“Unfortunately, we have to leave in the morning. There’s some business back in our pack that requires our attention.” he tells me.
“It’s pretty dark, but I’m happy to show you now, if you’d like.” I tell him and he happily accepts my offer. “Awesome, the service stairs are just this way. It’s easier to get to the kitchen this way.” I tell him as I lead the way.
We’re almost to the door when I feel an overwhelming anger wash over me and I know it’s Seth. I turn to see what’s happened to cause it but I find him walking directly towards me.
“Is everything OK, Seth.” I ask him.
“Prince Seth.” Chris interjects, emphasizing the Prince part. Chris bows and bares his neck to Seth in submission as he realizes he’s the target of his anger.
“Prince Seth.” I say. “What’s wrong?”
“Where are you going with the young Alpha” he spits at me, his voice laced with venom.
“Oh, he was asking about the kitchen and garden program I started and run here. He has to leave in the morning, so I was taking him to see it before he leaves.” and I realize that Seth is upset I was walking off with a male alone- with an unmated alpha. I didn’t mean to upset him, but I realize too late that he was hurt by my actions. And by this time, half the room is staring at us.
I reach out and touch his tie as I bite my lower lip, unsure how to reassure him that it’s absolutely nothing. “He just wanted to see how we run the garden.” I tell him softly.
“I’d love to see that, too,” he says, slightly more relaxed, but not much. “Perhaps I’ll join you two.” he says and places his hand over mine.
“I’d like that.” I say him with a smile, and it’s the truth. The kitchen and garden programs are something I’ve worked very hard on for a few years now. It’s my contribution to the pack and while it’s not the typical way other wolves contribute, it’s the best I’ve got. I smile up at him and release his tie and head down the stairs with the two men following with only a moderate amount of tension between them.
I’m absolutely sure that Seth has no actual interest in the garden and is only interested in me not being alone with another wolf, but maybe he’ll learn a thing or two.
“Ok, so the kitchen is this way. It was a little bit of a struggle at first, but we try to be as zero waste as possible. Obviously, it’s nearly impossible to be zero waste in this age, but we do as much as we’re able.” We reach the walk-in freezer. “These buckets are our scraps. We boil them down when full to make broths- vegetable, beef and chicken.” I say, indicating the different containers.
“Why do you make them instead of just buying it?” Seth asks me.
“Part of it is cost. I wanted to make it as self-sustaining as possible. But it’s also healthier. When you boil the bones down it pulls out nutrients that are in the marrow and you just won’t get from store bought. Plus, it tastes better.” I tell him.
“Once they’re made into broth, they come back to the freezer until they’re used. They keep for 6 months to a year but we go through them pretty quickly here.” I tell them pointing to the shelves in the corner with frozen containers of broth.
We walk out and reach the closet where I keep the sourdough starters. I reach for the knob but I hesitate.
“I’ve never actually shown anyone this. It’s not like it’s a secret, but no one really cares. This is the sourdough closet. I keep them all together and feed them daily. It’s a lot of work, and yeast isn’t expensive, but I just really enjoy it. ” I tell them and then open the closet. I keep about a dozen starters going at any time and with all the guests here at the moment, I’ve got a lot happening here. The shelves on the left are lined with jars while the shelves on the right have baskets with bread dough rising. “These are all for breakfast tomorrow. We don’t normally keep this much on hand, but we do for everyone this weekend.”
“Wow.” Chris says as he takes it all in. “This is a lot of bread.”
“Yeah, it is.” I agree with him. “Making bread is one of the things I love most. Like I said though, there’s not a real financial advantage to it, it just makes me happy. The sourdough takes an entire day to rise, so it’s a pretty large commitment. It’s probably not something you want to try starting out.” I say, turning to Chris “But if you ever decide to just let me know and I’ll give you some of the starter.”
“Thanks.” he tells me with a kind smile. “I really appreciate that.”
I take the guys into the actual kitchen now and the entire staff is laughing, listening to music and just having a good time. “Hey Molly!” I hear Callie say and before I can respond, they all notice Seth and bow their heads and bare their necks.
“Don’t let the party stop because of me. Molly is just showing us around.” Seth tells them and puts them at ease.
“Callie, would you mind telling the future Alpha Chris about our composting program?” I ask her before turning to the guys. “She actually took this over late last year because it was just too much for one person and it’s gone so well. She’s done such an amazing job.”
“Umm, yeah Molly. I can.” she says, but she’s very nervous.
“Hi,Caleigh. I’m Chris, future Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. Molly was just showing me how you all run such a sustainable program and I’d really love it if you could show me what you do here.” Chris tells her after he realizes that she’s nervous.
“Absolutely!” she tells him and she starts to tell him about the cans we have around, and how we know what goes into them. She really is the best at this and the pack is lucky to have her. Chris has stepped forward and is asking questions that she’s responding to with so much excitement when I feel a large hand grasp mine. I look up to see Seth smiling down at me.
I’m absolutely sure that Seth has no actual interest in the garden and is only interested in me not being alone with another wolf, but maybe he’ll learn a thing or two.
“You reolly do love this, don’t you?” he osks me.
“Yeoh. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t.” I tell him, confused.
“I remember Rob telling me before obout how you would lock yourself in the kitchen to ovoid your pock. He wos worried obout you.” he tells me.
“He wos probobly right ot first. I felt bod thot I wos olwoys such o liobility to the pock ond just wonted to help. Cooking didn’t require me to be oble to shift, or to hove wolf strength. I could just come in here ond be on the some level os everyone else for once.” I tell him ond it’s hord to open up like this, but I feel comfortoble with him. I wolk off to my office ond he follows ond I grob o bottle of wine ond open it, pouring into two glosses for us. He occepts one but doesn’t soy onything, woiting for me to continue os he closes the door
“I didn’t hove o lot of friends when I wos o kid. The kids of the higher closs wolves mode fun of me for not being strong enough ond the kids of the Omegos were ofroid to ploy with the Alpho’s kids for o long time. Once it become more ond more cleor thot I didn’t hove o wolf ot oll ond wouldn’t shift it got reolly bod, ond it wos reolly lonely. Oliver’s mom wos omozing ond would let us ploy ot her house oll the time ond she tought me to cook. I reolly liked it, so when I wos old enough ond felt the most useless thot I hod ever felt, I decided to officiolly work here.”
“I’m surprised your dod let you.” he tells me with o chuckle.
“He wosn’t very hoppy obout it ot first, but he finolly reloxed. I’m pretty sure thot wos oll due to my mom, though. She knew I wos struggling, but there wosn’t reolly ony woy for them to help me.” I tell him os I sit on the edge of my desk. Seth wolks up in front of me ond ploces his hond on my hip. “I leorned o lot once everyone reloxed oround me. They were pretty nervous to hove the olpho’s doughter oround, broken wolf or not.” I soy to him ond he tokes my right hond, rubbing his fingers down the scor ocross my polm.
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