The Queen of the Wolves

Chief!

“ What are you doing here?” Kenneth asked as soon as he saw an unexpected man serving burgers at the shop. The man looked at him and blinked. He craned his neck towards Kenneth, to look more clearly. “ Wait... Are you..?” His eyes went wide with recognition. “Kenneth Loak!” He shouted, a grin taking place on his face. He laughed out loud. Throwing the apron aside, he shouted,” Hey, Laura, take it from here! I’m taking five.” The man walked straight to Kenneth. “ How do you know him?” Era asked but she didn’t get any answer as the man questioned him in an instant. “Hey man! How have you been?” He asked. “ You said… You said that you... You were... Were going to Malibe, to take over your family restaurant?” Kenneth furrowed his brows. The man heaved a long painful sigh. “ Well. That’s a long story. Can we... Can we sit down and talk?” He asked. Kenneth wanted an explanation. He NEEDED an explanation. Because the man in front of him was his hero. Someone he respects. His idol. The man was his senior, back at the army camp. “ Sure.” Kenneth needed to sit down. Sit down, and throw question after question at him. If he was in the city, near the forest, then why didn’t he call him? Why didn’t he let him know? They were in contact when the man left the camp. Kenneth needed to know. So, Era, and Kenneth sat down with the man. And as soon as they took their seats, Kenneth asked, “ Can you please explain yourself, Chief?” The Chief heaved a sigh and started explaining. “ I went to Malibe as I planned but my older brother had already taken over the business. He knows nothing about cooking but he does know everything about how to run a business. You see, I left home to learn how to fight. But I did that defying my parents. I did promise them that I would go back and take over the family business as my brother was not at all interested in it. But I don’t know who or what got him interested in the restaurant but when my brother wants something, he gets it. I was enraged. I argued with my parents. I tried to explain to them why I had to join the camp but they didn’t listen. My brother had already brainwashed them. So, I left. And I came here. I worked at a burger shop nearby until I got my own burger shop. It’s new but I’ve got plenty of customers. This one is our regular.” The Chief pointed at Era, who blushed. BLUSHED! Kenneth frowned at her, and then looked back at the Chief. “ But Chief..” “ Don’t call me Chief, Ken. We are not in the camp, and I’m not your leader. Call me by my name. Though I can not say the same for you, Future Alpha Kenneth.” Chief whispered Kenneth’s official title and winked, which took a giggle out of Era. Kenneth looked at Era, rolled his eyes, and looked back at the chief. “ Fine, Kristopher. Now, explain why you didn’t contact me.” Kenneth questioned the man. “ I wasn’t able to. I was busting my as.s off to open my own shop.” Kristopher replied. “ But we were in contact!” “ Yes. We were. But we talked once a month, for five minutes. I didn’t have enough time to break the news to you, Kenneth. Trust me. If I had the time, I would have told you everything.You are my favorite cadet, Kenneth. You know that.” Kristopher tried to hammer some sense into the future Alpha’s mind. Kenneth heaved a sigh, and said, “ Fine. I believe you. You have got a nice shop, anyways. And I know how hard it is to own a shop in the city. My Aunt had to do lots of things to open her restaurant, of which I don’t approve.” Kenneth said, lowering his eyes. Kristopher smiled, knowing that he was successful in explaining everything to the future Alpha. “ So, you up for burgers?” He asked. Kenneth nodded. “ Try our Melted patry. It’s amazing. You’re going to love it.” Kristopher gushed. “Why all the names are so unusual? These don’t make any sense! Your shop’s name is Burgers for hungers, and you are recommending me something which has a meaningless name. What does patry even mean? Is that even a word? Do you need a dictionary?” Kristopher roared with laughter. “ Oh no, no, no, My dear cadet. I definitely do not need a dictionary. This is what is unique about my shop. People love the things that they don’t understand. They love the things that are unusual, that don’t make any sense to them. They get dragged to the ‘not making any sense stuff.’ That’s what got my shop going in the first place. Every shop has its own brand. My brand is ‘making no sense’. But.. when you eat it, when you take just even a nibble out of my burger, everything will make sense. And people crave it. People crave to find the answers to all the nonsense, to all the nuisance, to all the unknowns in their life. And I… My unusual names give them the thrill, and the excitement and my burgers, the food I make feed them the answers. The answers to everything! After eating, their LIFE makes sense. After taking a bite of my burger, they want more. They want that rush. They want the juicy, the tenderness of the adventure that they get from the names, and the food.” Kristopher looked at them, with passion. Passion for his cooking. This was one of the reasons Kenneth admired him. Chief’s brother might get everything that he wants but Chief was someone, who can draw out the passion in someone. Draw out the hunger, the deep feelings that they even didn’t know existed. Kristopher straightened and cleared his throat. “ So, You want to have the burger or not?” He asked. “ Yes, please. And a coke.” Kenneth gave a nod. Kristopher smiled and called for another guy. Then he looked at Era and smiled. “ You want the usual?” He asked her. Era smiled brightly and nodded.

Era thanked Kristopher continuously after they were done with the burgers. He didn’t take any money from them. “ It is on the house.” He had said. Era’s long sigh didn’t go unnoticed by the future Alpha, who was silent on their way back home. He adored Kristopher. That man had also sent some burgers to take home, to give to their parents. But he didn’t like how he made Era giggle and sigh, and blush. “ So, you are going to invite him for Aluma?” Era dragged Kenneth out of his thoughts by asking him the question. “ Maybe. We have a lot to catch up on.” He replied. “ I didn’t know he is a werewolf. He didn’t seem like us.” “ Yeah. He is from Malibe, where werewolves don’t have packs, they are ruled over by one leader. Their system is totally different.” Era nodded, listening to him. After a long silent second, Era spoke up again. “ I... I had a great time. It was nice.” She stated. Kenneth blinked at her. A smile graced his face. “ I think so too.” He said. Era sideglanced at him, and then said, “ Look. I can’t forget what you did. But…. I don't want to keep ignoring you anymore. Let’s... “ “ You are giving me another chance?” Kenneth asked with a broad grin. “ Well, not another chance. I just…. Don’t want us to be awkward anymore.” “Me neither.” Kenneth smiled. “ Good.” That was the last word that Era said.

“ Well, This is it, then. We’ll hang out tomorrow again?” Kenneth asked as they reached Era’s house. “ Yes. With Theidta, and Christian.” She added. “ Yes. Of course.” Kenneth bowed. Era let out a chuckle. When Kenneth stood up straight, Era wrapped her arms around him. The Future Alpha melted and froze at the same time as she embraced him. He didn’t know if he should hug her back or if he should just not move. “ I miss you, Kenneth. I didn’t want to miss you. But I did. And I’m glad you’re alive.” She whispered beside his ear. “I prayed to the goddess every day so that she would protect you. And she did.” Era continued. Kenneth only spoke up when Era broke the hug and looked at him. “ But.. you were mad at me. Weren’t you?” He asked. “ Yes. I was mad at you. But I didn’t want you to die. I mean…. Then our pack wouldn’t have a future Alpha.” Era let out a chuckle, which broke short when Kenneth wrapped her in his arms tightly. “ Thank you so much, Era. For caring. Even I…. I was..” “ Ahhh! Did we come out at the wrong time?” Kenneth was interrupted by his father’s voice. “Dad?” He frowned as Era abruptly broke the hug, and backed away. Kenneth turned to his right and saw his, and Era’s parents standing at the doorway. “ Mom? Dad? What are you two doing here?” He asked. “ Hi, Alpha. Hi, Luna.” Era acknowledged Kenneth’s parents. “ Oh, dear. You never listen. Don’t call us by our titles, dear Era. We have seen you grow up. Your parents and I have been friends. Theidta and Christian listen to us. But you never do.” The Luna stated, walking towards Era, and Kenneth. The Alpha, and Era’s parents followed the Luna. Era smiled awkwardly. “ Yeah. And we are soon going to be your in-laws.” Alpha Rollick spilled out, which made Luna throw glares at him, and made Era’s parents look at each other with worry. Era frowned at the Alpha, and the Luna. “ In law? Mine? What?” She asked, with incomplete, and distraught questions. Luna looked back at her and smiled. “ I’m sorry, Era. The Alpha sometimes acts like an idi.ot. I do apologize for that. The news should have been broken to you by your parents, inside your room. NOT outdoors.” Luna shouted the last two words at The Alpha’s face, who looked down and murmured an apology. Era’s eyes snapped at her parents. “ Is this... What is going on?” She asked, scrunching her brows. “ The Alpha and The Luna came to our house to ask for your hand. For…. Kenneth.” Era’s mother replied, cautiously. Era blinked once as her breathing stopped in its tracks. “ WHAT? Mother. Father. I didn’t tell you to come right away! I didn’t tell you to come, and meddle at all!” Kenneth cried out, glaring at his parents. Era slowly looked up at the Future Alpha, who knew he was in trouble again. “ You knew?” Era stopped to look at him. “ YOU KNEW!” She shouted. Kenneth turned to her, and said, “ Era, I didn’t know that they would come to your house. I am so sorry.” Era ignored his apologies and excused herself. She walked straight inside her house, leaving Kenneth staring at her retreating figure, and thinking of the reason he told his parents about his feelings regarding Era. “ I’m sorry, Son. We didn’t know things were complicated between you two.” Luna said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “ How can we know if he doesn’t tell us anything!” The Alpha blamed his son, who glared at his father, trying to burn sense into him. “ Dad! I never told any of you to come here and talk with her parents. Why did you do it?” He asked. “ We thought it would be..” “ You know what. Never mind. Because now, she hates me. And you have ruined everything.” Kenneth interrupted his parents, and started into a run, shifting into his black wolf mid-air. Alpha Rollick tried to stop him but Luna stopped him, saying, “Let him go. We messed things up for him. He needs some fresh air.” Alpha Rollick heaved a sigh and worried about his only son.

Theidta peeked through the slightly open door and saw him asleep. She snickered, and tiptoed towards the bed, a small bucket of water, in her hand. Her eyes were stuck on his sleeping figure, making sure that he doesn’t wake up. When she was close to his bed, ready to dump the water on him, a perfectly folded paper caught her curious gaze, which made her tilt her head to the right. She looked back at his calm sleeping figure and kept the bucket down. She took the paper and unfolded it.