Knot The One They Want

Astrid Pov

"No. Home. That is where we are going!" I snap, my voice quivering with the weight of responsibility. For a fleeting second, I sound like a responsible adult, and I can almost imagine my mother beaming with pride if she heard me now. I grab Lorali’s wrist, my body physically exhausted from everything that happened tonight, and I can feel the sixteen full glasses of vodka crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

"No." Lorali stomps her foot against the pavement, crossing her arms with stubborn defiance. "If it’s not Gabriel’s house, I’m not going anywhere." Her eyes blaze with a newly found determination.

I drag my hands down my face, the gesture heavy with despair. I feel as though I’ve been placed—no, correction, I’ve placed myself—into an impossible situation. "No. You are drunk. We are going home. This party is over." The words spill out, and I groan inwardly. Gosh, I sound exactly like my mother.

"Ash... oh my god, it’s only six o’clock. How can you be ending the party already?" Win scoffs, her voice dripping with disbelief at my unusual bravado.

"I’m trying to be responsible here, Win!" I shout, my patience fraying. "If you haven’t noticed, this girl is extremely drunk, and her scent is everywhere. Unless you want to be hounded down by Alphas in the next five minutes, I need to get her into a room that’s closed off from the world."

Win stares at me, nodding vaguely, but I know she hasn’t heard a single word. She’s probably about to crash too. "But she has a plan for Jade’s situation," Win argues, her tone insistent. "Let’s just do it now. What’s the point of waiting until later?"

I open my mouth to respond, but Lorali’s voice cuts through the night, ringing sharp and clear. "Astrid, have you ever been cheated on? Or played by someone you loved?" She asks it while holding my hand with two fingers, her grip deceptively gentle.

"No. No one has cheated on me," I reply firmly, lifting a single brow with pride. "And I know better than to have a boyfriend or love any of my lovers."

Lorali nods slowly, her expression unreadable. "Then you wouldn’t understand. This is important. It’s now or never. Jade needs to get back at... whatever that guy’s name is. She needs to put her foot down, or this will never end, and he’ll forever walk all over her."

"Come on, Ash," Win chimes in, her voice coaxing. "She’s right. Let’s do whatever Lorali wants to do. Don’t be a party popper like your mom." It’s those last words from Win that break me. My resolve crumbles, and I give up with a huff. "Alright. Whatever. Let’s go pay Gabriel a visit."

The cheer that erupts is deafening. Even Jade, still crying, manages to raise her voice in celebration. Tears streak her face, but she’s smiling through them, her grief momentarily eclipsed by the promise of vengeance. In all my thirty years of living—yes, thirty, though people always assume I’m younger because of my reckless way of living—I swear Jade never ceases to surprise me. And I’ve known her for fifteen years.

Thirty whole minutes later, when the stars are beginning to scatter across the sky, we finally arrive at Jade’s future ex-husband’s house. I don’t even know what to call him anymore—husband, traitor, enemy—but to put it simply, we arrive at Gabriel’s mansion.

His house is a sleek, two-story modern build, the kind that somehow manages to project humility and simplicity despite its obvious wealth. Those are the two things Gabriel is known for among the players, and even my father respects him for it.

My father. Goddess, I forgot about my father. He’s going to kill me if he finds out what we’re about to do. If this gets too dramatic, if one of his players ends up unable to skate next season because of me, I’m screwed. The last thing I need is to be dragged into trouble with him and then forced into a pack match. I can’t do that. I won’t.

"Lorali, what’s the plan again? Because we all just drove over here to Gabriel’s house, and none of us has a clue what we’re actually supposed to do," I say nervously, praying she doesn’t suggest something extreme.

Lorali turns to me, her eyes wide with a terrifying kind of clarity that slices straight through my vodka-soaked brain. "The plan, Astrid? It’s simple. We burn his life down, just like he burned Jade’s heart."

Before I can even process the absurdity of her words, she’s already opening the car door, stepping out into the cool evening air with the confidence of someone who believes the universe bends to her will. I scramble out after her, my legs heavy, the sixteen glasses of vodka dragging me down, my motor skills barely functioning. Win and Jade tumble out behind us, both looking bewildered, their faces caught between disbelief and reckless anticipation.

"Wait, Lorali, hold on!" I yell, stumbling over the curb as we step onto the manicured lawn of Gabriel’s modern mansion. "You can’t just say ’burn it down’! What does that even mean?" My voice cracks, panic rising. Am I being out-crazied? This is the first time in my life that’s ever happened.

Lorali ignores me completely. Her sharp gaze locks onto Jade, who is still sniffling, her mascara smeared into black rivers down her cheeks. "Jade," Lorali commands, her voice dangerously calm, the kind of calm that makes my stomach twist. "I need you to go around back. Find a hose pipe. Bring me multiple buckets. And if the gas line is accessible or if you can get inside, turn the gas on. If Gabriel is home, make sure he doesn’t see you."

Jade blinks, her confusion obvious, but the alcohol in her system makes her nod without hesitation. "A hose... buckets... and the gas? Okay... okay, I think I saw a hose by the garage." She scurries off, her movements clumsy, and I shake my head, dread pooling in my chest.

"Lorali, what the hell are you talking about?!" I demand, stepping in front of her, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Gas? A hose? This was supposed to be a prank, like writing ’cheater’ on his door, or maybe throwing eggs! If my dad finds out I helped vandalize a house, he’ll strip me of every privilege I have. I’ll be forced into a pack match before the week is over!"

"Relax, Ash," Win slurs from behind us, though even her voice carries a thread of doubt now. "She’s probably just... scaring him. Right, Lorali?"

Lorali doesn’t answer. She just stands there, staring at the front door of Gabriel’s mansion with a cold, unblinking intensity that makes my stomach twist. God, my head hurts. I rub my temples frantically, trying to steady myself. I’m thirty years old. A grown adult. And yet here I am, letting a girl in her twenties lead what looks like a domestic terror attack on a hockey player’s house. Mother, I see why you are disappointed in me.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!