Chapter 4 The Encounter 1
Vessara sat quietly at the table reserved for her family. She brought the glass to her lips and took a small sip. The bubbles tickled her nose. She lowered the glass and felt her stomach growl.
Her last meal was eight hours ago. She ate just a piece of toast and salad cause having a large meal would have made her stomach bloated and obvious in the fitted dress.
Now she regretted that decision.
She looked at the tables of food along the far wall. There were platters of elegant, small dishes; roasted meat and vegetables; bowls of salad; baskets of bread. And a long table dedicated entirely to desserts. She could see cupcakes with swirls of frosting, small fruit tarts, chocolate mousse in glass cups, and a tiered cake at the center of the table that had not yet been cut.
It all looked inviting, but she knew better. She couldn't just walk over and eat. Not without her stepmother's permission. Thalia had specific rules for events like this. The family ate together, at the same time, after the toasts were finished and the important conversations had been had. Eating earlier would make you look desperate or unsophisticated.
Her stomach grumbled again. Louder this time.
Thea glanced at her. "Was that you?"
Vessara nodded.
Thea furrowed her eyebrows. "Do not even think about eating right now. We are socializing. We eat when my mother gives the signal."
"Alright." Vessara drank more of the champagne, but it only made things worse for her.
Thea looked at her for a long moment. Vessara forced a smile and looked ahead.
Leander and Thalia stood up. They went to join a couple at another table. Most people started forming smaller groups to have conversations.
"Come with me," Thea said, standing to pick up her clutch purse from the table.
"To where?" Vessara looked up at her.
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Vessara stood up. Thea grabbed Vessara's wrist and pulled her toward a group of young men. The men were all dressed in dark suits, and they held drinks in their hands and laughed at something one of them had just said.
"Stop dragging me," Vessara said, pulling her wrist free.
"Stop complaining. You need to be seen. And behave well, these are sons of known alphas and Betas." Thea whispered.
The group noticed them approaching.
"Hey, guys." Thea greeted.
"Hey, Thea. Good to see you again." One of the men stepped forward and hugged her.
Thea smiled. "Meet my sister, Vessara."
"Hi Vessara, I am Kael." The one who had hugged Thea said. He was tall and built like someone who worked out regularly. "This is my brother, Ronan." He gestured to the man beside him, who had the same dark hair and similar features but was slightly shorter and leaner.
"They are Alpha Marcus sons," Thea added.
"This is Damon, Nicole, and Durian." Kael pointed to the three other men in the group.
Damon was blond with a sharp nose and pale silver eyes. Nicole had red hair and freckles and seemed younger than the rest. Durian had wine hair and was more built than Kael. He leaned against the table, simply watching without a smile on his face.
"It is nice to meet all of you," Vessara said. She tried to sound confident, the way her stepmother had taught her. Chin up. Shoulders straight. Voice steady.
"So, is this really your first time attending a party like this one? When Thea mentioned it, I didn't believe it." Kael said.
"Yes," Vessara replied.
The men laughed.
"You'll get used to it. I personally don't find it exciting. But there are way more interesting parties than this. We always have one every month, maybe Thea will bring you to the next one. Right, Thea?" Kael asked.
"I'll try. Maybe." Thea shrugged.
Damon smiled at her. "Vessara. That is an unusual name. Where does it come from?"
"I heard my mother chose it," She answered.
"Oh, nice." Damon nodded.
From there, the conversation moved on. Kael focused on Thea while Ronan, Damon, and Nicole kept her company. She laughed when they laughed. She nodded when they made points. She answered questions about herself. But she could feel the distance between her and them. And she could feel Durian's eyes watching her every second.
After some time, he joined them. His gaze traveled from Vessara's neckline to her waist and back up again.
He smirked. "That dress looks tight. Can you actually breathe in it?"
His words caught Kael and Thea's attention. Nicole laughed. Damon snickered. Even Ronan's mouth twitched.
Vessara felt her face grow warm. She forced a smile. "It is fitted, yes. But I can breathe."
"I don't mean to offend you." Durian took a sip of his drink.
"None taken," Vessara said, though she did take offense. She took a great deal of offense.
Kael cleared his throat and put a hand on Durian's shoulder. "Leave her alone. She is a guest."
"I am just asking a question," Durian said. He looked at Vessara again. "It is a beautiful dress. Expensive, I assume. Just wondering if the price tag included the ability to inhale. I'm hoping you don't pass out anytime soon."
The whole group laughed. But it wasn't funny to Vessara. She felt something tug in her chest. The excitement she had felt when she first walked into the hall was gone. Durian's words created a hollow space in her chest. She suddenly became aware of herself. The dress. Her body shape.
Vessara realized she did not belong here. Not with these men. These people had known each other their whole lives. They had grown up at parties like this, in halls like this, wearing clothes like this. They knew how to stand, how to talk, and how to laugh at jokes that were not funny. Vessara did not. She had been pretending, but not well enough.
"Excuse me," she said quietly.
Vessara walked away from the group, each step hurt more than before, but she ignored it. She made her way to the table laden with food. For a moment, she just stood there looking at the food.
She let out a small breath. Maybe coming here was a mistake. She should have stayed home to read a book or maybe go over to Anthea's place. That would have been better for her.
Vessara picked one of the cupcakes topped with a swirl of buttercream frosting and a single white chocolate flower. She began to peel away the silver wrapper. As she lifted the cupcake toward her mouth, she heard sharp footsteps behind her.
"Do not eat that!" Thea snapped.
Vessara turned to face her. "I am hungry."
"I do not care. What if you get frost on the dress?"
"I won't. I am not a child." Vessara shot back.
Thea collected the cupcake and placed it back in its place. "If you ruin that dress, I cannot promise Dad will be kind enough to buy another."
Vessara looked at the cupcake on the stand. She wanted it. She wanted to eat it and not care about her dress or whatever Thea thought.
But Thea was right. The dress was borrowed, in a sense. Her father had paid for it, and her stepmother had made it clear that this was a special expense. If she ruined it, there would truly be no other.
Vessara heaved a deep sigh and brushed the crumbs from her fingers. Then she turned and walked away before Thea could say anything else.
She was almost to the entrance when she heard her phone ringing. She reached into her small purse and pulled out her phone. It was a message notification from Anthea.
"I am having the best time ever. This party is insane. I also just met a guy. You should have come."
She remembered how Anthea had talked about the frat party all week. How excited she had been. And how she tried to convince Vessara to go with her.
As Vessara stepped out of the hall, her gaze on her phone, her fingers typing away to reply to Anthea, Vael made his way in.
He walked through the doors with Ares by his side. He wore a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and no tie. His expression was neutral, almost bored. His eyes scanned the room to find Alpha Marcus.
Vael never enjoyed parties like this. He found large gatherings exhausting. Too many people. Too much noise. Too many expectations about how to act and what to say. He had only shown up tonight because Theon had insisted. Theon had said that Alpha Marcus was someone worth acknowledging, and his presence would help with a deal they were trying to strike with the Crescent pack. Ares had tagged along, too, claiming he had friends in this pack he wanted to see.
He found Alpha Marcus. As he moved through the crowd, people noticed him. Some nodded at him. Some stepped aside in fear.
He reached the celebrant. "Alpha Marcus," Vael called out.
Marcus turned, recognizing him immediately. "Vael! You made it." He extended his hand. "When your Beta told me you would be coming, I didn't believe it."
Vael managed a small smile. "Well, here I am."
Marcus nodded. "You are a man of your word." He moved away from the people he was with before Vael's arrival and then led him to an empty place. "I'm honored you showed up to my party. We should talk business."
Vael settled in the seat, and they began talking.