“Too damned bad. The whole werewolf thing, Shane is that you’ve been raised to hate yourself but deep down inside you know it’s not right. When you allow yourself to feel what you’re supposed to feel, you understand that. Let go and be who you are.” She

paused. “Megan is a really grounded woman. Probably the most grounded person I’ve ever known. She’s dedicated to her job. She’s good to her family. She’s the kind of person who takes the garbage out for the elderly woman who lives across the street from her on garbage day. Megan believes in community. You have been raised to be suspicious of half your identify and I’m not going to get into it any more at this point.”

She held up a hand as he automatically began to defend his mother. “The issue is, Megan is a werewolf. She’s a Warden. You may not get this because you haven’t known her very long but she’s a powerful werewolf and she won’t leave what she is behind to be a human doctor’s wife in the suburbs outside Las Vegas. It would kill her.”

The food arrived and he shoved it down automatically, knowing he needed the calories but also wanting to avoid speaking as he gathered his thoughts.

“I have a life. I don’t know why everyone assumes I should be the one to give it all up for her because she has a job. Well I have a job too. I’ve got a nice practice in Vegas.

Friends.”

“Friends? A life? I’m going to tell you this because I love you and you’re someone special to me. You have a nice house and you have human women you f**k. You have people you go to nightclubs with but they don’t know you. You don’t share your life with them above that. Those aren’t friends and that’s not a life. And she doesn’t have a job, Shane. She’s got a calling. What she is isn’t she can just re-license somewhere else.

You’re asking her to be what you are. To pretend to be she’s not. She is Pack. She’s a wolf. She needs to be around other wolves.”

“I love you too, Lay, but this isn’t your business.” He shrugged hoping he looked nonchalant. “This is between me and Megan. I’m not some beta wolf who’ll come running when she snaps her fingers.”

Layla looked up at him, anger sparking in her gaze. “Don’t. Don’t even try it. Not with

me, buster. In the first place, don’t you minimize what Megan is to you. In the second place, don’t minimize what you’ve done. You’ve done. You sealed the bond. You did it knowing what would happen. Suck. It. Up. Be a damned man, do you hear me? Do not mess with my sister’s head. If I’m being harsh you had better prepare yourself. You screwed yourself right into the mother lode of Pack law. Megan has risked her life multiple times for the wolves who lead your people. Your people, Shane. You are a werewolf.” She wiped her mouth and stood. “You can pay with your pennies. I’m going to go help get Megan packed. If I know her, she skipped dinner and is up in her room givingHiro orders on how to protect Nina. Don’t be adumbass . I love you. She’ll come to love you. You have to love yourself and believe that what you are, what you were born, is not wrong or bad.”

She bent to kiss his cheek and stalked away.

***

Megan had waved goodbye to her family and climbed up the stairs to the private plane Cade had waiting for them at the airport. The flight to Las Vegas was a quick one and like a tourist, she watched out the window as they circled to land, mouth agape at the gorgeous lights on the Strip. On the way to his house, Megan sat, nestled into Shane’s side as he drove his sporty little car. He’d not stopped touching her since he’d shown up at her room door, a to-go bag in his hand and a smile on his face. She’d wondered why Layla had shown up early but she was happy to spend time with her sister before they left.

He didn’t live too far away from town and the air was reasonably clean albeit still very warm even at midnight. She had known him twelve hours and her life was totally different than where it had been when she’d tumbled out of bed that morning hoping to buy shoes and shoot guns.

“A gated community, huh?” she murmured as the large iron gates swung open silently. A

guard tipped his hat as they drove past.

“It’s a nice, safe place to live. You’ll like it here.”

Nice wasn’t really how she’d have described his house. Palatial would be more accurate.

He pulled into the garage where a motorcycle sat and a boat was parked, covered up.

“We’re home. Come on, let me show you around.”

“Lex has a Harley too. You two can go riding. Nina hates it and Dave lives in Boston now so he doesn’t have as many friends to ride with.”

He smiled absently as he keyed in a code and opened the door leading into the house. The place was huge inside. Marble and gleaming hardwoods and tiles. Abstract art hanging on the walls. No pictures of people or wolves. No books. Several plasma screens in the rooms she passed. No throws on the backs of the couches.

“Do you like it?” He flipped on the lights and she saw through the glass he had a pool.

Those lights went on as well. It was in its own way.

“It’s.” She nodded. Nothing she’d ever want and it didn’t seem to really express much about him either. But what did she know? She’d known him half a day.

“You’re probably tired. Let’s get your suitcase up to the bedroom. Well, to our bedroom.

Do you want some tea? Are you hungry?”

He led her up an open staircase and into his room. She couldn’t really feel like it was hers. The room was stark white with a big bed in the center. Everything in the room was white. Just not she’d have chosen. But she made herself stop reacting to it and just try and get to know him.