"Wake up sleepyhead, we're on the ground." Karano nudged Eliza, who had slept right through the descent and landing. "We should be at the gate in just a minute."

Eliza jerked awake, looking around. "We what? We're there?"

"We are indeed!" Hazel stretched in her seat, hoping that the pilot would taxi them to the gate quickly. She really needed a stretch, and some more food. They were going to be driving west and north out of Denver, passing by several towns, so it was likely that they could find some places to eat.

The next hour was a it of a rush, as they got off the plane, grabbed their baggage and then picked up the rental car that they'd reserved. It wasn't much, just a nice little Mazda 6, but it fit their suitcases, and Eliza had the back seat to herself so she could stretch out a little. It was easy to tell that they weren't in Florida anymore. When they boarded the plane, it was just over 80 degrees, but now it was almost 30 degrees cooler, and the leaves on the trees had started to change colors with it being only a week before Halloween. Leaves didn't change color in Miami, it was just green year round, so it was hard for the three of them to not be enthralled with the colors, even if the temperatures were less to their liking.

"Damn, I knew I was going to freeze!" Hazel complained before they even got to the rental car.

"Honey, you're a hybrid, you know very well that you'll be fine." Karano didn't mind the cold weather too much, though she had to admit it was a tiny bit chilly.

As for Eliza, she was a little disappointed. She was happy that the air was crisper than the humid air that enveloped the majority of Florida on a daily basis because it would make it easier to sense her mate if they were about. But she was also hoping for a lot of hardened nipples in the cooler weather, and all the girls were bundled up in sweaters and sweatshirts, so she was deprived of gazing at them. It wasn't like she could fault them, since they were all wearing hoodies too, but her fantasy was dashed. Yeah, she needed to find her mate, and fast.

"How long till we get food?" she wondered as they drove along Interstate 70 to the west. She was just hoping to have something to look forward to.

"About an hour. We're going to get some good food, then drive the rest of the way to the resort." Hazel had already done research on food options and set the GPS to their current destination.

"Ugh, fine. How long till we get to the resort then?"

"Almost three hours to get to the Farwell Lodge, plus however long it takes you to eat. We're going almost all the way to the Wyoming border, near several state and national forests. It's pretty remote and wild up there according to the pictures."

"Damn, that's a long drive."

"If you're going to have a bunch of wolves running around, it has to be in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise, people will take notice," Karano pointed out. "That's why we're in a swamp, right?"

"Yeah, I guess it would be silly for us to live on Disney property, huh?" Eliza quipped.

"It would be a lot easier if we could just be a part of society, but I don't think humans are quite ready for that," Hazel agreed. "Maybe someday, but we'll have to be patient."

Karano exited onto Route 40, turning north towards the resort town of Steamboat Springs. They didn't keep driving for long though, as Hazel was correct in her guess about the time it would take them to get lunch. They stopped in the town of Winter Park, and then got seats at a place called The Ditch on 40. It really wasn't a ditch, but the food was just what they needed. Slider appetizers followed by a mess of burritos with a margarita a piece for the two hybrids. Their metabolism was so high, they wouldn't even be affected by the drink, but they still loved the flavor, so they had to get them.

"Does anyone have any questions before we go?" Hazel asked. She wanted to make sure that they were all prepared before they arrived so there were no unnecessary questions.

"The lodge is the pack house of some of the wolves?" Eliza asked.

"Kind of. The Farwell Resort is an actual resort, not just a pack house, but they bill it as a members only club. Really, it is only open to supernatural creatures, and the pack house for the Spring Shadows pack is behind the resort. I know I said it is neutral territory, so no fighting unless it is absolutely necessary, and don't piss off the Spring Shadows because there are only three of us, and they have an entire pack."

"Why Spring Shadows?" Karano mused.

"Steamboat Springs has a bunch of geothermal hot springs. The pack was originally from there, but it got too crowded with tourists coming for the spas. Luckily, they made a killing selling the land to tourists and developers, and then moved further north, but kept their name. Now they own a bunch of land near Flattop Mountain and Big Agnes Mountain. Rumor has it that the new lodge has springs too, but they're not telling anyone about them this time."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Eliza noted with a shrug. "I mean, South Glades is a pretty straightforward name, but they have a good story."

"Yeah, and hopefully they don't have to move again," Karano agreed.

"They own a lot of land now, so I doubt they will. Plus, they make money on the resort. Lots of supernatural creatures have no place to go that is safe for them to be themselves, but here they can do just that."

"So, we could come back for a vampire conclave?" Karano asked. "I mean, we're hybrids, so that would count, right?"

"I guess. The brochure did mention vampires, plus witches, other lycanthropes and even mixed races that have nowhere else to go. We're not exactly a part of a coven, but I could get a hold of my old one in Puerto Rico and see if they ever do anything like that. Would you want to go?"

Karano shrugged. "I'm not sure? Like you said, we're not in a coven. Honestly, your opinion matters more since you were a vampire before becoming a hybrid. I never had that perspective, so I guess it is more up to you?"

Hazel just shook her head. "I've been surrounded by wolves every day for years. I feel more like a part of the pack than I ever did with the coven, so I think this trip is all I need."

"Wait a minute!" Eliza said quickly. "What if my mate is a different type of creature? Like, you were a vampire and a werewolf! My mate might be something different too, right? I might not find them here!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Karano interrupted, "Yeah, maybe your mate isn't here, but you don't know that. I know you're hoping, but just be patient and we'll find them. If they're not here, then we won't stop helping you search."

Hazel groaned again, hating to be told to be patient. She knew she had to, but it didn't make doing that very thing easy. It was like waiting a week for Christmas, except that Christmas kept changing dates. She wanted this so badly! "Yeah, I get it. It still sucks though."

"And who knows, maybe the moon goddess will smile on you and your mate will be waiting for you in the lobby." Hazel shot a smile over her shoulder to Eliza, who just rolled her eyes in return.

Karano snorted, then nodded. "That wouldn't be the least crazy thing in the world. If you're looking for your mate, I have little doubt that they're looking for you in return. Finding a mate is something always at the top of a wolf's to-do list. So, if they're attending the conclave then they might be on the lookout too."

That perked Eliza right up. It made sense, so she wouldn't be the only one looking! Sure, if her mate was a human, then she wouldn't be looking, but she also wouldn't be at the conclave anyway. "Good point. I'll start sniffing early!"

The drive after dinner was gorgeous. For a while, they were driving through some grassland, with the mountains beyond them. But then, the trees started filling in with a riot of colors, catching their eye every time they went around another corner or over a hill. When they turned north in Steamboat Springs, it got even more wild and colorful, and the roads even smaller. This wasn't a way that many people came unless going to the resort.

Their first sign for the Farwell Resort brought a little cheer in the car, as they had been sitting on their butts all day between the flight and the drive, and the thought that they might finally be there was heartening. But then they kept driving deeper and deeper into the hilly woods, and they realized that for a resort frequented by all kinds of supernatural creatures, it would have to be set well back off the road.

But when they arrived, it was all worth it.

The lodge was shaped like a wide V, with the lobby at the base and the wings filled with the suites for the visitors. An athletic center with a gym and indoor beach volleyball court was behind it, and then the actual pack house was way off in the distance. The trees had already been gorgeous, but now they framed the wooden lodge and made it something out of a magazine.

"Damn, it must suck to have your pack house near here," Karano breathed out.

"I bet the winters suck though." Hazel reached over, gripping Karana's hand. Their pack home back in Florida was much different, but it worked perfectly for them.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be here for a storm," agreed Eliza. "Hurricanes are bad enough, and I don't need to be in a blizzard.

They parked the car, then grabbed their suitcases from the trunk. "Come on people, lets go represent South Glades!" Karano gave them all high fives, and they headed into the lobby.