“And you’re Cam, Lydia’s mate,” said Zac, riding shotgun. “You were in a selfie that she sent me.” The Phoenix wolves often sent him photographs.
The baby-faced wolf smiled at him. “It’s good to finally meet you, Zac.” His smile shrunk a little as he nodded at Makenna. He was uncomfortable having a loner on his territory, and Ryan doubted that she would blame Cam for that.
“I’ll see you when your shift ends,” Ryan told Cam. Putting the Chevy in gear, he then proceeded to drive them deeper into his territory. As they neared the mountain, he said to Zac, “Look carefully at the front wall of the cliff. What do you see?”
Leaning forward, Zac studied it intently. “Holy shit,” he breathed. “I mean . . . wow,” he quickly corrected. “Makenna, do you see the windows and doors?”
“I see them.” Makenna was truly awed. She’d never before seen anything like it. “You live inside the mountain?” How cool was that?
The wonder in her voice pleased Ryan’s wolf. He wanted her to like his territory, as it would soon be her home. “Yes.”
“Did your pack build it?” asked Zac.
“No,” replied Ryan, entering the concealed parking lot where he whipped the Chevy in his usual space. “It was once an ancient cave dwelling. It’s been modernized over the years.” He led Zac and Makenna up the smooth stairways that were carved into the face of the cliff. Zac’s excitement grew as he noticed the arched balconies and glanced down at the surrounding land.
Reaching the main entrance, they found the Alpha pair waiting. Trey inclined his head in greeting while Taryn smiled and said, “Welcome to Bedrock.”
Zac chuckled. “This place is seriously awesome.”
Makenna nodded. “Very impressive.”
Taryn’s smile widened. “The interior is even better. Come on, everyone’s waiting.”
With Zac and an overbearing enforcer on either side of her, Makenna followed the Alphas through what turned out to be a network of tunnels. The walls were light-cream sandstone and looked so smooth that she ran her fingers across them, half expecting them to be soft. Her wolf, always curious, was especially intrigued by her surroundings and wanted to explore by taking the occasional turnoffs.
“We’ll give you a tour soon,” said Ryan.
Zac’s eyes lit up even further. “Sweet.”
Finally, they reached the living area, and Zac halted after taking only one step inside the room. At the same time, he shuffled closer to Makenna and she understood why. It was one thing to know that people were waiting to meet you, it was another thing to see an entire pack crowded together in one space with their attention totally focused on you.
Easing the tension, Dante, Dominic, Marcus, and Trick came forward and greeted Zac with fist bumps and light slaps on the back, treating him as “one of the guys”—something he seemed to love.
“I know everyone’s been sending you pictures, Zac,” began Jaime, “so I’m guessing the others don’t really need to introduce themselves.”
Zac rubbed one of his hands on his thigh. “I recognize them.”
An older woman stepped forward wearing a wide, affectionate smile. “It’s great to finally have you here, sweetheart.” She pulled Zac into a hug. “I know my Trey sent you some pictures of me with little Kye.”
“You’re Greta.”
“That’s right.” Greta’s attention shifted to Makenna, and her expression lost its warmth. “You must be the loner.”
Wow, the latter words were like blades. Jaime had laughingly told Makenna all about Greta’s issues, had warned her that the psychotic woman would see her as a threat to her unmated “boys.”
Taryn quickly came to Makenna’s side with a little boy balanced on her hip. “This is my son, Kye.” He gave Makenna a shy wave. “Greta here is Trey’s grandmother; feel free to ignore her.”
Sounded like a good idea.
The wolves who hadn’t yet officially met Zac then came forward to chat with him. He didn’t move from Makenna’s side, but the tension had left his body by the time the introductions were all done.
Taryn then offered to give them a tour. Jaime, Ryan, and Kye came along, since the kid had latched on to Ryan’s neck and wouldn’t let go. The little boy was a mini version of his father but with Taryn’s hair, which was made up of several different shades of blond.
Zac’s excitement returned as they explored the first floor where the living area, kitchen, laundry room, game room, poolroom, and office were located. It was also where the Alphas, Betas, Tao, and the enforcers slept.
The second floor featured many en-suite bedrooms—some belonged to pack members, others were for guests—a small kitchenette, and a laundry room.
“There are two other floors, and they’re all the same as this one.” Taryn stopped at a particular room on the second floor. “This, Zac, will be your room.” She opened the door wide, revealing a large space that had been decorated perfectly for a teenage boy. Undoubtedly, Lydia had had a hand in the design.