Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
After we’d gotten our wine—it was delicious; I’d never had anything so fine—a man with a pot belly and dirty apron set up a few cooking contraptions that weren’t much more than a pot set over an open fire. He set up a table as well, cutting vegetables and fresh-looking raw meat I assumed had been hunted recently. I didn’t see many herbs, and when water was brought to him and as he prepared to get his cooking underway—a stew, I presumed—it was clear he didn’t have much concern for the taste of his end product.
“No.” I was up before I’d realized, putting out my hand to stop him from turning for the pot with the items he’d just picked up. “No, no.” I hadn’t meant to intercede, but I motioned for him to put the items down again anyway. He took a step back in confusion. “No, you don’t just throw it all into the pot and hope for the best. Here, let me help.”
Helping essentially meant I took over completely. He didn’t seem to know which herbs to use and which ones he was missing entirely. I found it hard to believe they’d have such amazing wine but sit down to a flavorless meal.
“Did you guys happen to steal my supplies from the work shed?” I asked Hadriel as the meat seared at the bottom of the pot with the few spices they had on hand.
“Uh . . .” Hadriel looked around, wine glass in hand. He hadn’t bothered to get up when I’d decided to take over the cooking operations.
It turned out they had. The alpha was very thorough in procuring my belongings, and not just from the work shed, either. Dante walked up with the spice rack from my kitchen and I wondered if the alpha had thought it was meant for the product. Why else would he have grabbed it? Given the state of their cooking setup, I could see the confusion.
“My dirty uncle, what is all this?” Hadriel asked when the spices were delivered. For some reason, the alpha wouldn’t release any of the dried herbs he’d taken from the work shed. He probably thought I’d create some sort of plague with a bit of basil.
“I like to cook,” I said as I grabbed what I needed and turned toward the pots. “That’s putting it mildly, actually. My favorite thing to do when I get home from work is to look around at what ingredients I have on hand and use them to make something. Granny rarely gave us anything exotic, only on special occasions, and sometimes the meat was too tough for anything besides stew. I’ve gotten very good at stew—“
“You realize she is rolling in gold, right?” Hadriel said, standing next to me now and watching my efforts. “She’s swimming in it. She could give you enough food for daily feasts if she wanted to. It’d be a drop in the well.”
I held up my hand, closing my eyes. “Please, I’m not ready to hear any of that. I need to process it, and I can’t do that right now, not in this situation. Let’s just pretend my reality hasn’t changed, okay? I need that.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, bracing a hand on my shoulder. “Of course. She really outfitted you with spices, though, huh?”
“Yes. It was a gift. She knew I liked to cook so she brought me back this set. She replenished it whenever I needed anything.” I paused, cracking my neck. “No, she didn’t do anything like this for anyone else. Not to this extent. Raz got a couple things, and a few other people got nice alcohols and whatnot, but my gifts were more thoughtful.” I popped out a hip, chewing my lip to keep the emotion away. “Honestly, I’d always thought it was because I was like a daughter to her. I mean, I know part of it was because I worked hard and I got her product orders filled on time, but . . .” I shrugged, my vision blurry with tears. “I’d thought she’d done a little bit extra for me to . . . take care of me. Everyone else had families to look after them. I only had her. I thought she reciprocated the affection.” I shrugged again. “She paid attention to the things I liked best and went out of her way to get those things. She could’ve just gotten me a bottle of fine wine like you drink, but instead she got things that were special.”
He nodded with an understanding look as I quickly wiped my eyes and continued to work. Maybe I was a fool, but some of the things she got me really did seem personal. She’d always watched me closely when she gave them to me, pleased at my reactions. She needed me happy and she needed me working—I’d always known that. And yes, now I saw the actual state of that village in a way that shriveled my insides. I was stupid and selfish to have been so blind, duty-bound like that alpha, not questioning the motives or repercussions. But fuck, she’d really seemed genuine in giving me the truly special gifts. She really had.