"What's going on here?"
Arisa beamed when she saw Ruby stuffing her face with food while happily swinging her legs underneath the table.
"Aisha cooked for me Mommy."
"Hey, hey.... It's Miss Aisha to you or Aunty, okay?"
Aisha's chuckle brought Arisa's eyes focused on her, noting that she had a hair net on now and was just finishing up with the dishes used for cooking.
"It's okay. I don't mind."
Arisa sighed as she walked up to the petite girl. "Thank you so much for making her Lunch, Aisha. I am really grateful."
"I just love kids a lot. Just keep me busy with her when I'm not doing anything myself and you don't have to owe me anything."
Arisa laughed heartily. "She's a handful you know? Are you sure you can keep up with her?"
"She reminds me of my little sister a lot. She'd be about the same age If she was still alive. She was so jovial and energetic that I was always pissed off... I never got to appreciate her presence in my life much."
Arisa's eyes softened hearing her words and seeing the misty look In Aisha's eyes as she stared at Ruby. But before she could say anything, Aisha turned to her with a smile. "Believe me when I can say I can... "
"I want MORRREEE..." Ruby's loud voice snapped them from their conversation, and as Arisa sighed, Aisha chuckled as she headed over to give her second helpings.
"Aren't you going to eat anything?"
"I'm not hungry. But you could help me by pointing out where the food stuffs are, the cutleries and every other thing I'd be needing to cook. Miss Olivia wants me to start as soon as possible."
"How soon?" Aisha threw a curious glance my way with furrowed brows.
"This night."
"Tonight?!" She exclaimed before moving to my side. "Are you sure you're up for it?"
"Yes. Why? You make it seem like I'd be doing the possible."
"Did Miss Olivia not tell you what the Alpha and Luna did to the last cook when she messed up dinner with their very important guest"
Noting the grave tone in her words, Arisa briefly turned to Ruby to ensure she was focused on her food before she leaned in close to Aisha to inquire.
"I heard she quit... just like most of the Omegas around here, and that's why they were desperate for new recruits."
Aisha shook her head. "Yes... some maids did quit, but It wasn't only because they were mistreated, paid poorly and Ignored, It was because, after the incident where the cook almost poisoned the guest by not leaving out one of the spices which he was allergic to, they... they boiled her in a big cauldron and locked her up inside till she screamed and cooked to death."
Arisa instinctively placed her hand over her mouth in shock, wide eyes filled with petrification. Aisha placed a finger over her lips and they simultaenously turned to see Ruby had barely paid heed to them and was still eating.
"They could have just fired her. She was bound to make a mistake like any other person." Arisa felt a chill run down her spine after hearing Aisha's words, but because she was scared of what Ravenna could do to her- she didn't plan all these only to be scared of someone she protected from bullies in middle school. She was just disgusted at what Ravenna was capable off. Yes, she was responsible for killing her, but has she become so heartless to the point of stooping this low?
Wasn't she worried for the sake of her child? With what they have rumored to become and the number of people that had gone rogue because of her and Stephan, they were bound to have many enemies, and It always worked in their favor when they had their child who was the heir of the pack and their vital point of threatening to do their bid.
"No one in several years had dared to challenge whatever she said, after all she was specially picked by the moon goddess for the throne after her sister had committed suicide."
A cruel, knowing smirk hung on Arisa's lips for a brief second before It disappeared like It had never been there, replaced by a feigned worried look, curiosity in her eyes. "What? You mean... she had a sister who was meant to rule this pack, and not her."
"Yes... rumors even had It that Alpha Stephan was her mate and had to move on with his second chance mate who happened to be Luna Ravenna."
Arisa just couldn't believe how the devils were able to twist everything to their favor. And since she had committed an atrocity back then, no one had even bothered to investigate her death.
She wrapped her fingers into a tight fist but forced a small smile at Aisha who was too bothered about her own tale that she hadn't noticed Arisa's expression and countenance change, she did notice the air around them thicken, but she wouldn't have suspected It was the woman before her.
"I think Ruby can be fine here by herself for a few sceonds. You can show me the foodstuffs and other things I'd be needing.."
"Ah yes... also, you'd need a list compilations of what everyone likes, doesn't, how they'd prefer something over the other and their allergies."
"I just need Ares's If that's okay."
Aisha gave her a strange look. "Are... you sure? The Alpha and Luna do have their meal specifications. It takes almost a week before any Cook can get It right. And they're quite picky and..."
"Aisha. We really don't have time okay? I've got this."
She smiled, seeing that Aisha was already worrying about her. She's known those people all her life... she knew exactly their tastes, down to their allergies and their least favorite food and snack. There was no way she couldn't deny she was feeling over confident now.
After she had shown her around the kitchen and where things were located, Arisa had already memorized everything perfectly, mostly because some of the things had been where she remembered.
"Some maids are yet to get into work after the incident and the maids who were supposed to help you with cooking are yet to be recruited but hopefully, you can get some recruits before the week ends."
"That's fine Aisha... " Even when Aisha opted to help her, Arisa politely obliged so Aisha reluctantly left to get some other work done.
"I'm full." Ruby pushed her plate back and rubbed her tummy before she scanned the kitchen with her eyes to see her mother huddled down in one of the cupboards pulling out kitchen utensils.
She instantly forgot she had just overfed and jumped right down from the stool, almost slipping to the ground before she straightened up and went after her, curious as to what she was doing.
"Ruby. How on earth did you get down from that stool?" Her instincts kicked in the moment she saw Ruby peering over her shoulders from behind her.
"What are you doing Mommy?"
Arisa just sighed, knowing It will take more than jumping down a stool twice her height to deter her from causing havoc or any other shenanigans she wished to.
"Mommy's cooking. So unless you don't want me to take you back to the room and lock you up, you stay here and be quiet."
"Can I help?"
Arisa bit her lip as she thought of something easy she could give Ruby to do. She usually cooked for her back at home when Michael wasn't bringing them take outs and she knew Ruby wouldn't let her cook in peace unless she was preoccupied with something that proved she had helped her in cooking.
The moment she got up, her mind lost in thought, someone walked in and casually opened the fridge, followed behind by a maid. Arisa couldn't see her face, but there was a familiar aura she felt standing in the same room with her.
"You must be the new cook." The maid suddenly looked up at Arisa to say and beamed and that's when the woman shut the fridge to see who the maid had referred to.
Arisa froze in place as her eyes met with her sister's.
No. Ravenna's.