003

Celine had never left Moonstone since she was born, this would be her first time ever going past the woods that surrounded the little town. She sat in the backseat of the cab, looking out the window as the trees passed by, the realization that she had truly left finally sinking in.

She couldn’t believe she had done it.

She was happy she did, her shoulders feeling the lightest it had ever been, her first genuine smile ever since her parents died breaking out and brightening her face.

The driver of the cab couldn’t help but sneak glances at his passenger in the rearview mirror, a look of curious interest on his face. He had lived in Moonstone for years and Moonstone was a small town but he couldn’t recognize her, he wondered if she had come to visit.

Celine had left her pack house late in the afternoon, which wasn’t the smartest move but she couldn’t bear to spend another night on that bed knowing now all that Noah had done on it. By the time the cab was driving into the city, it was already late at night. She had asked him to stop her at a hotel where she could spend the night, thanking him for the trouble.

Reef City was well known by the packs surrounding it, and that was because it was run by three separate Alphas, which meant that there were three packs in the city. It was big enough to accommodate three huge packs and multiple packs staying in a place wasn’t unheard of, that commonly happened in big cities where a single pack Alpha couldn’t run it alone.

What made them stand out however was that Reef was a Mafia City, making the Alphas that ran it, Mafia Kings. This was well known in the entire country but they were far too powerful for other packs to go against them and they didn’t stir up enough trouble for the other packs to try regardless.

If anything, most of their enmity was between themselves, the three Alpha Mafia Kings had a long-standing feud with each other.

Despite Reef being a Mafia City, it was surprisingly very safe, and as long as you didn’t commit any crime and stayed out of gang hotbeds, you were fine. It was just common sense not to get involved with them.

It was also the only city or town where you could exist without being a member of a pack, and it was why Celine chose to come here instead of a different town or another city. She didn’t think she could ever feel at home in any pack and although packs were essential in every way, she could certainly live without one.

So she drew in a reassuring breath, straightened her shoulders, and walked into the small foyer of the hotel. The cab driver was long gone and although it was late at night, there were still a few people walking outside.

She could do this.

The hotel was a little dingy but it was perfect to Celine, the lights overhead flickering. There was an old man sitting on one of the benches in the foyer, a newspaper covering his face, and other than him, there was only the cashier and Celine.

“Good evening,” She found her voice, nervous. “Can I get a room?”

The cashier only looked up when she spoke, doing a double take at the sight of her. He was a greasy man wearing a threadbare suit, a million-dollar smile on his face as he took her in.

“Certainly,” He assured her, “I always have a room for a pretty Omega.” He complimented, flipping open a worn-out records book. “How long will you be staying?”

Celine had already thought her plan over in the long ride here. She would get a room at a hotel and immediately look for a job, she had enough money saved to keep herself afloat for a few months and even rent a place, so she would be fine until she completely settled in.

“A week please,” She replied. It was enough time for her to find a job and rent a place.

“Here’s your room key,” The cashier slid a bunch of keys across the chipping laminated counter. “Second floor, first hallway to your left.”

“Thank you,” Celine murmured, leaving the counter after paying for her room.

She had gotten the cheapest hotel she could find to conserve money and all it did was give her a roof over her head and a place to keep her things. She would have to go out the next morning to get something to eat but she had never been so happy. She couldn’t help her soft laughter as she sat on the clean sheets, reveling in her newfound freedom.

Celine cleaned up in the shower, handling the cold water just fine because before she moved in with Alpha Noah, the heating to her storeroom-sized apartment had been cut so she was used to it.

She walked over to one of the small windows in her room to look outside and she couldn’t help her gasp, Reef was a beautiful city, fluorescent lights twinkling from tall buildings. It was the perfect place to build a new life, no one from her old pack would come looking for her, and no one here knew who she was.

It was already late though and she had a long day the next day so as much as she would like to spend the entire night city-watching, she needed to get some much-needed rest. Just as she headed for her bed, wearing a faded t-shirt and pajama bottoms, a knock on her door alerted her, making her pause.

“Um, wh-who is it?” She asked anxiously because she wasn’t expecting anyone and she hadn’t seen anybody in the hallway when she was heading to her hotel room.

“The cashier from the front desk?” A slightly muffled but familiar voice called out, “I hope I didn’t interrupt your sleep.”

Celine’s shoulders heaved in a sigh of relief, she swiftly crossed the little hotel room to open the door, smiling politely at the cashier. “Is something the matter?”