The best way I could describe this retreat was like walking into an important business event I knew I had no business taking part in. The minute we drove onto Grimfur's territory, it wasn't hard to tell that I was out of place. Sure, everyone here was dressed in casual clothing, including Vincent and the rest of our group, but I didn't walk with the same power or confidence they did.

My posture wasn't the straightest. My chin wasn't raised high. And my mannerisms were bleak in comparison to the other wolves. I wanted to go back to Calamitous immediately. At least, there, I felt like I belonged under the member's hateful and curious, scorching gazes. There, I knew where I stood with the pack. Here? Not so much.

I dragged my clammy hands across my jeans, hoping to rid them of the sticky sweat, as we followed one of Grimfur's member's to what she referred to as the main pack house; apparently, a large house where their guests usually resided during times like these.

"Merrick sends his apologies again for not being able to greet you upon your arrival. Soon, he'll be free, but for now, he's asked that I come fetch you myself," the woman said, smiling. Her waist-long silky black hair and freckled brown skin brought out her smile even more. Ever since she greeted us at the entrance of their territory, she'd been all smiles.

The entrance was a few miles down the road from here. Vincent wasn't joking when he said this place was like a city. I'd have mistaken it for one if I was a passerby just traveling through. It was far enough from civilization but it wasn't in the mountains like Calamitous was. It wasn't built like a small town or a cozy village either. Rather, it resembled an urban area surrounded by miles of trees. Except there were no buildings. Just multi-shaded brown houses everywhere.

"Thank you, um—" Vincent trailed off.

"Miranda," she said, nodding, "the pack addresses me as Lady Miranda. But just Miranda is fine. After all, we'll be spending a weekend together. I think we can drop the formalities."

Lady Miranda? Did that mean she was the alpha's mate? It'd have made a lot more sense if she were. Most of the wolves we'd passed thus far treated her with respect. Some had even bowed their heads in greeting. I assumed it was just a pack thing, but it was clear now, it was an important formality thing. They recognized her position.

"Thank you, Miranda," Vincent replied.

A large mansion-like house, with short lush green trees, a beautiful manicured lawn, and a path made of cobblestone stretching from its polished double doors, sat ahead. I tried not to gape in awe at the property. It had the same cabin-like home feel as Vincent's house in Calamitous. But it was a lot bigger and a lot more luxurious. Damn, this place was gorgeous.

"Well, here, we are," Miranda announced as we followed her inside. An old red and brown patterned carpet graced our feet, then I noticed the brown chandelier dangling above our heads.

"All of you will be staying upstairs in the right-wing of the house. Hmm, we've prepared three rooms for your arrival but there are seven of you. . ."

Vincent smiled. "That's fine, Miranda. We'll manage." She nodded, content. Then, she guided us to our designated rooms. The rooms in question were around a corner at the furthest end of the second hall. Two beside each other, one across. Even the lighting was great here. I felt like I was back at the resort we'd just stayed overnight in.

"By the way, there will be a feast later tonight to welcome all of the packs who've attended. I hope to see you all there," Miranda said, handing Vincent three pairs of keys.

"We will be sure to attend. Thank you, again." Vincent worked his charm. Sometimes, it amazed me to see him in action interacting with other wolves. It took no effort once so ever.

"Gladly," Miranda bowed, her smile inching further. "Anyway, lunch will be served in the next hour. I'm sure you're all hungry after your long trip. If any of you would like to join, don't be afraid to come to the main dining hall. You can ask any of the guards for directions."

After thanking her again, Vincent turned to us. As soon as Miranda slipped out of view, Dimitri was the first to pop the question, "Okay, so who's bunking with who?"

"I don't mind bunking with whoever." Claudia shrugged, her signature smile on her face.

"I can bunk with Vincent or Claudia, no problem," Bennett chimed in.

Looking at Vincent was a mistake. Because when I looked at him, he was already observing me; a silent question in his eyes, asking me who I'd be most comfortable sharing a room with. The obvious answer would've been him and he knew that. After all, we'd been housemates for this long. But there was a problem. I didn't know how open we were willing to be about things just yet. If anything, it might've been safe not to bunk with him.

We never touched on what happened between us last night. I feared that was going to be the norm if I didn't do something about it. I could already feel him putting distance between us again. Not exactly the kind of distance he'd put before, but it was enough to make my chest ache. Like we'd taken one major step forward only to retreat a few steps back.

"How about this? Bennett and Claudia in one room. They're close enough. Vincent and Dimitri in another room. Then, Genesis, Dylan, and me in the room across from yours." Mariah rode in like my avenging angel before winking at me. So, she noticed my dilemma.

"Sounds good to me," Vincent agreed.

That was all it took for us to scatter. I cleared my throat, drawing Vincent's attention. He was laying bags down in our room. Probably mine. While Mariah and Dylan weaved in and out.

"Hey, is this feast something, like, that I have to dress nice for?" I frowned, murmuring to myself, "I don't have any nice clothes with me. . ."

"Not really. But we can go out and find something for you, if you'd like," he said.

"Oh okay, what usually happens at a feast anyway besides eating?" Was it anything like the kinds of dinners humans had? I imagined a big celebration. A big dining table with food, then a little bit of mingling, maybe.

"There's always some drinking. Sometimes, there's a little bit of dancing too. It's an overall fun time for shifters to enjoy themselves and unwind a little." Vincent shrugged. "An every once in a while occasion. Just try your best to enjoy it."

"Okay. By the way, there are other wolves in this house, right?"

Vincent nodded. "All the other members from other packs will be staying here."

"Why? Thinking of getting up to no good? I heard you have a track record for that," Dylan teased. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Oh sweet, we have two beds here. Good thing we nabbed this room," she added, hopping on one of the full-sized beds.

"Looks like there's a cot over there too. If you and Genesis want to take the beds, I don't mind taking the cot," said Mariah, brushing past Vincent into the room.

"Nah, that's fine. You're too long for the cot, Mar. I'll take it," Dylan said. While the two bantered back and forth about the cot—ultimately Dylan taking it in the end—Vincent snuck out of the room unnoticed.

The next forty minutes were spent situating ourselves in the pack house until we were ready to head over to the dining hall as a unit. Well, all except for Vincent, Bennett, and Claudia. The last I saw of them was their goodbyes after excusing themselves to meet with Alpha Merrick. They'd catch up with us later, they said. It'd been an hour since then.

Lunch was simple. Chicken wraps had been prepared. While Mariah, Dylan, and Dimitri stuffed themselves to the brim, I tried not to digest too much before the feast tonight. Sheesh, their stomachs were practically a bottomless pit. But my refusal to eat too much was the reason I finished my food much earlier than them, and found myself wandering back to the pack house alone against their wishes. I probably should have just waited for them but alas, here I was.

A few steps onto the cobblestone path, and I noticed a man with shoulder-length silver and black hair walking the opposite way. He'd just exited the pack house; a permanent scowl on his face, an intimidating look in his eyes, and a deep dip in his eyebrows. Whether he was furious or concentrated, I couldn't tell. Avoiding his walking lane seemed like my best option though.

I scooted over to give him space. He was a huge man, after all. The familiarity in his scent and his face struck me the minute we passed each other. Just then, I heard him stop. He asked, in a familiar droning voice, "Don't I know you?"

When I glanced over my shoulder, his head was cocked back. An eyebrow reached his hairline while his eyes bored into mine. I studied his face. All the blurry images from my memory gathered until, who he was clicked in my head. Of course. Beta Odin from Lichen.

"Oh. You're that girl from Calamitous, aren't you?" He snapped his fingers.

"And you're the beta of Lichen," I said, smiling.

He bellowed a gruff noise that sounded like a yes.

"Lovely seeing you here. . ." he waited.

"Genesis," I said.

"Odin." He smiled. "Nice meeting you, Genesis. I don't think we had the chance to formally meet. Not since your . . . outburst, that day." His lips twitched as if he wanted to chuckle. He held out his hand to which I grabbed and shook.

"Oh. Right." I laughed nervously and tucked a curl behind my ear. "Sorry about that. I may have gotten a little too carried away that day."

"No, no. It's fine. Do not apologize. Because of you, I had no reason to doubt myself, and now, my alpha is aware that his beta isn't going crazy. Much appreciated."

"I feel you there," I said, grinning.

"Will you and the rest of your pack members be at the feast tonight?" They weren't my pack members. I wasn't even a part of Calamitous. I didn't bother correcting him though.

"Yes, we should be."

"Great. Hopefully, we can talk more later then. Sorry, but I have to go. Nice meeting you again, Genesis." Odin bowed his head, then gave me a slight wave before walking off. He was a lot nicer than he looked.

I turned back to walk towards the pack house again, but to my surprise, Vincent was perched at the entrance with his arms folded. He watched Odin walk down the path, then glanced over at me. A steaming coffee mug was in his hand—that I knew for sure didn't have coffee in it, since he hated the smell of coffee—which he sipped from. Very slowly, if I might add.

"Getting acquainted with the other packs already?" Vincent asked as I stopped before him.

"More like he's getting acquainted with me," I said.

"I can't believe you almost got him to laugh. Odin hardly laughs."

"I make you laugh, don't I?" I retorted, smirking. "I'm sure I can make anyone laugh if I can make you, of all people, laugh." Funny though, I would've thought Alpha Kai was the hardest person to make laugh. That man's resting bitch face went beyond Odin's.

"What's that supposed to mean? I laugh. I just didn't laugh with you." Vincent scowled.

"Hmm, sounds like you're admitting that you've gone all soft on me. Vincent, is this jealousy I'm hearing? Have you developed a soft spot for me?" I batted my eyelashes at him.

"Jealousy?" he scoffed, ignoring the rest of what I said.

"Sounds about right to me," I teased. Vincent rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. I think he might be a little too old for my taste, anyways. What is he, in his thirties?"

"Just turned thirty," Vincent filled in the blank.

"And how old is Alpha Kai?"

"Twenty-eight," Vincent murmured.

"Are you pouting? Oh Vincent, your bitter side is showing." I laughed. "You're the one who told me I might need to mingle. It was going to happen anyway."

He snarled at my comment as I slipped past him into the house. I didn't know if he realized just how close he was walking to me. His front nearly touched my back. A few curious eyes looked at us. But that was all. Just whatever pack members were loitering about.

"Not while you're alone though. . ." I could've sworn I heard him mumble behind me. "Why are you by yourself, by the way?" Vincent followed me into our room. He kicked his leg back, leaning against the wall. He took another sip of what I could now smell was hot chocolate.

"Mariah, Dylan, and Dimitri were still eating." I shrugged.

"You should've waited for them," he scolded.

"Are you going to lecture me now?" I plopped down on one of the beds.

He cleared his throat, lips straightening. "No."

"Where's Claudia and Bennett?"

"They headed to the dining hall. I'm surprised you didn't run into them."

"Why didn't you? Aren't you hungry?"

"I can wait." Vincent dismissed my comment.

I hummed, letting silence fall over the room. Well, this was a little awkward, I'd admit. He refused to talk about what happened last night and I refused to ignore it. A horrible combination. It was all I could think of to bring up for conversation. But what if I brought it up and he ran? He had a bad habit of running away when feelings he didn't want to face were involved. Fuck it.

"Vincent—"

"Genesis! You left us!" I could hear Dylan's voice down the hall. I groaned internally. So much for getting him alone to talk. Vincent, oblivious to my annoyance, smirked over his mug. Later, Genesis. Later.

* * *

Glowing bulb lights hung around the massive outdoor area. The temperature had dropped to fifty-nine degrees tonight. But the coolness didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Perhaps that was because my clothes were keeping me warm. Dylan had let me borrow one of her dresses; a short black, plaid dress with a white long-sleeved turtle neck attached underneath. It was nice and toasty. Plus, the dress matched my black Converse.

I'd tried my best to brush my hair into a neat pineapple bun, leaving a few curls out in the front to form a bang over my forehead. I felt even more out of place than when we arrived. My attempt to latch onto Vincent's side failed. Eventually, I couldn't keep up with him anymore as pack members walked up to him, greeting him—and so, I excused myself to go sit in the furthest corner away from the madness. I'd had enough socializing for the night.

The long wooden table, where we feasted, wasn't filled anymore. Most of the members had gotten up to mingle. Dylan and Dimitri were sitting alone on the other side of the area. Mariah and Claudia sat at the table, observing the crowd, while a woman I didn't recognize talked to them. Bennett was lost somewhere in the flock with Vincent. Damn, I was bored out of my mind.

"Are you okay?" a voice, so gentle I thought I misheard it, called out to me.

"Oh, um, I'm fine. Thank you for asking, Miranda." I smiled, scooting over so she could sit. She flattened her sundress in the back and lowered herself to the brick ledge I sat on. It belonged to a barrier lining the open area we were in.

"I saw you sitting by yourself and thought I'd join," she said, giggling, "sorry, it seems like my husband stole your alpha away." My eyes drifted back to the people lingering, desperate to find Vincent. There, he was. Eyes already on me. It'd seem he'd been watching me for a while. His fingers twitched at his side—an anxious movement only I noticed.

Sure enough, a tall man, the same skin tone as Miranda, with salt and pepper colored hair, was speaking with him and Bennett. Bennett laughed at something Alpha Merrick said. Vincent smiled. But it didn't reach his ears. Maybe he was just as tired of talking with people as I was. Except he couldn't escape so easily. Hell, I thought he'd run over here at the first opportunity.

"It's okay." I laughed.

"It isn't easy, is it?" she asked, suddenly.

"Hm?" I tilted my head.

"Getting used to this lifestyle."

"Ah, I guess everyone here knows about me, huh. . ." I cringed.

"Only what they've heard and what's been confirmed. I know that you were once human and that was stripped away from you. . . It gets easier, I promise. It just takes some time."

"Yeah, I know. . ." I sighed. "You're right."

"Guess your alpha's finally free. He's coming this way." Vincent, surely enough, was heading in this direction. An usual amount of pep in his step. I didn't understand why until I saw Alpha Kai and Beta Odin walking in this direction too. But from the opposite end. Confusion, then amusement settled on Bennett's face as he watched from afar. Oh hell, Vincent.

"It's good to see you again, Vincent." Alpha Kai grinned as he saw Vincent approach. Miranda and I stood; her wiggling away to her husband, me joining Vincent at the hip. Vincent returned his smile and nodded his head.

"Good to see you again too, Kai. You, as well, Odin," he said.

"Vincent," Odin greeted him, then turned to me and smiled, "Genesis." Of course, Vincent noticed the smile. Geez, he was putting a little too much thought into this. Then, it hit me.

If Vincent had little to no experience in the romance department, had he ever experienced jealousy before? Vincent didn't seem like the type of person to like anyone. Find someone attractive? Sure. But genuinely like someone? I didn't think he was capable of that. Until now. Before Amaury's death, he was already closed-off. Now, he was a closed-off workaholic.

I'd had a couple of rodeo's with jealousy. None of them were with people who were mine though. And I didn't have wolf genes heightening that possessiveness then. So, I could only imagine the way Vincent's brain was working overtime right now, and I didn't like it. My hand inched closer to his, my fingers brushing against his knuckles.

Having sensed my touch, I noticed his body relaxing.

"I hope you gentlemen are enjoying the feast," said Vincent.

"Very much so. I was just asking Genesis earlier if all of you would be attending," Odin said.

"Oh shoot!" I feigned, palming my face. "Vincent, would you mind walking me back to the pack house? I need to grab something from my bag. It's something . . . important." He furrowed his eyebrows. I nudged his side and gestured towards the exit. Finally, he caught on but frowned.

"Sorry gentlemen. Could you excuse us for a second? We'll be back," Vincent said.

"Don't worry, we're not going anywhere," Alpha Kai said. Odin nodded in agreement.

When we were far enough from the noise and his fellow shifters, I elbowed his rib cage, and said, "You can breathe now, Vincent." And so, he did. I threaded my fingers through his to calm him further. I didn't know how much that'd help him but holding people's hands worked like a charm for me. He'd done it before so I could only think to return the favor.

"It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?" I said.

"I don't know how Amaury or both my father's dealt with this shit," he grumbled.

I nodded, squeezing his hand. "Whenever you're ready to go back in there, we can."

At that moment, more than anything, he seemed to appreciate my distraction. I wasn't sure how long we stayed like that. All I knew was, the feast had ended up a few minutes after midnight. Everyone scattered back to their rooms. Meanwhile, I lay awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Dylan's light snores sounded from the cot a few feet away. Mariah slept quietly.

The moonlit sky drowned me in waves. It bled through the sheer curtains, practically taunting me, as to say why the hell are you still awake? I didn't know the answer to that. I wish I did. But I honestly didn't. My head swarmed with thoughts. Now would've been the perfect time for my coloring pages—the ones Vincent bought me. Maybe it'd have helped put me to sleep. Too bad I left them back at his house. Oh well. The wall would have to do.

"Genesis." A whisper.

"Shit, Mariah!" My body jerked up. "You were awake this whole time?"

"I was," she said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "I have a little trouble sleeping away from home in unfamiliar places. Can't sleep either?"

"Oh." I mouthed and shrugged. "Me too."

She patted the space beside her on the bed. I stared.

"If you're worried about Vincent losing his shit because you slept beside me, forget about him. He'll have to get through me." She smirked, then laughed when she noticed my expression.

"I wasn't worried about that," I mumbled, sliding off the bed. I checked over my shoulder to make sure Dylan was still asleep. Yep, she was out like a light. Then, I climbed into bed beside Mariah, facing her. "So . . . it's obvious?"

"A little bit," Mariah said, teasingly.

"It's all his fault. He makes it obvious," I huffed.

"I beg to differ. Both of you are like magnets." She laughed again.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You two keep trying to pull away from each other but only end up closer. It's actually pretty hilarious to watch. . . Honestly though? I'm happy. I'm very happy."

"You are? Why?" I whispered.

"Because someone's helping him break out of his shell. All his life, he's built this bubble around himself. Nearly impossible to break. I mean, sure we've managed to poke a hole into it, I guess. But the bubble won't pop. He's like a little brother to me and I want to see him thrive."

"And you think I'm helping him?"

"No. I know you are. You don't take any shit from him. Don't get me wrong, we don't either. But he's never had someone there to challenge him like you. Amaury was his anchor after he lost his parents and his home. Lady Teresa and Amaruq helped him out too.

"But no one could take Amaury's place. He was the main person Vincent listened to. Because he related to Amaury in a way. And after Amaury's death, Vincent was in shambles. I don't think any of us have ever seen him so broken. Not like that, at least," she finished with a sigh.

"My point is," she continued, smiling, "I'm glad he's found someone else like Amaury. He needs someone like that in his life." Fuck, I could cry. My emotions were all over the place and I surely did not need to hear that right now. Hearing that only furthered my current issue; whether I would stay or go when this was all over. I never wanted this life. But I didn't hate it anymore.

In fact, I liked it. I was still adjusting, of course. But a big part of me hated to admit that I was growing used to being around them, and that scared me the most. Because if I left, it'd hurt like hell. Sometimes, I wished things were how they were in the beginning. No feelings attached.

"That's. . ." I inhaled so as to not choke. The emotions were lodged deep in my throat. "That's very sweet of you to say, Mariah. I'm . . . I'm glad, honestly. Um, excuse me, I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

I crawled out of there as fast as I could. The floorboards squeaked beneath my feet as I rushed to the bathroom. The tears forming along my eyelids threatened to pour over. But I sniffled and held them in for as long as I could. As I neared the bathroom, the door swung open, and a bright light eased out, followed by of course, Vincent. Dammit. Just my luck.

"Genesis?" He dried his hands with a napkin. As I squeezed past him, I shut the door to the bathroom. My abrupt entry was probably going to raise some flags. But I didn't think that far ahead. The only worry on my mind was anyone witnessing me cry. I couldn't stand that.

He knocked. "Genesis, are you alright in there?"

"I'm fine!" I snarled and cursed my voice for betraying me. "I just needed to use the bathroom really badly. I'll be out in a minute." A bold-faced lie. Nonetheless, after wiping my tears, I flushed the toilet to complete my lie. It was quiet. Too quiet. Maybe he left.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, a shadow lingered beside the door. My spine jolted straight up, my hands shooting to my chest. "Shit, don't scare me like that! I thought you left."

"Were you crying?" Vincent's hand wrapped around my arm, forcing me to pivot towards him. He glared into my eyes and I looked away.

"No. I'm just tired," I huffed.

"Still a terrible liar, you know. . ." He sighed and frowned. "Should I be concerned you were in the bathroom crying half past one in the morning?"

"No," I squeaked.

"Genesis," he warned.

"I'm fine. I promise." He stared. His scrutinizing gaze didn't last long, thankfully. But he never released my arm. Instead, his grip tightened. Not too tight though.

"Um, by the way, thanks," he said, scratching the back of his head, "for tonight."

I shrugged. "You seemed tense. Thought I could lend a helping hand."

"You didn't have to," he said.

"I know. But I did anyway, didn't I? You know, Vincent, sometimes I question whether you're really an alpha or not. I might have to revoke your alpha card one of these days." His eyes narrowed into a glare, then softened.

He tilted my chin back and bent forward. I froze when I felt his lips on mine. The feeling was tender and soft, like a kiss goodnight. "Thanks again, anyway," he mumbled, pulling away. This time, my heart betrayed me. Dammit to all hell.

"We should probably head back before someone thinks we're sneaking around, huh?"

"Yeah, probably." Vincent laughed softly. We walked down the hall side by side. We weren't holding hands but our hands were touching. It was close enough for now.

"Looks like we're not the only ones sneaking around," Vincent commented.

What the hell? I gaped at the sight of Dylan sneaking out of his room and back into ours. How? She was just asleep, wasn't she? I wasn't gone that long. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes tops. Mariah couldn't have fallen asleep already, could she?

I scoffed out a laugh. "Guess we're not."

"Goodnight, Genesis," Vincent whispered.

"Goodnight, Vincent," I whispered back. His attention shifted between my eyes and my lips, indicating he wanted to kiss me again. But he settled for a brief hug instead. I moved closer to his chest and engulfed as much of him as I possibly could.

His room door shut behind him as he turned his back to me and entered. The minute I entered my own room, I noticed Mariah was tucked under the blankets, fast-asleep like I thought. Still, I crawled back into her bed beside her. Dylan was laying back on the cot, asleep. Or so I thought. She sprung up after sniffing the air. Her eyes shifted to mine as she stumbled out of the bed.

"You were with Vincent?" She sniffed me, then her nose scrunched up.

"You were with Dimitri?" I retorted.

Her mouth clamped shut. ". . .I won't say anything if you won't."

I snorted. "Sure." She grinned and hopped back into bed.

***

If any of you could pick a scene you'd like to see written from Vincent's POV, what would it be? I am considering writing a few chapters in his POV at the end of this book (we have about 12 more chapters to go!). But first, I'd like to know all of your thoughts!