Chosen

6

Travis didn't mention the feast the next morning, and I was in no hurry to bring it up. Despite doing nothing untoward with the visiting Alpha, I felt that it would be better to simply keep mum about the occasion. Fortunately, Travis was much too engrossed in some new dirt and barely noticed my lack of attention. I, however, was getting rather frustrated after burning the third egg, and decided that maybe it would be best to stick to cereal.

Black Moon was scheduled to stay for the rest of the week, so I knew that there would be a chance of seeing Rykor today. I told myself that wasn't the reason I was hesitant to leave the shack, but I've never been a particularly good liar.

When I finally managed to drag myself outside, I kept my head and eyes firmly on the ground as I walked. I practically ran to the pack house, ignoring the stares from the other Lycans, and brushed off the glare Mrs. Reed shot my way. I was so absorbed in my task of baking that I didn't realize someone had come into the kitchen.

"Child! For goodness's sake, where is your head, girl?" Mrs. Reed thumped a hand on the dough I'd been kneaded, sending up a cloud of flour right into my eyes. I coughed and blinked desperately to clear my senses, and then wished I'd choked on the flour. In front of my sat the two Alphas and the two male betas, most of whom had obvious smirks on their faces.

I grimaced and desperately tried to regain my composure. "I'm sorry, I was... lost in my head. What is the matter, Alpha?" I had addressed this to Alpha Reynolds, but it was his Beta that spoke.

"We want some food for the meeting today. Mrs. Reed will be busy preparing for the pack lunch, so this is your assignment. The meeting is going to be very long, so we need something that won't require refrigeration that can be eaten quickly and without mess. When you're finished, bring it into Alpha Reynolds' office."

My fingers twisted in their clasped position as I tried to swallow the irritation at being spoken to so rudely. I was surprised, to be honest. Usually the Beta was rather cordial.

"Yes, sir, I'll get started now."

"Stop." My eyes widened as I saw Rykor block the others from leaving. His glare sent a shot of ice down my spine, and it wasn't even directed toward me. I wondered briefly how the Beta felt, getting the brunt of the stare. "Do not disrespect the girl. Is this how you treat your pack members, Beta Brian?" The last part, though directed towards the Beta, was spoken to Alpha Reynolds. It was a subtle way for Rykor to indicate that the disrespect was really Alpha's fault, and it was a slight dig at his leadership.

"Thank you, Lycan." The words were spoken through gritted teeth.

"Lily."

Beta Brian glared at the ground, but I knew he really wanted to direct that towards the intimidating man in from if him. "Thank you, Lily."

I said nothing, not wanting to anger either party. Rykor's eyes flicked briefly to mine before he turned and led the other out of the kitchen. I let out the breath I had been holding in only after the door closed behind them.

"Well," for the first time in a long time, I looked over to see Mrs. Reed with a large grin on her face. "Wasn't that interesting."

I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue, and instead got to work on the lunch. Mrs. Reed gave her input every now and then, as cooking wasn't really my forte, but mostly left me to my own devices. I was glad, as it filled me with a sense of pride to be able to provide the meal for the Alphas and Betas.

When all the food was prepared, I started juggling all the things I could carry to the Alpha's office. I knew they would appreciate as little interruptions as possible and thus I tried to bring everything in one trip. Unfortunately, this left me in a very precarious situation.