Drunk Princess

vulvan's pov.

Words were being exchanged between me and the party guest, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t even focus on what they were saying anymore. All I could see in my head was her. Zara. I recalled the look on her face when I warned her I was going to spank her if she delayed—and deep down, I wanted her to delay. I hoped she would. Because I was ready to ruin that little body of hers. I could already imagine her reaction when she finds out I wouldn’t go easy on her.

I let out a low breath and looked toward the table where she and I were supposed to sit together. Empty. No Zara. I frowned slightly, raising my wrist to glance at my watch. Almost an hour had passed.

An entire hour.

She had said she was going to the restroom. What the hell was she doing?

I felt irritation crawl up my chest. A piece of me was angry she disobeyed me. Another part of me was…excited. If she wanted to be stubborn, then fine. She was going to get what she asked for. And this time, I wouldn’t hold back.

Without saying a word, I gracefully excused myself from the conversation I had already zoned out of minutes ago. I walked through the crowd, scanning faces, ignoring greetings, heading straight to where she told me she'd be.

The restroom.

Empty.

No sign of her.

My jaw clenched as I turned back to the hall, weaving through the party crowd. Still no sign of her.

I felt something tighten in my chest. My mind started imagining the worst. Had something happened? Had someone taken her? Did she leave? Was she angry at me?

Focus, I told myself.

Why didn’t I call Dax to go with her when she said she was stepping out? I was too focused on the meeting with the other pack members. I trusted that she’d be okay. She should have been okay.

She must be with Mika, I thought.

But neither Dax nor Mika were in sight. Now I was getting pissed.

What the hell was this?

I grabbed my phone and dialed Dax immediately. The second he picked, I didn’t hold back.

“Where the hell are you?”

“I went home with Mika. She felt really sick,” he replied calmly. “I sent you a text.”

I pulled down my notification bar, and there it was. A message from him. I hadn’t even noticed it.

“What’s up?” he asked again.

“I can’t find Zara. She told me she was going to the restroom. It’s been over an hour and she’s not back.”

There was silence, then a sharp, “Shit.”

“I’ll come right away—”

“No need,” I cut in. “Just make sure Mika’s okay. I’ll deal with it.”

I ended the call, eyes still scanning the crowd, jaw clenched. The longer I didn’t find her, the more tense I became. The anger, the panic, the worry—it all started mixing, creating a dangerous storm inside me.

Zara, when I find you, you’re going to pay for this trouble you’ve caused me.

I kept walking, ignoring everyone around me until I reached the end of the hall. A dead end. But then something caught my eye.

A figure, alone, out on the balcony.

Zara.

I didn’t need to see her face—her scent hit me before I even got close.

She had her back to me, her arms on the railing like she was lost in her thoughts.

“What the hell, Zara?” I snapped, storming toward her. I grabbed her hand and spun her around as soon as I reached her.

She stumbled.

I caught her just in time before she could fall.

“Hey! What… leave me!” she mumbled, pushing my chest weakly before slumping forward, resting her head on my shoulder.

The stench hit me immediately.

Alcohol.

And not a little. She reeked.

I raised her head with my hands, forcing her to look up. Her eyes were closed, and she was mumbling something under her breath—words I couldn’t quite catch—but a small smile played on her lips.

“You’re drunk,” I hissed. “Do you have any idea how worried sick I was? I thought something had happened to you.”

She giggled.

“Silly Alpha. My Alpha.” She looped her arms around my neck, her eyes barely open. “How can you be worried and sick at the same time?”

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips despite myself. She looked so innocent, so stupidly cute right now. But I had to stay focused. I couldn’t let her know the effect she was having on me.

I cupped her cheeks in my hands and made her look directly at me. “First of all, you disrespected me. You disobeyed your Alpha. And now, you’ve made a terrible mistake, princess.”

She yawned, then burst into laughter.

I frowned. “What’s funny?”

“Your hair,” she said, poking my chest with her finger. “It’s on fire. It’s gonna explode.”

I blinked, confused. “What—”

“Because you’ve got a big ego!” she giggled again, puffing out her chest and mimicking my tone. “‘You disobeyed me...’” she mocked with a ridiculous voice, mimicking me like a child, making exaggerated gestures like she was some big man.

I stared at her in disbelief.

I wanted to pin her to the balcony wall right there and silence that little mouth until she forgot every word she just said.

But not here. Not now.

“I’ve had enough of this. We’re leaving.”

She could barely stand, so I supported her with one arm.

“Wait,” she said, pointing down. “My shoes…”

I looked down—her feet were bare. I glanced around. No shoes in sight.

“Come on. Let’s go. I’ll buy you another one.”

Without waiting for her response, I bent down, wrapped my hands around her thighs, and picked her up.

She gasped, then scowled.

“What?”

“I’m not putting you down.”

She didn’t argue. “You owe me a brand-new pair of heels,” she muttered, resting her head against my chest. I rolled my eyes.

I walked through the backdoor, grateful it was nearby. Outside, the car was already waiting. I opened the door and placed her inside first, then got in beside her.

But the second I shut the door, she shifted—and suddenly straddled me with her hips.

My breath hitched.

She didn’t even realize what she was doing. She adjusted herself on my lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her body melted into mine as if we were puzzle pieces meant to fit.

She moved her hips, slow and unaware, and I let out a low groan I couldn’t hold back.

“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, fingers threading into my hair. She played with it like it was hers.

I held still, my hands gripping her thighs tightly. she had no idea the fire she was playing with. And soon… she was going to find out.