Lucien predictably couldn't get out of bed the next morning.

Leon practically dug him out from under the duvet. Lucien's eyes wouldn't even stay open.

"So tired," Lucien groaned, throwing a hand out blindly. He accidentally slapped Leon's chest.

Leon leaned down, kissing his forehead. "Skiing today, baby. Remember?"

"This is your fault," Lucien grumbled, his voice a sleepy rasp. "You knew we were skiing, but you still did... that."

Leon let out a low, vibrating chuckle. "Who had their legs wrapped around my waist telling me not to stop?"

Lucien went silent, burying his face back into the pillow.

Leon didn't argue. He scooped Lucien up and carried him into the bathroom. He squeezed the toothpaste onto the brush and held it to Lucien's mouth, waiting like a patient parent.

Once the "Little Master" was washed and dressed in several layers of thermal gear, they headed for the resort.

The slopes were quiet in the early morning. Lucien, a total amateur, was relegated to the beginner track. Leon knelt in the snow, adjusting Lucien's boots and clipping him into his skis.

Finally, Leon strapped a plush, stuffed-doll protector over Lucien's rear.

Lucien looked down at the soft toy hanging off him. "Why can't I snowboard? It looks cooler."

"Skis are easier," Leon noted, standing up. "Less falling."

Leon had switched to dual skis himself to stay level with Lucien. He stood face-to-face with the boy, guiding his posture. "Keep your legs wider. Like this."

Lucien was already impatient. "Got it, got it. I'm going!"

He pushed off with his poles before Leon could finish. A second later, Lucien was wobbling. He hit a patch of uneven snow and went down with a muffled thud.

Leon sighed, a suppressed smile twitching at his lips. He glided down effortlessly to pull the "disgruntled bunny" out of the snow.

By noon, Lucien was less a skier and more a human snowball. Leon eventually lost heart and dragged him into the heated rest house.

Leon handed him a soda. "It takes more than a day to learn. Don't rush it."

Lucien looked miserable, his black hair sticking to his forehead. He chewed on the straw. "I feel like I'm falling apart."

Leon rubbed the back of Lucien's neck. "Want to head back to the cabin?"

"No! I finally made it here." Lucien drained the soda and slapped his knees. "Again!"

The result of "again" was Lucien being carried back to the cabin at sunset. He couldn't even stand on his own legs.

Leon set him on the bed and began massaging his calves and lower back. Lucien stirred, his eyes fluttering open in a daze.

"You should sleep too," Lucien mumbled.

"Go to sleep, baby," Leon whispered, his large hands working out the knots in Lucien's muscles. "I'll keep rubbing, or you'll be in pain tomorrow."

Lucien let out a soft, incoherent hum. Before Leon could answer, the boy was out cold.

Leon leaned in, kissing the tip of his nose. "Goodnight, baby."

After two days of bruising his pride on the slopes, Lucien refused to go back. Leon didn't have the heart to watch him fall again. He only had one Lucien; he couldn't afford to break him.

They changed the final day's plan to a private hot spring in a neighboring town.

The villa featured a private outdoor pool in the backyard. Lucien emerged from the house in nothing but a pair of trunks, trotting toward the water. "Seth—Leon! Want some snacks?"

Leon was already in the pool, leaning back against the stone ledge with predatory grace. He glanced at the pile of junk food in Lucien's arms and shook his head.

Leon crooked a finger, beckoning him. "Get in here."

Lucien hesitated at the edge. "Can't we use separate pools?"

Leon's steel-gray eyes narrowed. The look was dangerous. "Get. In."

Lucien shuffled forward and slid into the steaming water. Leon's arm immediately snaked around his waist, hauling Lucien flush against his chest.

"I'm not a monster," Leon rumbled. "You're in pain. I'm just letting you soak. It helps the recovery."

Lucien relaxed into the heat, leaning his head on Leon's shoulder. He looked out at the rising steam. "School starts soon."

"I have two classes this semester," Leon noted, his mouth finding Lucien's ear. "We can go together."

Lucien pouted. "Better not."

Leon's brow furrowed. "Still not giving me a title?"

"Things are fine like this," Lucien whispered.

Leon pinched Lucien's earlobe but dropped the subject. He knew his lamb liked to run.

The steam swirled around them. Lucien turned around, leaning over the edge of the pool to let Leon massage his aching lower back.

Leon's palms were massive. They covered nearly the entire span of Lucien's narrow waist. He squeezed the soft tissue, his voice dropping to a gravelly rasp. "How's that, Boss? Comfortable?"

Lucien closed his eyes, let out a soft, kitten-like purr. "Good... I'll pay you extra..."

The words died in his throat. Lucien's eyes snapped open. He tried to scramble forward, but Leon's hand was a vice around his hip.

"You said we weren't doing anything!" Lucien gasped.

Leon hummed, pressing closer. "Open your legs, baby."

Lucien had a small mole on the root of his inner thigh. Leon had spent the last hour "marking" it, leaving a trail of overlapping bite marks.

It was red, swollen, and thoroughly claimed.

Lucien grit his teeth, his face burning. I'm getting that mole removed tomorrow, he thought fiercely. I'm not giving this wolf another target.