Chapter 3- I'm serious here

Six hours after her harrowing journey, Lily stormed into her best friend Cassandra’s room, irritation practically radiating off her. "Cassandra," she began, barely containing her frustration, "guess what happened to me on the way here?"

"I don’t care what happened to you, girl," Cassandra replied without looking up from her closet, where she was rifling through an explosion of glittering dresses. "We need to get dressed. The boys are already here, and we’re late!"

Lily threw her purse onto the bed with exaggerated flair. "You’re not even going to ask why I’m upset?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes but didn’t slow her search for the perfect dress. "Lily, we already spent hours on the phone dissecting the fact that your ex is gay. What could possibly be worse than that?"

"What’s worse?" Lily snapped, brandishing a crumpled piece of paper she retrieved from her purse. "This! A ticket. A ticket from some smug policeman who thinks he owns the world."

Cassandra barely glanced at the offending document. "OMG, really?" She arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "But... was he hot?"

Lily groaned, sitting heavily on the bed. "Cassy, I’m being serious! He’s ruined my week, and all you care about is whether he’s attractive?"

"Fine." Cassandra finally turned to face her. "Who’s this cop you’re talking about?"

Lily hesitated, her voice dropping to a furious hiss. "The same guy who sucked Gabriel’s d—"

Cassandra’s jaw dropped. "What?!"

"Now do I have your attention?"

"Absolutely! But you never mentioned Gabriel’s boyfriend was a cop!"

"How would I know? The guy bolted when I lost my temper yesterday." Lily grabbed a hairbrush from Cassandra’s vanity and began running it through her friend’s neon-pink hair. "But don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. I always have a plan."

Within minutes, the two had hatched a harebrained revenge scheme. Lily’s fingers flew across her phone screen as she scrolled through the local police precinct’s website. "This is what vengeance looks like," she muttered. "And his name is Sgt. Leon Anderson."

---

Hours later, the pair found themselves in The Wolves, an upscale pub dripping with opulence. Gold accents adorned the walls, the air hummed with low bass, and crystal chandeliers threw fractured light onto the sea of well-dressed elites mingling in tailored suits and designer gowns.

"Lily, you need to stop sulking," Cassandra said, her words slurring slightly as the tequila hit her system. "The boys are waiting, and you promised me fun tonight."

"I’m trying," Lily mumbled, sipping the strange green-yellow concoction in her glass. She glanced around the packed room, the cacophony of laughter and clinking glasses doing little to lift her mood.

It was a study in contrasts—sweaty bodies swaying to deafening electronic beats while polished professionals put on their best game faces for illicit flirtations. Lily’s tight red mini-dress wasn’t helping her blend in or avoid the lecherous gazes of tipsy men.

"This music is giving me a migraine," she muttered to Cassandra. "Techno is just drunk people yelling set to bass."

"Finally, something we agree on!" Cassandra quipped, rolling her eyes. "You’re such a prude, Lil. Gabriel robbed you of nightlife for ten months, and now you can’t even fake it for one night?"

Lily laughed despite herself, the sound quickly drowned out by a group of men who barged through the entrance, shouting and drawing attention. "Here comes trouble," Cassandra said, nudging her with an elbow.

Lily turned to see a group of rowdy, suited men making a grand entrance. Their chants of "Money! Money! Money!" drowned out the music as they laughed and shoved each other toward the bar.

"All hail the conquering heroes," Lily muttered sarcastically.

---

Meanwhile, across the room, Rhye Gosling sat nursing a beer in the VIP area. Dressed in a simple shirt and dark pants, he didn’t look the part of the club’s owner, and that was precisely how he liked it. His keen wolf senses picked up on every conversation within earshot, including a trio of men at the bar, loudly placing bets on which woman in the room would give them her number.

Rhye smirked to himself. Humans could be so predictable. His amusement only grew when he spotted a familiar face among the crowd—Lily, the scentless blonde who had accused him of being Gabriel’s "boyfriend" during their last unfortunate encounter. She was tipsy, glaring at her drink like it had personally offended her.

"Perfect," he murmured. Rising from his stool, he approached the group of men with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Mind if I join your little game?" Rhye asked, sliding a crisp $500 bill onto the counter. The men gawked at him in disbelief, but after a brief exchange of quips, they agreed to let him play.

Rhye’s target? None other than Lily.

"Watch and learn, boys," he said with a wink, striding confidently toward her.

---

Lily noticed him immediately, her hazy annoyance sharpening into recognition. "You," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Sgt. Leon Anderson, here to ruin another night of mine? Or are you just here for the free drinks?"

Rhye grinned, leaning casually against the bar. "Sweetheart, you’re drunk."

"Of course I am!" she shot back. "Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not every day I run into the guy who—"

He cut her off, lowering his voice to a playful rumble. "Careful, you’re going to make me blush."

Her irritation wavered, replaced by confusion and—if he wasn’t mistaken—curiosity.

"Let me buy you a drink," Rhye offered smoothly, signaling the bartender.

Lily hesitated. Her initial plan to chew him out fizzled as his charm began to work its magic. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the way his presence commanded the room, but something about him made her want to keep talking.

Cassandra, watching from a distance, smirked knowingly. "Well, this just got interesting."