling within himself, his need to claim me as his versus his understanding that I’m not a wolf and need time.

An excited scream from behind jerks us from our tender moment. A girl is sprinting toward us from the house.

Isaac groans. “That would be Laren.”

I’m excited and nervous to meet her. What if she hates me?

She pulls me into a hug as soon as she reaches us. Lightly pushing me back by the shoulders, she studies me for a moment.

“You’re gorgeous,” she says after a moment. “Those eyes are killer.” She hugs me again, rocking us from side to side.

“All right, Laren, get off of her.”

She ignores him completely. “It’s so nice to meet you. I thought Noah was pranking me when he told me. My mom cried, for like an hour.”

My face must look horrified because she clarifies, “Happy tears. We thought Isaac was going to be a moody, loveless asshole forever.”

Isaac rolls his eyes. She has the same dark hair and honey-colored eyes as her brother.

“Can I bring her inside now?” Isaac asks.

“I guess,” she pouts before turning to me. “We should get our nails done this week!”

“That would be great!”

She reminds me of Lily, very open and friendly.

As we walk toward the doors, a man runs toward us.

“Alpha, you have a phone call in your office that needs your attention, immediately.”

Isaac runs his hands through his hair.

“Who is it?”

“Alpha Dylan.”

“Laren, if she wants to go to the pack house, take her. If she wants to go home, take her.” He turns to me and says, “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”

He pulls me into a hug and buries his face in my hair. He steps back and hesitates for a moment. He doesn’t want to go.

“I’ll be okay,” I assure him. “Hurry back.”

As soon as he is out of sight, Laren grabs my arm.

“Do you want to go to the pack house?”

“Sure.” I smile nervously, feeling a lot less confident without Isaac with me.

The house is beautiful. Everything is sleek and modern. Aside from one large statue of a howling wolf in the foyer, there is no other wolf-themed decor.

As we enter the dining room, I’m shocked by the sight.

The floor-to-ceiling windows on one wall display the beautiful Red Rock Canyon in the distance. There are six long tables with one table at the head of the room.

A huge fireplace takes up the whole wall behind the head table— the black marble goes from floor to ceiling with a long electric fire panel running through the middle.

The room is elegant and beautiful.

Just as I finish taking in the room, several people come through a door on the side wall carrying dishes.

They see me and freeze.

“Uh oh,” Laren laughs. “You’ve been spotted.”

The people rush to the closest table, deposit the dishes there, then rush toward me.

I’m nervous but I’m also very excited. I expected to feel overwhelmed, but they all look so happy it’s hard to be afraid.

I’m in the center of a ten-person mob. They are all talking at once, both to me and each other.

“Oh my goodness. She’s gorgeous.”

“Welcome, Luna, we’re so glad you’re here.”

“How did you meet?”

“You’re so tiny!”

“Are you hungry? Dinner’s nearly ready!”

“Her eyes are like emeralds!”

“Oh! Just imagine their children!”

“Do you like salmon? I hope you’re hungry!”

I can’t help but laugh with Laren, who is cracking up beside me.

“Okay! Everyone back up, give her some space!” an amused voice says from behind the crowd.

Everyone touches my hand, arm, or shoulder as they pass, iterating how happy they are that I’m here before they go back to setting the tables.

The woman that cleared them away steps forward. She is beautiful and I know instantly that she is Isaac’s mother.

“Annie,” she says as she pulls me into her arms. “I’m so glad to meet you. I’m Celestine, Isaac’s mother.” She has tears in her eyes.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Celestine.”

“Would you like to grab some coffee? Isaac told me how much you like it. Also, please call me Cel.”

“Please! That would be great.”

When did he talk to her about me?

We sit on a large terrace overlooking the vast desert. The kitchen is equipped with a very fancy coffee machine. I opt for a latte.

“So,” Laren says a minute after we sit, “has he managed to fuck it up yet?”

Celestine and I choke.

“Laren!”

“What?” she shrugs. “You know him as well as I do, Mom. He’s not great with this stuff. He gets angry, then he’s mean!”

“Laren, leave your brother alone. Being the alpha is hard and he took on the job so young!”

Laren rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, always coming to the defense of your precious son.”

“He…” Cel hesitates.

“He has a ridiculous fear of rejection,” Laren interjects.

Her mom glares at her before sighing.

“As a child he would have nightmares that his mate rejected him. He’s always had a fear of it. Maybe deep down he doesn’t feel worthy of a mate? I don’t know…

“He has always been reluctant to go searching. I think he was afraid of finding you.”

My heart pounds in my chest thinking about a sweet little boy dreaming of his mate, only to have it turn into a nightmare.

“He mentioned rejection, kind of,” I tell them.

“A lot of wolves that are mated to a non-wolf try to keep the option hidden,” Cel tells me.

“I mean, not that you can blame them—I can’t even imagine that kind of pain,” Laren adds.

“Pain? Like, heartbreak?” I need clarification because something tells me they mean something more.

They both hesitate.

“Um, maybe ask Isaac after you’ve made your decision? We don’t want to push you. Of course we want you to accept him and stay, but you aren’t a wolf. This is all different for you.”

Tears blur my vision. Even to the detriment of their son and brother, they want for my happiness. I wish he was close by now. I wish he could wrap his arms around me.

Noticing my distress, they offer to continue the tour.

After walking for what felt like five miles through the pack house and talking to several members, we stop at a door.

Before they can tell me what it is, I know.

“His office,” I whisper.

I can feel him. It takes all my strength not to rip open the door and run into his arms.

“We should go before he can’t control himself and comes out,” Cel smiles.

The alpha’s quarters are amazing. Compared to the pack house it’s tiny, but it’s actually a decent-sized home.

“There are four bedrooms plus a home office,” Laren tells me as we enter.

“Did you live here?” I ask Cel.

“No, dear. My husband had this house built the year before he stepped down. He wanted Isaac to have a new home to bring his mate to. We live a ways up the road in the house Isaac was raised in.”

I nod, taking in the beautiful kitchen. The bottom cabinets are deep blue, with white countertops. The upper cabinets are white with window doors. Everything is pristine.

“Wait until you see the master bedroom! It’s incredible,” Laren pulls me up the stairs.

She wasn’t wrong. The room is incredible. The bed in the center looks bigger than king size. The white bedding looks soft and inviting.

I realize how tired I am. I must have stared at the bed for too long because they say at the same time, “We should go” and “You seem tired.”

After we laugh about it, they leave for the night with promises of a coffee date tomorrow.