Kill him

Aveline POV

I already knew Lyla was going to eat this story up.

Everyone needs that one person. The one you run to when your life is falling apart. The one you can cry to, laugh with, rant to, gossip with... someone who never gets tired of hearing every tiny little detail.

Lyla was that person for me.

She always had been.

My own day one.

I stared up at the ceiling for a moment, wondering where exactly to begin.

"So..." I dragged out.

"How do I even start this?"

Lyla grabbed both of my hands immediately, practically bouncing where she sat.

"Girl, start anywhere!" she laughed. "Middle, beginning, end—I don't care. Just start talking before I explode."

I laughed.

"Easy. You're squeezing my hands like you're trying to juice an orange."

She immediately loosened her grip.

"Oh! Sorry."

Then she grabbed them again.

"But hurry."

I rolled my eyes playfully.

"You're impossible."

"I've accepted that."

I smiled to myself before taking a deep breath.

"So..."

"I met a stranger."

Lyla's eyes widened.

"...At a bar."

Her mouth slowly fell open.

"...The same night I found out Ethan was an asshole."

She slapped both hands over her mouth.

"Oooooh."

"I already love this story."

I couldn't help laughing.

"What was he like?" she asked before I could continue.

"Was he tall?"

"Mhm."

"Broad shoulders?"

"Very."

"Good jawline?"

I nodded.

"Oh my God..."

She dramatically clutched her chest.

"Was he your type?"

I smiled despite myself.

"He was... exactly my type."

She let out the loudest squeal.

"I knew it!"

"Girl!"

I laughed so hard my stomach started hurting.

"Will you let me finish?"

"Sorry."

She zipped an imaginary zipper across her lips.

"My mouth is closed."

Five seconds later...

"...Was he hotter than Ethan?"

"A thousand times hotter."

She gasped dramatically.

"A THOUSAND?"

I nodded confidently.

"Honestly..."

I shrugged.

"Ethan is starting to look ugly to me."

That sent both of us into another fit of laughter.

"Oh, that's heartbreak talking."

"No."

I shook my head.

"That's clarity."

She pointed at me.

"I like this version of you."

I smiled.

"So..."

"The stranger and I ended up talking."

"For hours."

"It felt..."

I searched for the right word.

"...Easy."

"There wasn't any awkward silence."

"No pressure."

"No pretending."

"He listened."

"Actually listened."

"Like every word I said mattered."

Lyla rested her chin on both palms.

"Awww."

"He made me laugh."

"And somehow..."

"I forgot I was having the worst night of my life."

I smiled absentmindedly.

"He was funny."

"Attentive."

"Calm."

"The kind of man that makes you feel like you're the only person in the room."

"Oh, Moon Goddess..."

I covered my face with both hands.

"He was gorgeous."

Lyla started kicking her feet on the bed.

"I can't breathe!"

"This sounds like something straight out of one of those romance books I force you to read."

I laughed.

"And then..."

I shrugged casually.

"That's it."

Her entire face dropped.

"...Excuse me?"

"I said that's it."

"No."

She shook her head dramatically.

"I refuse."

"You expect me to believe two ridiculously attractive people sat in a bar talking all night..."

"...and nothing happened?"

I bit my lip.

"...Well..."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Aveline."

I looked away.

"Aveline."

"I..."

"Aveline Hale."

I couldn't stop smiling.

She suddenly gasped.

"You kissed him."

I burst into laughter.

"Oh, you know me too well."

She screamed so loudly I nearly covered my ears.

"I KNEW IT!"

"I ABSOLUTELY KNEW IT!"

She grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me.

"Tell me everything!"

"It was just a kiss!"

"JUST?"

She looked offended.

"There is no such thing as just a kiss."

"It was..."

I slowly folded my lips inward as the memory replayed itself.

"...really nice."

Her jaw dropped.

"Oh."

"My."

"God."

"The way you're smiling right now..."

She pointed at my face.

"You look absolutely gone."

"I do not."

"You absolutely do."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Who is this man?"

I hesitated for a second.

Then smiled.

"Darius Draven."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Lyla blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I nearly dropped my yogurt.

"Lyla!"

She shot off the bed so fast she almost tripped over her own feet.

"No!"

She pointed at me.

"No!"

I laughed.

"What?"

"Stop lying!"

"I'm serious."

"No!"

"I am!"

She stared at me for several seconds.

"You mean..."

"The Darius Draven?"

"Yes."

"The Lycan King?"

"Yes."

"Darius freaking Draven?"

I nodded.

"Him."

She let out another ear-piercing scream before pacing around her bedroom.

"Holy Moon Goddess..."

"Holy Moon Goddess!"

She looked like she had just witnessed the end of the world.

"Aveline..."

"Do you even know who that man is?"

"I know he's the Lycan King."

"No."

She shook her head vigorously.

"You know the title."

"You don't know the man."

She sat back down in front of me, lowering her voice instinctively.

"Girl..."

"People don't just know Darius Draven."

"They fear him."

She held up one finger.

"Politicians."

"Fear him."

Another finger.

"Alpha Kings."

"Answer to him."

A third.

"Business moguls."

"Beg for meetings with him."

"And rogues?"

She laughed dryly.

"They hear his name and start praying."

I frowned slightly.

"I've heard stories..."

"You've heard the watered-down versions."

She leaned closer.

"Do you know there are entire packs that refuse to speak his name after dark?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"That's dramatic."

"I'm serious."

"They say if Darius Draven wants something..."

"...he gets it."

"No negotiations."

"No second chances."

"He doesn't threaten."

"He decides."

"And everyone else adjusts."

I stared at her quietly.

She looked me over from head to toe.

Then her expression softened.

She asked only one question.

"...Did he hurt you?"

I blinked.

Then slowly shook my head.

"No."

She frowned.

"He didn't."

I looked down at my hands.

"That's actually what scares me."

Her brows knitted together.

"He was..."

I smiled unconsciously.

"...kind."

"So unbelievably kind."

"He noticed I wasn't okay before I even said anything."

"He listened."

"He made sure I ate."

"He never once made me feel uncomfortable."

"He didn't push."

"He didn't force conversation."

"He didn't even try to flirt."

"He just..."

I smiled softly.

"...treated me like I mattered."

Lyla watched me carefully.

Far too carefully.

Then she sighed.

"I don't like this."

I frowned.

"What?"

"A man like Darius Draven doesn't buy drinks for random women."

"He was just being nice."

She laughed.

Actually laughed.

"Oh, sweetheart."

She reached over and patted my knee.

"No."

"What?"

"No man who looks like that..."

"...is ever just being nice."

I rolled my eyes.

"Lyla..."

"I'm serious."

She folded her arms.

"Men like Darius don't have accidental encounters."

"They don't waste time."

"They don't invest attention without a reason."

"He wanted something."

"He didn't."

"He did."

"He was simply kind."

She snorted.

"Aveline."

"What?"

"He's the most powerful Lycan alive."

"And according to every woman with functioning eyesight..."

"...he's ridiculously handsome."

I smiled without meaning to.

"He is."

She pointed at me immediately.

"There!"

"That smile!"

"You smiled!"

I covered my face with a groan.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

“No wonder, yes I agree with you. He is actually so hot.” She said

“But I’m serious, he wasn’t that bad.”

She grinned.

"I think..."

She wiggled her brows mischievously.

"...the Lycan King likes you."

I threw a pillow straight at her face.

"Oh, shut up!"

She caught it effortlessly, laughing so hard tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

"You can deny it all you want."

She pointed at me again.

"But I'm telling you now..."

"Nothing about Darius Draven is ever random."

I bit down on my lower lip before looking up at her.

“So... do you hate him?” I asked cautiously.

Lyla looked at me like I'd just asked the dumbest question imaginable.

“Hate him?” She let out a short laugh. “Hell no.”

She shook her head.

“I don't hate Darius Draven. I'm just telling you the stories people tell about him.”

She leaned back against the headboard and shrugged.

“Whether every single one of those stories is true or not, I don't know. But his reputation? Girl, that's very real.”

She nudged my shoulder with a grin.

“And if you're asking whether I approve of him?”

She wiggled her eyebrows.

“I one thousand percent do.”

I laughed, shaking my head.

“Oh, let's not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Why not?”

“I actually hope I never cross paths with him again.”

Lyla stared at me for a solid three seconds before bursting into laughter.

“Oh, please.”

“What?”

“You're lying.”

“I am not.”

“You're absolutely lying.”

She pointed accusingly at me.

“The smile you had while talking about him? Girl, if he walked through that door right now, you'd forget your own name.”

I grabbed the nearest pillow and tossed it at her.

“Oh, shut up.”

She caught it effortlessly, laughing harder.

“You're blushing!”

“I am not blushing!”

“You are!”

“I am not!”

“You're smiling again!”

I immediately pressed both palms against my cheeks.

“Oh, Moon Goddess.”

She pointed triumphantly.

“Caught you!”

“You're actually impossible.”

“I've been told.”

I rolled my eyes before clapping my hands together.

“Anyway... enough about Darius.”

“Aww.”

“No.”

“A tiny bit more?”

“No.”

She sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

“So...” she said, sitting cross-legged again. “How did your lovely reunion with Mr. Human Trash go?”

I snorted.

“That nickname suits him.”

“I've got plenty more.”

“I don't doubt that.”

I adjusted myself against the pillows before letting out a long breath.

“Well... after I left the restaurant—”

“The restaurant?” she interrupted.

“You saw him there?”

“Mhm.”

“And?”

“And he followed me outside.”

Lyla's smile disappeared immediately.

“He followed you?”

“Yes.”

Her expression hardened.

“For what?”

“To talk.”

She folded her arms.

“I already don't like where this is going.”

I sighed.

“At first, he started rambling about power.”

She frowned.

“Power?”

“He was showing off.”

“His car.”

“His bodyguards.”

“His driver.”

“Oh God.”

“I know.”

“So I reminded him that money isn't the same thing as power.”

A grin slowly spread across Lyla's face.

“You did?”

“Mhm.”

“I told him real power isn't rented.”

“It isn't hired.”

“And it definitely isn't parked outside a restaurant.”

Lyla slapped the bed.

“You said that?”

“I did.”

“Oh, I would've paid money to watch his face!”

I laughed.

“It got better.”

“I pointed at his bodyguards and told him they were only standing behind him because he paid them.”

“Oh my God...”

“And I said if he stopped paying them today, they'd be protecting the next rich idiot tomorrow.”

Lyla threw her head back laughing.

“Aveline!”

“I wasn't done.”

“Oh, there's more?”

“I pointed at his driver and told him he wasn't loyal either.”

She clutched her stomach.

“Stop!”

“I can't breathe!”

“The funniest part?”

“What?”

“One of the guards almost laughed.”

She gasped dramatically.

“No!”

“He did.”

“And I swear the driver was trying so hard not to smile.”

She wiped imaginary tears from her eyes.

“I would've framed that moment.”

“But then...”

The smile slowly faded from my face.

Lyla noticed immediately.

“What happened?”

“He changed.”

Her brows knitted together.

“He started talking about my dad.”

The room suddenly felt quieter.

“He said...”

I swallowed.

“He asked whether my intelligence could somehow magically pay off forty-eight million dollars.”

Lyla's jaw clenched.

“He mocked my father's arrest.”

“He called us poor.”

“He said our entire family was beneath him.”

She looked like she was trying very hard not to punch the wall.

“That son of a—”

“I slapped him.”

Her mouth fell open.

“You... what?”

“I slapped him.”

Silence.

Then—

“You slapped Ethan Blackwood?”

“I did.”

“With this hand.”

I lifted my right hand proudly.

She grabbed it immediately.

“This hand deserves an award.”

I laughed despite myself.

“He looked so shocked.”

“I bet!”

“He couldn't believe I'd actually hit him.”

“I wish you'd hit him twice.”

“I almost did.”

She burst into another fit of laughter.

“And then...”

My smile disappeared again.

“He offered me something.”

Lyla frowned.

“What?”

“He said...”

I could still hear his disgusting voice echoing inside my head.

“He told me that after marrying Vivienne...”

I looked away in disgust.

“...I could become his secret mistress.”

The room went completely silent.

Lyla didn't move.

She didn't blink.

She simply stared at me.

“What?”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

“He said he'd pay my father's debt.”

“In exchange...”

“He wanted me.”

“He wanted to keep me hidden.”

“As his mistress.”

Lyla slowly stood up.

“So... let me get this straight.”

I nodded weakly.

“He cheats on you.”

“Yes.”

“Humiliates you.”

“Yes.”

“Insults your family.”

“Yes.”

“Mocks your father's arrest.”

“Yes.”

“And then—”

She pointed toward the door.

“—that absolute piece of garbage had the audacity to ask you to become his side woman?”

I sighed.

“Mhm.”

Lyla blinked once.

Then twice.

Then she calmly walked toward her bedroom door.

“Lyla?”

She ignored me.

She reached for the doorknob.

“Lyla...?”

She yanked the door open.

“Where are you going?”

“To prison.”

I frowned.

“What?”

She looked back at me with the most serious expression I'd ever seen.

“Because if I find Ethan Blackwood tonight...”

She cracked her knuckles.

“...I'm going to kill him.”

Before I could react, she stormed out of the room.

“Jay!” she screamed downstairs.

“Get me the car keys!”

My eyes widened.

“Oh no.”

I jumped off the bed and ran after her.

“Lyla!”

“You're not actually going to murder him!”

“I haven't decided yet!”

“You literally just said you were!”

“I said I'm considering it!”

“Oh, Moon Goddess...”

I took off after her down the stairs before she did something that would land both of us on tomorrow's front page.