I held my chest, trying to calm my beating heart. I'd been waiting at the dining table for half an hour when a shatter echoed from the other side of the mansion. Cade instructed me to stay put while he checked things out, only to return a few minutes later with an unreadable look on his face.
He seemed distant, lost in the sea of his own thoughts as he stationed himself beside me. I remained quiet, unsure what to say or do while a set of footsteps resonated from the end of the hallway connecting the entrance to the dinner room. Gazing up, I spotted Alexandra calmly approaching us, curly red hair bouncing beautifully over her shoulders. Her cherry red lips lifted into a warm and welcoming smile, which I returned with a shy but thankful grin.
"I see you two have met!" She chirped happily, hoisting herself into her tiptoes to kiss Cade's lips. Then, wrapping her arms around his, she turned to me. "Sorry about the long wait hun, Xavier and Jace had a little..." Muffled words shouted from above turned our heads away. Alexandra sighed loudly. "Quarrel. I'm afraid he won't be seeing you today."
My heart lightly jumped with joy at her words as a bud of hope bloomed in my chest but I was quick to keep my emotions tamed. Cade and Alex exchanged a glance which seemed to echo my concerns, switching quickly to a warm smile as they invited me to stand.
"I will be escorting back to your mother once you've finished changing." Cade added as he bowed swiftly, mirroring that of a butler.
I was taken aback by the gesture, but ultimately reassured I wouldn't have to find my way through the village's streets once again.
"You're not going anywhere." A voice hissed from the hallway, pulling our attention towards a storming Alpha Jace. As he approached, I detected a strong smell of fear, anger and overall testosterone emanating from every inch of his skin- he seemed about ready to tear someone's face off!
I was quick to sit back on the chair, feeling my legs turn to jelly as he approached me, his glare turned to lazers burning through my soul. I couldn't bring myself to look up, compelled to avoid his gaze at all costs. Even then, my chest felt crushed under some invisible force as if some entity was about to burst through my rib cage.
Alex gave out an exasperated sigh. ''Jace the poor girl barely knows her way around, escorting her home is the least we can do.
- My bodyguard isn't going anywhere, and neither is she.'' His eyes bore into my skin, turning towards me with venom filled words. ''Father requested she remain home until further notice. Until then, not a word to the pack.
- And what exactly do you intend to do with her in the meantime, hm?'' A croaking voice rose from behind me, ripping a surprised squeal from my throat. Ignoring my reaction, the cloaked figure hobbled its way around me, enveloping the room with the scent of lavender, oats and citrus. An elderly lady revealed herself, long, silver hair cascading down to her chest when she pulled down her hood.
"She cannot leave.
- She can't be locked up either, Jace.
- To have the daughter of that traitor in this house is bad enough of a stain on this family, fath- I will NOT tolerate anymore."
I swallowed thickly, feeling my pulse skyrocket at the very clear mention of my father. A sudden wave of anger washed over me, storming at the back of my mind. Why does everyone seem so intent on hating me for what my father did? I never even met him! What do I have to do with all this...?
Anger turned to fear. Does he intend to punish me for my father's crimes?
''Let me speak to Xavier, he knows better than to question his Healer's words. In the meantime...'' It was the old lady's voice that pulled me out of my head, turning my attention to her when she gently placed her hand on my shoulder. ''Cade. Be a dear, can you cook us something to eat? What would you like to eat sweetheart?''
The old lady gave me a soft, comforting smile and for the first time of the day, I felt my anxiety melt away, replaced by a mysterious peace of mind.
''I... Is a steak too much to ask? I could eat a deer!'' A joyful laugh burst from my lips, surprising myself from the sudden change of humor.
The lady laughed in return. ''Of course! Alex and Cade will take good care of you.''
We were shooed away from the rroo with a swift motion from the lady's hand and before I knew it, I found myself standing in the hall with Cade and Alexandra, still processing what had happened. Gentle arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me towards the kitchen as laughter bounced across the hall.
''Come! Come!'' Alexandra chimed, boasting the widest grin I'd ever seen. Entering the kitchen, she placed near the marble aisle in the center before she scooted over to the fridge and cabinets. I couldn't help but watch intently, wondering what the heck she was doing, but honestly, it was pretty cute to see Alexandra with such pep in her step.
Cade seemed to enjoy the scene too as his shoulders jumped with a soft laugh. "She loves to cook." I smiled in reply, watching with glee as I caught myself thinking perhaps we could become friends; mother had taught me how to fend for myself pretty early on which led me to develop somewhat of a fascination for cuisine overtime; when your diet was inclusively made of wild mushrooms, rabbit meat, berries and an occasional deer, you learn to be creative with what little ingredient you have.
''Could I help?
- Of course sweetheart! Do you have anything in mind?''
Within the hour, I'd diced some mushrooms, basil and garlic, then whipped up a nice, creamy sauce in a pan. The sauce had nearly burnt to a crisp though since I wasn't accustomed to the oven's quicker heating time; the sauce had bubbled and spewed out of the pan, leaving a small quantity untouched. We were originally planning to make fresh risotto, but with no pasta in sight nor much sauce left, I instead turned to a nice tomahawk Alexandra had pulled from the fridge. I was quickly absorbed into my craft, nearly forgetting Cade and Alex were around me as I whipped out extra ingredients to turn our pasta sauce into a nice creamy gravy. With a touch of dijon mustard, chicken broth and a little salt and pepper, dinner was served!
The tomahawk sizzled delightfully on the grill as I basted the meat a few times before I transfered the whole into a large pplat then drizzled the gravy on top as I hummed my favorite tune. Two heads curiously leaned over my shoulder, practically drooling at the plate with envy in their eyes. They each took a fork and poked into the tender meat, speechless as they brought their bite to their mouths. Noticing their starring gazes, my cheeks became red with a an embarrassed blush.
"It's nothing much but... You learn to be creative when you have little to work with." I fell silent as they chewed and eyed each other silently.
"Mmh. Wow!" Cade nodded, swallowing his large bite. "This is good.
- Good?" Alex nearly choked between her mouth full of food. "This is amazing!" She turned to me with star filled eyes. "Who thought you to cook this way?
- My mother thaught me the basics." At this point, my entire face had turned as red as a tomatoe. "I had a lot of time on my hands so I'd often mess around with recipes and make my own."
A somber silence sliced into the conversation, urging Cade and Alexandra to exchange another glance at each other. She sighed before turning towards me.
"Why don't you take a nice little walk in the garden? Cade can lead you while I..." She paused, knuckles cracking as her fists tightened. "I'll have a little talk with Jace, get you on your way home."
My arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her into a tight hug as I squeaked out a happy yes. Alexandra smiled, hugging me in return. I think I thanked her a thousand times before I let go, embarrassingly clearing my throat.
"Thank you.
- My pleasure. Go on and have fun. I'll catch up with you later."
Heals clicking against the cold floor, Alexandra left the kitchen as Cade offered me his arm, his warm, welcoming smile crowning his lips once more. Hooking my arm around his, we walked out of the kitchen and continued down a long Hall, retracing our steps before passing through a small room at the far back of the mansion. He opened a pair of sliding doors and sunlight poured into my pupils, rendering me blind for a brief moment.
As my eyes adjusting to the light, I was greeted by a rainbow of colors and smells; we'd stepped into a magnificent rose maze.
-*-
Thank you very much for your patience readers. Times have been incredibly difficult back home which have allowed us little time to write.
Merry Christmas and see you all soon :3