Chapter 7: Rules of the Game
“What’s going on here?” I asked, eyes darting between Ethan and Elena like I’d just walked in on an awkward school play.
Elena narrowed her eyes at Ethan. “Well I definitely wasn't expecting to see you here.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow, lounging a bit too comfortably in his chair. “And I definitely didn’t expect you'll be Roxanne’s best friend. Small world ain't it?”
I looked between the two of them, confused. “Wait, hold on. You two know each other?”
Elena folded her arms and huffed. “Unfortunately.”
Ethan crossed his arms. “She spilled coffee on me and ran off before I could get her name.”
Her head snapped toward him. “I didn’t run off. You were weird and smug and—” she cut herself off, eyes narrowing.
“Okay,” I said quickly, stepping between them like a referee. “Time out. Can we just... breathe for a second?”
Aidan cleared his throat, awkwardly sitting back down at the table. “Wow. This is... spicy.”
I shot him a look, silently begging him not to make it worse. He lifted his hands like he surrendered and started sipping his drink.
I turned to my best friend again. “I didn’t know you two had met. I swear. I thought this was just going to be a quick intro so you could back up this fake engagement story and then we’d be done.”
Her lips twitched, but not in a smile. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll play along. I always do.” Her eyes stayed locked on Ethan as she said it, and I had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
Ethan slid his hands into his pockets and tilted his head slightly. “You’re pretty good at pretending, I’ll give you that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped.
Ethan cleared his throat dramatically. “Okay, okay. Back to business, children. I mean, ladies.”
Elena shot him a glare. “Don’t tempt me.”
Aidan clapped his hands. “Alright, everyone. Focus. Roxanne, you said I should meet your best friend, just like you’ve met mine.”
Elena gave Aidan a polite smile. “Nice to meet you. You’re Aidan, right?”
Then she turned to Ethan, about to say something—and promptly rolled her eyes and looked away without another word.
Aidan tried to hide a grin. “Nice to meet you too. And before you walked in, Ethan and I already told Roxanne a few things about our pack.”
I nodded. “Yeah, and I also found out you’re next in line for Alpha of Crimson Pack.”
Elena nodded. “Yeah, I know the story. Fake engagement, mutual benefits, yada yada.”
Aidan looked impressed. “Okay, good. So, what’s the next step in our plan?”
Ethan leaned forward slightly. “Now that we all know each other—sort of—this will be our inner circle. No one outside this room should know anything about the fake engagement.”
“I agree,” I said, raising my hand like we were in a meeting.
Elena, Aidan, and Ethan all nodded.
Ethan continued, “The next big thing is for Roxanne to meet your father. If you guys want this done and dusted, you’ll need his approval.”
I blinked. “Oh. Great. No pressure or anything. Just going to walk into the house of the Alpha of one of the most powerful packs in New Orleans and convince him I’m the perfect girl for his son… while hiding the fact that I hunt his kind. Yep, sounds totally chill.”
Aidan laughed. “Calm down. We’ll come up with a story. Something clean and believable. My father’s sharp. One wrong word, and he’ll figure everything out.”
I sighed and leaned back. “Alright then. Tell me what I need to know.”
We spent the next hour trading stories, facts, likes, dislikes, everything. Aidan told me about his favorite food (steak—obviously), how he always leaves his room a mess (of course), and how he once got suspended for challenging a rival pack member to a race across the rooftops of the Quarter.
In return, I gave him the basics—what I’d say about my family, my fake job, how we met, and how we “fell” for each other. Elena added in her signature sass, correcting every line Ethan tried to deliver like this was some rehearsal for a school play.
“Say it like you actually like her, not like you’re trying to sell a used car,” Elena told Aidan at one point.
“Hey!” Aidan laughed. “I’m charming.”
“Not that charming,” she muttered.
By the time we were ready, it felt like we were going into a real undercover mission.
---
The house didn’t look like what I expected at all.
It was cozy, normal, warm even. A large cream-colored porch with rocking chairs. Potted plants by the front door. The kind of place you’d expect to find a sweet old couple baking pies.
“Well,” I said, standing next to Aidan as we approached the door, “this is definitely not what I imagined.”
Aidan smirked. “You expected something more… dark and ominous?”
“Honestly? Yeah. Maybe a full moon hanging overhead, a black gate that creaks, a few growls in the background.”
He laughed. “We’re not that dramatic.”
We stepped up to the door, and before I could knock, a sharply dressed butler opened it.
“Mr. Aidan,” he said with a small bow. “Welcome. The Alpha is expecting you.”
The butler led us inside and offered us a seat in a wide, elegant living room. Within moments, footsteps echoed down the stairs.
And then he appeared.
Aidan’s father looked nothing like the ruthless, fearsome Alpha I had imagined. He was tall, yes, and broad-shouldered—but his face was kind. A little weathered, with a short beard and soft eyes.
“So,” he said with a smile, “this is the girl who’s captured my son’s attention.”
I stood up quickly. “Roxanne. It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“Aidan’s told me a lot,” he replied, shaking my hand. “I’m Gregory. And please, none of that ‘sir’ stuff.”
The conversation was… surprisingly easy. Gregory was friendly, asking simple things—where I grew up, what I did for a living, how we met. We stuck to the story perfectly. Ethan and Jessica’s coaching had paid off.
But then came the question that made my stomach tighten.
“And your parents?” Gregory asked gently.
I swallowed. “They passed away when I was ten. Car accident.”
His expression softened even more. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I nodded, offering a faint smile.
Eventually, the meeting ended with a friendly handshake and a “You’re always welcome here.”
As we stepped out of the house, Aidan exhaled. “That went… way better than expected.”
“Way too smooth,” I muttered. “Something’s bound to go wrong.”
---
We decided to stop by a bar—not the fancy kind, just a quiet place with leather booths and dim lights. The four of us grabbed a booth in the corner to talk about everything.
Halfway through my drink, the door opened and a tall figure stepped in. His presence was like a shadow slipping through the room.
Aidan’s expression shifted instantly.
“Oh, shit.”
I turned my head. “Who is that?”
He stared ahead, jaw clenched. “Remember when I told you some people would do anything to keep me from becoming Alpha?”
“Yeah…”
“Well,” he said, eyes narrowing, “that’s one of them. And if he’s here, that means word’s already spreading. They know I brought you to see my father.”
My heartbeat picked up.
“Well, since he’s here,” Aidan said calmly, “I guess we’re just going to have to play the happy couple.”
I blinked. “Oh.... Wait—what?”
Aidan looked at me, his hand slowly reaching for mine across the table.
“Roxanne,” he whispered, lips barely moving, “are you ready?”