My father had told me there was no lower rank or worse place to be than a pack house kitchen. But if you get drafted into a pack, I must be dead. Volunteer for the
Kitchen immediately; no one ever does. There is no better place to gain acceptance, protection, and, most important, information.
It is always the roughest diamonds, but they will protect you as an enforcer unit does each other. And that's what I did.
****************************************************
I swung open the heavy Oak door at the back of the Kitchen, greeted by the blare of metal music. Today was Greta's turn to control the playlist, and I couldn't help but smile. Amidst the chaos of the Kitchen, there was a wolf whistle that caught my attention.
"Hey there, Blue Eyes. You are late?" With his heavy Italian accent, Tony, our sous chef, boomed at me over the music. It was too early for heavy metal; it was too early for Tony.
I raced to my station, tying on my apron while dodging the guys delivering today's produce from the Estates farm, or 'The Orchard'. as they called it. I never understood why not call it the farm. The Orchard was small in comparison to the vegetables and herbs it grew.
The delivery guys had to weave through all the stations to the back cold rooms. Tony always cursed the Kitchen layout and the poor delivery guys if they bumped into him.
I glared at Tony, who was the reason I was late. He, Greta, and Clay had all turned up in my room with a bottle of vodka last night. I was not a good drinker and had declined the endless parties in our lodge. Last night, they would not take no for an answer.
He grinned as we locked eyes. I responded with a middle finger. Clay, standing next to him, laughed. Greta shot me a reassuring wink; she knew how much I avoided attention.
The kitchen contract team was small - five members, including Greta and head chef Viktor. Viktor took Greta under his wing two years ago, and she's been travelling with him since. The team arrived six months ago when I did. It was my stroke of luck that Viktor recognized me and chose me over twenty other shifters to assist his team.
He had a selection of forty of us to choose from, and I was the only volunteer. They were the first known all-shifter and ex-enforcer team of trained professional cooks. The new Alpha chose them to support his policy. He wanted Estate residents to be multi-skilled. He also wanted them to train and defend the Estate in their free time.
There had been a surge in attacks from rogues and other packs wanting more land across the shifter world in Northern America. Everyone was on edge. The shifter council had no answers and was notably quiet. Whispers said the old families were behind the attacks. They wanted to take back land from the new young packs.
The conspiracy theorists, in my opinion, were onto something. As far as I was concerned, all Shifters were shifty. I was not a shifter. No one here knew that except Viktor, his team and the old Alpha, Richard Benson, Carter Benson's father.
Viktor had known my father and Uncle; I knew he would not say a word.
Carter Benson had recently taken over his father's position as Alpha. Everyone anticipated significant changes, for better or worse. I knew they weren't friendly to lone wolves, latent shifters, or those who were defenceless. I landed at my station; case in point, I thought as I looked at Tia.
Tia was always early. I gave her a comforting smile, hoping she knew things could improve if she tried harder.
Tia was a sleeper. It's a common term for someone born with supernatural powers. They're raised in the human world without knowing their true identity.
On top of that, she was a latent shifter. Shifting seamlessly and naturally would most likely not happen. It would be excruciating, slow, and dangerous for her. She was twenty-two, well past the average shifting age between eleven and fourteen.
I had seen many versions of Tia in our world but felt compelled to help her. I was taught the value of defending and protecting others like us, regardless of rank or species. The policy was more to maintain the secrecy of our kind than a humanitarian spirit.
Tia glanced up at me, her face swollen from crying. We were staying in different accommodation.
"Rough Night," I asked; whatever happened, it would have been self-inflicted. She refused to listen to Greta and me about who to befriend and stay away from. Her desperation to be an IT girl was a strategy she was losing.
Tia lived in a mixed house with shifters who worked the Orchard and other girls like her, Latent. I had suggested she align herself with other latent shifters. She seemed determined to befriend the higher-ranked girls in the house. Who were not interested in her as a latent.
"No. Everyone is too focused on increasing their rank through the new challenges. I was overthinking a conversation about the Alpha and got emotional. Did you hear about the new policy and training challenges?"
She was lying. I glanced towards the back offices. Matt, Viktor's second, walked into the Kitchen; he looked pissed. For some reason, he disliked Tia; as an old dog more Viktor's age, Tia frustrated him. I leaned over to Tia.
"Did you fuck up again, and Matt lost it with you?" I asked. Silent tears spilled down her cheeks.
Someone walked past, sliding another tray of chickens to stuff. FFS, these people eat like Kings, I mumbled to myself. Tia chimed in, owning up to her misery.
"I asked him again if I could move from here and out to the dining hall as a server. I have a waitressing experience from my college days. I have the experience. He lost it and screamed at me in front of everyone, telling me I would be in the Orchard picking fruit if I asked again."
Stop asking; that would be my advice. This pack dislikes Latents. The high-ranking families occasionally eat here. They will not want a latent and a human serving them. he is doing you a favour." I scolded.
"If I were a human, I would not have to be here; I would be in New York working as a PA and happy. Here I am an outcast, not human, not shifter; I am nothing". She retorted, bitterness seeping through.
Tia moved to a new job, and unbeknownst to her, it was shifter-owned. She had a fit in the staff kitchen, and her boss called the council. Hence, her current situation,
I decided to change the subject.
"What is this new policy? What challenges?" I asked. She wiped the tears away.
The Alpha has implemented a new rule. All pack members must undergo rigorous training exercises to prove their worthiness. "It's supposed to separate the strong from the weak," she whispered with unease.
The News was bad for Tia and the others like her. Not great for me either. If ever I was going to be found out, it was in a room full of shifters, challenging me to fight.
Tia's eyes darted around once again before she spoke. "Rumor has it that there's been an increase in attacks from rival packs. Everyone in the Estate must undergo combat training,"
I consciously tried to steer clear of all the gossip at the Estate. My placement here was to stay out of pack politics. It suited me. Shifters loved drama. On arrival, I noticed an old pack. It was wealthy, complacent, and had many elders. They no longer fought or contributed. But, from what I saw, they still meddled.
The Benson pack had a high number of members. The warriors here were lazy and poorly trained in roles they got because of connection, not skill. Only in the last three months had I seen an increase in enforcers. It's still nowhere near enough to defend a pack this size.
No doubt due to the arrival of the Benson Brothers, who had been absent for the last six years.
The pack was rife with jealousy, infighting and indecision—the perfect environment for a hostile takeover, internally or from outside. From what I could see, the Benson brothers had more enemies than friends, and that was just inside the pack.
"I'm sure the Alpha only wants everyone to be able to defend themselves. He and his team are often away on enforcer assignments. Don't overthink it." Tia nodded, still unconvinced.
Just then, I approached. He leaned against the counter with that oozing hot Italian swagger. Then, he gave us a disapproving frown.
"What's with the morbid vibes, my two favourite Kitchen Bitches? I can smell your sadness from across the room." He added with a smirk.
"Correction," he turned to Tia, "I can smell yours." then he turned to me." You need to teach her how to manage that." Adding an eye roll towards me.
Despite his city-boy attitude, he still had an air of ruggedness. It's a common trait among wolf shifters. He had accepted Tia due to my protection of her.
"We are working on it." I big-eyed him. Willing him to shut up, she had not shifted. It was tricky. Her wolf senses were there. They were jumbled. It's like trying to find a radio station, but all you get is static.
Tia's emotions swirled in the air, causing Tony's wolf to writhe in discomfort. In response, he picked up an onion and flung it at her, snapping her out of her sombre mood. Tia chuckled and retaliated by playfully punching his bulging bicep. Her weak attempt only made him smirk even more.
"Ouch," she pretended to rub her sore hand against her thigh. "You're too strong for me." she was a perpetual flirt with men, constantly pandering. She would do well if she ever broke into the she-wolf upper circle of unmated pack divas.
"It was only six months ago that she learned about our kind. Cut her some slack," I said, trying to defuse the tension.
"Yeah, but it's been six months since you had to live with us, and you know the rules," Tony retorted with a cocky grin.
"My situation is completely different," I argued. Viktor had pulled me aside; I felt compelled to tell him why I was there. He did not like I was here alone with no backup. With my permission, he told his team about my role here. Advising me that they would have my back if anything went down as I predicted.
Technically, Viktor's team were lone wolves who contracted themselves to packs. Another little subgroup of the supernatural world. He did not fear getting kicked out of a pack.
I did not tell him three others were on the Estate with me; I had just not met them yet. I thought that may stretch the friendship.
I also had reservations about his role here. Rumours circulated that he met with Carter and Guy in the dining hall at night. I doubted it was about the menu.
"Whatever, princess," Tony teased before walking away. "If you want to help Lucy, start taking her to the gym with Greta. It's about to get tough around here."
I knew he was right as I watched Tony's muscular form disappear into the distance. The pack would train and test us relentlessly. They divided us into smaller groups based on our skills.
"Can I start running with you and Greta in the mornings?" Tia suddenly asked, "I should have accepted your offer earlier."
I nodded in agreement, doubting it would make a difference.
The sound of the back door bursting open interrupted my thoughts. Lucy Walton waltzed in and now stood at one of the stainless-steel tables. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped impatiently on the stainless steel counter as if we would all jump to attention like soldiers.
She was not Luna yet, I simmered.
Her designer handbag was slung over her shoulder. Her posture was proud and haughty, announcing her status as a high-ranking pack member. Lucy Walton was stunning and the current Queen Bee as the predicted chosen mate of Alpha Carter.
I wondered how many backs those claws had scratched to get where she was.
Before I arrived here, my brief listed the Walton family as having fallen from grace in Alpha Richard's early years as Alpha. Something about money: they then had a miraculous turnaround and climbed back into bed with the pack elite. Despite her beauty, she was also known for being a complete bitch.
My quick temper when it came to bullies and divas kept me from avoiding social interaction.
As a member of my ruling family, I knew what it meant to hold power over others. However, our kind was seen as elitist in the new order. It was frowned upon among the current supernatural movements. Not all shifters were enemies of my kind, but to some, our place and monarchist ruling system was a dirty word from an ancient and savage time that many wanted to overthrow.
We, however, were not fighting amongst ourselves.
And without us, they would not have ever come to be. It is a controversial and sore point among my kind.
Two main factions in the supernatural world reigned on earth: the Old and New Order. I was the old order. Many factions then branched off from there on the invisible magical tree of life.
Greta joined us, and we were elbow-deep in chicken stuffing. She shot me a look as Lucy pinned an A3 piece of paper on the whiteboard. Greta rolled her eyes at me.
"Word is the Alpha is tiring of Miss Lucy. I suspect this may be the last time she bursts in here stinking-like entitlement with one of her bullshit announcements. Wonder if mummy will still be paying for those expensive clothes when they have none left to pimp her out too."
We both chuckled. Lucy Walton's mother, Caroline Walton, was a famous ladder climber. She was said to be the instigator of her daughter's notorious bed hoping. Lucy fucked her way through the ranks. She finally got to Carter Benson. How legit it was, I didn't know. If it was true, I felt a tinge of sadness for Lucy. After all, Bitches are made, not born.
"This is not funny, Greta," Tia muttered. She stared at Lucy like she was a goddess to behold. "Lucy wants everyone's attention."
"Careful, Tia, your habit of befriending vipers like Lucy has not worked well so far."
I stayed out of it. Two months ago, Tia was in the medical centre after a beating from a high-ranking girl she thought was her friend. She pissed off all the right people and sucked up to all the wrong ones. It would be her undoing.
Viktor's voice boomed. He commanded everyone to stop what they were doing and listen. Lucy had important News to share. Greta dutifully turned down the music, and all eyes were on Lucy.
Lucy gave a fake smile and began her speech.
"We start training tomorrow, and everyone must earn their place on the Estate. Those who don't meet the criteria will be relocated. For non-pack members, this is your chance to gain permanent residency on the Estate. For pack members, this is your chance to rise in rank, become warriors and secure your spot here."
With that, she sashayed out of the room, leaving behind a wave of anticipation and unease. Ten others, male and female, worked as kitchen hands here. They had either crossed over from other packs or were like Tia. All were on probation for residency. The room fell into a hushed silence as everyone went back to work.
Greta and I watched Tia, whose hooded eyes indicated deep thought. I wanted to remind her of the perks of being in a pack for girls like her and why they would do this.
I did not add that other than the enforcers slowly drip-feeding in. The security here was shit.
"Tia, they're not likely to send you away to another pack. You may be moved to a protected gated community where you can work in town instead. Living on an estate like this is a privilege. Most people are born into it or must have special abilities to gain entry. And just because you may not physically be here doesn't mean you won't have the pack's protection."
Tia nodded half-heartedly.
Greta was also quiet. She was a striking redhead with mesmerizing eyes. Her tough exterior and crude language might catch you off guard. They hide her fiercely guarded, kind heart.
I suspected her sharp language put off the predators who would have sought her out. No man walked in and did not stare until she spoke. The fuck off warning she declared early in the game.
I pieced together her story like a puzzle from bits of conversation in the Kitchen. She left her old pack at fourteen and never talked about it. She spent nine years working in vampire bars and underground fighting clubs. Then she met Viktor.
Greta was part of Viktor's team but not a unit member; she was still considered a lone wolf. He had offered her an official place in his unit, but she declined. I wasn't sure where that left her with the challenges - not an enforcer or officially part of this unit.
She wouldn't be excluded from the challenges. It seemed like she was a Gypsy searching for a home and didn't want to be tied down by signing up with Viktor.
In typical Greta style, her silence did not last long, casually adding,
"Let's not forget: you're a female wolf. This makes you highly valuable for breeding. Shifters are obsessed with finding their true mates and keeping the species alive. And you are every shifter's fantasy, beautiful, submissive and defenceless." Greta smiled at Tia, like the cat that got the cream.
Tia's hands trembled as she stared at Greta, a mix of fear and disbelief on her face. I glared at Greta, furious at her cruel words.
Tia dropped the bowl of leftover stuffing onto the floor. She was still staring at Greta.
"Ignore her, Tia; clean that up before Viktor sees, and get your head out of that world of doom you live in," I snapped.
Tia scurried off to grab a broom. I glared at Greta.
"Was that necessary?" I growled.
"Yes, it fucking was. She is not as innocent as you think; stop shielding her. She has created more fights in her lodge than any other girl. A little innocent she is not. Tia is the type of girl who sinks ships and then, like a drowning rat, clings to the nearest life raft. Escaping while everyone else is bucketing the water out." she stared defiantly at me.
"I think you are being dramatic", I said firmly.
My words cut through the tension with a sense of finality. My voice was firm and unwavering. I was determined to put an end to Greta's exaggerated accusations.
"You'll see," she mumbled.
LADIES, those Chickens don't jump up and stuff themselves. Stop talking and hurry it up. Forty men are coming in for our first lunch seating in two hours, and you are not close to getting them in the ovens."
"Yes, Chef," we all shouted back.
Ten minutes later, he was bellowing at us again.
"Greta, my office, please. Erika, wrap that up in five minutes and prepare the dining hall. Make sure everything is prepared perfectly. The Alphas team is coming for lunch.
Tell the servers to behave themselves. They're serving the Alphas team, not drooling over them like schoolgirls."
"YES, Chef," I replied.