Soirees and Satin

ZEPHYR

The mating bond had begun taking effect.

But I fought it. Hard. Especially since things between Lyla and me had only gotten worse after the Darrin incident.

Still, I knew it was only a matter of time before I gave in. Nature couldn't be cheated.

I buried myself in work to keep my distance, but even that wasn't enough. No matter where I was, my mind remained divided. My body ached for her, craved her. The need to be near her, to touch her, to fuck her, was becoming unbearable.

The sound of the door opening pulled me from my thoughts. Joan, my secretary, stepped in.

"Just a reminder, sir, the Jackmans' soiree is later this evening."

I'd completely forgotten.

The Jackmans were a werewolf couple, known for hosting high-society events, including fundraisers for orphanages. I received their special invitation last week.

But this particular soiree was geared towards helping a well-known werewolf pack overseas that had recently been hit hard by severe flooding, leaving many of their homes in ruins.

They were the kind of pack that always showed up for others, the first to offer help whenever it was needed. But now, they were the ones in need.

The Jackmans, being who they were, had taken it upon themselves to do something about it, bringing powerful and influential people together to raise the funds that would help the pack rebuild.

"Thanks, Jo," I said, checking the time on my watch. It was past five.

She stayed behind for a moment before adding, "Do you have a plus one, or should I arrange one for you?"

On certain occasions, when I was too busy to bother, Joan would handle it. Not that I ever truly needed help... I had a long list of women who would jump at the chance.

"No, it's fine. I'll handle it. Thanks"

She nodded curtly before leaving.

I picked up my phone and dialed Celine, instructing her to get Lyla ready.

Showing up with her would cause a major reaction from the people.

Rumors about my human mate had already spread like wildfire, and wolves were eager to see her. It was time. Time to introduce her, to make it known that she was mine and mine alone. The future Luna of the Wrath pack.

By the time I finished at the office and arrived at the estate, I had just enough time to shower, get dressed, and head out. I sat in the sitting room, waiting for Lyla. The event was black tie, so I'd opted for a dark black Armani tux with a crisp white shirt. I hadn't bothered gelling my hair, leaving it slightly tousled.

The sound of heels against the floor drew my attention, and I looked up.

Lyla descended the stairs in a provocative, deep-red satin dress that was created to draw attention.

It clung to her curvy frame before pooling elegantly at her feet.

Thin straps framed her shoulders, leading to a daringly low, open-back design that left her smooth skin bare, except for the ruching at the base of her spine.

Her full, golden hair was gathered into a loose bun, with wispy tendrils escaping and hanging down her face.

My jaw clenched as both feelings of anger and desire hit me simultaneously, nearly stealing the breath from my lungs.

She reached the bottom, barely looking at me.

"Mr. Wrath," she said in a smooth, sultry voice. "Shall we?"

I stood, raking my eyes over her outfit, my voice coming out in a dangerous growl. "The hell we shall."

My gaze dropped to the dress again. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

She pretended not to hear me, checking the diamond watch on her wrist. "What time did you say this event was again? We're running late."

She started toward the door, but I grabbed her wrist. "Change into something else. Now."

There was no way in hell I was letting her walk into a room full of wolves wearing that.

She yanked her hand free, replying brazenly. "No. If you're scared of all the attention, then it's a good thing I have you to protect me…"

A caustic smile spread across her face as she leaned in. "Zephy Wolf."

I'd never felt more angry and aroused in my life before, as I did now, and it was beyond frustrating.

Lyla didn't wait for me before sashaying out of the house.

I stood there for a moment, watching her go, wondering how in God's name Nikolaos and Alexandros had managed to find her.

She was a demon.

Celine, her maid, came down the stairs, bowing her head in greeting while avoiding eye contact.

I stopped her. "Is that what you consider appropriate for this event?" I gestured toward the door Lyla had just walked through. "I gave you one task, and this is what you come up with?"

The gown was technically appropriate for a black-tie affair, but it revealed far too much skin for my liking.

"I didn't pick it out, sir," Celine said quickly, her voice shaking. "She refused the one I chose for her. She was very insistent."

Yeah, no shit. Typical Lyla.

"Please, sir," she added, bowing her head lower. "I beg you, don't let me lose my job."

I sighed tiredly, running a hand through my hair. "It's fine, Celine. You can go."

She nodded quickly and scurried away.

Sauntering outside, I spotted Lyla already waiting in the limo, with Anthony, my driver, in the driver's seat.

The moment I got close, Anthony stepped out and opened the door for me. I slid inside, settling into the seat opposite her.

As the limo pulled out of the lot, I fixed her with a hard stare. "You'd better behave yourself where we're going."

Lyla scoffed, shaking her head as she turned to look out the window, acting like I hadn't spoken.

I leaned back in my seat, staring at her.

It was going to be a long night.

†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††

The event hall was already half full by the time we arrived. Lyla and I managed to meander our way around eager photographers, all clamoring to capture shots of me, the real estate mogul, and the lovely woman by my side.

Eventually, we managed to escape it all, including the overly nosy people inside the hall.

Soon, I found myself engaged in conversation with Darius Smith, a well-known music mogul and friend, while keeping a watchful eye on Lyla.

She stood a few feet away, completely absorbed in the orchestra's performance, a peaceful smile on her lips.

Darius was passionately arguing that jazz was the greatest music genre when something, or rather, someone, caught my attention. A man had sauntered up to Lyla.

The moment she tilted her head back in laughter at whatever he'd said, my possessive instincts kicked in, stronger than ever, no doubt fueled by the bond.

"Wrath?" Darius's voice pulled me back to reality. I tore my eyes off them.

"Sorry," I said, forcing a small smile. "You lost me for a second."

As Darius resumed his monologue, I stole glances at Lyla and her new soon-to-be-dead companion. They had moved to the dance floor, and his hands had wandered to her waist which was exposed, thanks to that infuriating, damn dress.

Lyla's gaze searched through the crowd until it found mine. A wicked smirk burgeoned on her lips as she deliberately wrapped her hands around the man's neck.

The wine glass almost shattered in my hand due to the pressure at which I gripped it.

She was pushing my buttons, and the urge to punish her, to fuck her senseless in that dress, rip it off her and then fuck her again, only grew stronger.

"What's got you so distracted?"

Darius asked, following my line of sight before raising a brow. "Oh. I see"

He chuckled. "She's your human mate, everyone's been talking about."

I growled in response.

Darius laughed again. "Relax. The guy dancing with her is obviously human. He has no idea she's been marked."

"Yeah," I said through gritted teeth. "Obviously."

I downed the rest of my champagne and handed the empty glass to a passing waiter.

"I'm gonna kill him," I swore under my breath.

Darius turned to me with a frown.

I sighed. "Okay, not kill him. Just break a few bones, nothing too fatal."

His frown deepened. "Zephyr, everyone in this hall is someone of importance."

"He's touching my mate. He'll pay."

Darius arched a brow. "Looks to me like your mate's the one encouraging it." He gestured gently. "And I'm not the only one who's noticed. Look around."

I did. Several wolves had already caught on, their gazes shifting between Lyla and me, speaking in hushed whispers.

My fists balled.

"Darius," I said.

"Mm?"

"Do me a favor." I straightened. "Go cut in. Dance with Lyla. Meanwhile, get that idiot to step outside, through the back. Spin a lie. I'll be waiting for him there."

Darius smirked. "You're gonna owe me for this."

"Just keep Lyla distracted. Don't let her notice."

"You sure you're not gonna kill him?"

"I won't," I said, already turning toward the back entrance. "Now, go."

Adjusting my tux, I strode toward the exit, ignoring the flirtatious purrs and deliberate flashes of cleavage.

By the time that bastard walked through those doors, I'd make him bleed in ways that'd make him regret ever laying a hand on my mate.