Chapter Twenty Four
Snowflake's POV
The second we arrived back to the palace, Kendall was taken away to do this thing and that thing. I was told to place my bag and Kendall's in our separate rooms, which I was grateful for as sharing a room with Kendall hadn't worked out well.
What I had expected to happen was for Kendall to stay on his side and for me to stay on mine. A small part of me, the part that I frequently ignored, had even hoped for Kendall to end up closer as that always seemed to happen in the stories. But by placing a werewolf in a tiny bed with someone she wasn't used to being so close to, you guaranteed neither will happen.
I'm sure it started off in the right direction; however, it didn't end that way. See, when I woke up, all I saw was someone in my bed. I didn't remember where I was or who I was with. All I knew was I didn't typically share my bed. So, in the end, I had a sheepish smile on my face, and a very annoyed Kendall was on the bedroom floor. I'd apologized, of course, but Kendall wasn't a morning person or the forgiving type.
Currently, I was on my own once again. Kendall was busy for the day, and Lex had his own things to attend to. I'd already taken a tour of the palace long enough to become a little more familiar with the place. But the tour had only taken up so much of my time, leaving me alone.
On my way to search for food, I ran into something that nearly sent me to the floor. Or rather, someone I was sure wouldn't appreciate being compared to a "thing."
When I looked up, I met eyes so black that there was no clear distinction between the iris and pupil. They stared at me without emotion or even the hint of one. They scared the shit out of me.
He, or she, was definitely a werewolf, not a natural wolf. Judging by its size and frame, the werewolf was certainly male and the largest I'd ever seen. He easily dwarfed me, making me look like a mere pup in my wolf form. His dark, black coat of fur wasn't helping any in easing my amount of fear, which I was sure he could smell.
He started to walk closer to me, pausing when I bared my teeth, and a growl built in my chest, vibrating in my throat. Now, I realized my human teeth were harmless, but the two actions were instinctual for me. He should have challenged me or put his ears flat against his skull in a display of submissiveness. But he took me by surprise when he continued down his path towards me.
I tried growling once again because, at this point, I didn't know what to do with him. He was either stupid or a very, very dominant wolf who didn't feel threatened by my assertive behavior. Shifting would take too long, and I would be dead within seconds as a human. So waiting and hoping were my only options.
He was close enough now that my growls had subsided, and all I could do was stare in both amazement and fear. His nose shined and his nostrils flared, blowing hot air on me, causing me to shiver. I then realized he was taking in my scent, so I hesitantly took the opportunity to do the same.
I leaned in closer, aware he was watching me as I breathed in his musky odor, a scent associated with most werewolves. But his scent was . . . different. I couldn't place where or what he smelled like, but his scent was incredibly alluring to me and more familiar than I liked. It was as if I had run into someone from my past and couldn't quite place where I knew him from. It bothered me.
While I was distracted, he took the opportunity to bury his snout beneath my hair and nuzzle my neck. I yelped in surprise before snarling at him and jerking away. He'd been much too close for comfort. He only huffed at me before he started to walk away, leaving me dumbfounded.
"Miss Lady, are you alright?"
I turned into the direction of the voice, meeting the eyes of the chef. "There was a were-" I started, but my voice trailed off when I looked back and saw no werewolf.
"It's probably a Protector prowling around. Come, Miss Lady, allow me to assist you," he said, offering me his arm with a large smile on his face. I looked back once more, yet the "Protector" didn't reappear, before taking his arm reluctantly.
"I was just about to check on the cheesecake now that it's had time to cool. It's my own personal recipe; yes, it is, Miss Lady! You have to have a taste," he babbled, his voice ringing with pride as he continued talking about his cheesecake. I was just glad to be away from the chilling wolf and one step closer to having food in my mouth.
When we walked into the kitchen, I watched the chef as he walked towards the grand fridge, humming a cheerful melody. I couldn't explain why, but seeing him so happy in his environment caused me to feel more relaxed. It reminded me of Kendall in the office when it was just the two of us. It was as if the chef's mood was filling up the kitchen and traveling into anything living and available.
"Ah, here she is," he murmured to himself as he gingerly took the cheesecake out of the fridge. I moved closer to speculate as he took the aluminum foil off the top, cooing at the cheesecake as he did so. I decided it was more cute than disturbing.
"A classic, creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust, topped with a layer of sweet cherries," the chef said, almost as if he was announcing it. I'd be proud of the cheesecake too, had I made it.
"It looks as delicious as it smells," I replied, not able to spot a single crack. I'd made one once with my friends, but it'd been riddled with cracks. Of course, we'd eaten it anyways.
It was as if the chef had read my mind because he leaned closer and whispered, "The secret is a water bath. It gives the cheesecake its needed moisture, and it becomes less likely to crack."
I gave him a smile, knowing it was something I'd want to remember. Not that I would be making cheesecakes anytime soon, seeing as they required time, and Kendall was too unpredictable.
The chef reached up to the cabinets, pulling out a small, white plate. He cut a slender piece of the cheesecake, balancing it on the knife with expertise and placing it on the plate.
"Are you not eating any?" I asked, curious as he put the cheesecake and knife away before grabbing a fork.
The chef gave me a smile and the fork before answering with, "No, Miss Lady. I enjoy cooking and watching others eat my food, but I don't enjoy it myself. It just seems wasteful to me somehow. I enjoy the food of others." His reply didn't make sense to me now, but it would later in time.
I placed the cheesecake on the fork, biting into it. I couldn't imagine the expression on my face, but the chef seemed pleased by it. In my life, I'd never tasted a cheesecake or even a dessert that was so divine in my life. It was as if he'd stirred actual essence into the batter and mixed in a cup of emotion. This cheesecake could save the life of the world's most tortured soul.
I was just about to tell the chef he should pursue a career in making the world's finest cheesecake for a living, but he was no longer smiling. In fact, he looked scared. I turned and met a pair of pale blue eyes that thawed a little. I couldn't help but feel happier knowing that he was here.
He turned away from me, speaking in a formal tone and he said, "I expect a full course meal to be ready and awaiting delivery within an hour." The chef bowed in response and began getting to work, our small moment gone.
I realized how indecent I was compared to Kendall's suit, but I didn't make a big deal about it. I also noticed his eyes lingering on me and I bit back the defensive comment that I was dying to say. As long as Kendall played nice, so would I.
I slid off the counter with the cheesecake, my eyes never leaving Kendall's as I advanced towards him. "Open," I said, wanting him to taste the cheesecake. However, Kendall was too stubborn to just keep quiet and obey.
He only frowned, replying with, "Snowflake, I have the ability to feed-" It was too bad I didn't care.
I shoved the fork in his mouth, only laughing when his icy blue eyes gave me an infamous "stern Kendall" stare. It was hilarious that he thought the look would actually scold me somehow.
"It's heavenly, isn't it? I haven't had cheesecake like this in years," I said as I grabbed the fork and quickly ate up the last of the dessert. I knew who to beg when I wanted a spectacular cheesecake.
Leave it to Kendall to kill my mood. "We have a business meeting to attend to. Change out of my shirt and report back," he said, and I frowned, wishing I could strangle him, at least just once.
I decided it was best to keep my thought to myself as I placed the dishes in the sink, making sure to stop by the chef. I pressed a kiss to his shining head, laughing quietly as he blushed.
"Thank you," I said, listening as he returned it with a laugh.
"You're welcome back anytime, Miss Lady," he said before he started up his cheerful humming once more.
I took my time walking past Kendall, making sure to lean in and say, "Only you could kill a day so fast." I swear I saw his hand twitch before I walked away.
When I came back, I nudged Kendall's leg to let him know I was here as he wanted. He jumped from surprise before looking down and meeting my eyes, a smile appearing on his face. I opened my mouth and my tongue fell out, eliciting a laugh from him.
"Let us go before you distract me further," he said, and with that we were off towards the conference room, neither of us talking along the way.
Once we arrived inside the void room, Kendall looked relieved, for whatever reason. He took a seat in one of the chairs and I sat next to him, wondering if the wolf was the Protector of whomever we were meeting. It would make sense as to why they were both here at the same time, but then again, Kendall was an important person and probably had multiple people that I didn't know here.
When I looked up, I found Kendall staring at me, his eyes soft. I immediately scooted closer, suddenly craving his affection. I placed my head in his lap and it took him a moment, but he got it. Kendall's hand traveled through my fur and I felt my eyes closing involuntarily.
"I think I prefer you as a wolf," he said with an amused look, and I growled loudly.
I'm sad to admit it, but the second his fingers scratched around my ears, I stopped growling and attempted to scoot closer.
However, Kendall stopped when someone knocked on the door. I moved reluctantly, following behind as he headed towards the door, his face losing any signs of his earlier expressions. Then, he opened the door.
One day, when we were doing something that I couldn't quite remember, I'd asked Kendall why he'd chosen a female Protector. He'd explained that females had that "mother's instinct" that males didn't. He'd told me that I would grow fond of him in a way that a male werewolf wouldn't, and in any given situation, I would protect him without thought of how it would affect me. I'd laughed and called him an idiot.
But when Kendall opened the door and the scent of explosives hit my nose, Kendall's theory was put to the test. Without thought, selfish worry, or hesitation, I slammed into Kendall as hard as I could, my body over his, before I felt myself entering a world of fire.