Vael's fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel, an uneven rhythm that matched nothing in particular, not even the soft music playing through the car speakers. Outside the window, the road stretched long and quiet, cutting through the edge of the pack territory before opening into the more commercial zones beyond. He kept his gaze forward, but his mind wasn't on the road.
It hadn't been for hours. Not since last night. Not since the restaurant. Not since he met Vessara.
He hadn't slept a wink last night. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of Ares passing his phone, him taking it, and followed by that sharp, unfamiliar reaction in his chest that he still couldn't fully name.
He hated that part most. Because it wasn't just irritation, it wasn't just possession either. It was something deeper that kept pressing at him, and he didn't have the patience to figure it out properly.
