Several minutes later…
Zane came down the hallway and into his father's office. Through his peripheral vision, he noticed Eleanor limping towards the kitchen. He ceased his steps and glanced at her, scowling.
'Can't she take a leave?' he hissed in his mind.
He wanted to punish her for her audacity just a few minutes ago. But when he noticed her limp, he became concerned.
"Oh… Now you are coming," a middle-aged woman snapped. "In just one day at work, you have already started showing up late."
Her sharp words made Zane furious. He wanted to rip her mouth apart. He lifted his leg to go to the kitchen but paused when he heard Eleanor apologizing, "I am sorry, Linde. I took a little time treating my leg injury. It won't happen again."
"Why is she apologizing?" Zane hissed, his eyes fiery.
Linde took a look at the bandage on her ankle. "Just because you were hurt doesn't mean you are free to show up late. I have been working in the kitchen since the morning. I am tired. You should prepare the food on your own. This is the punishment for being late. Humph…" She banged her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen.
Eleanor staggered but clasped the kitchen counter to keep herself from falling.
Zane glared at Linde's departing form. He took a step forward to follow her.
"Zane…" Lucas's voice from behind stopped him. When he turned back, he saw Lucas frowning at him.
"Alpha is expecting you in the meeting," Lucas snarled. "Are you coming or not?"
Zane groaned inwardly, scratching his head. "I am coming." He made his way to the office. "Why is she here?"
"Who?" Lucas gave him a sidelong glance, wondering who he was referring to.
"That new cook," Zane snarled. "Isn't she injured? Can't she take a leave?"
"Ugh…" Lucas groaned. "We are going to attend a crucial pack meeting. Can you stop thinking about her for a while?"
Zane came to an abrupt halt. "Are you implying I keep thinking about her?"
"Alpha is waiting for us, Zane."
"Huh…" Zane let out a frustrated groan and dashed into the office.
Lucas shook his head as he followed him into the office.
A few pack members, including the beta Caleb with Dimitri, were already present in the office. Zane glanced around at them before taking his seat. Lucas sat down beside him and bowed to Dimitri.
"We have all gathered here to talk about the recent increase in rogue attacks," Dimitri said. "A week ago, they kidnapped Zane. They didn't stop here. They continued invading the border. We will face a serious problem in the coming days if we do not deal with the issue quickly."
"These rogues attack frequently on the southern border," Caleb added. "That side is close to the Bloodlust Pack. We all know we are always up against Alpha Damien and his dominance over the packs in the valley. I doubt that he has something to do with the rising number of rogue attacks on us."
"Alpha Damien is cruel," a senior pack member chimed in. "He has a large number of soldiers. His allies are also growing day by day. Many alphas join hands with him out of fear. He doesn't care about the rules of the council."
"He is the council," Caleb snarled. "The council chief has no authority over him. He does what alpha Damien asks him to do."
While everyone was discussing how to deal with the rogues, Zane's mind raced towards Eleanor. He wanted to know if she was okay. He wished he could run out at once.
"First, we should stop the rogue attacks," Dimitri said in his alpha tone. "Zane and Lucas are in charge of dealing with the rogues. Increase patrols along the southern border." When he looked at Zane, he found him staring at the distance absentmindedly. "Zane..." he snarled, his eyes turning cold. "Are you paying attention?"
Dimitri's rumbling voice jolted Zane out of his reverie. He blinked at him, puzzled. He had no idea what Dimitri had said.
"My head hurts." He stood up and walked out.
Dimitri scowled at his departing form, his hands curling up into fists.
Connor had been sitting quietly for so long. He smirked as he noticed Dimitri's knuckles turning white. "Alpha… I think Zane is not fully recovered. You should let him rest for a few more days. Let me deal with the rogues."
Dimitri cast a sidelong glance at him, his face solemn.
"There is no need," Lucas asserted. "Zane is completely fine now. We dealt with the rogues this morning. I and Zane killed a group of 12 rogues. I believe everyone is aware of this."
"My team is also capable of dealing with rogues," Connor interrupted.
"We are not debating here whether you are capable or not," Lucas snapped. "Alpha has assigned us the responsibility of dealing with the rogues, not you. And we are doing our job properly. This morning's incident is an example of it."
"Quiet…" Dimitri roared, holding up his hand.
Both Lucas and Connor quieted down and directed their attention toward Dimitri.
"No one's duty is going to change," Dimitri grumbled. "Everyone is assigned to the tasks at which they excel. He gave Connor a warning look. "Zane and Lucas will continue dealing with the rogues. And you, Connor, should concentrate on your job of gathering information on Alpha Damien. It is an important task, and I will not tolerate negligence."
"I get it, Alpha." Connor bowed to him. He gritted his teeth, swallowing his anger.
Dimitri continued to discuss the other issues.
Zane went to find the alchemist. On the way, he saw a group of women laughing and chatting. When he heard someone mention Valeria's niece, he came to a halt.
"She thinks she will be spared from work. But she has no idea who she is dealing with." The woman laughed.
"You did a good job, Linde," another woman chimed in. "These youngsters are lazy. They would rather groom themselves than work."
"Do you know that she is injured?" Zane snapped as he walked over to the group.
All the women stopped talking instantly and turned to Zane, stunned.
"Is she injured, Linde?" Another woman asked with disbelief.
"Uh… I…" Linde stuttered and scratched her head, not knowing what to say.
"She is injured," Zane confirmed. "She was late because she was treating her wounds. But this vile woman left her cook alone instead of helping her."
All other ladies scowled at Linde, who bowed in embarrassment.
"You all…" Zane pointed at each of them. "Get back to work," he yelled.
Everyone turned around and ran away.
Zane rushed over and stood in front of Linde. "You…" He glared at her with a clear warning in his eyes. "Since you love working so much, you will cook by yourself until she recovers. If I see her cooking, I'll kick you out of the pack and force you to live as a rogue."
"No, no… I realize I made a mistake," Linde pleaded, dropping to her knees. "Please forgive me." She bowed to him, her hands folded over her chest.
"Go tell her to rest," Zane commanded.
Linde sprang to her feet and hurried to the kitchen.
Zane frowned as he watched her retreating form before going to the alchemist.