Chapter 2

Summer Break. Why?

No matter how many times she tried to start her Maybach, it refused to cooperate with her. It was the third time this week and it was becoming immensely frustrating.

She had purchased the model at two hundred and fifty thousand warm dollar bills, to mark her twenty-first. And now, it was seeming like a bad investment.

Her battery percentage was barely surviving too, and the rain had flushed out any form of connectivity. Zero connectivity meant zero signal, and that meant...she couldn't order any Uber.

Fuck.

Before she could spin around, she collided chest-first into someone. The impact startled her, but then an umbrella snapped open above her head, shielding her from the worst of the rain.

Her amber eyes shot upward.

He stood like the storm had been made for him, rain dripping down his shoulders, his dark shirt clinging to a body that was all muscle and raw masculine appeal. His gaze found hers, black eyes with red rings burning faintly around the edges.

She had never seen red-ringed orbs before.

Was he a... it couldn't be.

A primordial?

“Hi,” he said simply. His voice was deep, hoarse, yet subtly soft.

He kept a respectable distance between them.

“A storm is upon us,” he murmured, like it was prophecy. “Everyone is advised to leave the grounds and come indoors.”

Her heat hit her raw.

"Who... are you?"

He stepped out of the umbrella and handed it to her. The rain coating his body. Her eyes trailed to his abdominal muscles.

Damn.

"A member of the elders council."

"Oh," she stretched out one hand, using the other to tuck her phone into her pocket. "I'm Naelis, Naelis Hadrith. Blackwater pack."

He took her hand firmly, and just when she noticed how long and perfect his fingers were, he pulled back.

"Blackwater, you are a long way from home then."

She nodded,

"Yeah, I came to see—"

"My nephew?"

Her lips parted in surprise, and unexpectancy.

“Wait—what?”

The man’s mouth curved, not a smile exactly, but something like he knew the punchline to a joke she hadn’t caught yet.

“I might've caught word about you.”

Heat burned her cheeks, not from her steam jacket, but from the fact that she was dripping wet, clinging to a stranger’s umbrella like some fragile damsel.

She blinked hard.

She knew Silas had an uncle, but that was it, she didn't know anything else about him.

“How come I'm seeing you for the first time?.”

"I only returned from the Citadel six months ago."

"The Citadel." Her eyes did a one-over on him, "You don't strike me as a devout man."

His lips pursed into a brief smile as he led her under the archway.

"Why?"

"Devote men don't....look like you do."

He closed the umbrella and likely shook it.

"No one needs to have a pot belly and large tunic before being devoted to the moon-goddess."

Naelis blinked, her wet hair plastered to her cheeks.

“I guess you are right. Maybe you could tell me more about your stay in the Citadel? Your name perhaps?"

He smiled again and she noticed his light dimples for the first time, his lips—

“Some other time, perhaps. For now, I have to get back to my pottery, Naelis Hadrith,” he called out before turning around for a brief moment. “I will have someone skilled check on your car tomorrow."

That was it. And then he was gone in the blink of an eye.

Naelis let out a long exhale and leaned against the archway. The sound of hurried footsteps drew her attention.

Silas came barreling around the corner, his hair plastered to his forehead, he looked around, obviously searching for her.

“Over here,” she called, waving at him.

He skidded to a stop in front of her

“There you are! I’ve been—” His words faltered as he saw her drenched state, the puddle of rainwater collecting at her boots.

"Are you still, do you still plan on going back home?" His voice was low, hopeful in the very least.

"No."

"Phew." Silas inhaled, "I'll make it up to you I swear, I'll do anything."

Her lips curved into a smirk as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, swimming in her thoughts.

"I met your uncle."

"Oh, outside?."

"Yeah."

"Okay, cool."

"I want him."

Silas blinked like she had just declared war.

“You…..what?”

“I said,” Naelis’s smirk deepened, “I want your uncle.”

His jaw slackened. “You just met him, Nae.”

“Yeah,” she shrugged, her amber eyes flickering mischievously. “And that was enough.”

Silas dragged a hand down his face. “Gods above, do you even hear yourself? He is...he’s not into women.”

Her brows shot up. “Wait. You mean he is batting for the other team?”

“No!” Silas threw his hands up, almost shouting. “No. He’s just, he doesn’t….do that. With anyone.”

Naelis tilted her head, her curiosity was sparking hotter at this point. “Doesn’t do what?”

“He is a celibacy practitioner,” Silas muttered. “Dad says he took a vow. A lifelong one. He has dedicated himself to the Citadel teachings. Zero intimacy, zero indulgence, zero…” he waved vaguely, "everything."

Naelis’s mouth parted in a small “oh.” But her lips quickly pulled into a smirk.

“So basically… he is a tough nut.”

Silas groaned loudly, tilting his head back like the ceiling could give him patience. “More like a locked vault. You’d need the moon goddess herself to sign off before you even—”

“Challenge accepted,” She cut in.

Silas whipped his head toward her, scandalized.

"Do you even know his name?"

Naelis’s smirk faltered, just for a heartbeat. Then it curved back again. “He didn't tell me, yet. But Names are just doors. I am more interested in the man behind them.”

Silas’s eyes narrowed, studying her like she had grown horns. “It’s Zoran,” he said. “Zoran Veyr.”

The name rolled off her tongue smoothly.

Zoran. It felt ancient, and intoxicating.

She whispered it under her breath, tasting the syllables like forbidden wine. “Zoran…”

“Nae. No. Don’t even think about it.”

She shrugged, uncrossing her arms. “What? I like complicated things. And I like impossible. Besides,” she added slyly, “He is a fine specimen of a man, haven't you seen his eyes? His build? Why is he not your father's Beta or something? Why a pack elder?.”

Silas crossed his arms.

"Of course he is otherworldly, primordials are built like that. Secondly, I don't know if you've noticed, he is a bit traditional... old fashioned. He believes that he would impact the pack best as a member of the elder's council."

"I want to know everything about him."

He sighed, heavily.

"I fucked up Nae, with you. But... indirectly asking me to aid you get my uncle as punishment, it's a bit....over the top."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh darling, your atrocities are still fresh in my mind." But.... "Who better than the nephew of the prize to help me win the hunt?"

Silas groaned, leaning against the damp wall.

"You're officially insane."

"Insanity gets results."