5|An invitation

ELENA PETERS

My eyes were still fixed on Vince's phone. My heart was shaky, racing with millions of questions and emotions.

“What is it?” Vince asked again. A dark edge tainting his voice. He still had the unhinged and hooded look in his eyes.

I ignored him. He came closer to me. Making my breathing hitch.

His cologne filled my nose. Intoxicating me with the intense scent. It made it harder for me to speak.

“Did you see something terrifying in my phone?”

I couldn’t answer that. It was all too much. His proximity. His beautiful eyes. The terrifying truth was that he could be behind the pictures and I might have been some pawn in his little game 'to lure me into his arms.'

It made my mind fumble, and I didn't see his hand getting closer until he snatched the phone out of my grip.

“I'll take it back.” He said mostly to himself.

His eyes scanned the content on the phone. And he grew mute.

But his expression did get more colder.

“I’ll see you back at the party.” He said and turned to walk away.

Leaving me more stunned and confused by his actions. Why had he done it?

How long had he known that his son was cheating on me? Why did he send me those photos? What's in it for him?

Deep down, I knew the answers. But I didn’t want to admit them. I hoped he would have an explanation. That would make all of this better.

An explanation that wouldn’t make him the monster in my head.

I swallowed hard. Feeling the fear run through my veins. I clutched my dress to offer some relief.

“Why do you have those pictures?” My voice came out more shaky than I intended.

He halted in his movement and turned to face me.

He walked back to me at a slow and antagonizing pace.

He was no longer the sweet and caring Vince I knew. He was the man who took me that night countlessly, without any mercy. He was some beast lingering in the dark, and I was recklessly pulling it out of that dark with my many questions. But not getting answers to those questions would only drive me nuts.

His cologne filled my nostrils even more, freezing my senses and leaving me almost wanton. I shook my head, trying to get hold of my messy thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to be having such thoughts.

However, all that seemed worthless when he came much closer to me. My brain went on a pause.

His hands came on my neck. Then he traced them down to my cleavage.

I sucked in a deep breath.

His eyes were still fixated on me. I wanted to look away. To take his hands off my body. But I was too entranced in his looks to do so.

My breathing hitched. The feel of his hands on my cleavages. The fact that someone could walk in on us.

I pressed my legs tightly to offer some semblance of relive to my twitching pussy.

“You don’t get to ask me that here. If you have things you wish to clarify, then you should come over to my house. Tonight. By 10 p.m.”

The statement seemed to have snapped me out of my trance. A stiffened chuckle escaped my lips.

He sounded pretty ridiculous. Did he seriously think I would come over just cause he asked?

I swallowed hard. Trying to focus on my anger and not on the throbbing between my thighs.

“No way in hell.” My voice came out more bratty.

“Why? You’ve been there before. Countless of times.”

“Yeah. But with Trent. I have never been there alone.”

“Sure. But there’s always a first time for everything. I mean, don’t you want your answers?”

The look in his eyes promised an entirely different thing. Suddenly, I didn’t want his answers anymore.

“Come on. You don’t want Trent finding out about our erotic night, do you?”

The threat underlying his words made me gasp in shock. Never would I have thought that Vince was capable of a threat.

He was always calm, thoughtful, and nice.

This side of him frightened me. It was impulsive and dark. And I wasn’t used to it.

I shook my head in disagreement with his offer. I know going there would only make things worse. I could end up in his bed again.

And I sure don’t want to be in the bed of someone who has the qualities of being a monster.

Hell, I don’t wish to get involved with him at all. Not only was he older than me. He was also my mate’s father.

It was better to nip it in the bud while I still could.

“I can’t come. My father would need me at home. To help clean the house after the party is over.” I lied.

Hoping he would buy it.

He gritted his teeth. His eyes squared in anger. Meaning he wasn’t buying the lies.

“Alright. Have it your way. But know that you would never get the answers you seek.”

Well, he also didn’t press on the issue. I was indeed thankful for that.

He turned around, heading back to the party. Leaving me with more swirling emotions.

I took a deep breath. Trying to control my emotions. Having to see Trent with my sister. And then his father- who was driving me crazy. Literally. And who could very well be a psychotic monster?

It felt pretty overwhelming. I could also feel my feet throbbing from their long constraints in the heel.

After minutes of getting myself together, I headed back to the party. Wanting to find my father. So I could take an excuse and get out of the party.

However, when I saw my father, Vince was with him. It added to the ball of anxiety I was feeling.

Nonetheless, I walked towards them. All I had to do was to take an excuse from my father and leave the damned party.

Plus, Vince couldn’t do anything upturned in front of him.

“Father.” I greeted him with a peck on his cheeks. I could feel Vince's harsh stare over my body.

I ignored it.

“Darling. How are you enjoying the party?” He hugged me. And I felt a moment of peace in his arms.

But it was soon disrupted when he disconnected from the hug.

“Vince and I were just talking about you,” he added.

I froze in shock. “About Wh-what?" I stuttered in fear.

What was Vince up to now?

“He was just telling me how he got a gift for me.”

“A gift?”

“Yeah. A token of appreciation to your father.” Father said, exchanging smiley faces with Vince. Vince's smiles were low-key unnerving. How did I never think of it that way before?

“He prepared a self-portrait of me.”

“That’s nice of you, Father-in-law,” I replied with a forced smile, skillfully avoiding his gaze.

“Indeed. The portrait is over at his house. So I will need you to go get it for me.” My father said.

I froze more in shock. And to think he was going to let my refusal slide! My gaze darted to Vince and damn the man!

He had a sinister smile on his face. He has a glass of champagne in his hands. And his eyes were firm on me in an intense stare.

I fisted my hands in anger. I wanted to rub that smile with a fist of my hand. But something deep down immediately warned me that he wasn't the type of man to let me hit him and get away with it.

He could bind my hands, flip me on the bed, and force my legs apart...

Goddess, Elena, shut up!

I shook my head. What the hell was wrong with me?

“Can’t you have someone else to pick it up for you?” I was almost pleading with Father.

“No, sweetie. It’s a gift from the Alpha. And you are my first daughter. It wouldn’t be an honorable gift if not collected honorably.”

Sometimes, my father's logic got me quite mad.

“I won’t be available tomorrow. And anytime soon. So, could she accompany me back home tonight? Then I’ll hand it over to her. Or if she would come by herself by ten pm. Then no hassle.” Vince chipped in.

“She’ll be at your home at exactly ten. Once again, thank you for the gift.” Father hugged him.

No way that was happening. Vince was a maniac out to control my life. A low-key maniac.

“It’ll be too late for me to head back home if I visit him at such an hour, Father. I’ll go collect it the day he is less busy.” I tried again to wiggle out of this deal.

“Nonsense. Why would you head back home at such hours? You can spend the night at Alpha Vince's house. Your in-law's house.”

“But-“

“Today isn’t the first time you slept over there. So there shouldn’t be any issues.” He interrupted me.

I could feel my heart pounding in fear. How was I to explain to my father that I didn’t wish to go because Trent cheated on me? And his father was trying to get into my pants. Again!

“I need to attend to some people. Thanks once again for the gift.” And just like that, my father was gone. Leaving me standing with Vince, he had a satisfied look in his eyes. He was enjoying my distress.

He came close to me again. Making my breathing hitch again. He does that to me effortlessly.

I hated the effect he had on me. And I hated that he was aware of it.

His eyes were locked on mine. He drew the champagne glass closer to his lips. And then he leaned down to my ear.

I fisted my dress at the feel of his hot breath on my sensitive skin.

“See you tonight.” His husky voice made me dizzy, and I tightened my thighs. I could feel my pants getting soaked.

He walked away. Leaving me feeling disoriented and wet!