Durian did not respond. He struck Vessara on her face again. And she went still immediately. He reached for his belt and unzipped his trousers.
Vael stepped closer. "I. Said. Let. Her. Go." His voice was firmer this time.
Durian glanced back briefly. He looked at Vael like he was in the wrong place.
"This is none of your business. So fuck off!" Durian gritted.
Vael's eyes narrowed. He didn't like Durian's choice of words or his tone. Anger spread over him, and his wolf pushed against his control.
Without another word, he reached Durian in one step. He grabbed him by the collar of his white shirt and yanked him off Vessara like he weighed nothing.
Durian groaned in pain as he landed on his back on the stone floor. Vessara quickly rolled away. She scrambled backward on her hands and knelt until she reached the base of the fountain. She pulled her knees to her chest and tried to cover the front of her dress, but the fabric was already ripped down to the middle.
Durian stood up. He looked at Vael with confusion and then with anger. "Who the hell are you?!"
Vael did not answer. He moved towards Durian again, but this time he clutched his fist to fight.
"You don't want to do that with me, boy," Vael muttered.
"To hell with you, asshole!" Durian tried to throw a punch, but Vael's fist drove straight into his stomach.
Durian fell on the ground and folded in half. Air left his lungs in a wheeze. "Fuck!" He groaned.
Vael grabbed his collar again and hauled him to his feet. He raised his hand to punch his face.
"Please! Don't hit me! Please! I'm sorry." Durian begged.
Vael's jaw tightened. His fist collided with Durian's jaw. He cried out in pain.
"Run along now, boy," Vael mumbled.
Durian managed to scramble to his feet and ran. He did not look back. He ran through the garden and the glass doors, then disappeared.
Vael stood there for a moment. His fist was still clenched, and breathing was heavy. He tried to relax. Then he turned around.
Vessara was crying out loud. Her shoulders and hands were shaking. The tears had already smeared her makeup. Her cheek was already bruised from where Durian had hit her. And her nose was running.
Vael moved. He crouched down in front of her. His eyes scanned her for any visible injuries. None aside her cheeks. His eyes traced down to her chest. Her dress was torn from the neckline to the waist.
Vael stood up. "Can you stand?" He asked.
Vessara nodded. Then he helped her up. Her legs felt unsteady, but she managed.
He took off his suit jacket and held it out to her. Vessara looked at the jacket, then at him.
"Thank you," She sniffed, took the jacket from him with shaky hands.
Vessara wiped her face with the back of her hand. She pulled the jacket around her shoulders and buttoned a few of the buttons until it completely covered the torn part of her dress.
"You should go back inside," Vael said. He turned to leave.
"Wait," she said.
Vael stopped. He did not turn around.
Vessara walked toward him and stood by his side. "I do not want to go back to the party. I should not have come. I regret even agreeing to this. I knew I would not fit in. I knew it. But I let myself believe it would be good for me." She cried.
Vael remained silent.
Vessara kept talking. The words came out fast, like she could not stop them. "I have been hungry all day. I have not eaten since noon because they said the dress would not fit if I ate. And then when I tried to eat a cupcake, my sister stopped me. She said I would ruin the dress. And I was so hungry I could have eaten three of the cupcakes. Maybe four. And now the dress is ruined anyway."
Her sobs were loud and messy.
Still, he said nothing.
"The dress is ruined. And I did not even get to eat the cupcake."
Vael just stood there listening.
Vessara stopped talking. She moved to stand in front of him. "Are you even listening to me?" She wiped her face again.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked.
She looked at him. "I just…I want food," she replied.
Vael didn't respond.
"I'm hungry. Can you get me food?" She asked.
Vael looked at her for a long moment without saying anything. He stepped away from her and began walking.
For a second, Vessara thought he was leaving her. But he raised his hand in the air and gestured for her to follow him.
Vessara followed him immediately.
Vael led her out of the pack building and headed towards the parking lot. The lot held several other expensive vehicles, but he stopped near a black limousine. Two men in black overalls stood on either side of the rear doors. Their backs were straight, and their eyes moved constantly, scanning the area.
When they saw Vael, both bowed to him. One of them opened the door.
Vael did not enter. He turned to Vessara and gestured. She stepped forward and lowered herself into the car. The door closed with a low thud.
Vessara couldn't help the gasps that followed as she took in the interiors of the car. She swallowed hard, pressing her hand against the seat. It was made of high-quality black leather. They were wide and arranged in a face-to-face layout. Between two of the seats was a polished console with a mini refrigerator. There was a minibar made of glossy wood with a bottle compartment and crystal glasses. The car's panels were dark wood. The windows were tinted. The lightning is soft. LED strips ran along the ceilings and under the seats, casting a gentle glow. There was a screen mounted on the wall. The floor was carpeted in black.
Vael spoke to the men outside. "Finn, go inside, get food and desserts enough for two. And Apollo, find Ares and keep an eye on him. We can't have him losing control."
"Yes, Alpha," They chorused in unison.
They both headed into the pack house.
Vael opened the car door and stepped inside. He sat across from Vessara and pulled the door shut. The car's interior lights dimmed automatically.
Now that they were alone and seated close, Vessara looked at him. She really looked at him properly. His hair was blonde, long, falling past his shoulders, with a few strands scattered around his face. His eyes were a glossy brown. His nose was pointed. His lips were thin. Small patches of beard string along the line of his jaw. In the white shirt he wore, his muscles were toned. It had her wondering what more could be underneath it. He was near perfection.
When Vael looked at her, his gaze was hard. Their eyes met, and they held on for a long moment. Neither of them spoke. The only sound was from a phone that buzzed.
Vessara swallowed and looked down at her hands. Her fingers were cold. She reached for the straps of her heels and removed them. Then she folded her hands together and waited.
Vael reached into his pocket and took out his phone. His gaze softened a bit as he read a message from Theon.
"I hope the party is fun? How is Ares? I'll be at your place waiting."