"So, what's the update on the war. After the meeting, the Alphas stayed behind for an exclusive meeting. Has anything been concluded on the preventive measures we can take against them?"
Arisa had just served Stephan his bowl of fruit salad when Ravenna said.
She almost lost her composure on hearing her words, but she quickly moved onto Ares before they noticed. Who didn't know about the long feud war that started between the werewolves and witches two years ago, when they obtained a new powerful source of power which gave them the boldness and courage to step out of the shadows? And yet It was capable of giving anyone chills upon hearing about it.
"Really? Here, Ravenna? Infront of him?" Stephan's voice was cold and unyielding as he glared at the woman seated next to him who lowered her head.
"This is the first time you've noticed me in over a week," Arisa noted the bitterness and hurt in Ares's voice as he finally talked. "I'm surprised."
"I see you've had nothing better to do in this house while you're not being a disappointment in school."
Arisa was taken aback at his words. So what If he was probably failing classes? He was a child nevertheless and the choice of words Stephan had picked for him was not only hurtful but agonizing for someone his age.
He was just a child.
She naturally expected Ravenna to speak up and defend him at least, but she didn't, and Arisa didn't even notice she was still at Ares's side, just staring at his supposed caring parents in disappointment with a half empty bowl of fruit salad hanging from her hand.
"What do you know about what goes on in my life even at school? You barely even make out time for me, and you take mom with you everywhere... you could at least let me come along too." Ares spoke sharply, his voice stiff and cold, yet Arisa could feel how sad he was, how each words came from the innermost past of his heart where It hurt the most.
"We're not having this conversation again, Aidan. You of all people..."
"Ares."
Ruby's familiar voice travelled across the room, and everyone, including Ares, turned to see the girl seated on the trolley, legs dangling down, a frown on her face as she pointed at Ares, her eyes fixed sternly on Stephan. "His name is Ares."
Stephan just stared at her in slight shock at her audacity. Her voice clearly belonged to a child's but the way and manner in which she spoke, her eyes brimming of annoyance.. the aura around her... It was all too strange for him that for a few seconds, he forgot how to speak until he finally found his tongue.
"Excuse me? Are you insinuating I don't know my son's name?"
"Yes."
Even Ravenna's eyes widened at the reply which came without hesitation, challengingly. She cast Arisa a warning glance and she flew into motion and was pushing the trolley out of the dinning room in seconds.
"Enjoy your meal Alpha, Luna. I would be in the kitchen If you need anything."
Stephan's angry, cold eyes silently followed the woman, like he could still feel that child's eyes on him, judging him, assessing him... like an insect. An insect. That's how he had felt under her gaze. Who was she?
The sound of a chair being scraped back brough his attention back to where Ares had been sitting, but he was already out of his seat and getting ready to leave.
"Ares do not dare walk out on me!" He suddenly yelled sternly, griping the sides of the table as he glared at the boy who stubbornly remained rooted to his spot.
Ravenna couldn't even look up from her plate as she played with her food, but her heart pounded hard in her chest as she sat there, anticipating what would happen. These were the most stubborn, unmoving, cold males she had encountered in her life and they happened to be father and son... how bad could the household be?
"Did you call me Ares because It felt right to you, or because a stranger finally corrected you and reminded you my real name, father?" Ares finally turned to face his father, those similar teal colored eyes gleaming as he smirked cruelly just before he walked away.
Stephan was tongue tied as he watched him walk away, brimming in anger.
"I have better things to do than argue with a six year old."
'He's seven. You would have known If we hadn't missed his birthday party last year.'
Ravenna said inwardly but didn't say anything out loud as she watched Stephan resume eating. She took a long wistful lance at Ares's untouched food before she called out to a maid passing by.
"Take this away please and ensure Ares doesn't have breakfast before leaving for school tomorrow. I'm sure that will teach him to learn some respect at the table." She said to the maid who solemnly bowed before she left.
"Now, can we discuss what happened at the meeting earlier... " Ravenna turned her full attention on her mate who was eating the pasta with an emotional look in his eyes.
"Is the food not to your liking?"
When she got no reply from him, her hands turned to fist as she was already getting up, ready to give Arisa a piece of her mind, but Stephan just reached out and grabbed her arm. She was forced to sit down just as Stephan let go of her hand to wipe his lips with a napkin.
"It's honestly nothing to be worried about Ravenna. The new maid's cooking is really good."
That simple compliment from him was all she needed to know Olivia had done a good job hiring her. This meant she was officially hired. Stepan was one hard man to please when It came to cooking. This was the first time in four years he had actually complimented someone's cooking with so much emotion in his eyes.
The last person he had ever complimented that way was...
The moment she had her first taste of the pasta, her eyes grew misty from nostalgia and she saw herself back in the dinning room.
This time, Stephan was absent and the dining room looked a bit old fashioned- just like the exact same way It had been four years ago before she had made some renovations to the place. She had the same bowl of pasta and standing before her was Rose, a warm smile on her face as her eyes twinkled while she watched her eat.
"Do you like It? I'm sorry... Pasta's all we have for tonight." Her voice was soft and soothing as she said, expectantly waiting for a rely from Ravenna who had a mouthful of pasta.
She finally swallowed, and her smile grew as she felt the thousands of perfectly blended flavors bursting in her mouth. She raised both hands up, hands of a sickly 9 year old with two thumbs perked up in the air. "This is the best pasta in the world!"
The last image she saw was Rose hiding her tears behind her napkin as she beamed at her just before she felt a hand on her arm and noticed Stephan's hand over hers.
"I've been calling you for the past 2 minutes. Where did you go to?"
Ravenna stared blankly at him before her eyes moved to the pasta just before she reached out to take another forkful and put it into her mouth without a word, her hands shaking slowly.
Stephan just gave her a strange look, although, he calmly let her be and let her eat as he focused on his and the dinning was silent but for the sound of cutlery beating softly against the plate.
Meanwhile, In the Kitchen.
Ruby was eating her plate of pasta and fruits with Arisa on the kitchen slab and stool when the maid walked in with the food.
They both said nothing, but watched as the maid quietly moved to set the plate on the sink just before she grabbed another fork and attempted to dig in without hesitation.
Arisa got up and said without hesitation, a bit too hurried in her words. "That's Ares's food."
The maid turned to her, an arrogant brow raised. "And?"
Arisa and Ruby exchanged similar annoyed glances before Arisa made her way to the sink and snatched the food before expertly using another plate to cover the food and set it on the slab as she faced the maid.
"I haven't seen your face around here before.. " Although angry and surprised, the maid, Prisca took a long look at Arisa, taking note of her causal clothes underneath the apron. "I suppose you're new here and don't know what's going on."
"What do you mean?"
"Master Ares has already gone to bed for the night."
"That's ridiculous. He hasn't even touched his food and his bowl of fruits has barely been eaten from as well."
"It's just one of those days where he goes to bed angry. His dinner is taken back and as punishment, he's not given breakfast before he goes to school. That little rascal needs to be taught a lesson because... "
"Because the supposed adults present here have brains the size of a single olive."
"Excuse me?"
"Do you mean that no one, not even his mother could even bother going up to his room to get him to eat something. You're telling me that not only has he been denied dinner, he won't eat breakfast? Is that how things go around here? Are you all so blind and oblivious to the fact that he's just a child? And look at how so eager you were to eat it... have you no remorse? Have you no shame?"
Prisca looked so embarrassed at that moment but she couldn't say anything and just watched in confusion as Arisa went over and carried Ruby in her arm before using the other arm to reach out to grab the plate of food while Ruby held the bowl of fruits which she picked at, sneaking some fruits into her mouth.
"Who are you? And where do you think you're going?"
"I am the Head Cook of this pack and I'm going to fulfill my duty as a cook this night to ensure no one sleeps hungry. If you want some pasta, there's more than enough left in the pot."
With that, she left, the kitchen door banging hard behind her, snapping Prisca back to reality.