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He won’t expect me to hide in the same town I was in last time, so that is exactly what I am going to do. I will drive to the rogue commune. No chance of being snitched on when all the women there can’t risk being caught either.
With my favorite knife, I cut the potatoes into thin circular slices, placing them in the bakeware for potatoes au gratin. A plan forms in my head as I set to work. Doing quick work, I cut the cauliflower and broccoli in a deep pan for a cheddar soup. I lightly stem the baby spinach, adding a small amount of bouillon base to give just the right amount of flavor, not to overwhelm the senses as most low-rate chefs do.
I place the hens at 400 degrees with the oven preheated to give them a nice golden finish while retaining the juiciness. The crème brûlée is already set before I return thanks to my handy bain-marie. So the only thing that needs to be done is to caramelize them.
Time slips by, and I get dressed for the dinner and before I know it, I hear the door. Axton comes in and looks me over, gives me a nod of approval at my outfit, and says a quick hello to Tieriny before rushing off to shower and get dressed. She grabs some wine glasses and the bottle of Pinot Noir wine, popping the cork.
“Better yet, save the poop juice for his wine. Serve his last. I don’t want to ruin the taste of the hen,” she says, and I chuckle.
Chapter
Forty-Four
Axton
Coming out of my room after showering and dressing, I find Elena putting the last touches on the dining table when the oven alarm goes off.
“I take it Tieriny has left?” I ask her, looking for the oven mitts.
“Yes, while you were showering,” Elena answers, coming over and nudging me aside with her hip as she reaches for the cupboard above the stove to retrieve the oven mitts.
My eyes roam over her as she slips a mitt on her hand, her huge baby bump sticking out. Before I can stop myself, I reach out to touch it. She freezes, her entire body turning tense as I run my hand over the silk fabric of the dress, my hand smoothing over where I can just make out her belly button.
“I should get the hens out,” she says, making me lift my gaze to hers.
I clear my throat. “Sorry.”
She steps away, pulling the oven door open, her hair falling over her shoulder, and she flicks it back as she pokes one of the hens with a skewer, pulling it out. She grabs the other mitt tucked under her arm to slip it on when I take it from her.
“I’ll get it out. You’ll ruin your dress,” I tell her, taking the other mitt from her.
“I’ll fix the wine then,” she says when there is a knock on the door. Without thinking, she walks over to the door and yanks on it before remembering it is locked.
I am too wrapped up in the memory of feeling her giant baby bump to notice at first. Seconds later, I dig my hand into my pocket and retrieve the keys, tossing them at her. “Blue one.”
She catches them, and I crouch to retrieve the hens, only to freeze, realizing I have just tossed the keys to her. I set the food on the counter in a panic as I hear the door open. I quickly race over to her.
“Hi, you must be Elena, the Alpha’s—”
Stepping behind Elena, I place my hand on her side and notice how she tenses, yet her face gives nothing away. Picture perfect, and I can tell she is more than comfortable with these sorts of situations. Natural, even though I can feel the tension in her back from me touching her.
“Mate, Luna Doreen,” I tell the woman, rubbing my hand up the side of Elena’s belly. God, I want her bump to live in my hands.
Elena says nothing at my comment, just smiles, though I notice how her eyes dart to me.
“I thought you had a fight with your mate?” Luna Doreen says as her husband comes in behind her.
“Things change. We are trying to work things out,” I tell her before greeting the Alpha.
Elena neither agrees nor denies it. I worry she will call me out, deny it, or even try to run. Yet her social skills are impeccable. She thrives in this sort of environment, which she should; she has trained her entire life for an Alpha position she will never get because she is a woman.
However, as the other council members arrive, we all sit down and discuss the vampire situation, the expansion of the city borders, and the neighboring towns that the city is looking to purchase. Elena always answers flawlessly when a question is directed at her as she talks to the Lunas that laze about my kitchen, sipping wine, while she prepares dinner.
“Must have been a kick in the teeth with your father, Elena. He even had me believing you would take over the pack,” Alpha Soyer says, looking in her direction.
“Women aren’t Alphas.” Alpha Thomas laughs.
Alpha Soyer shrugs. “Always a first time for everything,” he says, and I see his mate smile softly at his comment.
