Retribution & Retaliation

8

Gabriel

The dining room is filled with awkward silence and stinks, and it's not Hailey and Baldric causing either. The omegas cooking breakfast made something that resembles throw-up more than food. None of us want to hurt feelings we've all been pushing our food around on our plates. The scrapping of forks on the china grating my nerves.

I'm worried Hailey is going to pipe up any minute about joining us, and I can't link her to tell her not to. Mom enforced a strict no linking at the table rule when we were kids, and we still stand by it. Unless it was an emergency, and I doubted this counted as one. So far, the only emergency worth breaking the rule was when rogues attacked. Would it be wrong if I prayed to the Goddess that a lone rogue was sniffing around? Yes. Do I instantly hate myself for even thinking about it? Also, yes.

Dropping my fork onto the table, I sigh. It's not like I'm going to eat this. Looking to my right, I meet our Betas eyes. "Hailey, go take Ric's spot in training."

"On it. Later we should talk about the kitchen sta.." her eyes snap up and over my shoulder the second I sense an omega behind me. "Later, I'll find you."

Baldric's shaking shoulders steal my attention before I can watch her leave, and I smack his arm. "Let's go." I grumble as he tries but fails to hide his laughter. 

A quiet voice speaks up over my shoulder, and I push my chair back to turn and stand, giving them my attention. "Would you like anything else, Alphas? Coffee? Tea?" The young blonde averts her eyes once mine are on her. My stomach dropped at the realization she was afraid, or at the very least worried. I can smell her unease.

"Some real food." Ric links me.

Biting my lips, I suppress my smile, choking down a laugh. Clearing my throat, I shake my head. "No, thank you. Please send our thanks to the staff for breakfast this morning." I wasn't going to lie and say it was good, but I'm hoping my thanks are enough to calm her.

"I'll take a coffee, please. Have one of the guards bring it down." My brother grins, wrapping his arm around my shoulder he pulls me from the room, shouting his order back at the woman.

Looking over my shoulder, I watch the girl stack our still-full plates, and then I'm pushed out of the room and down the hall and can no longer see her. Was she the one who cooked? Did we offend her?

Fuck. I should have forced myself to scarf some of it down.

"So I'll start, and you finish? Make sure I don't forget to ask anything important." Ric pipes up, nodding his head at the guards as we walk towards them. "Penelope and Claire should be waiting for us. I asked Claire to come last night. Maybe she can do some of her witchy shit to keep the girl from lying if we ask nicely."

Frowning, I stop and grab at my brother's arm. "You get Claire to cast spells on wolves often?"

Shrugging my hand off of him, Ric turns slightly to look me in the eyes. He pushes his shoulders back as he crosses his arms. "Only the ones I'm worried are a threat."

Knowing my brother, that's everyone. Groaning, I start moving again. "I don't want you doing that again unless we've agreed together. Today I'll okay it, ask first next time."

The guards unlock and open the door as we approach closer, and Ric informs them about his coffee. "And I'd avoid any kitchen food today. Just make yourself something until we figure out new staff." He adds, chuckling.

"You should ask Penelope to lead the kitchen. Rumors are that she's amazing at cooking. Even better than she is at healing." One of them offers up their opinion, Louis, or I think that's his name. One of the men we found in Turkey and brought back, he's risen through ranks quickly, he's strong, smart, and if his position at the first door speaks to anything it's Baldric's trust in him.