The car was loaded and ready to go. All that was left was to watch the chaos ensue as Vincent and the rest double checked for last minute things that might've been missed; mostly Vincent, who'd been running through the house like a chicken with its head cut off. Amaruq and Lady Teresa, both of whom were staying behind to watch over the pack in Vincent's stead, had ensured him things were fine. Alas, this was Vincent they were talking to. Nothing was fine with him.

"Look who needs to relax now," I commented.

Vincent paused, glared, then rolled his eyes, and went back to scavenging through a small bag full of toiletries for the road. "Here," he said, passing me the bag, "keep yourself busy."

"You know, I will not accept this demanding nature of yours."

"Hush and go," he said, pushing me towards the front door of the house. I mocked him under my breath, earning another glare from him. He was quick to follow behind me, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

"How long will this trip take?" I asked while walking alongside him to the car. It was parked outside the front gate—Mariah, Dimitri, Dylan, Bennett, and Claudia all moving things around in the backseats.

"Well, the drive is about fourteen—maybe fifteen—hours from here to Georgia."

"Seriously? Do you guys always drive to other packs?"

"Not really. Normally, we'd hike by foot in our wolf forms. Georgia, however, is too far. And this is an overnight retreat. We'll be there for three days and two nights. We won't be able to travel like that with all of our luggage."

"So, there's going to be food and lodging prepared for us?"

"Yes, that is how a retreat works Gen. I should warn you though, it won't be anything like the time you've spent here. You will meet other packs. Some, a lot more prominent than us, just like Grimfur. And you will see how they operate. It might be a little overwhelming."

"I . . . think I can handle a little mingling."

"You don't have to mingle," he said, shaking his head, "but be prepared for anything. I'm sure a lot of the members there will have a lot of questions for you."

"Not very helpful," I murmured, eyeing my feet.

"Hey"—he nudged my side—"it'll be fine. You'll be fine, okay?" Something about his words, maybe the tone of his voice or the way they were said, caused me to relax. Just a little bit.

"Are we all done here?" Claudia called out to us.

"I believe so," Vincent replied.

"Alright, let's hit the road then people!" Bennett smiled. A chorus of agreements were shared between us as we all climbed into our respective seats in the car.

* * *

To say the drive to Georgia was long, was an understatement. I couldn't feel my legs after ten hours straight of being cramped in a single car. There were seven of us so I had to improvise. And sure, the SUV was large enough to seat seven people. But it wasn't good enough for me to get a decent rest in, which I'd dozed off quite a few times during the drive.

It didn't help that Dylan and I were assigned to the very back seats due to us being smaller than the rest of them. Vincent and Bennett were troopers for being able to stay up the full ride. They'd switched off every few hours as drivers, and right now, it was Vincent's turn again. But the car wasn't moving. In fact, when I woke up from yet another failed sleep attempt, I noticed there were cabins surrounding us. Was this some kind of lodge resort? It sure looked like one.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice groggy.

"Looks like we're stopping for the night. It is pretty late, after all," Claudia said. I followed her line of vision to Vincent and Bennett who were standing in front of the nearest, largest cabin. Probably the main reception area. Their hands were moving animatedly as they talked.

"Oh, thank the Moon Goddess! I need to stretch my legs," Dylan moaned.

"Here, let me help you guys." Dimitri climbed out of the car, lowering the seat afterwards. Dylan and I took our time crawling out of the back. The fresh air swallowed us the minute our feet hit the pavement, and a dark sky greeted us practically void of the moon.

The dark skies and crisp winds were a reminder that December was almost here. Which meant I'd be turning twenty-one in just over a few weeks. On Christmas day, to be exact. I didn't know how to feel one bit. I could already feel the frost bruising over my fingers. Soon, I'd need a thicker coat to keep afloat, especially if I was still living in the mountains by then.

How were winters in the mountain, I wondered. Probably very cold. I also wondered what they did for things like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years—if shifters even celebrated those kinds of holidays, or if that was just a human thing. Sometimes, thinking about it made me homesick. I never went a year without calling my parents for the holidays or at least spending time with one of them. What would this year be like? I yearned to know.

"Genesis?" Vincent's voice.

"Hm?" My eyes zeroed in on him. Sometime during my spacing out, he'd gotten closer. It was then I noticed the rest of them walking up ahead with a few bags in hand.

"You didn't hear me calling you, did you?" There was nothing short of concern on his face.

"Ah no, I'm sorry. What did you say?" I winced.

"Stay close." He beckoned me to his side. "We're going to the cabin."

"The cabin? Are we all staying in one together?"

"Yes, it's just until morning. Checkout is at ten. But we'll be gone before then."

"Is there even enough space for seven of us in one cabin? Aren't there like two or three rooms? How are we all going to sleep?"

Vincent chuckled. "We'll work it out, Genesis."

"If you say so," I said.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm in major need of a run!" Dylan announced as soon as we entered the cabin. The inside of the cabin was nice. Nothing too fancy. There was a porch out back pointing in the direction of the woods. A small wooden table along with a few flower pots sat in the middle of the porch. The perfect little area to hang around for the night.

Claudia smiled and rested the bags she was carrying in the corner of the living room. "I'll go for a run with you, Dylan," she said.

"If you two are going, I'm going too," Mariah chirped.

"Count me in, too." Bennett grinned.

"Guess I've got nothing better to do right now," Dimitri grunted.

"Vincent? Genesis? You in?" said Dylan.

"Uh no, I think I'm going to stay and keep myself busy here. . ." I said.

"I think I'll also stay behind. Someone needs to keep an eye on the cabin. Definitely can't leave her to do it." Vincent shrugged. I crossed my arms and pouted.

"Sure. . ." Mariah dragged the word out. She was too smart for her own good.

"Okay, suit yourselves." Dylan shrugged, completely oblivious. "But next time, you two aren't allowed to sit this out! It's been far too long since all of us shifted and went for a run together. Anyways, we'll be back!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Be careful. And don't shift for too long!" Vincent called after them. They simply ignored his request, letting the front door close behind him. And so, we were alone. "Um well, I'm going to head upstairs and take a shower. Are you okay down here by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm good. . . Go ahead." I nodded.

A few minutes after he gathered his things to head upstairs, I heard the shower running above me. With a quiet sigh, I gathered my own things, quickly changing into a pair of fuzzy gray pajama pants, and a white t-shirt to match. My socks were just as fuzzy. The perfect thing to keep me warm as I sat on the porch with my gray zip-up sweater on.

Apparently, I'd been sitting in silence for so long, I didn't hear the back door sliding open, or Vincent creeping up on me. He sat beside me at the table with his arms folded. Water dripped from the back of his neck, indicating he'd washed his hair in the shower.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, taking in his attire. He wore a pair of gray sweatpants and an army green t-shirt, his bare feet touching the wood.

"Not as much. You get used to the cold living in the mountains for so long. All of used to shift and run in the snow when we were younger." He laughed to himself, thinking back on the memories. They must have been really good to make him soften up like that.

"Are you cold?" he asked, giving me a once over.

"A little bit." I shrugged and looked up.

The stars spread sporadically. I could see more of the moon from this portion of the sky; a small silver light shining in the darkness. A sky I'd be expected to run under one of these days. It felt surreal to picture myself living like a wolf. Hell, I was already half-way there.

"Let's go back inside." Vincent tugged at my arm with as little strength as he possibly could. I followed with no complaints. As we strayed from the silent night, back into the warm depths of the cabin, I clung to his hand. He let go when we reached the living room. I tossed my sweater on the couch, plopping a seat on the floor in front of it.

"The floor? Really?" Vincent smirked and tilted his head.

"What? It's comfy down here! Join me?" I patted the open spot on the floor next to me.

"Why is it that one of us is always on the floor when we're alone?" he asked, taking a seat.

"I don't know, you tell me." I shrugged.

"You know, that was the whole point of me asking you," he joked.

"Hush. You're ruining the silence," I quipped. He chuckled then swiped at the back of his neck, wiping any remaining residue of water. It was hard to say how long we stayed like that. Five minutes? Maybe ten. And still no sign of the others yet.

"This feels like my birthday all over again, doesn't it?" Vincent spoke up.

"It does." I laughed. "You're not going to run for the hills again, are you?"

"I don't know. Are you going to move away when I try to kiss you again?"

"How was I supposed to know you were going to kiss me that night?" I scoffed.

"Genesis, you can't be that dense."

"Hey! I am not. The signals weren't clear enough. You confused me!"

"Maybe you're right." He lowered his head, laughing quietly.

"Hey. . ." I cupped his cheeks and lifted his head. While he didn't speak, his eyes widened at the action. I threw one leg after the other over his waist, straddling his hips. I then traced the smooth skin around his jaw. I hoped he could see the determination on my face. As concentrated as I was, focused only on his eyes, it should have been obvious.

Last week was also the first and last time Vincent and I had kissed. I'd have been lying if I said I didn't crave to feel him close again. Call it hormones or whatever the hell it was, I just had to feel something. Not doing anything about it was driving me fucking crazy. Sometimes, I thought about if he felt the same, and maybe we were both too awkward to make the first move. I most certainly didn't think it would be me making the first move any time soon though.

But I couldn't resist.

"Genesis?" Vincent whispered. I shuffled closer on his lap. Finally, he caught on, and met me half-way. The kiss was slow and gentle. A lot more passionate than the first one we shared. His fingers dug into my waist, the sound of our breathing mingling, as he inserted his tongue in-between my lips. I opened my mouth wider, accepting all that he had to offer.

My body was tingling all over. So much, I thought I'd combust if our hips rubbed any closer together. When he shifted to a different angle, I shivered. His fingers trailed up the sides of my hips, settling under my shirt. For someone who had no experience, he sure worked his tongue like a pro. I steadied myself using the couch as his lips soon left mine, trailing a line across my jaw. A small moan escaped me when they pressed to my neck; his tongue flattening on my skin.

I'd have cringed at the incoherent noises I was making any other time. It was embarrassing as hell but Vincent didn't seem to mind. His teeth grazed my neck, gnawing and kneading in such a pleasurable way that struck me brain dead for several seconds. Oh gosh. Between that and his hips grinding into me, I knew I was a goner.

I moaned again and clenched my legs around him. This caused his hips to buckle and the familiar bulge from his pants to rise further in between my legs. So far up, it was poking the sensitive area within my thighs. I squealed with widened eyes.

"Fuck," he hissed in pain. His nostrils flared. He used one hand to grip the base of my neck for better access, while the other hand squeezed my waist even tighter. The sharp tips of his teeth pushed further into my skin causing me to gasp. I rested my hands against his chest and bit the inside of my cheek, my hands crawling further down until they were roaming under his shirt.

His skin was hot. Boiling hot. It reminded me of the time he had a fever. Should his skin have been this hot? Hell, I was too dazed to care right now. But I'd admit, it was slightly concerning.

"V-Vincent," I whimpered. He continued to bite, then suck on the most sensitive area of my neck. "Vincent, please," I whimpered again, breathless. My pleading seemed to do the trick because he jolted back as though I'd lit a fire under his ass.

"Shit, shit, shit," he babbled, looking at whatever he'd done to my neck. A hickey, maybe? I'd never had one of those. I crawled aside to give him some space. Vincent groaned and cradled his head in his hands. He let out another string of swears.

"It's okay, Vincent," I tried to hush him.

"No, not okay. Fuck Genesis, it's not okay. I almost marked you."

"You . . . what?" I frowned.

"Marked Genesis. I almost left my signature on your neck."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means everyone would've known you were my mate and there would have been no going back. A mark means the mating bond is official. It's permanent until it's broken. Shit."

"The mating bond is permanent. . ." My frown deepened. "With just a mark?"

"Not just a mark," he said. "Remember what I told you before?"

I tried to think back as far as I could. But my mind drew a blank.

"About the mating process," he added.

"Wait," I paused, hugging my knees to my chest, "sex!?"

"Exactly." He finally looked up. "But it's . . . i-it's worse now. I can't believe this. I've been so good at controlling my impulses for years. Why the hell now? Damn, that was a rhetorical question. Of course, it'd get out of control now. I've never had a mate," he rambled to himself.

"Vincent, what is going on? What do you mean it's worse?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I guess now's the best time for an explanation. . ." As I awaited him to speak, his eyes wouldn't meet mine. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then rested his head back against the couch. His eyes fluttered open and closed.

Finally, he said, "It's worse now because the mating season for wolves is approaching."

"Excuse me?" I laughed, shutting my mouth when I saw his face. "Oh, you're serious."

"Very," he said.

"Okay, um, mating season? Like. . ."

"The point where wolves are most sexually aroused. Fuck, this is weird to say aloud," he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck before sighing again. "Now that we've begun to acknowledge each other as mates . . . the sexual pull is, well, a lot stronger.

"And I hate to say it, but we're still part wolf. Lots of shifters tend to leave the pack temporarily during mating season for at least five to seven days for privacy. Because essentially, the mating season is mainly for producing . . . um, offspring . . . but it's not a must.

"Or a guarantee or anything like that. But as I said before, mating ensures a permanent bond. It's a very important decision that must be agreed upon between mates. Consent is very important in this and it's not a process that should be acted upon in the heat of the moment."

The weight of his words clouded my mind far-longer than I'd like to admit. He wasn't just telling me what I needed to know. He was warning me. I had just as much of a major role in this decision as he did. Whether or not I wanted to move forward with him in that way one day. Hell, this was a lot to take in at once. I mean, we only just confessed to each other recently.

And now there was sex? How could the next phase be so close? It wasn't just sex though. There was so much more to it than that. A lot more that I wasn't sure about right now, including leaving my old life behind for a new one. Turning into a wolf was one thing, but I never thought about where I'd be able to go from there.

"It'll pass, Genesis. Don't worry. It'll pass," he said, as though reading my thoughts. "Just because the mating season exists, doesn't mean every wolf has to participate. We just have to be a lot more careful from now on. That's all."

I gulped. "Oh. . . Ah, um well, when is mating season then?"

"Always during the winter. Typically, it lasts anywhere between January and April."

"Is that why your scent has been driving me up the Goddamn walls?" I laughed to break the tension. It broke some of my tension. I wasn't too sure about Vincent's though.

"I don't know, that might explain it. Genesis, this is all a first for me too. Until now, I've only heard about these things from word of mouth. I've never . . . you know, never experienced this."

Before I could say anything, he stumbled to his feet, dusting his sweatpants off. "Anyways, it smells like the others are closeby. Let's just get some rest for the night, okay? We don't have to talk about this anymore. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"But I—"

"Rest," he said, flicking my forehead. I frowned and watched him walk away from me. Something told me it wasn't that we didn't have to talk about this anymore. Instead, it seemed like he didn't want to talk about this anymore. But I let him go anyway.