My chair creaked as I leaned back, pushing all of my weight into the cushion. I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a rugged breath. The clock ticked, as if to complete my torture. But I tried my best to ignore it. It was well past time that I should have been done playing catch-up.

How long could I hide in my office before Mariah, Bennett, or Claudia dragged me out of here? I contemplated. They knew I was hiding in here under the guise of doing work. Every time they stepped in here, my frustration radiated off me in waves—even though I tried so hard not to let it. Why was I so frustrated? Perhaps because I stupidly let my guard down the other day.

"What is it now?" I grumbled at the commotion irritating my ears; a mix of Genesis yelling my name, and pounding on the door.

"Hey, Vincent! It's an emergency!"

An emergency?

My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head. Maybe if I ignored her for long enough, she'd give up. Contrary to my belief, her voice only grew louder. Another sigh eased past my lips as I jumped up and stormed towards the door. The door slammed behind me. My irritation seeped through my footsteps, stomping into the floor. Good. She stopped yelling at least.

"Whoa," she squealed as I swung the door open to her room and wrapped my hands around her wrists to stop her annoying banging. Genesis' mouth opened and closed. She stared. A little too hard for my liking. I hated the way I fell under her control with just a look. Regardless, I hid my discomfort with anger.

"What the hell is your deal!?" I growled.

"I have something important to tell you." She straightened her stance.

"What is so important that you're willing to take down the door to get my attention?"

"Um, well. . ." She drifted off.

By now, I learned most of Genesis' behavioral patterns. She avoided eye contact when she knew whatever she might say might not sit well with me. So, I cut straight to the chase.

"You've caused trouble, haven't you?"

"No!" She snatched her wrists out of my grip. I crossed my arms and tilted my head. She bowed her head as if she'd been caught in a web of lies. "It wasn't my fault. . ."

"So, what is it? Come on, Genesis, I don't have all day."

"Geez, you're so snappy today. You know, I really don't appreciate your attitude." She hugged herself with a frown. The guilt in my chest was loud but thankfully she couldn't hear it.

"Genesis," I warned.

"My mom wants to see me," she blurted.

"Tell her you can't," I demanded.

"I did."

"And?"

"She's still coming."

My breath hitched. This could not be happening.

"You're not allowed to leave the premises," I argued.

"I know, but wait!" I glanced down at her hands, steadying me in place, then up at her face. I raised an eyebrow at her sheepish smile. Fuck, this was bad. Even if she had no idea how much I liked her touching me, she didn't seem to mind it either.

"You're getting far too comfortable doing this. . ." I said, calmly.

"Come with me . . . as my chaperone," she suggested.

"Genesis, how many times do I have to remind you? I am not a babysitter. No."

"Please? Don't be like that." She stuck out her bottom lip. No matter how cute her pout was, the answer was still no.

"No. Shoo." I shook her hands off.

"Please, just this once! If you had a chance to see your mom for what could be the last time, wouldn't you take it?" My blood froze.

I couldn't remember the last time someone's words struck a chord in me so deep, I wanted to lash out at them. And yet, Genesis had to be the one to do it.

"No," I answered immediately.

She stiffened.

Good. The less she knew, the better. And the faster she stopped bothering me about it, the faster I could leave and forget this conversation ever happened.

I cleared his throat and continued, "Now stop it. I'm not doing it."

"Fine, asshole." She gritted my teeth and scoffed.

Now, my blood was boiling. But for a whole different reason. Who knew one person could interest me and piss me off all at the same time? I was losing my sanity around her. I had to be.

I looped my arm around Genesis' waist as she turned her back to me. Her back hit the wall. I used my other arm to trap her against the wall, and dug my fingers into her pelvic bone. But not to hurt her. If I focused on her face, maybe I could ignore how intimate this all felt and looked.

"Need I remind you who I am? I don't go back on my promises but you've seemed to have forgotten the situation we're in." She flinched but didn't say a word. So, I leaned in closer. "I've let you get away with too much for someone who isn't off the hook yet. And you've been taking my kindness for granted, Genesis. But I won't hesitate to show you what an asshole is really like if that's what you want."

I noticed her throat bob. She clenched her fists at her side. "And need I remind you that you're not the only stubborn asshole around here who knows how to get what they want." I narrowed my eyes.

She stretched on her tip-toes, closing the distance between us. "I know that I'm not entirely off the hook yet. Trust me, I do. However, I'm not afraid to play your games until you find out I'm innocent. And I already told you, that you're going to feel so fucking sorry and apologize when you do find out. I promised you that, didn't I?"

"Looks like we've both got promises to keep then," I said in a flat voice.

"Exactly. My mom wants to see me. She's coming whether you like it or not. I can't control that. Now, what happens from here on, is up to you"—she closed her eyes and inhaled—"you can force me not to show up. You can take my phone away. But what you can't do, is stop her from filing a missing person's report again. I know my mother better than anyone.

"She will do that if she thinks something is wrong. They'll check all around town for me. There's a chance they'll search your mountains too. If you all don't want this place crawling with police, I suggest you drive me to meet my mom tomorrow, and help me get rid of her. That's your call. All you have to do is play the part."

I snarled out a few profanities, then growled out another noise under my breath. I then removed my hand off the wall. We stared at each other for several seconds. My hand was still on her waist, unmoving. She must have noticed too because she squirmed. Finally, I blew out a breath of hot air to calm myself.

"Fine. You win," I said.

"Damn straight I do." She smirked. "We leave in the afternoon."

As I said before—interests me and pisses me off.

* * *

Genesis must have felt me fuming beside her. Every so often, her eyes would linger on me as I waited for her to give me directions to the café her and her mother had agreed to meet up at.

"The café right here," she mumbled, pointing to the large café sign up ahead. It was a small, cozy, warm-colored space. Perfect for a small meet up, I suppose.

"You don't have to talk unless spoken to." Genesis unfastened my seatbelt, turning to look at me in her seat. "Please don't take your attitude out on her either. She'll never leave if you give off an impression like that."

"Genesis," I said, "relax. I've got this." I exited the car before she could retort. But I could feel her following behind me. Upon entering the café, the smell of coffee caused me to gag. I nearly bumped into the glass door in an attempt to cover my nose. The stench was strong, and fucking disgusting might I add. I couldn't stand the taste or smell of coffee.

"I hate the smell of coffee," I grumbled, answering Genesis' curiosity.

"There she is," Genesis tapped the side of my arm and pulled on my sleeves.

"Alright, let's get this over with." I rotated my neck and cracked my knuckles. Genesis' mother's eyes roamed the tight, quiet space. When she finally caught sight of us, her lips curled into a smile. But the smile faded as soon as her eyes met mine. Dammit, she was scoping me out. Or maybe she was checking me out. Honestly, I couldn't tell.

Her eyes drifted down my trench coat, then my turtle-neck, then my jeans, and my combat boots. All of which were green and black.

She snapped out of her daze and flung her hands in the air. "Genesis!"

"Hey, mom," Genesis approached the table.

"You guys are just on time! I already ordered what you told me to over the phone," she said.

Time to suck it up and get this over with.

I sat down and rushed a hand through my hair.

"Is this. . ." she trailed off.

"Vincent? Yes," said Genesis.

Her mother nodded slowly. "Right. So, how do you two know each other?" She lifted her mug to her lips. I could practically taste the coffee from here. And so, I prayed to the Moon Goddess that she couldn't tell my nose was scrunched in disgust.

"Well, I. . . He's my boyfriend!" Genesis blurted.

Her mother choked. Hell, so did I.

"Y-your what? Boyfriend?" her mother uttered.

"Yeah. . ." Genesis nodded.

I tensed at the small, warm fingers threading through mine. I shot her a look and attempted to remove my hand. She squeezed. I didn't need a mirror to know my face was going red. Hell, the tips of my ears were probably red too. After all, I could feel my skin boiling with heat. I roamed her thumb massaging my skin. The urge to say something was there but nothing came out. Rather, a short sigh left my mouth. Shit. I liked it and there was no fighting it.

"Thanks. . . Just play the part, remember?" Genesis whispered. I blew out another puff of air, lifting the cup of water on the table to my lips.

Genesis' mother interrupted our moment. "How long have you two been dating?"

"Um, we've been dating for . . . almost eight months now. . ." Genesis responded.

Her mother stared at her. I wasn't sure if she was taking the bait or not. Maybe us holding hands wasn't convincing enough. I lifted our intertwined hands and folded my other hand over them.

"We've decided we're going to move in together. . . I asked your daughter if she would be okay with it because I . . . really, really like having her in my space." Just saying that pained me.

Genesis added, "Yeah . . . uh, what he said."

"Mhm, she's already started moving some of her stuff into my house."

Genesis forced a grin. "I should have told you about him sooner. I'm really sorry I didn't, mom. But I didn't know if we'd last. I wanted to keep him a secret until I was sure he, um, actually liked me." Genesis squirmed. Good to know I wasn't the only cringing at this shitshow.

"Genesis." Her mother's voice was stern. "Baby, are you . . . a-are you pregnant?"

The water I sipped got caught in my throat. Genesis tapped my back in an attempt to help but it hardly did me any justice. I coughed and massaged my Adam's apple. I could barely focus on the widened eyes scanning over me.

Me? A father, this soon?

I didn't know how to process that. Could I imagine myself and Genesis raising children together? No, what the hell was I thinking about? I shouldn't imagine anything with her. I never imagined anything like that with anyone frankly, and I wasn't going to start now.

But to think it could actually happen . . . and to think I didn't mind it happening. That's what fucked my mind up the most.

"Ma, don't jinx me like that!" Genesis hissed.

Like mother, like daughter. Her mother's comment was enough of a hard pill to swallow. To think Genesis would say something like that though—my cheeks swelled with embarrassment. Her words indicated dangerous things. Dangerous things I strayed away from. Did that mean she . . . thought about us together? I needed to stop thinking. I was losing my mind, I knew it.

I dug my fingers into Genesis' thigh and shot her a glare. She shrugged.

"I was just asking!" Her mother defended. "Gosh, you two are so defensive. If I'm going to be a grandmother soon, I need to know, okay!?"

Genesis shuddered. "Trust me, that's not happening any time soon."

At least that was something we agreed on.

"I see that now." Her mother huffed.

I was never one to easily squirm. But this subject did the trick, and now Genesis knew one of my weaknesses.

* * *

There was too much on my mind and too little time to sort through it all. Since when did my emotions get so out of control? Since Genesis was thrown into my life, that's when.

"Thanks for the phone, by the way. I, uh, never got to thank you. Mariah said you paid to have it turned on for me." Genesis' voice broke through my foggy brain. I took a moment to gather my words. I needed to piece together my thoughts before I said something I'd regret.

"I only gave it to you so that you could stay in contact with your mother. You said you missed her. So, there. You can talk to her whenever you want now." She observed me.

"You were listening. . . Wait no, you remembered . . . and you thought about me?"

"No." Shit, that was too fast.

"You're lying," she murmured.

I ignored her. "Why did you tell her I was your boyfriend? You could've just said I was a friend or your new roommate or something," I spoke, slowly.

"The boyfriend excuse sounded more believable. Trust me. Why? Are you afraid I've cursed you and now we're going to be mated?" She rolled her eyes teasingly.

My grip on the steering wheel tightened. I could feel all the tension in my bones. Mates. I'd never been so afraid yet enamored by a word. "Definitely not. . ."

"Well, it was all just an act. When this all blows over, you won't have to keep it up. . . What's the deal with mates anyways? Those are like soul-mates, aren't they?" She hummed.

"In simpler terms," I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you really trying to have this conversation right now?"

"Yes. I am, actually."

I clenched my teeth together. "Fine. Our mates are chosen for us by the Moon Goddess . . . but that doesn't mean that person automatically becomes a permanent part of our lives. A future with them is not guaranteed."

"So, how does it work then?"

"She leads us to possible selections for a mate, then the rest is all up to us. We choose whether we want to reject or accept our mate. If we reject the mate the Moon Goddess has guided us to, then we move on, until she guides us to another.

"When, and if, we finally accept someone as our mate, that person is the person we'll be mated to for life until death. They're supposed to be our perfect matches. The other half that'll make us whole. The bond strengthens as we get to know them. And so on."

"How do you know when someone is your mate?"

"It all depends on the wolf. I've never really put much thought into it. . ." I shrugged.

"Give me the best explanation you can think of," she encouraged.

I sighed. "I've been told that some wolves feel it at first glance. They can feel the sparks and just know that person is who they're meant to be with. Some wolves take longer than others to realize it. The sparks aren't there for them at first.

"Maybe because they're subconsciously putting up a barricade—or whatever other reason. But they'll know for sure after a while. It's impossible not to know your mate, no matter how long it takes. Why are you asking about mates all of a sudden?"

She shrugged. "Mariah mentioned it a couple days ago when she was talking to Dylan and Dimitri. Are they mates?"

I almost snorted. Of course, she thought those two mated already. Technically, they were meant to be. But they hadn't sealed the deal yet.

I shook my head. "Not exactly. Wolves aren't officially mated until the mating process is complete and the mates have been marked."

"The mating process." She stopped herself. "Wait, you don't mean. . ."

"Yes, exactly what you're thinking. I'm sure you know how biology works in animals and humans. So, if you know anything about mating in animals, then you understand." Hopefully, now she understood why this conversation was so uncomfortable.

Even as close as Bennett and I were now, I'd never in a million years openly talk to him about the mating process. It was simply too embarrassing for me to think about or even speak about. Especially considering doing the deed wasn't something I'd checked off my list yet unlike some more . . . experienced wolves.

"Oh, um. . . They seem close. Does that mean I mistakened their closeness for—?"

"Dylan has commitment issues thanks to her childhood. She's a tough one. That's all I can really tell you. The rest, you'd have to hear from her." I sighed again.

"Oh okay, that makes sense. Wait, have you, um, found a mate? Based on your explanation, I guess, I thought it'd be an enjoyable experience. I don't know. But you look uncomfortable when talking about it. . ."

Did I find a mate? That was the million dollar question on my mind.

I briefly glanced at Genesis. The pounding in my chest was loud, and there was a voice in my head. A voice screaming, yes, you've found a mate! And she was sitting right beside me. A girl I tried so hard not to let myself fall for in the little bit of time I've known her. Yet here she was, plowing through my walls with no mercy.

I looked back at the road. "No. I just . . . don't care for them. I don't have time for a mate or any form of relationship anyways. . . You know, you're still very nosy."

"I'm not human anymore. I need to know this stuff! Does that mean I'll end up with a mate!?"

"Well, I don't think that's exactly it. You're a special case—"

She interrupted me again, "What if I can't tell what the sparks feel like? Does my heart race or do some other cheesy lovey-dovey thing!? What if I can't—?"

I slammed on the breaks. "Hey! Would you calm down?" he snapped.

"Sorry," she muttered and stared down at her lap.

"If you talk for the rest of the ride, I won't hesitate to throw you out of the car and watch you walk the rest of the way back to the mountain. Understood?"

"But I—"

"Genesis, enough." I narrowed my eyes.

She threw her hands up in surrender, leaning towards the window. "Fine, fine. Okay! I'll be quiet. . . gosh, why are you nicer when you're flustered?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and massaged my temples, resting my head against the steering wheel. "You enjoy purposely pissing me off, don't you?"

"Maybe," she said.

Her response should have pissed me off more. But somehow, I wasn't mad. A sigh, then laughter. It rumbled from my chest, much to my displeasure. It was about time my emotions betrayed me. I shook my head and clutched onto the steering wheel again.

"Vincent, you're supposed to be mad. . . Mad, Vincent. Be mad. That's what you're supposed to be," I repeated that mantra to myself, then put the car back into drive. "Moon Goddess, give me strength, please." Genesis peered out the window with her palm pressed to the glass.

She appeared to be lost in thought. So, I took a moment to study her. Really study her. The things that both annoyed me about her but also captured me. She fascinated me, truth be told.

"So, that's how I'm supposed to imagine myself. . ." She laughed under her breath. I didn't have the first idea what she was talking about. But she was content. Or, she seemed content at least. And here I was, staring at her like we were meant to be.

If only she knew how troubling that was for her, and me.