Chapter 8: Play Your Part

“Well, are you ready?” Aidan’s voice was low but steady, his gaze fixed on the man who had just entered the bar.

I blinked, trying to process everything at once. The soft hum of conversations, clinking glasses, and the scent of spiced rum filled the air, but none of that mattered. Not when Aidan’s expression had suddenly turned so serious.

I leaned in slightly. “Who is he exactly?” I asked under my breath, eyes still on the tall figure walking toward the counter like he owned the entire place.

Aidan’s jaw tightened. “That’s Vaughn. Son of one of the elder council members. He’s always believed the Alpha title should go to someone from his bloodline, not mine.”

I tilted my head. “But… he’s not the Alpha’s son.”

“No,” Aidan muttered, “but his family’s powerful. Influential. And they’ve always hated the fact that my father chose me over any of the council’s picks. This fake engagement? It’s going to rattle them.”

“Great,” I sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “And here I thought I could enjoy one peaceful drink.”

Aidan gave a small smirk. “Welcome to my world.”

Vaughn turned just then. His eyes locked on us, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face. It only lasted a second before he started walking toward our table.

“Okay,” I whispered, sitting up straighter, “remind me again—how do I look like someone madly in love with you?”

“Just pretend you like me,” Aidan whispered back. “And maybe smile like I just told you I’m going to buy you a castle or something.”

I rolled my eyes but forced a sweet, almost smug smile onto my lips. “I swear, if this guy ruins my evening, I’m putting garlic in his shampoo.”

“You’d be doing the pack a favor,” Aidan muttered, then cleared his throat. “Vaughn. What a surprise.”

Vaughn’s smug grin grew as he approached our table. “Aidan. Fancy seeing you here… and with company.”

His eyes shifted to me, sharp and calculating. “And who might this be?”

I stood up slowly and extended my hand with the most polite smile I could muster. “Roxanne. Aidan’s fiancée.”

Vaughn’s expression froze for half a second before recovering. “Fiancée, huh? Well… that’s new.”

“We like to keep things exciting,” I said lightly, leaning just slightly toward Aidan.

He wrapped his arm around my waist, playing the part perfectly. “It’s official. Thought it was time to stop hiding it.”

“Hmm,” Vaughn said, clearly unconvinced. “The timing is… interesting.”

“Oh, I’m sure it is,” Aidan said, his tone just the right balance of cool and sharp. “But you know how love is. Hits when you least expect it.”

“Right,” Vaughn murmured, still staring at me. “And where did the two of you meet again?”

I opened my mouth, but Aidan beat me to it. “At a gathering in the French Quarter. She was wearing this ridiculous red hat and kept calling me ‘wolf boy.’ I couldn’t let her go after that.”

I blinked at him, almost forgetting to stay in character. Red hat? Wolf boy?

Vaughn looked from Aidan to me, his brow lifting like he smelled something fishy. “Hmm. I’m sure the rest of the council will be very… intrigued.”

“Well,” I said, giving him a pointed look, “they’ll have a lot to celebrate soon. We’re planning something special.”

His jaw clenched ever so slightly. “Can’t wait.”

Then he turned and walked away, his boots clicking against the wooden floor.

As soon as he was out of earshot, I dropped back into my seat and let out a breath. “Well. That was fun.”

Aidan chuckled. “You did great. Especially the red hat part.”

“You are never living that down.”

He smirked, leaning forward. “You kind of liked it.”

“Nope.”

We both went quiet for a beat, the fake smiles dropping as reality settled in again. I looked over my shoulder. Vaughn was watching us from the bar, eyes narrowed.

“They’re going to start digging,” I whispered. “Trying to find cracks in our story.”

“I know,” Aidan said. “That’s why we need to make this perfect. From now on, eyes will be on us. Everywhere.”

I swallowed. “You think they’re going to try something?”

“Definitely,” he said. “And soon. But we’ll be ready.”

A shiver crawled up my spine, not from fear, but from the weight of what we were stepping into. The plan was simple on paper—pretend to be in love, fool the pack, and gain power—but the more we played this game, the more dangerous it was becoming.

Still, I looked at Aidan and nodded. “Then let’s do it.”

But even as I said it, I couldn’t shake the feeling in my gut.

We weren’t the only ones playing this game.

And someone, somewhere, was already planning their next move.

And just as I turned to leave the bar with Aidan, I caught Vaughn whispering into his phone—his eyes locked on me like he already knew something we didn’t.

Outside, the warm New Orleans night wrapped around us like a velvet cloak. Streetlamps flickered to life and music floated through the air from a band playing on a corner. Aidan walked beside me, hands tucked into his pockets, gaze distant.

“You want me to walk you home?” he asked.

I gave a soft smile. “Nah. I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”

He paused. “Somewhere important?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just… something I need to take care of.”

He looked like he wanted to ask more, but thankfully, he didn’t. “Alright. Call me if anything happens.”

“I will.” I started to walk away but turned back. “Oh, and Aidan?”

“Yeah?”

“You pulled off the wolf boy story a little too well.”

He chuckled, then turned the other direction.

Once I was sure he was gone, I ducked into the shadows, slipping into an alley that led to the quieter part of town. I moved quickly, weaving through backstreets until I reached a nondescript red brick building nestled between two abandoned stores. From the outside, it looked like a closed-down laundromat, the windows dusty and dark.

But I knew better.

I knocked on the side door—four short taps, a pause, then two more. The lock clicked, and the heavy steel door swung open.

Inside, the air shifted. Sterile lighting buzzed faintly overhead. Monitors lined the walls, surveillance feeds flickering with images from all over the city. Maps, weapons, and files cluttered long steel tables. This was one of our many hideouts—a skeleton cell, cold and efficient.

Home.

“Roxanne,” a deep voice called from across the room.

I looked up and spotted Jackson, standing by a weapons rack, arms crossed. His dark eyes narrowed in that usual calculating way. Tall, broad-shouldered, and always two steps ahead—he was both our leader and our best hunter.

“Took you long enough,” he said, walking toward me.

“I had to make a stop,” I replied calmly, pulling my jacket off.

He raised an eyebrow. “With your new fiancé?”

I smirked. “He bought it. Hook, line, and sinker.”

Jackson’s expression didn’t change, but I could see the flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. “So, he believes the story? That you're engaged to him to help track down a rogue?”

“Completely. He thinks I’m using the fake engagement as a cover to hunt the rogue that killed that tourist two weeks ago.”

Jackson nodded slowly. “Good. That gives us time. The deeper you’re in, the more access you’ll have. But Roxanne…” His voice hardened. “He must never find out the real reason.”

“He won’t,” I said firmly.

“Because if he does,” Jackson continued, stepping closer, “this whole operation falls apart. And we both know what happens then.”

I met his gaze without flinching. “I won’t let that happen.”

Jackson studied me for a second, then gave a short nod. “Good. Keep playing your part. Gain his trust. The council’s watching him, but you’re our way in.”

As I turned to head deeper into the hideout, a monitor on the wall beeped loudly. One of the junior agents hurried over, adjusting the feed.

Jackson and I both stopped in our tracks when the screen flashed.

It was a live street cam.

The image zoomed in.

A body lay sprawled across a dark alley. Blood pooled beneath it, soaking into the pavement. But it wasn’t the gore that chilled me.

It was the symbol carved into the wall behind the body.

A circle with three claw marks through the center.

My chest tightened.

Jackson’s eyes narrowed. “That symbol… it hasn’t been used in years.”

I nodded slowly, heart pounding. “It means one thing.”

He looked at me grimly. “The rogue you’re pretending to hunt… might not be the only one out there.”

And as the camera panned slightly, the screen flickered—just long enough to catch a shadowy figure

standing on the rooftop above the body, watching... before vanishing into thin air.