Daphne Rosen, her face wrinkled in concentration, scuttled across the busy kitchen. The pressure was on for tonight's Alpha's Ball, the most important event on the Dark Crystal Pack calendar. As head chef, it was her job to make sure each meal was a work of art, a symphony of flavors that would entice the most discerning diners, even Alphas from other Packs.
She was scared, but there was also a flutter in her gut. It was more than only the cuisine. Daphne dared to dream tonight. The mysterious Alpha Bryce Harper, the man who commanded the Dark Crystal Pack with an iron grip and a dark heart, could finally be introduced to her tonight. He was the subject of rumors because of his piercing blue eyes, which could see right through falsehoods, his wide shoulders, which exuded respect, and his distant demeanor, which made people shudder.
Since she was a puppy, Daphne had secretly developed feelings for him, a dream stoked by sly looks from a distance. However, in the greater scheme of things, she was only an insignificant chef. However, a glimmer of optimism broke through tonight.
Priscilla, her aunt, had an iron grip on the Pack kitchen. But tonight, Priscilla was conveniently confined to her bedroom due to an unexpected sickness, so Daphne took over. Daphne couldn't be certain whether it was a fortuitous meeting, a stroke of luck, or maybe Priscilla's clever manipulation.
She finished off the meal by dusting the roasted venison, the star of the show, with a little teaspoon of moonflower powder. The herb, which has relaxing effects, was a family secret that has been handed down through the years, giving their recipes a magical touch.
Pots and pans clattered rhythmically, broken by a loud voice. "Is everything under control, cook?"
With a heart palpitating in her throat, Daphne spun around. He was the one. With his large form taking up the whole area, Alpha Bryce stood at the doorway. He wasn't alone. Clutching at his arm was a haughty-looking lady with blazing red hair who was supposedly his mate, Genevieve.
Daphne smiled erratically. A sudden, searing pain pierced her heart, causing disappointment. "Y-yes, Alpha," she stumbled, her voice hardly audible above a whisper.
Bryce's eyes darted across the kitchen, seeing the commotion, the aroma emanating from the cauldrons, and then settling on Daphne. There was a glimmer of astonishment in his eyes, which were the hue of a summer sky after a storm. For an instant, their gazes met, maybe due to the flour that covered her cheeks or the uneasy shake in her palm.
At that moment, Genevieve made a harsh, dismissive sound as she cleared her throat. "Cook, this scent is amazing. However, Alpha Bryce has a favorite way to prepare venison. Does moonflower dust come with it?
Daphne caught her breath. A family relic, the moonflower dust was kept a secret. Fear tore at her throat. Genevieve knew, but how?
With her voice almost audible, Daphne stumbled, "It's a special recipe."
A wry grin appeared on Genevieve's face. "Captivating. Maybe the Alpha should try it before the visitors show there."
Before Daphne could object, Bryce walked up to the venison tray. With the moonlight reflecting from the silver fork, he picked up a piece and brought it to his lips. With her heart racing in a panic against her chest, Daphne held her breath.
A glimpse of familiarity flashed over his face as he bit into it. With slow motion, he chewed, his gaze fixed on hers. There was a peculiar tension in the air, a wordless conversation that only they appeared to comprehend.
Bryce gave voice to a gruff moan and then toppled over. His eyes widened in disbelief as his face twisted in agony. Genevieve let out a cry and hurried over to him.
The kitchen was ablaze with chaos. Cooks rushed in terror as pots clattered to the floor. With the tray of venison clattering from her cold fingers, Daphne looked in terror.
"Poisoned!" With an accusing tone in her voice, Genevieve yelled. With the dish that implicated her in the crime, Daphne was the center of attention.
The whole globe seemed to be tilted. The idea of a sneaky peek and a private time with the Alpha vanished, to be replaced by a terrifying fear. Daphne parted her lips to protest her innocence, but she remained silent.
That was when the bubbling stew of her hopes and hidden wishes became sour, the biting taste of betrayal taking the place of the beautiful spices. A night of much-anticipated delight became misery at the Alpha's Ball. Now that she was in the center of a storm, Daphne, the invisible chef, had a terrible sensation that it was a storm she wouldn't weather. Daphne cringed, holding his tummy as she saw Alpha Bryce contort. Genevieve's expression twisted into an angry mask. She cried out, "Poisoned!" and fixed Daphne with a menacing gaze.
With the weight of the tray falling and the dust of moonflowers teasing the venison, denial swelled in Daphne's throat. Robust arms closed around her before a moan could come out of her mouth.
"Seize her!" Genevieve gave an order, her tone brimming with bitter delight.
Alpha Bryce's storm-blue eyes briefly flashed with something unfathomable, and then he rasped, "There must be some misunderstanding... take her to the dungeons, but treat her fairly."
Dragged away from Daphne, Hope clung to her, frail as a spiderweb. The only sounds in the dungeons were the steady trickle of water and the dull sting of betrayal. It was a tomb of hopelessness. Her mind was racing with questions as the days turned into nights. Who was the food poisoner? Was it Genevieve who set her up to get rid of a competitor?
And then a flash of light. Out of the shadows, a cloaked man appeared and threw a leather bag at her feet. "Open it at sunrise," the man said, "the path to your freedom lies outside the Pack's borders."
A silver locket, a family treasure with the formula for hidden moonflowers, was exposed at sunrise. A chilling feeling descended onto her abdomen. It was the moonflower, not the poison. Still, who else was aware of its qualities?
The response took her by surprise. Priscilla. her aunt.
Desperation gave way to fury. The Alpha was no longer the exclusive focus of this. This included sifting through a labyrinth of lies woven by her own family. Daphne gripped the locket with a burst of stubborn power. Not only was escape about freedom, but it was also about revealing the truth and maybe, just perhaps, taking back a little pi
ece of the dream that had been so brutally destroyed.