Wolf Bound

Chapter 32: The Mating Process

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.