Page 21 of The CEO Alpha’s Substitute Mate

The cook comes around the end of the island fast with the spatula going up, and I’m already moving when Ariela’s hand comes out. She moves fast, grabbing the woman’s wrist and turning it under her arm. Before the cook can realize what’s happening, Ariela has her arm folded behind her back and is driving her knee into the small of her spine, shoving her toward the island. My wolf sits up so fast that I have to put a hand on the doorframe.

The cook is a shifter. She’s back on her feet inside a second, and her eyes are filled with humiliation and rage.

“How dare you put your hands on me, you filthy—”

The claws come out as she leaps forward, and I move. My hand closes on her wrist, inches from a startled Ariela’s face.

Nobody in the kitchen moves. The rest of the staff that had been watching are frozen in place.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” I ask coldly. My emotions are in turmoil inside me, my wolf snapping and snarling, wanting to rip the cook’s throat out.

“Alpha,” she whispers.

I let go because if I don’t, my claws will be in her neck. She staggers back, her face white as a sheet.

“Do you think I should let you live?” I ask in a low voice, meant only for her sharp ears.

“I wasn’t… She put her hands on me first, she—” Nothing she starts gets finished, and she finally exclaims, “That woman refuses to let the young master eat a proper meal. I was protecting the young master.”

Reid is coming up the passage at speed with his jacket unfastened. He stops in the doorway and takes about a second to work out what he’s looking at because he isn’t a fool.

“I gave you an instruction yesterday.” I look toward him. “Miss Reyes is to be obeyed in all matters concerning Luca.”

“You did, sir.” He has the grace to look at the floor. “The morning staff weren’t in the house last night. I hadn’t yet relayed it.”

“But she’s—” the cook starts.

I have her by the throat against the cooking range.

“Don’t finish that sentence.”

Ariela is on me before the words are out. Both hands close around my forearm and pull with everything she’s got, which does nothing at all.

“What are you doing?” She’s horrified. “Stop it. You’re hurting her.”

I keep my eyes on the rest of them. There are seven people in the room, and every one of them is looking at the tiled flooring. “Miss Reyes is to be obeyed in all matters concerning our son. The next one of you who forgets it doesn’t work in this house.”

They nod. Not one of them can do it fast enough.

Then Ariela stomps down on my foot with all her weight behind it. “Let her go, you brute! You’ll hurt her!”

I release the woman. She drops against the range, coughing, and Reid quickly takes her out of the kitchen. All eyes are on Ariela, some of the staff watching her in awe. I know why. Grabbing Ariela’s wrist, I pull her out of the kitchen, deeper into the passage where we won’t be overheard.

“I was defending you.” I let go of her at the window. “How dare you attack me?”

“I didn’t attack you. You attacked her.” She’s rubbing the wrist without noticing she’s doing it. “It was an argument, that’s all. Two women disagreeing about mushrooms. You didn’t have to go so far over the top. Why are you so dramatic?”

I stare down at her. Nobody has ever called me dramatic. “I was helping you.”

“I’ve got this.” She sets her jaw. “They’re not going to accept me right away. I’m the one who’s turned up in the middle of their lives, so I’d rather sort it out myself.”

I study her, not knowing how to tell her the truth. They don’t care that she’s turned up in the middle of anything. What bothers them is that she’s human, standing in an alpha’s house giving orders about the heir. It’s an insult to them.

“You don’t understand how my household works,” I finally say. “Next time something like this happens, you come to me and I’ll deal with it.”

“I’m not going to run around snitching on people.”

I look at her. “This isn’t about snitching. It’s about your safety.” My voice lowers. “She would have killed you.”