Chapter 12 - Brooks
“Excuse me,” Rissa says coldly as she shuts the fridge door, pointedly avoiding my eyes as she stares at the yogurt drink in her hand.
I move to the side, but it’s the side Rissa’s chosen to take. She takes an awkward step back when we’re about to collide, but I quickly move to the left so she can pass on her right.
Letting out a sigh only once she’s left the kitchen and the front door shuts with a steady thud, I stare out the window as I watch her make her way toward Alpha Elias’s house for another day of training.
I glance at the untouched pancakes stacked on a plate on the island table, becoming disappointed when another attempt to break the ice has frozen over.
It’s been a week since Rissa moved in, and she doesn’t seem to care about the sweet breakfast treats.
I let out a breath through puckered lips as I grab a pancake and stuff it into my mouth, hardly tasting it, when my appetite begins to die.
I’m still chewing as I watch her, and when she disappears into the village, I swallow the mouthful and groan.
I’ve been trying so hard to give Rissa the space she obviously needs, but it’s been challenging for my inner wolf, who’s always ready to grab her whenever she walks by.
Even now, my fingers tingle with having to stifle the urge to touch her, and it’s only because I’ve been holding myself back to respect her choices.
It’s not like she’s brought up anything that’s happened over the past couple of days, leading me to wonder if she feels it at all, our fated mate bond. How is she able to be so cold toward me when all I want to do is be near her?
It’s killing me inside that she’s barely acknowledged my existence, going about her day, and returning to my house as if I’m not even here.
I know I only have myself to blame, but it’s becoming more difficult with each passing day to focus on what really needs my attention, like hunting down the demon and forming an alliance with a neighboring pack to strengthen our defenses against the evil spirit from the underworld.
So when Connor informs me that the leader of the other pack has come to Girdwood to sign the treaty, his voice in my head through the mind link is like the clinking of marbles in an empty can.
Annoyed, I grab another pancake and stuff it into my mouth, only for the sake of refueling my body to get me through another day of emptiness.
***
My house feels empty as soon as I return from a meeting—a telltale sign that Rissa isn’t back. Since she’s moved in, it’s easy to tell when she’s around and when she’s not, even if her presence is a cold bruise to my ego.
At least having her around means that she hasn’t decided to run away again. She seems to have accepted that she’s a witch. Not so much being my mate.
Sighing defeatedly, I hang my shoulders as I go through the monotonous routine of preparing dinner. I mean, it would be simpler for me to join the others in the pack’s cafeteria for a communal dinner, but I’m trying to be at home more frequently now that Rissa is here.
It’s not like it makes any difference. She’ll probably just come back and head straight to the bedroom, ignoring my existence and even the food I leave for her in the fridge every night.
Despondently taking out the ingredients, I get a pang of hunger in the pit of my belly, realizing that I’ve been ignoring what my body needs, only fueling up with enough to keep me awake.
Deciding that I’ll make two steaks for myself instead of just one, since Rissa won’t even eat the meals I prepare, I get the fire going on the stove and begin prepping the meat with salt and pepper.
As the sub-alpha in charge of putting together the festivals and celebrations in the pack, I know my way around meal prep, not just because I’m pedantic when it comes to cooking, but because I know how important it is for a werewolf to eat food that tastes great, especially on important occasions.
Though I have nothing to celebrate, I decide to make the most of tonight. At least it will be a much-needed distraction from all the thoughts running rampant in my mind.
I prepare another pan to cook up some stir-fried vegetables to go with my steaks, humming a rhythmic tune as I immerse myself in my cooking.
Eventually, when my mind empties, I’m even able to feel the full effects of my hunger and make a mental note to suggest to the other alphas that we go out for a hunt soon.
The sizzling in the hot pan when I set the steaks down is music to my ears, almost blurring the sound of the hinges squeaking when the door is opened. I try to remain calm as I turn the steaks, a proud smile lifting my lips when I notice the perfect sear on the tops.
I can hear Rissa’s footsteps as she enters the dining room, counting the number of steps she needs to take to get to the stairs. But to my surprise, her footsteps stop, prompting me to turn to find her lingering at the doorway.
“You’re cooking?” she asks with a frown, leading me to suspect that she hasn’t even noticed the meals I’ve been leaving for her every night. Surely, she would have known that the home-cooked meals looked nothing like the meals in the cafeteria.
Was she so determined to remain oblivious to my existence that she’d only grab a strawberry-flavored yogurt every morning out before going about her day?
Was she eating with Luna Aurora and Luna Yvonne before coming home, and wasn’t ever hungry when she got back?
“Y-yes,” I stammer, gathering my thoughts and pointing to the stove nonchalantly. I tell her what’s on tonight’s menu, and as another surprise, Rissa enters the kitchen and peeks over my arm, nodding slowly.
“Looks good,” she praises with a feeble half-smile. She looks like she’s going to say something, but is hesitant as she continues to stare at the pans.
That’s when a rumbling growl rings out, and Rissa instantly blushes.
Hiding my amusement, I turn to the stove and pretend I didn’t hear anything.
“Will you join me for dinner? I’m making way too much for one person to eat.”
Rissa pauses for a moment before nodding slowly. “S-sure. I wouldn’t mind.”
Her curt acceptance swells in my chest, and I continue cooking with a newfound sense of purpose. Rissa quietly takes it to herself to set up the dinner table, and it’s almost like we work in tandem to prepare for dinner.
It’s an awfully domesticated scene, and it’s not something I’m accustomed to, but I enjoy it nonetheless.
I could never see myself doing this with anyone else but Rissa, and I’d long dismissed the idea of having a mate when I saw what happened to my mother shortly after my father died.
The concept of becoming utterly helpless when one loses their mate didn’t seem ideal for an alpha.
Yet, I can’t seem to imagine life without Rissa in it now that I’ve discovered we’re fated mates.
We take our seats at the table, Rissa sitting far away on the opposite side. I remain silent all the way through dinner, hoping to make a point of my willingness to give her the space she requires.
“How have things been with hunting the demon?” Rissa asks as she reaches for her wine, dabbing the corners of her lips with a napkin.
I’ve been avoiding looking up from my meal, so when I lift my eyes at her question, I find myself entranced by the movement of her delicate fingers.
My eyes trace her lips when she removes her hand, and my mind is left to wander to the memory of our brief kiss the night I helped her through her heat.
I snap out of my daze when her glass clinks on the surface of the table, springing out from the sinful thoughts I shouldn’t be having when she’s taken the initiative to break the terse silence between us.
Clearing my throat, I discover how dry my pipes have become, and I take a sip of wine before replying.
“We haven’t found any demons nearby,” I tell her. “It’s a good thing for now, but we’ve formed an alliance with the Blood Moon Pack.”
“The Blood Moon Pack?” Rissa mulls over this information with a frown. “Isn’t that an enemy pack down in Whittier?”
I nod as I set my empty glass on the table.
“Uh-huh. Blood Moon were enemies of Snehvolk until this morning. We signed a treaty with the alpha in light of the dangers posed by more demons. “Actually,”—I reach for my napkin and wipe my mouth before continuing—“the Blood Moon Pack is throwing a dinner party for our council and theirs tomorrow night.” I search for Rissa’s green eyes, immersing myself in their warmth. “Would you like to join me?”
“J-join you…?” she hesitates with a frown, and I nod sincerely.
“It will be safe, since we’ve ensured that the path to Whittier is free from demons for now.
We’ll also be accompanied by some of our soldiers to keep us safe, since the Elders will be coming with us.
We’ll travel during the day, and stay over in Blood Moon territory for the night, so we don’t have to travel during bad hours. ”
Rissa pauses with a sip of her wine as if she’s contemplating the offer, then nods. “Okay. I’ll join you,” she relents with a sigh.
Overjoyed that she’s agreed, I stifle the urge to beam from ear to ear in delight, going back to the rest of my meal to keep things casual.
“How is training going? Are you learning how to use your magic?”
Rissa nods as she follows my lead and returns to her meal. “Yeah. Aurora and Yvonne have been showing me the ropes,” she says with a pleasant smile.
As the night drags on, Rissa speaks about her developing skills using her magic, and I tell her about my plans for this year’s summer festival in Girdwood. She intently listens to me harp on about my duties as the head of the pack’s festivities, and I’m just glad that she’s opening up to me.
Slowly but surely, I seem to be making progress, and the night doesn’t end with us at each other’s throats.