Neo sighed and shuffled his feet as he stood in terminal reserved for private and charter flights at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. There it was, the plane he was waiting for. He watched as it seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before finally touching down and slowing to almost a stop. As it started taxing back to the terminal, Neo went to the gate where he was to meet his new charge and waited for her to appear. Teya, Neo's sister and the clan alpha, had insisted he be the one to pick up their visitor, and Neo wasn't happy about it. Anyone in the Fraction could have handled the errand, he didn't see why it had to be him.

He waited at the end of the gangplank until a tall slender blonde, with her hair pulled into a messy knot on top of her head, appeared. She wore a loose t-shirt and pants with wide swinging legs, much like the ones his sister wore when she wasn't working. Something about the girl made him want to pull her against him and never let go.

Neo shook his head slightly and wondered where the thought came from. The woman wasn’t alone, two people disembarked with her, a man and a woman, one on either side. The way they scanned the room and were hyper aware of everything around them, Neo knew they were her security detail.

“Gwrtheyrn?” Neo cringed. “I'm sorry, I know I can't be pronouncing your name right.”

“Yes?” She turned to settle her gaze on him, and Neo spotted her clear, pale blue eyes. For a moment he was lost, pulled into them until the rest of the world faded away.

Someone cleared their throat, drawing Neo back to the present.

“Welcome to Las Vegas. I'm Neopkwai. Teya, our alpha, sent me. Please, call me Neo.” He extended one hand in her direction. She took it and gave it a firm shake.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Gwen. These are my security team, Isla and Ellis.”

Neo looked at the woman, small and unimpressive and dismissed her, it wasn’t that he thought she couldn’t do her job, but she was no threat to him because he was no threat to Gwen. But the man, he was different. Ellis was big, bulky enough to appear well muscled, like you would expect from a body guard. He was the one Neo wanted to keep Gwen away from. Logically, he knew the man was there to keep her safe, but how was he to know there wasn't something between them? Just the thought of Gwen in the large man's arms made Neo want to growl and claw the other man’s skin from his bones.

Neo frowned, not sure why he was feeling this way over a stranger he’d met only seconds before. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and continued with the pleasantries he knew were expected of him, shaking each one’s hand in turn.

“I’m happy to meet all of you. Do we need to wait for luggage?” Neo glanced around and each of them had a small bag, but Neo was under the impression this was going to be an extended stay, and he couldn't see how the small bags would last them very long.

Gwen yawned, covering her mouth with the back of one hand. “Sorry, yes, we each have another bag. They said it would only be a few minutes.”

“Not a problem.” Neo may not want to be here, but he knew this was important to Teya and that he’d better not screw it up. “Would you like to use the restroom, maybe wash your face and wake up a little while we wait? I know it was a long flight. Once your luggage arrives, we'll head over to the MesoAmerican. I don't know about you, but I hate the tiny bathrooms on planes.”

“A trip to the loo sounds wonderful,” Gwen spoke with a clipped accent, which spoke of an upper-class English education.

“This way then.” Neo led them to the facilities and watched as Isla went inside while Gwen stood outside with Ellis.

“All clear.” Isla said as she reappeared in the doorway. Without a word, Gwen slipped through the door and into the restroom. Isla turned and followed her back in, once they were gone, Ellis turned and disappeared into the men’s room.

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AFTER THEIR LUGGAGE arrived, Neo led the visitors to a hidden elevator. As they descended to the parking area, Isla spoke up.

“I thought I saw a car park outside. Are we not going there?”

“No. We're headed down into the tunnels. They’ll get us to the resort far faster and without the frustrations of dealing with the normals on the surface streets.” The elevator doors opened, revealing a large open space that would easily accommodate a dozen or more vehicles. The small SUV he'd brought was the only one present.

After Neo helped them load their luggage, they climbed into the car. Gwen in the rear seat with Isla while Ellis sat in the front with Neo. The trip to the MesoAmerican, the resort-casino owned and managed by the dragon Fraction, only took twenty minutes.

“Tell me about this place.” Ellis seemed fascinated by the tunnel, he leaned close to the glass to get a better look above the car.

“What do you want to know about?” Neo wasn’t sure if he meant the tunnels they were in, or Vegas itself.

“These tunnels, where do they lead?”

“Pretty much anywhere in town you would want to go, even a good number of them a little way outside of town, like the dam, it's roughly thirty miles from town.”

“Why?”

“Easy access for all the supes. I'm sure you’re aware of how sensitive some supernaturals are to sunlight, this lets them get around without worry.” Neo glanced at the imposing man beside him then back to the tunnel ahead of them. He had the headlights on because while there were lights in the section they were currently in, about a hundred feet ahead, there was only darkness. Lights only came on with movement and he wanted to be able to see farther than the light sensors could detect.

“You're telling me the tunnels are safe for Gwen?”

“No. Not at all. The tunnels are probably one of the least safe places, especially alone. Safest would be somewhere inside the MesoAmerican, or any other casino for that matter.”

Ellis frowned, stared out the windshield for several long seconds, then spoke. “If the tunnels are the least safe place for her, then why did you bring us down here?” He tucked one hand under his arm and Neo had no doubt he'd put his hand on the butt of a pistol. The idea didn’t bother him as much as it probably should have.

“They're not safe for her alone. But she's not alone and she's not wandering them unprotected. With a group the size of ours, there is nothing to worry about. Besides, the tunnels are an amazing way to get where you need to go, as long as you take prudent precautions.”

“Define 'prudent precautions.'”

“Don't go alone, especially not being from here, is the biggest one. Take someone who knows the tunnel system with you, or you will end up lost. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s a maze down here.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” The bodyguard's tone was proper and reserved.

Wondering what Gwen was thinking about this, Neo glanced in the rearview mirror to find her slumped against the door, seemingly asleep. Something about her face, rounded and relaxed, made him want to stop the car, climb back there with her, and just hold her. Neo shook his head and wondered where the thought came from. He hadn't had thoughts of a woman sneak into his mind like this in centuries.

When they reached the MesoAmerican, Neo opened the garage with the remote kept in the SUV and parked the car. He'd wanted to watch Gwen awaken, but he'd been busy. By the time he had maneuvered the car into its place, she was bright eyed with no sign she'd been asleep at all. No sleepy face, no creases in her skin, no groggy look, and he wondered how often she took these little cat naps no one ever noticed. After everyone retrieved their bags, Neo led them to the elevator.

“This is a secure elevator, it has special codes only supes know, and each code has specific access. I'll take you to your rooms now, and then I’ll contact security to get codes for you.” He punched his code into the keypad and the elevator started moving.

“How many rooms are on the floor we will be staying on?” Isla asked.

“Other than the three of you,” the doors slid open and Neo stepped off, leading the others down the hall, “there are just three people on this floor right now. My sister, Teya, and her mate, Jericho, have the suite on this end, across the hall from you. I’m at the other end of this side. Across from me used to be Rachel, Teya's right hand, but she recently moved.”

“Is there some reason she moved?” Isla asked.

“Some reason we should be concerned about, that is.” Ellis put in.

“Not a security reason. She's recently mated. Rachel moved in with him at the Lunar Obsession. She is still Teya's right hand, she just no longer lives on site.”

Neo pressed his hand to the panel next to the door and waited for the lock to click open before pushing the door open. “Here are your rooms. There are three bedrooms, so one for each of you.” He motioned to the doors leading off the room. “Each room has its own bathroom. We'll get the door panel programmed to your prints this afternoon, but I thought I'd give you a chance to rest and or freshen up before we go up to the floor where Teya's office and Fraction level security are.” He walked into the small kitchen. “There's a coffee maker and an assortment of coffees and teas here, and the fridge is stocked with water. If you get hungry, you can go up to any of the restaurants on the main floor and eat there, or you can call and have food delivered. There's a book with numbers and menus in the desk drawer. I'm here for anything you need, you can come to my door, remember I’m just down the hall if you need anything, or call my cell; I left the number by your phone.” He looked to all three in turn in case they had questions, then continued, “By the way, cell phones will work down here, we have relays on every floor to ensure service.”

Gwen frowned. “What floor are we on?”

“We are currently five floors below the main level of the casino. Only the first level is open to norms, it's for hotel operations, laundry, storage, etcetera. The four floors below that are for supes only. The only thing below us is the tunnel system.”

“Very well.” Ellis gave one quick nod before turning to Gwen. “Which room would you like?”

“I'll leave you to get settled. Remember, just call if you need anything.” Neo left the apartment, trying desperately to keep from thinking of Gwen in bed or showering. There was something about her that called to something deep within him, whatever it was hated any other man near her, almost as if she were his mate.

The idea was ridiculous, he knew. He'd been cursed more than two thousand years before to wander through life alone because of a stupid stunt. On a whim, he'd seduced a virgin priestess. Neo had been paying for it ever since, because on top of the curse of being forever alone, he'd also been banished from the village where his family had lived. He had literally wandered alone for years.

In front of his own door, he shook his head and pushed thoughts of his nomad years from his mind. Dwelling on it would get no one anywhere.