Vael drove fast on the dark and empty road, the headlights cutting through the night. Vessara sat in the passenger seat. Her hands were in her lap. She turned her face towards the dark-tinted window. She was thinking.
Everything about this was wrong. She was in the car of a man she had met less than one hour ago. She did not know his name. She did not know where he was taking her. And she had already decided to give him her virginity, as if it meant nothing.
Her wolf spoke inside her head. The voice was firm and angry. "You are being reckless. Can't you sense his aura? This man could crush us in a second. You do not know him. You do not know what he is capable of."
Vessara answered her wolf. "Do we get to meet a man like him every day?"
"No. But—"
She cuts in. "It's just for the night."
"Just for the night? You have no idea what you are walking into. Think about what your father would do to you if he found out?"
"I don't care. Please let me enjoy tonight without worrying about tomorrow."
Her wolf went quiet. Not because it agreed, but because it knew Vessara had already made up her mind.
She thought about her family. Her father would be furious. Her stepmother would call her names. Her sister would look at her with the usual disgust. But Anthea would be proud. Anthea had always called her boring. Old-fashioned. Because Vessara had never dated. Never had sex. Never even kissed a man properly. Anthea never really pressured her. But she taunted her about it. Hence, the reason she sent her romance books with passages about sex underlined. She sent her sexual reels on social media with laughing emojis. She sent links to porn sites. She told her she was saving herself for a ghost. Anthea would be the only one who would understand this—the only one who would smile and say, Finally.
Vael kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was not quiet either. He could still feel his erection pressing against his trousers. The thought of what he was going to do to her made it throb. He did not understand why this woman was affecting him this way. She was an omega. A lot younger than him.
He had been with plenty of women before. Most of them knew what they were doing. They were experienced. Confident. But none of them had ever dared to claim him the way she had. They were always scared of him. They never made demands. They waited for him to tell them what to do.
She was different. Maybe it was the excitement of making her scream until morning. Maybe it was the fact that she had never been with anyone before—the idea of being her first pulled at something in him.
He could have taken her in the car. He could have pulled over to the side of the road and done it right there. Or driven to a hotel. But he was not doing that. He was driving her to his private home in his pack. He did not fully understand why.
Vael glanced at her. She was fiddling with her fingers, twisting them together in her lap. She looked tense. Briefly, his gaze trailed over her neck, her shoulders, the swell of her chest, and the curve of her waist. She was too interesting just to let go. He wanted to explore all of her body.
An hour later, they arrived at the Nightwalker Pack. The gate opened automatically as his car approached. He drove down a long driveway lined with tall palm trees and lights that cast a glow on the polished concrete floor.
Vessara was asleep. Her head had fallen against the headrest. Her mouth was slightly open.
Vael parked the car and turned off the engine. He watched her for a moment. Then he got out, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door. He tapped her shoulder softly.
Vessara woke up with a small gasp. She blinked and looked around. The driveway. The lights. The large building in front of her. Nothing was familiar.
"Where are we?" she asked. Her voice was groggy.
Vael stood in the open door. "My home. Are you scared?" He asked. His expression was hard.
Vessara looked at him. "No," she answered.
"Having a change of mind?"
She shook her head. "Not at all."
Vessara stepped out of the car. Her bare feet touched the cold floor. She shivered.
Vael closed the door and stood in front of her. His jaw tightened as he spoke. "There is a rule I want to put in place before we go inside."
Vessara furrowed her eyebrows. "What rule?"
"We do not try to get to know each other—no personal questions. No names. No stories. Nothing. Just what we planned to do together."
Vessara felt the urge to ask why. The question sat on her tongue, but she held it back. Maybe it was for the best. Knowing his name would not change anything. She was also not planning to date him in the first place or even see him again.
"Okay. I agree." She said.
This would end tomorrow. She would wake up, walk out, and never see him again.
Vael turned and walked toward the front door. She followed him.
The mansion sat on a wide expanse of land. A fountain running with water was placed at the center. The building itself was massive but balanced in design. It featured a mix of modern glass walls and classic stones. Large floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the sky during the day and glowed softly from within at night. Balconies stretched across the upper floors, framed in glass. At the center, a grand entrance stood out, with double doors made of solid wood and intricate gold details.
He opened the front door and stepped inside. She followed. The space opened into a high-ceilinged foyer. The floor was polished marble, cool and reflective. A grand chandelier hangs above, casting light across the room. The living room was designed more for hosting than comfort alone.
Vessara stopped in the middle of the room and turned her head slowly, trying to take it all in. She had known he was wealthy from the moment she saw him. The car had also told her that much. But this was beyond what she had imagined.
"Watch the step," Vael said as he got to a curved staircase leading to the upper floors.
Vessara looked down. She stepped over it and followed him up the stairs. The hallway at the top was wide, and it led to several rooms.
Vael caught a familiar scent as he passed by a room. He was almost at the end of the hallway when he stopped and opened a door. He gestured to Vessara to go in. The sweet scent of him hung in the air.
The room was large, like a private suite. Floor-to-ceiling windows with private balcony access. A sitting area with soft couches. A king-size bed with a padded headboard leaned against the wall. A large portrait hangs over it.
"Sit on the bed. Do not touch anything. Stay here until I come back." He commanded.
Vessara nodded, walked closer to the bed, and sat down on the edge. She placed her hand on her lap and waited.
Vael stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Theon was standing in the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest. His face was tight.
"Who is that child?" Theon asked.
Vael furrowed his brows. "What child?"
He started walking down the hallway toward the stairs. Theon followed him.
"I saw the girl you brought in," Theon said. His voice was low but urgent. "She looks too young, Vael. Too young."
They reached the top of the stairs and started walking down.
"If her pack finds out, they will sentence you. Child abuser. That is what they will call you."
Vael growled. It was a low sound from deep in his chest. "Shut up, Theon."
Theon did not shut up. He grabbed Vael's arm and stopped him on the stairs. "What are you doing with a teenager? Do not let her body size fool you. I have seen this before—girls whose bodies look older but whose faces give them away. Most of them want to roll with the big guys like us. You need to be sure."
Vael pulled his arm free. "She is twenty-three. She is a full-grown adult."
Theon gasped and covered his mouth. His eyes were wide. "That does not mean anything. What if she lied? What if she told you she was twenty-three and she is actually sixteen?"
Vael stared at him. "She is legal. I am sure of it."
Theon held up both hands. "Fine. Fine. But if you are wrong, I am not visiting you in prison."
Vael continued down the stairs. Theon followed.
"Where is Ares?" Theon asked.
Vael reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to face him. "I missed him for a moment. And when I found him, he was shoving his cock into a cunt. Having fun. You don't have to worry, the guards will bring him home."
Theon pointed a finger at Vael's chest. "You are a bad parent. You left our son at a party to satisfy your own urges." He looked down at Vael's trousers, the bulge still visible there. "For that." He pointed at it.
Vael grabbed Theon by the shoulder. His grip was hard. "Fuck off, Theon. I have business to deal with."
Theon did not move. "Cunt Business." He smirked.
Vael leaned closer. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I will rip your head off if you do not leave."
Theon held up his hands in surrender. Vael let him go. He bowed his head slightly. "Fine. I am sorry. Forgive me for keeping you from unwrapping the parcel in your room."
"Good." Vael gritted.
Theon breathed out. "I want to be you so bad, Vael. I have not had a good fuck in a while."
Vael pointed at him. "I hate you, Theon."
Theon nodded, a devilish grin on his face. "The feeling is mutual. You are having all the fun in the world while I am stuck with a bunch of pack errands. I have been celibate for months. Months, Vael." He groaned.
Vael rolled his eyes. "It is for the best."
Theon crossed his arms again. "I would rather give up my position as Beta than be celibate."
Vael started walking back toward the stairs. "I expect your resignation by morning."
Theon called after him. "Really, Vael? I am wounded. How could you accept letting me go just like that? You should be begging me to stay."
Vael raised his hand and showed Theon his middle finger.
"You'll regret this night!" Theon blurted.
Vael turned to look at him. Theon wiped his eyes with his fingers as if he were crying. Then he pointed up the stairs and mouthed the words. "Have fun."
Vael groaned. "Get out of my house."
Theon laughed. Then he turned and walked out of the house. The door closed softly behind him.