Luna Zahra

Chapter 4 - Welcome

The trip from Night Fire was probably one of the worst things I'd ever endured in my life.

After I got into the car with Ryder, we rode for hours to the closest airport where we then boarded a plane to continue our journey to the Moon Wave pack. Not only was it a great distance from my home pack, but it was an island of its own, so the only way to get there was by boat or plane.

I was fortunate enough to sleep for the vast majority of the plane ride. Ryder provided me with some kind of pill that helped me sleep, and I was extremely grateful. I didn't know if I could survive the awkward silence and tension between us for much longer.

I didn't wake again until I felt the plane touch the ground. It was bit of a bumpy landing, causing me to nearly jump from my seat. I could've sworn I heard Ryder chuckle, although his face gave nothing away.

Without a word, I followed Ryder and his staff off the plan and onto the landing strip. I was greeted by warm air with a salty breeze that offered a bit of humidity - something I wasn't really used to. With Night Fire being in the desert, the air was typically dry.

"Welcome home," Ryder said as he walked across the tarmac towards the small airport. He didn't turn to look in my direction as he spoke, so I knew he still wasn't very pleased with me.

I followed behind but kept my distance. Several men behind me were transporting our luggage, and I was at least thankful that I wasn't expected to do any that. I knew Ryder's pack likely valued their Omegas a bit more than I was used to, but it was good to see that they still knew their place.

Right as we approached the entrance to the airport, another car pulled up. The men behind me quickly began loading our bags into the trunk as Ryder opened the backdoor for me, just as he had when we left Night Fire. I quickly slid inside, more than happy to get to our destination and be done with all of this travelling.

Much to my delight, this car ride was a short one. The vehicle took us down the road and through a series of twist and turns, palm trees lining both sides of the road we travelled. After only about ten minutes, we pulled up to a large building that I instantly recognized as a pack house.

There were at least four floors and it stretched nearly the length of a football field. The exterior was done in mostly a light tan color with turquoise accents and tiling. Palm trees and sand dunes decorated the entire territory, and smaller buildings surrounded the main pack house. The layout was surprisingly similar to my own home, only designed differently to complement its environment.

Ryder quickly exited the vehicle and walked around to my side of the car to open my door for me. I honestly admired his chivalry, but I wouldn't comment on it. I slid out of the vehicle and finally stood, appreciating being able to stretch my legs after hours and hours of confinement.

The heels I wore sunk into the sand, causing me to groan and curse under my breath. The sand wasn't completely foreign, as we also had quite a bit of sand in Night Fire. We just typically kept most of our pack territory landscaped so that we weren't inconvenienced with nuisances like this.

"I'll show you to our room first, so you can get settled, I can show you around the pack later, or I can have someone else do it if you'd prefer," Ryder told me as he walked towards the entrance of the pack house.

The men who'd travelled with us were already tending to my luggage, so I sped up my pace to keep up with Ryder, "Our room?" I questioned.

Ryder shot me a side-glance, "I can have a separate room prepared for you, if that's what you'd prefer."

I walked in silence for a moment, weighing my options. My parents had lived separately for as long as I could remember. Was that really how I wanted to start things out? There's no way this pack would take me seriously as their Luna if I couldn't even live in the same quarters as their Alpha.