The corner of his mouth.

As it turned out, hanging out with Vlad was a dream come true. He was very much heterosexual, yet his jokes and behavior reminded Seth of her best friend. The more they laughed and joked around, the more she started missing Anton.

Vlad took her to the supermarket, and instead of keeping the promise of sharing his ice cream, he bought Seth one of her choices. The car drive to the town was fun, full of positive emotions and laughter. And during the drive back to the Council territory, they listened to some music and shared the most embarrassing stories of their past.

Most of their stories were more or less related to school, so both thought it was funny to bring the topic up. Vlad kept his promise about movie night, and just as he stated, he wasn’t a creep.

They sat on a large sofa for a while, keeping distance, but as soon as he noticed that Seth was getting cold, he offered her some cuddles. She couldn’t resist the offer even if she wanted to; she was a sucker for cuddles.

“Thank you,” Seth closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. She couldn’t remember the last time when she felt as safe and comfortable around someone.

Despite the positive things, she couldn’t stop wondering why Vlad didn’t seem as dominant as any other Alpha. He was more caring, cautious, and tried to respect her boundaries at any given moment. Any other Alpha would pull her onto his lap and probably slide his hands where they shouldn’t be.

“For what? For keeping you warm? You’re my guest, it is my responsibility to make sure you don’t lack anything. Besides, you are a woman, and women are meant to be taken care of. Not that I think that you couldn’t take care of yourself, but as a man, I do want to make your day easier. I’m not as good with the words, sorry if I came across as another asshole Alpha. I promise I’m not like them; please believe me.” Vlad scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

He couldn’t get over how he always failed to talk to women. For some reason; he didn’t have the level of confidence other Alphas had. Sometimes, Vlad couldn’t stop wondering what was that one thing he lacked, the one thing that would make him feel free and easily take the situation into his own hands.

“No, silly,” Seth laughed, pressing her cheek against his chest and inhaling the sweet yet musky aroma.

Vlad had a scent of her daydreams, the perfect mix of things she loved the most. “Thank you for stopping by the road to check on me; it’s rare to meet someone as kind as you are. Thank you for being the amazing person you are, even though we just met, you already showed me more affection than some people in my life that were supposed to be close. And thank you for inviting me over. I needed some time without stress or thoughts eating me up. Sometimes, having movie nights is a much better solution than drinking and partying around, and tonight, you made it all better. You’re a blessing, Vlad, and I’m so happy to spend the night with you.”

She couldn’t stop grinning. Despite his shy and reserved nature, Seth took an instant liking towards Vlad. He was quite different from men she knew and spent her time around.

Unknowingly, she started to compare Vlad and Luciano. Both were Alphas, yet so different, it seemed unreal. One dominant prick, who thought that everything that he touched was his. And this Alpha, who held her to keep her warm was nothing like him.

She couldn’t and wouldn’t pick between them, but Seth already decided that she wouldn’t keep on seeing Luciano. Perhaps, if Vlad wouldn’t change, she would have a fantastic friend or an amazing lover in near future.

“Ha, those aren’t the things you should thank me for. I appreciate the fact that you’re grateful for the little things, but this isn’t the case where you should be. I’m just another wolf that decided to roam around during the night. It was a lucky coincidence that I met you, pretty sure anyone would do the same thing if they were in my place. Nobody should ignore the pretty lady sitting on the rock and looking as sad as you did.” Vlad didn’t notice how his hold around her tightened.

His instincts made him hold her closer, as if he was trying to protect her from an invisible evil. It was clear as day that Seth was a strong woman, yet he didn’t care much about that little detail. Right now, she needed someone to be there for her, and the Alpha was more than happy to be that someone.

“Well, if I can’t be grateful for those things, I have many more to mention. Thank you for giving me a lift back to the territory. Thank you for letting me join your ice cream movies night and letting me stay over. Thank you for keeping me warm and being so damn nice even when you don’t know me for long enough to care. You’re an amazing man, Vlad, one of a kind.”

She didn’t mind the closeness between them, if anything, she didn’t want him to let go of her.

It was funny how a mere physical contact, a non-sexual one, made her feel like she would explode in need. What was with her and all those Alpha men, trying to prove that she had missed out? What was with Seth, letting those men get to her?

“Okay, okay, stop your flattery. You are very welcome for whatever you could decide to thank me for once again. Now, would you like some more ice cream, or can I have it?” And again, he had to be the most polite person ever and make sure she didn’t want more.

Somehow, Seth found his approach to her rather sexy and desirable. A man that respected her needs and made sure she got anything she wanted?

“No, thank you, you can have it,” she closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. She could easily fall asleep in the position,Vlad was way too comfortable to sleep on.

Seth nearly passed out as Vlad kept running his fingers through her hair. Even if his eyes were focused on the screen, his hands had to be attached to her somehow. She chuckled, opening her eyes, about to ask if she could sleep on the couch, yet her attention was caught by something in the corner of his mouth.

“I think you have a little ice cream there,” Seth pointed at her own lips, trying to show him where exactly he had to wipe it off.

His cheeks turned bright red in an instant as he tried to wipe the remaining ice cream as fast as he could, yet somehow managed to miss the spot. His frantic actions made her giggle, how could a grown Alpha be as silly?

“Let me,” she smirked and leaned closer to his face, grabbing his chin and bringing her lips to his. Seth licked the corner of his mouth and grinned. Vlad’s reaction was priceless. First, it was a shock, then a little embarrassment, and after a short while, he mirrored her grin.

Seth brought her lips to his again, but this time, it wasn’t because of the ice cream. The kiss started off gentle and sweet, but soon, Vlad deepened the kiss, sending jolts of electricity through Seth’s body.

He pressed his lips harder against hers, and when hers lips parted in a gasp, he took the opportunity to bite her lower lip.

The move both surprised and thrilled Seth, making her pull him close by the back of his neck, needing more of the kiss that was consuming her body with fire. Vlad groaned as their lips parted, both violently panting for air.

“Sorry,” Vlad let out a deep breath, still holding her close. “I don’t know what came over me; I’m not like this usually.” His cheeks burned red, but the skin wasn’t the only thing that burned. He had a mischievous flame dancing in his eyes, even if he wasn’t dominant, Vlad wanted more.

Seth instantly understood that he was the one that needed a little push to feel a little bit braver and take a step forward. “Don’t be sorry, I didn’t push you away, did I? I enjoyed the kiss as much as you did,” she grinned, raising a hand to his face and poking the tip of his nose.

Vlad burst out laughing, suddenly starting to tickle her. Seth barely held against any instinct she had, if anyone else did it, she would kick the person and run. Since her attacker was the overly sweet Alpha, she laughed and wiggled around.

Vlad leaned closer, losing the balance, and both ended up falling on the floor, laughing out loud. If anything, the shy Alpha was full of surprises. Vlad straddled her, holding her hands pinned to the sides of her head.

Seth could get lost in his golden eyes, and for some reason, whenever he looked at her, they burned in passion, barely noticeable, but there it was. She tried to get him off of her, still playing the game he started.

“You won’t set yourself free as easily as you think. I might be nice, but I’m still bigger and stronger than you. You could try to roll us over if I didn’t pin your hands. Perhaps, you want me to tell you how you can set yourself free?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

Shy or not, Vlad was a flirt; he could be at least a little dominant at moments. For Seth, it didn’t matter; the time they spent together already felt magical.

“Okay, that does make sense. Please, do tell me what I should do then,” she nearly cracked, almost bursting out in laughter again.

It would be true if she told Vlad that she preferred their position; not a single bone in her body wanted to change that.

“Try to make me lose balance. Right now, my weight is balanced because of how I’m holding your hands. Try to pull one of your hands closer to your head, it should do the trick.” Vlad smiled in excitement, like a child that could share information only he knew.

He felt good about the ability to teach Seth something new; sadly enough, a day might come when she might need the knowledge he was sharing. For self-defense.

“Like this?” Seth asked, pulling her left hand along the soft carpet. Vlad’s weight on her shifted as he had to tighten his hold on Seth’s hand. Just as he claimed, his balance shifted and one rash pull of a hand was enough to throw him off balance.

“Yeah, just like that,” Vlad whispered softly, their faces inches apart.

Seth tried to make herself a little more comfortable under his weight and lifted herself a little, accidentally brushing her lips against his.

Vlad stiffened for a second, but the next moment he took the initiative to start another kiss. His lips were soft, softer than Seth imagined. Vlad released her hands as his lips moved against hers.

He slid one of his hands to the back of her neck to support Seth’s head as he deepened the kiss. Seth couldn’t resist the moan that escaped her lips. Vlad rolled them over, so she was on top of him. His tongue met hers, sending intense sparks of pleasure throughout her body.

Vlad ran his hand up to the side of her body, resting it on her waist. Seth lifted herself off him, pulling away from him, panting for breath.

“We should probably get some sleep before this gets out of control. I have no idea what’s wrong with me; usually, I don’t do such things. I had no intention to kiss you or do anything else when I brought you home. That came out wrong. I mean, you’re amazing, gorgeous, the most beautiful woman I’ve met, but I didn’t intend to get that close as we just met. Am I making any sense?” Vlad found it challenging to explain the things that were going on in his mind. He felt as confused as never. Seth awakened a new side of him, one he had no idea existed.

“Yes, you are. Don’t worry; we’re both a part of it, both to blame. You’re right about rest, though. Should I sleep on the couch?” She motioned at the living room couch, somehow finding the idea of sleeping there rather appealing.

“I mean, you could sleep in my bedroom if you like? I can sleep on the sofa; you can take my bed. No funny business, I promise. I can hold you and keep you warm throughout the night if you like as well. But I have a spare guest room if that seems better? Perhaps it would be better; I’d lie if I told you that you’re not tempting.” Vlad scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, biting onto his bottom lip.

As tempting as he was, Seth didn’t want to rush things; she didn’t want it to end in the same situation as it was with Luciano. First, she would get to know Vlad a little better.

“The guest room it is,” she laughed, happy to finally get some proper rest. The week exhausted her beyond limits, and so did the night that turned out better than expected.

“Alright, follow me, Miss. My friend might come over within a few hours, he’s out partying. But he shouldn’t bother you, he has a separate room where he can sleep off the drunk state. The only reason why I’m telling you this is that I have to leave for a couple of hours tomorrow morning. Don’t be surprised if you run into him, but he will know that you’re here because I brought you home. Don’t leave before I get back, I’d like to take you home.” Vlad opened the guest bedroom door for Seth and winked at her, leaving her to settle in.

She watched how he left in a relatively good mood and smiled, entering the room. Seth didn’t bother to lock the door. She unzipped her dress, dropped it on the floor and crawled onto the bed. The sheets were too comfortable to let her mind overthink, so within a few minutes, Seth was falling asleep, wondering if she and Vlad could ever be more than friends or play partners.

As wonderful as she felt, Seth still had plenty of things to worry about. The main one was her father. He was on her heels. The fact that he had gotten her phone number meant that he was close. And soon, he would reach out again since he obviously needed Seth again.