Chapter 5: A Deal with the Alpha

AIDAN'S POV

"Hold up, what?"

I blinked, gripping my phone tighter. "You’re going to be my Luna now? A few hours ago, you were ready to slit my throat if I so much as looked in your direction."

Silence.

Then her voice came back, calm, deliberate. “Meet me at Copper Roast Café. 4 PM sharp.”

And just like that, the line went dead.

I stared at my phone for a long second before letting out a breath and sliding it into my back pocket.

“You look like someone just asked you to marry a vampire,” my best friend, Kyler, said, leaning against the doorframe of the pack house gym. His hair was messy, sweat still gleaming on his forehead. “What’s up?”

I grabbed a towel and wiped my face, still trying to process what just happened. “Roxanne. She called me.”

Kyler’s brow shot up. “The werewolf hunter?”

“The same one who nearly broke my jaw earlier today.”

“What’d she want?”

I tossed the towel aside. “To be my Luna.”

Kyler froze. “…what?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Told me to meet her at Copper Roast Café. Said she’s in.”

“Dude, no offense, but that sounds shady as hell.”

“Exactly!” I pointed at him. “That’s what I’ve been trying to say. A few hours ago, she told me she never wanted to see my face again, and now she’s volunteering to play Luna? Something is off. She’s not the type to just change her mind because of my dazzling charm.”

Kyler snorted. “Your charm is questionable at best.”

I shot him a look. “My point is, she’s got something planned. There’s more to this. I don’t know what her angle is, but I’m going to find out.”

“You sure you want to go?”

“I have to. If this is the only way I get my Alpha title—and if she’s really serious—then I need to hear her out.”

Kyler gave a small nod, eyes serious now. “Watch your back.”

“Always.”

---

ROXANNE POV

I was already at Copper Roast Café by the time the clock struck 3:47 PM.

A warm breeze drifted in through the open windows. The smell of roasted beans and cinnamon clung to the air. I stirred my coffee absentmindedly, the ceramic mug warm between my palms.

Then the bell over the door chimed.

Aidan stepped in, eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. He walked over, slow and sure, then slid into the seat across from me.

“Okay,” he said, his voice low. “I know there’s something behind this. There’s no way you just flipped from ‘I’ll kill you’ to ‘let’s be mates’ in a few hours. Or… am I just that charming?”

I rolled my eyes. “Please, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

A pause.

“You’re right,” I added. “There’s something more to this. And I’m going to tell you.”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowed with curiosity.

“After looking at everything,” I said, “I realized this could be a win-win situation.”

“How?”

“I’ve been tracking a rogue werewolf for months now. He’s been attacking people on the other side of town—locals. Innocent ones. They’ve been dying for weeks. I’ve been hunting him, trying to find a pattern. Turns out, it’s the same wolf behind every kill.”

Aidan’s jaw tightened, his gaze sharp.

“And after digging a little deeper,” I continued, “I found out that he’s part of the Nightblade Pack. Your people. Or at least, close to them. That pack’s been circling close to Crimson Park.”

His expression shifted. He sat back slowly.

“Oh,” he muttered. “I see where this is going. You want to use me to take down your guy.”

“Chill,” I said, raising a brow. “Just hear me out first.”

He folded his arms, waiting.

“I’ll be your Luna. I’ll help you claim your Alpha title—because I know you need to present a Luna to your pack to make that happen. No Luna, no crown. You get your title. In return, you help me take down the rogue.”

I paused. “It’s clean. It’s simple. We both win.”

He tilted his head. “Okay. I hear you. But why should I do what you want?”

I leaned in, locking eyes with him. “When you came to me, you knew exactly who I was. A werewolf hunter. But fate decided I was your Luna. You came to me anyway, asking me to be part of your life with all those fated mate bullshit. You started this. I’m just playing the game now, because I see how it can work in my favor.”

I sat back, arms crossed. “So… are we going to do this or not?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he exhaled and gave a slow nod.

“Okay. Fine.”

I blinked. “Wait, seriously?”

He gave me a look. “Look, I know we’re going to have to go through with a ceremony or something to make this legit to the pack. But under no circumstance are you allowed to fall in love with me. And don’t even think about marking me, Aidan. Don’t you dare.”

Aidan laughed—loudly. So loud that half the people in the café turned to stare.

“Did you think I was doing this for love?” he said between chuckles. “You really think I fell head-over-heels after seeing you once or twice?”

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, still grinning. “No. I need that Alpha title. There are people in my pack who would kill to keep me from getting it. Literally. This isn’t about romance, Roxanne. This is survival.”

I was a little taken aback, but I smirked. “Well, seems like we’re both on the same page then.”

He met my gaze. “Let’s do this?”

“Let’s do this.”

I took a sip of coffee. “Okay. So, if I’m going to be your Luna, I need to know some things about your pack. We also need a backstory. Something that proves we didn’t just meet in a parking lot and decided to play house. I need a solid story.”

Aidan looked around the café. “We can’t do that here. Let’s go somewhere else. I have a friend I want you to meet.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Who?”

“You’ll see. We’re going now.”

I glanced at my watch. “Do we have to?”

“The sooner we wrap this up,” he said, standing, “the sooner we can both put it behind us.”

I stood too. “Well, I do want this to end fast.”

“Then let’s go.”

I hesitated

only for a second. “Fine. Where are we going?”

He held the door open, casting one last glance over his shoulder.

“Just follow me.”