Chapter 7
2264 Words
Beta Bradley walks into the palace kitchen slowly, taking his time, contemplating. Something is happening here, something strange but not necessarily bad. He just can’t quite put a finger on it, and that’s what’s bugging him. His King is acting crazy, that has never happened. Perhaps, he really was drugged. Beta Bradley makes a note to himself to visit the palace doctor after getting the cake. The doctor may need to take a blood sample.
Luna Andrea is in the kitchen, talking to the chef. Beta Bradley smiles and bows his head a little, showing respect. “Hello Luna,” he greets. “Arranging the dinner schedule for the week?”
“Yes,” the Luna answers. “What was the commotion about?”
Beta Bradley laughs lightly. “No commotion,” he says. “Your son just came home. He’s in his room now, freshening up before dinner. Which reminds me, excuse me for a second, Luna.” Beta Bradley turns his attention to the chef. “Can I please have just a slice of your lemon cake for the King? Just a small slice. I promise it won’t ruin his dinner.”
The chef gapes at him. “First of all,” he finally talks. “No dessert right before dinner, I don’t care if you’re the King. My kitchen, my rule! Got it?”
“Yes, got it,” Beta Bradley nods solemnly. “What’s number two, chef?”
“Number two, I didn’t even bake lemon cake.”
***
Lily
“Your room is nice,” I say to Mason as he’s giving me the grand tour of the palace that ends in his bedroom. I actually didn’t need the grand tour but he was so excited so I let him.
“Isn’t it?” he says, pride is coating his words. “It’s not as big as my room at home, obviously. This is the complex for single warriors like me. There’re thousands of us, so the rooms can’t be that big.”
“Of course,” I say while folding his clothes, can’t help but being a mother. Mason laughs at me, taking his pants away from me and gently forcing me to sit on his bed. Not having anything to do makes my mind wanders towards Daisy. The beautiful Daisy. “How old is Daisy?” I blurt out, not wanting to do so, but did it anyway.
Mason laughs, he knows where the question is leading. “Twenty,” he answers casually.
Twenty, and Mason is twenty-two. Oh, heavens! Are they in love? I know that they are not fated mate, but if King Wolfe is planning to take her as his Luna one day, it will break my darling boy’s heart.
Somehow, Mason can read my mind because he then laughs out loud. “Mom,” he says. “I love Daisy, but not the way you think. I love her like a sister. I feel connected to her more than I do to Moira. I know that it hurts you to hear that, but it’s true.”
Ah, Moira, my darling girl. Why does nobody seem to like her here? Where did I go wrong? Or have I been blind all this time? I shake my head and decide to smile instead. “Now Daisy,” I ask again, can’t help myself. “Hasn’t she found her mate?”
“No, she hasn’t.”
“Do you think the King might be interested in her?” I press on. “She is gorgeous, smart, and incredibly sweet. She could make a wonderful Luna.”
Mason laughs again. “The King might,” he answers. “But should that happen, please don’t worry. I promise you, I really don’t love her like that. Whoever she’ll end up with, my heart won’t be broken.”
Now I have no other choice but nod, I need to respect him by believing in him. “Are you seeing anybody, though?”
“Yes,” Mason answers. “Nothing serious. I still want to spend my forever with my true mate. In the meantime, I play the field a little, I hope you understand.”
I nod. “What about Daisy?” I ask again. “Does she play the field as well? Even though only a little.”
Mason shakes his head. “Nope,” he says. “She’s a true believer, she doesn’t want to bother spending her time for any men. She keeps on saying that she will be forever waiting for her true mate, even though it will take her a hundred years.”
Well, okay, nice to know. I sure hope she doesn’t have to wait that long. She’s too beautiful a woman for that, being alone for the rest of her life.
“I think the King has arrived,” Mason suddenly says, waking me up from my reverie. “Do you wanna go out and sit on the park bench? It’s beautiful there. They might need me soon, I need to make myself ready.”
I nod. “Of course,” I say. Something smell delightful in the air, so I inhale deeply. “I love the smell of spring rain, don’t you?”
Mason looks at me funny. “What spring rain?” he asks. “There hasn’t been any rain lately. Besides, this is August, mom.”
“Huh,” I say, puzzled. “Probably your cologne. What is it? Sandalwood? Yes, sandalwood. I so love the smell of sandalwood.”
“I’m not wearing any cologne,” Mason says. “What’s up with you, mom? You sound rather off, are you tired?”
Am I? Perhaps I am. I don’t think so, though. If anything, I actually feel enchanted, but by who, I’m not quite sure. Surely not by my own son. Perhaps, by Beta Bradley, but it’s been an hour since I step outside his office. Surely, I don’t still feel wonderstruck, right? The guy is married, with children, and ten years my junior. I shake my head rather vigorously. I need to get a grip. Beta Bradley will not be my kryptonite.
But I can’t help it, and so can’t my wolf. Somehow, I feel sensual, and s****l. This is bad, I need to stay away from Beta Bradley, I’m not a homewrecker! “Oh, lemon cake,” I suddenly say, out of nowhere, sniffing the air hungrily. “Is the chef baking lemon cake now? Is there a chance I can get a slice? I so love lemon cake.”
“I don’t know,” Mason answers, rubbing his neck. He starts to get frustrated with me. “But he’s a mean guy, he won’t let people eat dessert before dinner. I’m actually afraid of him.”
“Nonsense,” I say. “Maybe you just never ask nicely. That’s bad manners. Now, show me the way to the kitchen, please. Let me show you how to ask people, you need to do it politely.”
Mason takes me to the kitchen under duress where we find the chef with Luna Andrea and Beta Bradley. Oh, oh, this is trouble, I can’t see him. I want to turn around, but my needs for lemon cake is so strong, I may even kill for it. So, after putting a smile on my face, I march on.
Beta Bradley was in the middle of a serious conversation with Luna Andrea when I reached them. I don’t really know what they were talking about but somehow, I heard Beta Bradley mentioned something about spring rain. Huh, interesting, and here Mason thought that I was delusional. “It smells really good, right?” I say, somehow joining the conversation without being invited. Soo not me.
“What, love?” Luna Andrea asks. “What smells good?”
“Spring rain.”
“You smell spring rain?” Beta Bradley asks, seemingly astonished. “When?”
“Well, now,” I answer. “For about half an hour or so.”
“Huh,” Beta Bradley ponders. “Exactly how does spring rain smell like?”
“Oh,” I say with a dreamy smile on my face. “Crips but warm, and very, very masculine, like sandalwood.” Suddenly I blush all over, but continue talking, “Sensual, sexual.”
“Wow,” Luna Andrea muses. “Spring rain smells masculine? Like sandalwood?”
“And sensual?” Beta Bradley asks, still sounds like he’s heavily pondering. “s****l?”
I can’t really explain it, especially since I’m getting hungry by the minute. Slowly, I turn to face the man that I suspect is the chef. I give him my sweetest smile, then politely, I say, “Your lemon cake smells out of this world, do you have it in your heart the kindness to give me just a slice? A small slice will do. I would be forever grateful.”
The man stares at me like I just asked him for his soul. “I only have one problem with that,” he finally answers me.
“Oh, what is that?” I ask him politely, a smile is still decorating my face. I’m laying it on too thick I know, but I’m so desperate for that lemon cake.
“I don’t have it,” the chef answers. “I don’t make lemon cake today, I made carrot cake.”
But that doesn’t make any sense, I smell the enticing scent of lemon cake everywhere, just like I smell the alluring scent of sandalwood sensually surrounding me. What is going on here, have I gone insane?
“I think I know someone who has lemon cake,” Luna Andrea says slowly, carefully, more to herself than to me. It seems as if, she’s also been pondering, not just Beta Bradley.
“Oh, yeah?” I ask her, full of hope. “Who?”
“King Wolfe,” she answers. She looks, happy? Sad? Touched? Over lemon cake? She then continues, although her voice is shaky a little. “You can ask him for a slice, more even. He’ll be more than happy to share with you. Why don’t you go to him?”
I nod, excited. Finally, lemon cake. “Okay,” I say. “Where is the King now?”
“In his bedroom,” Luna Andrea answers with a sweet smile.
Huh, this is interesting, and highly unorthodox. So, Luna Andrea asked me to go to the King’s bedroom so I could have lemon cake? The Alpha King’s bedroom. Do I want lemon cake that much? Apparently, I do, because then I hear myself say, “Okay.”
“Great,” Beta Bradley says, joining the conversation. Apparently, he has stopped pondering. “Don’t forget to knock, I’ll let him know that you’re coming.” To my son, Beta Bradley says. “Stay here, Mason. Your mom knows where to go. Don’t worry, King Wolfe is actually waiting for her.”
***
Boone
The shower is great, just what I need. I feel energized, and a bit horny, that’s not true. I feel a lot horny. The air is crazy today, making me so out of whack. Yet, I can’t bring myself to care. I feel like I’m on cloud nine, I feel super, and powerful, and potent. And sooo f*****g hungry. Where the f**k is my lemon cake?
I was about to mind link my Beta but he beats me to it. Dude, I say, are you coming up or what? Where is my lemon cake?
Oh, it’s coming, he answers.
That doesn’t make any sense, how come a cake can walk itself to my bedroom. I hate it when he goes cryptic on me like that. What do you mean, dude? I ask. Don’t play with me, I’m not in the mood.
Oh, I’m not playing with you, my Beta answers. Are you decent?
Nope, I answer, couldn’t care less. He has seen me naked hundreds of times before. Stark naked. Just got out of the shower. Now, about my lemon cake?
It’s literally coming. Can you smell it getting closer? Perhaps, put on some clothes?
For him, no. I won’t bother. But now that he mentioned it, the smell of lemon cake is getting stronger and stronger. Not just lemon cake, though. I smell spring rain too, so crisp, and warm, and sweet, and sensual, even s****l. And flowers, I smell flowers. Actually, I only smell one flower, what is it, again? Not sunflower, I knew that for sure. Is it Lily? Yes, that’s it! Lily of the valley, that’s what I smell. Lily of the valley.
A knock on the door. “Come in,” I say, my voice is shaky a little. I get suddenly excited, I don’t know why. All of my life, there has never been a time when I want to eat cakes that desperately. But I knew that I’d kill for this cake. My wolf too wants this cake so much like his life depended on it. He can’t stop howling. He’s so restless, I’ve never seen him this crazy.
My bedroom is now surrounded with the sweet smell of Lily of the valley as I stare at the most ravishing beauty, I have ever laid my eyes on. The beauty walks shyly towards me, then looks up, before asking with a soft melodic voice, “Lemon cake?”
My wolf leaps out of my body with all the strengths he possesses.
“Mate!”
***
- Writer
