Dirty Affairs With My Daddy's Bestfriend

Velvet’s POV

I stood in front of the mirror on the evening of my eighteenth birthday, smoothing down the rose-gold gown I had picked out weeks ago. My hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from excitement—raw, breathless, consuming excitement.

Tonight was supposed to be the night.

The night I finally met my mate.

For years I had prayed to the Moon Goddess, whispered to the stars, and begged in the quiet moments of dawn. I wanted—no, needed—that connection. That bond. That certainty that someone in this world was truly meant for me.

But beneath the excitement was something colder.

Fear.

A silent terror that maybe… just maybe… I would remain unmated forever. And considering the strange stillness of my wolf all these years, the fear wasn’t baseless.

I inhaled deeply to calm the wild pounding in my chest and stepped out, making my way toward the hall.

My father, Williams, had practically invited half the pack. Normally I would complain, but today the crowd meant more chances. More possibilities. More hope.

But just a few steps from the hall doors…

I smelled something.

A scent so faint yet so arresting that my steps faltered. It wrapped around me like invisible hands—deep, rich musk with a dark warmth that tugged at every nerve ending.

I swallowed, heart racing.

Whoever carried that scent wasn’t just enticing.

They were calling me.

And when I saw the owner…

Everything inside me stopped.

Alpha Zavian.

Alpha of RavenHills Pack. My father’s best friend. A man I had grown up seeing in fragments—brief visits, formal meetings, passing greetings.

But tonight… Tonight was like seeing him for the first time.

The black shirt he wore clung to a body carved from strength. His aura radiated dominance so naturally that the air thickened around him. He didn’t command the room. The room simply adjusted to him.

My father always said Zavian was the kind of Alpha who didn’t need to howl to be heard. Respect followed him like a shadow.

But I wasn’t thinking about respect.

Not when his eyes lifted and locked onto mine.

Heat burst across my skin.

My mind went blank except for one shameless thought:

Goddess… he’s so fucking hot.

I should have looked away. I should have reminded myself of the age difference, their friendship, the years of loyalty they shared. I should have reminded myself he was forbidden in every sense possible.

But instead my wolf surged forward, her excitement electrifying my veins.

My father nudged his arm. “Velvet, pup, come here. You remember Zavian.”

Remember?

How could I forget the man who once sent me a moonstone bracelet—my favorite gift of all time because it had been impossible to find?

Zavian’s gaze swept over me, slow and assessing, and I felt it everywhere.

“Velvet,” he said, his voice so deep my stomach tightened. “You’ve… grown.”

That was all he said.

Yet the way it left his lips made my skin shiver.

“Happy birthday.”

“T-thank you,” I managed, praying he couldn’t