Just the night

Elara POV

By the time we pull up, I can already hear it.

The music.

Loud. Deep. Alive.

It spills out into the night like it can’t be contained, vibrating through the air before I even step out of the car. Lights flash faintly beyond the gates, shadows moving, people laughing.

The villa.

Of course it looks like this.

Massive. Glass walls reflecting streaks of neon and gold, the entire place glowing like it was built for nights like this. Cars line the entrance, expensive, polished, careless in the way only wealth can afford to be.

Joe steps out first, opening my door.

“Careful, ma’am.”

I step out, smoothing down my dress slightly, my heels hitting the pavement with quiet confidence.

“Thank you, Joe,” I say, already looking ahead.

He nods once. “Call when you’re ready to leave.”

“I will.”

And just like that, I’m walking toward the entrance.

The closer I get, the louder it becomes.

The bass.

The voices.

The energy.

It hits me the second I step inside.

Warmth. Movement. Life.

Bodies everywhere. People dancing, laughing, talking over the music. Lights cut across the space in sharp colors, sliding over skin, over glass, over water.

The pool.

God.

Half the people are already in it, splashing, shouting, drinks in hand like no one cares what happens tomorrow. Some sit at the edge, legs dipped in, others lounging on chairs with barely anything on.

And in the corners…

I avert my eyes slightly.

Yeah.

Definitely not subtle.

People pressed too close. Hands wandering. Lips meeting like they forgot they were in public.

I exhale a small laugh under my breath.

This is exactly what I needed.

“ELARA!”

I turn at the sound of my name, just in time to see a few familiar faces pushing through the crowd toward me.

Silvercrest.

My people.

“Look who finally showed up,” one of the girls grins, pulling me into a quick side hug.

“Miss mysterious,” another teases. “You disappear for months and come back looking like this?”

I laugh lightly. “Relax, I’ve always looked like this.”

“That’s a lie,” someone else cuts in. “You’re glowing tonight.”

If only they knew.

“Maybe she came out to cause trouble,” another voice adds.

“Maybe I did.”

They laugh, pulling me further in, handing me a drink before I even ask.

Cold glass presses into my hand.

I don’t question it.

I take a sip.

It burns slightly.

Good.

“You made it.”

I turn again.

Kael.

He’s standing there, a small grin on his face, already looking like he’s been here long enough to settle in.

“Of course,” I reply, lifting my drink slightly. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

He chuckles, stepping closer. “Didn’t think you’d actually show up.”

“Wow,” I say, feigning offense. “You wound me.”

He shakes his head, amused, then reaches for another drink from someone passing by and hands it to me.

“Here,” he says. “You’re gonna need it.”

I raise a brow. “That bad?”

“That good.”

I don’t argue.

I take it.

The music shifts.

Louder.

Better.

And just like that—

I let go.

The first dance is easy.

Just movement. Rhythm. Letting the music take over where my thoughts used to be.

Then another.

And another.

Drinks come and go. I stop counting after the second… or third. The burn becomes lighter, the edges of everything softening in a way that feels… nice.

Free.

For once, I’m not thinking about him.

Not about the house.

Not about anything waiting for me when I get back.

Just this.

Now.

Laughter slips out of me easier, my body moving without hesitation as I blend into the crowd. Someone grabs my hand, pulling me into a circle, and I go with it, spinning once before landing back into the rhythm.

“Okay, okay!” someone shouts. “Game time!”

A group forms quickly near one side, people dragging others along, refusing to take no for an answer.

I get pulled in.

Of course I do.

Drinking games.

Bad decisions.

Loud reactions.

Someone loses, takes a shot, coughs immediately, and everyone bursts into laughter.

I laugh too.

Genuinely this time.

It feels good.

Too good.

At some point, I lose track of Kael.

Or maybe I walk away first.

I don’t even remember.

I just know I end up near the pool, the cool air brushing against my skin as I take another sip from my drink.

Music pulses through me, steady, constant.

Someone pulls me back toward the dance floor.

I go.

Again.

And again.

My hair sticks slightly to my neck, my body warm, my mind light.

This is what I needed.

Not silence.

Not distance.

This.

Noise.

Movement.

Distraction.

For once…

I don’t feel stuck.

I don’t feel trapped.

I just feel—

Alive.

                        Ryder POV

It’s been over an hour since Elara left.

Seraphina won’t be home tonight. Maybe early morning, if she finishes what she has on her plate, but tonight? Not a chance.

Which means if anything happens to Elara…

It falls on me.

I already got the report.

Got it almost immediately after I made the call. Location confirmed. Private villa. Pack members. Loud, crowded, exactly the kind of place where things can go wrong fast.

And still,

I didn’t leave.

I stayed.

Thinking.

Pacing.

Deciding whether to interfere… or stay out of it.

I drag a hand down my face, exhaling slowly as I move across the study again, my steps measured, controlled, even as my thoughts refuse to settle.

She said she was going to a party.

That should have been enough.

She’s not a child.

She can handle herself.

But then I remember the dress.

The way she looked walking out that door.

And something in me tightens again.

I stop pacing.

That’s it.

I’m not doing this all night.

I’ll go.

Check.

Make sure she’s fine.

And leave.

Simple.

I grab my keys and head out, my footsteps echoing faintly down the hallway before the night air meets me outside. The garage lights flicker on automatically as I step in, and within seconds, I’m in the driver’s seat.

The engine hums to life.

I don’t hesitate.

I drive.

The road is quiet at this hour, empty enough that I don’t need to slow down. My focus stays ahead, but my mind…

My mind is already there.

With her.

                   ~~

By the time I arrive, the place is exactly what I expected.

Loud.

Crowded.

Alive.

Music spills out into the night, bass heavy enough to be felt in my chest before I even step out of the car. Lights flash from inside, silhouettes moving through glass and open space.

I kill the engine and sit there for a second.

Just observing.

Then I step out.

The moment I straighten, I feel it.

The shift.

Eyes on me.

Whispers.

“Is that…?”

“Ryder Thorne?”

“What is he doing here?”

“Oh my goodness, he was invited?”

"I have been dying to meet him."

"He is more handsome than how he was described to me!" another one giggled

I ignore all of it.

I’ve been watched my entire life.

This is nothing new.

I walk in.

The noise hits immediately, but it doesn’t distract me. My eyes scan the space, moving through faces, bodies, motion.

Too many people.

Too much movement.

Finding her like this….

I pause.

Then inhale slowly.

Focus.

Scent.

It cuts through everything else.

Faint at first.

Then clearer.

Her.

I follow it, moving through the crowd with quiet purpose, barely needing to push through as people instinctively make space.

Then.

Laughter.

Familiar.

Light.

Too light.

My head turns slightly.

Poolside.

That’s where she is.

I see her.

And I stop.

She’s in the middle of a small group, surrounded, her head tilted back as she laughs, a drink in her hand. There’s a looseness to her movements that wasn’t there earlier.

Drunk.

Of course.

I watch for a moment.

Long enough to understand what I’m looking at.

Long enough to see the way the men around her lean in too close. The way their attention lingers longer than it should.

My jaw tightens slightly, it made my stomach turn.

I wonder how much she had drank.

She throws back another shot.

I exhale through my nose.

What exactly is she doing?

One of them reaches for her hair, fingers brushing through it like he has a right to.

She swats lightly at his hand.

“Hey—no… stop that,” she slurs, her words slightly uneven.

He doesn’t.

She tries to step away.

Another one blocks her path.

And just like that,

I move.

“You heard the lady.”

My voice doesn’t rise.

It doesn’t need to.

“Leave her alone.”

The shift is instant.

The air changes.

They feel it.

They always do.

I step in, closing the distance, my hand finding her arm and pulling her gently but firmly away from them.

She stumbles,

Right into me.

Her body presses against mine for half a second, unsteady, warm.

I steady her without thinking.

One of the men scoffs, trying to recover whatever confidence he thinks he has.

“And who are you, old—”

He doesn’t finish.

The one beside him grabs his arm quickly, eyes widening.

“Shut up,” he mutters under his breath.

Whispers start again.

My name.

Recognition.

Realization hits them.

The first one pales almost instantly, the arrogance draining from his face as he steps back.

“I—I didn’t know—”

Then he drops.

Straight to his knees.

Pathetic.

I don’t even spare him a second glance. I am not in the mood.

That’s not why I’m here.

“Elara.”

She blinks up at me, her eyes struggling to focus before they finally land.

And then..

She smiles.

Slow.

Careless.

“Ohhh…” she drags out, her voice soft and completely gone. “You came…”

A small laugh escapes her.

“Daddy came for me.”

A few people nearby laugh under their breath.

I don’t.

I just shake my head slightly.

“You’ve had enough,” I say, already shifting my grip as I bend slightly and lift her.

She doesn’t protest.

“You better pray nothing gets wrong with my daughter.” I said with a stern look to the guys that surrounded her earlier.

“Daughter?” one of them gasped.

If anything, she melts into it, her arms wrapping loosely around my neck as I carry her like she weighs nothing.

“My head…” she murmurs, pressing her face lightly against my shoulder. “It’s spinning… everything is spinning…”

“I can see that.”

“I think…” she continues, her voice drifting, “I think the stars are dancing…”

I walk past everyone.

No one stops me.

No one dares.

By the time we reach the car, I open the passenger door and set her down carefully, making sure she’s steady before pulling the seatbelt across her.

She watches me the entire time.

Or at least… tries to.

Her gaze is unfocused, soft.

“You smell nice,” she mumbles suddenly, leaning slightly closer before the seatbelt pulls her back.

I pause for half a second.

Then continue.

I shut the door and walk around to the driver’s side, getting in and starting the car.

The drive back is quieter.

But not silent.

Because she doesn’t stay still.

She shifts in her seat, turning slightly toward me, her head resting back against the headrest.

“Why is the car moving like that?” she asks, frowning.

“It’s not.”

“It is,” she insists softly. “Everything is moving…”

I glance at her briefly.

She’s pouting.

Actually pouting.

I look back at the road.

“You’ll be fine.”

“Hmm…” she hums, then after a second— “You’re serious all the time.”

I don’t respond.

“You should smile more,” she adds.

A beat.

Then she giggles quietly to herself.

“Not at me though…”

I exhale slowly.

This girl.

She shifts again, her hand lifting slightly like she’s trying to reach for something before it drops back into her lap.

“I had fun,” she murmurs. “You ruined it a little… but it was still fun.”

“Good,” I reply dryly.

She smiles faintly, her eyes fluttering.

Then softer—

“Don’t be mad…”

I don’t answer.

But my grip on the wheel tightens just slightly.

The rest of the drive passes with her quiet murmurs, soft complaints, and occasional laughter at things that don’t exist.

And somehow,

None of it is as annoying as it should be.

Elara POV

Everything feels… light.

Not light like happy.

Light like I’m floating somewhere just above myself, watching things happen a second too slow.

The world outside the window blurs past in streaks of color and shadow, and for a moment, I forget where I am.

Then I remember.

Him.

I turn my head slightly, my cheek pressing into the seat as my eyes settle on Ryder.

And for a second…

I just stare.

He’s focused on the road, one hand on the wheel, the other resting loosely, his posture as calm and controlled as ever. Like nothing rattles him. Like nothing touches him unless he allows it.

How is that even possible?

“You’re…” I start, my voice softer than I expect.

He glances at me briefly. “What?”

I blink slowly, trying to gather the right words, but they don’t come out right.

“You’re really… really attractive,” I say instead, completely unfiltered.

There’s a pause.

A small one.

Then I see it.

The corner of his lips shifts.

Not a full smile.

But it’s there.

And somehow… that makes me smile too.

“I mean it,” I add, leaning my head slightly toward him, studying his face like I’m seeing it for the first time. “Like… it’s unfair.”

He exhales quietly, shaking his head once. “You’re drunk.”

“Maybe,” I mumble. “But I’m not lying.”

My eyes drop for a second… then lift again.

His arms.

God.

Without thinking, I reach out.

My fingers brush against his bicep, slow, curious, like I’m confirming something.

Solid.

Warm.

He doesn’t stop me.

That makes my stomach flip in a way I don’t understand.

I let my hand linger there for a second longer than I should, tracing lightly, like I’m distracted by the feel of him.

“You’re strong…” I murmur.

“Sit properly, Elara.”

His voice is calm.

But there’s something under it now.

Something tighter.

I don’t move immediately.

Instead, I shift slightly closer, my shoulder brushing his arm.

“I like your eyes,” I say softly.

That gets his attention.

He glances at me again, longer this time.

And I hold his gaze.

God…

Up close like this, they’re worse.

Darker than I remember. Not empty… not cold. Just deep. Like there’s too much behind them, too much he doesn’t say.

“They’re…” I pause, searching, my words slower now. “They look like they know things.”

He doesn’t respond.

But he doesn’t look away either.

“I’ve always liked them,” I add, quieter now, like I didn’t mean to say that part out loud.

Something shifts.

Not outside.

Inside the car.

Inside the space between us.

The air feels heavier.

Thicker.

And then,

Rain.

Loud.

Sudden.

It crashes against the car in a heavy downpour, hitting the roof, the windshield, everything at once.

“Ugh, fuck.”

The word leaves his mouth low, frustrated.

But to me—],

It lands differently.

I blink slowly, my lips parting just slightly before I bite down on my lower lip without thinking.

The sound of his voice…

God.

I lean closer.

This time more deliberate.

My hand lifts again, settling lightly on his shoulder, my fingers curling just slightly into the fabric of his shirt.

“Careful,” I murmur, my voice softer now. “The rain is jealous…”

I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore.

I just know how it feels.

Close.

Too close.

My eyes drift over his face again, slower this time. Taking in every detail like I don’t have the strength to look away.

“You should smile more,” I whisper. “It looks good on you…”

The rain keeps falling.

Heavy.

Relentless.

And inside the car,

Everything feels like it’s holding its breath.

Then he turns.

Just like that.

His head shifts toward me, slower this time, like he didn’t mean to… or maybe like he did.

And suddenly,

He’s right there.

Too close.

My breath catches.

I don’t move.

Neither does he.

The space between us disappears until there’s barely anything left of it. I can feel it now—the warmth of him, the quiet intensity in the way his eyes lock onto mine.

God… his eyes.

Up close like this, they’re even worse.

Darker. Deeper. Pulling me in like I’m not supposed to find my way back out.

My heart starts racing.

Fast.

Too fast.

I don’t even realize my hand has moved until I feel it, resting lightly on his lap, fingers curling slightly against him like I needed something to hold onto.

I should pull away.

I don’t.

I just stay there.

Staring.

Lost.

Like if I blink, I might miss something.

Like if I move, this moment breaks.

My lips part slightly, my breath uneven now, barely there.

He doesn’t close the distance.

Neither do I.

We just stay like that,

Faces inches apart.

Until, he leaned closer.