Chapter 173
Lynette's POV
Kael stood in my doorway, one hand braced against the frame.
"You should rest," he said. His voice was quieter than usual. Almost gentle.
I nodded. Didn't trust myself to speak.
His amber eyes held mine for a long moment. Like he was trying to read something in my face.
Then he stepped back into the hallway.
"Lock the door," he said. "And Lynette—"
"I know." I met his gaze. "If anything happens, I'll call you."
He studied me for another second. Then nodded and walked toward his own room.
I watched him disappear inside 707 before I closed my door.
I locked the door behind me. The click echoed in the empty room.
My hands moved automatically. Check under the bed. Behind the curtains. Inside the closet. Every corner.
Nothing.
Either they were too good at hiding surveillance, or this room was actually clean.
I dropped my bag on the couch and sat down hard. My legs were shaking.
Stop it.
I pressed my palms flat against my thighs until the trembling stopped.
I shrugged off my jacket and checked my equipment.
The belt was still secure around my waist. I adjusted the buckle, making sure the sharpened edge faced outward. Easy to reach.
The pen Drake gave me was clipped inside my jacket pocket. I pulled it out. Tested the weight. The tip caught the light.
Drake's voice echoed in my head. "Aim for the throat or eyes. Don't hesitate."
I wouldn't.
I slipped the pen back into my pocket. The reinforced hairpins were already woven into my hair. Hidden but accessible.
Everything was in place.
My reflection stared back at me from the dark window. Pale. Tired.
I looked like someone who was about to do something stupid.
---
The bathroom was smaller than I expected. White tiles. Chrome fixtures. A mirror that showed too much.
I unpacked the small makeup bag I'd brought. Dark eyeshadow. Deep red lipstick.
My hand was steady as I lined my eyes. Thick. Dramatic. The kind that made you look dangerous instead of scared.
The lipstick went on next. Dark red, almost black in certain light.
I stared at myself.
The girl in the mirror looked older. Harder. Like someone who'd kill you and not lose sleep over it.
Good.
For a second, I saw something else. A flash of silver fur. Amber eyes. Snow stained red.
The North.
I blinked and it was gone.
Just me. In a bathroom on a ship full of people who'd sell me out for the right price.
I capped the lipstick and shoved everything back in the bag.
I stared at my reflection one more time.
Kael told me to rest. To stay in the room.
But I couldn't.
The auction started in two hours. Two hours to figure out who was selling what. Who was buying. Where Rezar would be.
Kael couldn't do this part. Not the way I could.
Everyone here knew his face. Knew his name. Harrington heir. Council ties. The moment he started asking questions, people would either lie or report back to his father.
But me?
I was nobody. A rogue wolf with no pack, no territory, no connections.
People talked around nobodies. Ignored them. Underestimated them.
That was my advantage.
And I couldn't use it sitting in this room.
I'd be back before the auction started. Before Kael even noticed I was gone.
Time to move.
I grabbed the silver mask Kael had given me. Held it up to the light.
Simple. Elegant. It covered everything but my mouth.
I tied it on. The silk ribbon pressed against the back of my head.
In the mirror, I looked like someone else. A stranger in dark makeup and silver metal.
Good.
That's exactly what I needed to be.
---
The elevator was empty when I stepped in. I hit the button for the first floor.
The doors started to close.
A scent hit me. Faint but familiar. Leather. Gun oil. Something else I couldn't name.
I knew that scent.
My hand shot out, stopping the doors.
They slid open again.
Someone stepped inside.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Black mask shaped like a demon's face.
My body tensed before my brain caught up. Every instinct screamed threat.
But the scent—
Cole.
The man turned his head. Just slightly. His eyes found mine through the mask.
Even with my face covered, he knew.
"Alpha?"
The voice was low. Rough. Unmistakable.
My heart slammed against my ribs. "There are cameras."
He went still. Then nodded once.
"Deck," he said. Barely a whisper. "Surveillance blind spot."
The elevator descended in silence.
I counted the floors. Seven. Six. Five.
Cole stood three feet away. Far enough to look like strangers. Close enough that I could see the tension in his shoulders.
The doors opened on the first floor.
I stepped out first. Didn't look back.
But I felt him following. Three meters behind. Far enough.
---
The deck was crowded. Voices mixed with the sound of waves against the hull.
I moved to the edge. Found the spot Cole meant—behind a stack of supply crates where the angle blocked the nearest camera.
He appeared thirty seconds later. Pulled off the mask.
His face was harder than I remembered. New scar across his jaw. Eyes tired.
"What are you doing here?" I kept my voice low.
"Same thing you are." He leaned against the crate. "Tracking Wild Hunt."
"Since when?"
"Since you disappeared." His jaw tightened. "I've been following their movements. Three months of surveillance. The trail led here."
I processed that. "How did you get on board?"
"Replaced a cargo handler." His voice was flat. "Found one who matched my build. Paid him to disappear for a few days. Used his credentials and scent-masking spray to get through the checkpoint."
That made sense. The guards would scan for unfamiliar scents, but if he smelled like cleaning chemicals and cargo—
"Once I was inside, I borrowed this from a storage room." He gestured to the mask. "Easier to move around as a guest than a worker."
I nodded. "We know Rezar took over. That's why we're here. But what is he doing here?"
Cole nodded. "The most aggressive one. He's been consolidating power. Fast."
My stomach tightened. "What's his connection to this auction?"
Cole's expression went grim. "That's what I came to find out. But I've picked up something else."
He pulled out his phone. Showed me a blurry photo. Two men in lab coats talking to someone I recognized—one of Rezar's lieutenants.
"Who are they?"
"Scientists. From a black market biotech firm." Cole swiped to another photo. "They've been working on something. Something specifically designed to target werewolves."
The air left my lungs.
"What kind of something?"
"I don't know the details yet." His voice was tight. "But according to my sources, it's gene-specific. "
My mind raced. A biological weapon. Targeted. Efficient.
Terrifying.
"When?"
"Tonight's auction." Cole met my eyes. "It's one of the items up for bid."
I gripped the railing. The metal was cold under my palm.
A weapon like that in Rezar's hands—
No.
Not just Rezar. Anyone at this auction could buy it. Use it.
Against us. Against packs. Against anyone with wolf blood.
"How sure are you?"
"Seventy percent." Cole's jaw was set. "But seventy percent is enough."
He was right.
I stared out at the gray water. My reflection stared back. Dark eyes. Red lips. A stranger's face.
"We need to find out what it does," I said. "Exactly what it does."
"Agreed." Cole straightened. "But Lynette—if Rezar's involved, this isn't just about money. He's planning something bigger."
I knew.
I'd known since the moment I heard his name.
Rezar didn't just want power. He wanted control. Total control.
And a weapon like this? It was the key.
"Keep digging," I said. "Find out who's selling it. Who's buying. Everything."
Cole nodded. Started to put his mask back on.
Then stopped.
"Be careful," he said. "This ship—everyone here is dangerous. But that weapon?" His eyes were dark. "That's something else."
I didn't answer.
Because he was right.
And because I was already scared.