A few minutes earlier...
Vanessa clutched the edge of the bathroom sink, breathing heavily. Her reflection in the mirror didnât make senseâflushed cheeks, glassy eyes, red lips slightly parted as her chest rose and fell quicker than normal. She could feel her heart beating inside her ears. It wasnât the alcohol. No way.
Her stomach had twisted earlier, but that sensation had passed. What remained now was worseâan overwhelming heat crawling under her skin, making every inch of her body feel overly sensitive. Her breath hitched, and she whispered softly to herself, "What the hell is wrong with me...?"
The air felt heavy, her skin tingling in waves she didnât understand. It wasnât nausea. It was something elseâsomething artificial. And then, like puzzle pieces snapping into place, she remembered: the drink.
Her fingers curled tighter around the edge of the marble sink. That drink hadnât been from the bartender. It had already been sitting on the table when Liam brought it. Her eyes widened.
Shit.
Just as she was about to stagger toward the door, it swung open violently, and two figures stepped in. Vanessaâs blood ran cold.
It was them. The two from earlier. The taller one, Aidenâcocky, entitled, unrelentingâand his shorter friend, Tony. Aiden had a smirk on his face, his eyes burning with twisted satisfaction.
"Well, well..." Aiden said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Didnât expect to find you so... hot and bothered already."
Vanessaâs eyes narrowed as she forced herself upright. "You," she hissed, her voice trembling with equal parts fear and fury. "What did you do to me?"
Her body swayed slightly, the strength in her legs threatening to give out, but she didnât drop. Not yet.
Aiden let out a low chuckle as he slowly circled her like a predator. "You think you can humiliate me in front of everyone and walk away?" he sneered. "I donât think so."
Vanessaâs hands curled into weak fists. Her limbs felt sluggish, as if her body was moving through water. Whatever was in that drinkâit was working fast. She couldnât fight like this.
"You spiked the drink," she said through gritted teeth.
"Now youâre catching on." Aidenâs hand reached for her, brushing along her hair, trying to grab a hold of it, but before he could make full contact, Tony grabbed his arm and yanked him back.
"The hell are you doing?" Tony said sharply, eyes wide. "We said weâd make him look bad. Embarrass him. Not this."
Aiden ripped his arm away. "What does it look like Iâm doing?"
Tonyâs face twisted. "This wasnât part of the plan. You didnât say anything aboutâabout this shit. Iâm not a part of that."
Aiden scoffed and took a step back, folding his arms. "Then leave. No oneâs stopping you. Or you can stay. Join in the fun."
Tony looked at him like he didnât recognize the man standing in front of him. "Youâre sick."
Vanessa had stumbled back against the wall, using it for balance as she listened. Her breath came in short gasps, her vision starting to blur, but she held on. Her heart pounded like a drum. Every second that passed made her more vulnerable.
Aiden turned back toward her slowly, malice in his eyes.
"You shouldâve just been polite earlier. All of this... couldâve been so much easier."
Vanessaâs knees buckled slightlyâbut before she hit the ground, the heavy door to the bathroom slammed open.
The sound echoed through the tiled room like a gunshot.
Aiden turned around just in time to see a figure step through the door with a terrifying calmnessâwhite strands in his hair, mask still on, his eyes sharp as steel.
Liam.
His eyes locked with Vanessaâs, and that was all it took. He didnât hesitate. No questions, no pause.
Liam moved.
It was just a step forwardâbut in a blink, he was standing right in front of Aiden.
Aiden froze.
His entire body locked into place as Liamâs hand wrapped around his throat with terrifying precision. His brain screamed at him to run, to move, to breatheâbut Liam had already lifted him off the ground. His fingers dug into Aidenâs neck like iron, and the taller man dangled helplessly in the air, legs flailing, mouth open, gasping soundlessly.
Tony backed away instinctively, pressed against the tiled wall, eyes wide with shock.
Liamâs eyes were cold. Icy. Focused. He could have killed Aiden in a second.
And for a momentâit looked like he might.
The sound of strained breath, the twitch of Aidenâs face turning redâit was all too satisfying. Liamâs jaw tensed as he began to twist, but then... he stopped.
With a controlled breath, he released his grip.
Thud!
Aiden hit the ground, coughing violently, eyes watering, body convulsing as he tried to suck in air. The helplessness, the fearâit was all over his face.
Liam didnât say a word. He just stepped forward and drove a swift, brutal kick into Aidenâs stomach.
Crack.
The man slid across the bathroom floor like a broken puppet.
"Piss off," Liam growled.
Tony didnât hesitate. He dashed over, pulled Aiden up as best he could, and half-dragged him out of the room without looking back.
The second the door slammed shut, Liam turnedâhis eyes snapping to Vanessa.
She was leaning against the wall, one arm clutching the opposite elbow, her legs clenched tightly together, her breaths shallow. Her whole posture screamed distress. Panic.
"Vanessa!" Liam crossed the distance and held her shoulders gently. "Are you okay?"
She slowly lifted her head. Her face was red. Her pupils were dilated. Sweat clung to her forehead despite the cold air of the tiled room.
Thenâshe pulled off her mask.
And whispered, "Itâs hot..."
Liam blinked. "What?"
Before he could ask again, she collapsed into himâhugging him tightly, her fingers gripping the back of his shirt. She trembled against him, and the heat from her body was impossible to ignore.
Liamâs mind raced. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.
He could feel how weak she was. She wasnât just panicked. Her body felt... off. Overheated. Shaky. Her skin was burning up.
DING!
Analyzing biological vitals of: [Vanessa Carter]
Core Temperature: 39.4°C (Elevated)
Heart Rate: 131 BPM (Elevated)
Blood Pressure: 142/93 (Elevated)
Neurological Scan: Stimuli hypersensitivity detected
Abnormal chemical presence detected in bloodstream.
Substance Class: Neurological stimulant / aphrodisiac compound
Effect: Heightened sensory perception, increased physical sensitivity, accelerated pulse, inhibition suppression, induced euphoria
Warning: Subject has been drugged with a potent arousal-inducing compound. Immediate physical exertion or stress may exacerbate symptoms.
Countermeasure: Cold exposure or sedative agent recommended. Estimated duration of effect: 2-3 hours (without antidote)
Liamâs jaw tightened.
Those bastards.
They had slipped something into her drink. Something specifically designed to make her vulnerableâthis vulnerable. And she didnât even realize what it was until now.
He looked down at her again. She was breathing into his chest, gripping him tightly as if her body couldnât decide whether it wanted to collapse or cling to him forever. Her red lips parted again, and he could feel the tremor in her breath.
She didnât even understand what was happening to her.
But he did now.
"Vanessa," he said gently, brushing her hair away from her face, "youâre okay. Iâve got you."
She nodded against his chest, though her body remained tense, flushed.
"We need to get out of here. Quietly."
He wrapped his arm around her, steadying her weight without making a scene, then lifted her slightly. Her legs didnât resistâshe let him guide her, burying her face in the side of his neck.
Liamâs thoughts were racing. If two random dudes could do this to her, then there might be more victims. But right now, none of that mattered.
He had one priorityâand that was getting her the hell out of there, before her condition attracted the wrong attention again.
Liam stepped out of the bathroom and into the hallway with Vanessa in his arms, her body still hot to the touch. He moved with silence, weaving past open doors, staying low and unnoticed.
The moment he reached the rear of the mansion, he didnât hesitate. He looked around onceâcalculating distance and visibilityâthen he stepped out into the night air.
Circling around the house to find Dickson wasnât an option. Not now. They couldnât drive out of hereânot without causing a scene or drawing attention.
So Liam crouched, adjusted his grip on Vanessaâs body, and bent his knees.
Thenâhe leapt.
The force of his jump sent a gust of wind downward, and before his feet even touched the other side of the estate wall, wings burst from his back, shimmering faintly in the moonlight. With a powerful flap, he lifted higher, the air humming around him.
Vanessa clutched tightly to him even in her haze, instinctively holding on. She didnât say a wordâher body still trembling, face flushed.
Within three minutes, he reached the edge of the city where the old factory stood. He flew in through the back loading dock and landed silently. The moment his feet touched the ground, his wings vanished into thin air with a sharp flick of energy.
He carried Vanessa inside and gently laid her on the couch inside one of the rooms she formed there. Her breathing was still unsteady, and her eyes fluttered open only halfway. She looked dazed, vulnerableâbut aware.
Liam crouched beside her, searching her face again for signs of improvement.
She was still flushed. Still biting gently on her lower lip, as if trying to suppress something. The same tension filled her body, her knees lightly drawn together, one hand gripping the edge of the couch like it was grounding her.
ThenâLiam removed his mask.
And everything changed.
Vanessaâs eyes snapped fully open the moment she saw his face. The restraint she had been clinging to cracked in an instant. Her hand shot forward, grabbing his shirt, yanking him closeâand before Liam could speak, her lips crashed into his.
It was sudden.
Hot.
Desperate.
She kissed him like he was the only thing that mattered in the world.