Page 67 of Packed Up In Vegas

Amir purred behind me. “It might be my favorite spot on the planet. I know bigger and grander places exist, but this one feels like mine. I’ve never even come out here with the pack. Not this spot, anyway. We’ve gone for hikes during the day, but they’ve never been to this particular viewpoint with me.”

“Thank you for sharing it with me.”

I leaned back against him, held awestruck by the view while he purred away. We didn’t speak for a while, just watched the sun slowly sink and the shadows slant to add darker shades to the rainbow. When the sun was finally behind the top of the mountains to the west, Amir sighed and squeezed me to him.

“Do you like it?”

“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

“It looks like the exact opposite of where I grew up, and when I moved out here, when I’d wake up in a cold sweat from the pressure of expectation, or even the memory of it, I would drive out here. It’s so alien compared to the forests of the Catskill Mountains, and that difference was the best anchor I could have to know I had escaped the person I used to be.”

“I’m glad you had somewhere to come that made you feel better. You didn’t like who you used to be?”

“More that I don’t recognize that person. I love my parents, my family, and I was good at what they chose for me to do, but I never felt like me until I met the pack and could finally breathe.”

“You keep surprising me by how alike we are. I’m such a short time away from my old life and I still don’t even recognize it when I turn it over in my head. Like a story someone else told me instead of something I had lived.”

“That’s exactly it.” His hands swept down me and back up, settling on my arms. “This isn’t the best place to see stars, but if you want to stay for a while, we still get a pretty good view.”

Encouraged by him sharing this place with me, I spun and hooked my arms around his neck, standing on my toes for a kiss he readily gave. “Keep me out all night if you want. I like having a chance to get to know you.”

“I didn’t pack for an overnight, but we can enjoy it out here for a while.”

He tucked me back into the vehicle and we drove further in until we reached a valley with some tables. I hovered in the shade of the mountain while he unpacked what he had brought with us. Amir set two neatly folded blankets on the edge of the picnic table, and spread a third over the top before putting the cooler and two flashlights on top of it.

While we waited for the light to disappear entirely, we wandered through the shade while the air was still warm but rapidly cooling. There wasn’t a ton of plant life, but we did see a few adorable lizards and I got to touch the beautiful red stone. Once it was dark enough to haul out the flashlights, we settled back in at the picnic table. Amir sat cross-legged and patted his lap for me to climb into it.

“Now we wait,” he said.

I was cozy as hell in his arms. “Did you bring us snacks? What’s in the cooler?”

“Water, cola, gummy bears, chocolate bars, and mini cheese.”

“You monster, those gummy bears are gonna be hard as fucking rocks.” I tried to reach for the cooler, but he held me fast.

“I like them with a bit of chew.”

“The allure of gummy bears is that they’re soft.” I whined and he finally let me grab the edge of the cooler to free them to come up to the outside temperature.

“At least let me have some while they’re cold.”

I fed him the gummy bears myself, popping them between his lips while I asked questions about his life, finding out that he had two brothers, had broken his arm falling off the monkey bars when he was eight, was allergic to horses, and never turned down a dumpling.

“I feel like you need to take me on a dumpling crawl so I can taste all of the best ones the city has to offer.”

“That would take us at least a week of eating them for every meal.”

“Oh no,” I mock gasped, “more time with a beautiful alpha. However will I survive?”

He nipped my earlobe, making me squeak. “Are you turning into a brat now that you feel comfortable?”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “I’m figuring out who I am around people who want me to be happy.”

I never would have dared to sass Jerry.

Amir was quiet for a long moment before pulling me even closer and resting his chin on my head. “Every time I learn something new, it makes me want to push your ex off a cliff and give you the fucking moon just to prove a point.”

“I don’t need the moon. I’m just glad I have room to breathe. I think what I’m quickly learning is that it’s been a long time since I felt safe.”

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