Gwen's heart thundered in her ears as they stood in front of Neo's sister's apartment door. Yes, she'd met her that morning, but it had only been for a moment. Now, she wanted to make a good impression, she wanted his alpha to like her, and not just because she was Neo's mate. What Rhiannon had said to her that afternoon snuck into her mind, but she pushed it out again and renewed her resolve to not think about it tonight. The door opened, revealing a small Asian woman with hair half way down her back.

“Come on in, Teya says she's almost ready.”

Neo's hand on her back urged her inside.

“You must be Gwen,” the Asian woman said. “I'm Rachel, Teya's assistant. We were just going over some last-minute things before I left for the day.”

Gwen's mind raced. “Assistant? Are you the one mated to a were?”

Rachel laughed and turned to look at Neo. “Been filling her in on us, have you?”

Neo shrugged. “We were discussing safety and our alliance with the weres came up.”

A dark look flashed across Rachel's face, then she smiled again and looked back to Gwen. “I am. That's where I'm headed now, to drag him out of his office and make him relax a little. You guys have a good night.” Rachel turned back toward where the bedrooms were, at least in the two apartments Gwen had been into, and shouted, “I'm leaving, and your guests are here.”

“I'm ready, I'm ready.” A door opened and Neo's sister stepped out, wearing a sparkling dress and still putting in one earring. Spotting Gwen and Neo, she smiled. “Hey you two, Jericho will be right out. He's fussing with his laces.” Her gaze moved to Rachel. “Go, have a good evening, be careful in the tunnels.”

“No worries. If Chris can't make it to escort me home, he sends one of his men.”

“Even better.”

“It was nice to meet you,” Rachel said to Gwen.

“Nice meeting you too.” Gwen said, but she was distracted by the man who had just come from the bedroom. She heard a door open and close, and she assumed it was Rachel leaving, but she couldn’t look away from the new man. It wasn't his looks that caught her attention, though he was handsome in a classic, old-world kind of way. There was something about him that made her senses buzz. It was an odd sensation, one she'd never felt in her hundred and twenty-six years. Neo bumped her with his elbow, making Gwen realize Teya was speaking.

“Are we ready to go upstairs?” was all Gwen caught. She had no clue what the alpha had said before that. Teya didn't seem to notice and no one acted like she'd missed anything important.

“I'm ready when everyone else is,” Gwen said, her eyes on the newcomer.

“Oh, where are my manners tonight?” Teya shook her head and laughed. “Gwen, this is my mate, Jericho. Jericho, Gwen is the representative from the Welsh clan,” she paused a few seconds, then continued, “and Neo's mate.”

The new man's eyes went wide as he turned his attention on Gwen, then a smile spread across his face. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” He extended one hand toward her.

“Nice to meet you, too.” She met him halfway and when their skin touched, Gwen's dragon hissed and a visual of her dragon form, baring her teeth at him while smoke escaped her nostrils, flashed in front of her eyes. Fallen echoed through her mind. She tried not to let it show but knew she'd hesitated when her dragon had hissed.

Glancing around, she tried to see if anyone had noticed. All three seemed to be watching her with varying levels of anticipation.

“You all seem to be expecting something so I hope I'm not out of line by asking this. What are you?” she asked Jericho then turned to address her mate, “What is he?”

“We'll tell you,” Teya said, “but first, tell us why you ask.”

Gwen looked at each of them in turn but didn’t say anything, she didn't want to say too much for fear of offending her hosts, and potential in-laws.

“Gwrtheyrn,” Teya said after a moment, “we’re not setting you up in anyway. We've had several different reactions when people meet Jericho. There’s been instant fear, confusion, even horror, we're merely curious what you sense. You're not going to upset or offend us.”

Still unsure, Gwen explained her dragon's reaction and ended with, “Now will you tell me what he is?” She looked at Neo as she asked, hoping her mate at least would fill her in.

“I'm a nephilim,” Jericho said, his voice soft.

“Nephilim?” Gwen frowned as she tried to remember everything she'd ever heard about the ancient beings. “Aren't nephilim supposed to be the giants? The children of angels and women? Like Goliath. You're not a giant.”

“The bit about giants is fiction. It was a story told by a few survivors of a battle. They needed an excuse as to why they lost. It only served to increase our reputation, so we never bothered to set people straight.”

“What is a nephilim then?”

“We were angels once, long ago. We decided we liked earth and all it offered better than heaven. It wasn’t taken well and we were banished, our wings taken, but not all our powers. We came to be known as ‘The Fallen.’ Nearly all my kind were eliminated in a great flood. I found a way to escape death, though not without a price.”

“A price?” Gwen was intrigued now but didn't want to ask for details.

“I was stuck between realms, trapped between worlds for millennia, forced to steal energy from others to survive.”

“Wow.” Gwen didn't know how to respond.

“I don't know about the rest of you,” Neo's voice made Gwen realize they were still standing in the middle of the alpha's living room, “but I'm hungry.”

“I'm sorry.” Gwen looked to each person in turn. “I'm delaying dinner.”

“Don't worry, I know how this works.” Teya smiled. “Our reservation isn't for another twenty minutes.”

“That gives us time to make our way upstairs and get a table,” Neo put in. He set one hand on Gwen’s lower back and looked around. “If you’re ready, that is?” he looked at his sister and waited.

“We’re ready,” Jericho wrapped one arm around Teya’s waist and pulled her close. “Let’s go.”

As they made their way to the lift and up to the main casino floor where the restaurant was located, thoughts of what her alpha had told her crept back into her head. She was furious with them. But she still had to finish the job they had assigned her, and do it right or she would ruin her reputation. That only made the sting of their actions burn more. The lift door opened and the ring and chime of slot machines drew Gwen from her thoughts.

She glanced at the others, but no one seemed to be waiting for her to respond. Gwen breathed easier realizing no one seemed to notice she’d been lost in thought and quickly followed Teya off the lift.

––––––––

AFTER THEIR MEAL, THE four of them sat at the table and talked for another hour, sipping wine and eventually ordering dessert, then eating it while they laughed and got to know each other. Gwen found Teya and Jericho to be oddly normal, down to earth and easy to relate to. Her alphas in Wales had always kept themselves separate, as if they were above the rest of the clan.

It never occurred to her until now that it could be different. She was used to the class system that ruled her clan. She was part of the working class, and they were the clan equivalent of nobility. Somehow, Teya didn’t give off that air. She treated everyone, down to the wait staff normals, with the same respect and courtesy as she did her brother or her mate. She seemed to know every person they encountered by name. That alone caught Teya’s attention.

They were back on the lift, riding it down towards their rooms, and Gwen knew she had to tell Neo all of what her alpha had said when Rhiannon had called her back this afternoon. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but she knew it had to be done.

“I had a great time, thank you again for inviting us,” Gwen said to Teya while they stood in the hall, each turning for their respective apartments. Teya and Jericho going for theirs, Gwen and Neo heading for his.

“I did too,” the clan alpha said. “I’m glad you agreed. I had an amazing time tonight. Best evening I’ve had in a long time,” she glanced over at her mate, “well, outside of my apartment that is.”

Gwen couldn’t help but laugh. “Me too, though without the apartment caveat. But give us some time, I’m sure we can make some progress.” She glanced over at Neo, saw the contented smile and wondered what he was thinking. She hated knowing she was going to make him lose that smile.

How had this man, this stranger, come to be so important to her in such a brief amount of time? She’d met him what? Thirty-six hours ago? She didn’t know how nature could do this to her, why his feelings mattered to her so much so quickly, but they did. She might wish it were otherwise, but she couldn’t change the way she felt. She couldn’t change what her heart and brain insisted.

Inside the apartment, Neo went to the couch and fell into the seat.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Gwen kicked her heels off next to the door and curled her toes into the carpet as she made her way toward where he lay half reclined on the sofa. “No, it wasn’t bad. I had a good time.” Now she had to ruin it, and she hated it. “I’ve been thinking,” she slowly put one foot in front of the other as she walked past him, then turned and headed back. “Maybe I should consider taking your sister up on her offer. Move here and become a part of your clan.”

“After we finish with the treaty?”

“It’s occurred to me to do it now, to hell with the treaty.” Her chest ached at the idea but she was angry enough she just didn’t care at the moment.

Neo’s brows lifted and he watched her make a couple passes before speaking. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“I don’t care anymore. I just want to be done with it.”

“Hold up a minute. Back up. Tell me about your call this afternoon.”

Gwen shrugged. “They said they want me to stay on the treaty project.” She looked at the walls, the paintings, anything but Neo. Now was the time, she knew she had to tell him, but she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to hurt him. This would hurt.

“But that’s not all they said, is it?” Something in his voice made her glace at him. She found him watching her with narrowed eyes.

“No.” She let her head hang, it was time to be completely honest. “They said once the treaty was signed, I was welcome to come home. I would always have a place in the clan.”

Neo was quiet for a couple seconds. “And?”

Damn, she’d tried to avoid this. She sighed before continuing. “They also said you can visit, but you won’t be invited to join the clan.” Her chest ached. Turning, she saw him watching her, a somber look on his face, but he didn’t look surprised or stricken like she had been when they’d told her. “You look like you expected it.”

“Well, not entirely no. But I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Why not? I was.”

“I’m used to it. I’ve been rejected by so many, for so long, I’m used to it.”

Pain rose in her chest again but faded as anger started to replace it. Yes, Neo had made a mistake, but he’d been paying for it for more than two thousand years. Why was he still being punished?