Talk - Chapter 2

Lavina's POV

"Archer, can we not talk about this?" I pleaded, but he just sighed, sinking into the couch and staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"To be honest, I came here intending to say the same thing," he confessed. His statement surprised me; Archer was usually the type to try to coax me into dating him, only to break things off when it didn't work out.

"Don't look so surprised," he advised, maintaining his calm demeanor.

"Good. You should know I won't speak about our... encounter," I reassured him. Archer looked at me momentarily, prompting me to ask, "What?"

"Didn't you have a mate? Kevin, wasn't it? So, you cheated on him with me?" he queried. The mention of Kevin's name stirred up a whirlwind of emotions.

"Kevin and I are no longer together, so I didn't cheat on him. Cheating seems to be your style, not mine," I retorted harshly. Archer remained silent, a look of guilt shadowing his face. A realization dawned on me. "Wait, did you cheat on someone?"

"Yeah, it technically seems to be the case. I'm engaged to a she-wolf," Archer admitted.

"Wow, so you cheated on her with me? You seriously are a pathetic jerk," I spat out, feeling the heat of anger wash over me.

"Hey, I haven't even met the woman yet. The engagement is a contractual agreement. I'm set to meet her today before we marry. It's an arranged marriage. I couldn't find a mate, and as an Alpha, I need to have an heir," Archer sighed.

"So, this is why you asked me to keep our little secret," I concluded. Archer simply nodded in response.

"I'll keep it under wraps. I don't want to be dragged into the news by speculation about dating just after my divorce from Kevin. The reporters are hounding me for the reasons behind our separation. To make matters worse, that jerk Kevin has come into the human realm with his new mate, flaunting their romance publicly just to make me look like a fool." I poured out my grievances, and Archer sat beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder. A wave of calm spread through my body. I didn't pull away; the warmth was too comforting. I reveled in the feelings that surfaced last night, realizing how much I had enjoyed his touch. It was a kind of power that even Kevin never possessed, and the strangeness of that fact didn't escape me.

"That jerk will pay for that. If you want, I can make sure of it," Archer proposed with a menacing tone that sent a chill down my spine. I knew how merciless Archer could be. The stories about how he dealt with rogue wolves who harmed his pack were gruesome. I gulped at the thought.

"I don't want to take any drastic steps. After all, I agreed to separate from Kevin, too," I replied calmly. "I must be patient and wait for a second, mate. Just like Alice found her happiness with James." I added with a small smile. Archer stared at me blankly for a second before nodding in understanding.

"Archer, I hope that the woman you marry, the one you take as Luna, receives loyalty from you. From here on out, if you don't, I'll make you pay dearly," I warned. Archer smirked at my threat and nodded his head.

"Well, now that we've had this discussion, we should move on with our lives and pretend like last night never happened," I suggested as I rose from the couch. Archer also stood up, his eyes warming as he took my hand.

"You're forgetting a promise, remember? I told you that if we ever met again and ended up sleeping together, I'd chase after you," Archer declared, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him.

"It was just a drunken declaration, Archer. Please, go marry a she-wolf and settle down," I advised, but Archer didn't respond. He swiftly exited my apartment, leaving an air of hurt and anger in his wake. I sighed deeply and began preparing for work. Glancing at my phone, I saw an article with a picture of Kevin and me, separated by a lightning bolt symbol—a public proclamation of our split. Such is the price of being a famous model and producer.

I climbed into my car and drove to my office, ignoring the barrage of paparazzi. Their insensitive questions, hinting that Kevin left me because I couldn't have a child, were downright rude. But in their eyes, a public figure like me had no right to privacy.

The echo of the paparazzi's invasive questions still rang in my ears as my secretary brought me a cup of coffee. "You should rest, Lavi," she said.

"I can't afford to rest. You know the movie is about to premiere, and I must be there. Plus, I have to review scripts for other projects," I explained while examining some documents.

After spending several hours engrossed in work, I was startled by a knock on the door. It was my secretary, Nancy. "Lavi, someone is here to see you."

"Who?" I asked.

"Your ex-husband Keenan. He says he needs to meet with you." A shiver ran down my spine. After the mate bond broke in the dragon realm, I hadn't seen him or even dared to look at the texts he had sent me.

"Send him in," I instructed. Nancy looked at me questioningly, as if asking one more time with her gaze if I was sure. I nodded in affirmation.