Leila Vy
Gideon had been gone for a week. It had been the hardest and the longest week he had ever been through. He had been grumpy when he had arrived home.
When he had reached the top of the hill and saw his mate in the garden, playing in the dirt, he’d nearly smiled.
“Do you enjoy gardening?” he asked as they walked back to the pack house.
“I do. I did it every day with my dad until he passed away,” she said with sadness.
They entered the pack house and walked up the steps toward their bedroom. Emmeline smiled as the cold air hit her skin. It was soothing after being out in the sun. She sighed and turned to look at her tall, broody mate.
“What do you like to do for fun?” she asked.
“Fight,” he responded. She frowned. She knew there must be something more than that.
“Besides fighting, what else do you enjoy?” she prodded.
“Training,” he replied.
She rolled her eyes. “How about I tell you what I like?” she offered.
His eyes sparkled a little, and it was the first time she had ever seen delight cross his face. Encouraged, she followed him toward their bedroom. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she spoke.
“I love to read. Your library has become my favorite spot. I enjoy singing, telling stories, and baking pastries,” she said.
He grunted a response as they entered the bedroom.
She walked to her dresser and pulled out a flower-print skater skirt and a cream-colored blouse. While Gideon was gone, Maxine had helped her do some shopping for clothes. She turned to him.
“I’m glad you’re home, Gideon. You were away for a very long time.” She wanted to tell him she missed him, but she thought it might make him uncomfortable. His lips twitched a little.
“It was a week.”
“A week too long,” she responded, smiling as she skipped toward the bathroom.
Gideon stared after her. She was definitely different. The way she looked at him. He felt as if she saw him for who he truly was, as if there were no scars on his face.
Many people had been so repulsed by his scars that they could barely look him in the eye.
Emmeline’s gaze never wavered, always looking at him directly. He slowly shook his head and went to take a shower in one of the other rooms.
Emmeline stepped out of the bathroom to see her mate gone. She walked over to the wooden dresser and picked up her hairbrush. She sat on the edge of the bed as she combed her hair.
The door opened, and Emmeline’s eyes widened. Gideon walked in wearing only a towel. He had forgotten to bring a change of clothes.
Her eyes roamed his body from top to bottom. His silver hair was wet and tousled, droplets of water sliding down his hard, tattooed chest.
Her gut clenched with roaring desire, and she swallowed hard, trying not to drool like an idiot. She licked her lips as her eyes dipped lower.
“Emmeline.” Gideon’s husky voice caught her attention.
She lifted her gaze, seeing her mate’s eyes were black as night. Her heart skipped. He was so beautiful. “Yes?” she answered.
“I can smell you,” he growled.
Realization dawned on her that he could smell her arousal. Her cheeks turned pink. She dropped her hairbrush, quickly stood, and scrambled out of the bedroom without glancing back.
She was completely and utterly embarrassed Gideon had caught her lusting after him again. She walked down the hall and started down the steps.
She was in such a hurry to put as much space as possible between her and Gideon, that she slipped and tumbled down the steps. Her cries echoed through the pack house.
Emmeline landed on her back on the last step. She whimpered as pain ran through her body. Her back and tailbone felt like they had been crushed.
She grit her teeth and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Gideon was beside her immediately. He was only wearing a pair of black denim jeans.
“What happened?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. Emmeline blinked back tears.
“I-I fell down the steps,” she answered.
“How far?” he sounded angry.
“I don’t… I’m fine,” she said, avoiding his question. She pushed away from him and slowly stood up, wincing as pain shot through her back. Then she felt an enormous hand on her back.
Gideon was rubbing and gently touching her back to see if she had broken anything. His touch gave Emmeline a healing sensation throughout her back. The pain was quickly replaced with a soft tingling.
“How did you—” she asked, but he interrupted her.
“I heard you and came as fast as I could,” he replied with a grim face. “Watch where you’re going, Em. We don’t want you breaking anything. Be careful.”
“I know,” she mumbled, looking down at her fingers. His touch had felt so intimate. She felt that familiar stir between her legs.
She knew if she didn’t step away soon, she would embarrass herself again. She took a step back and looked up at him from under her eyelashes.
“Thank you. I feel better now,” she said. “I-I have to go down to the kitchen and check on dinner. I’ll see you then?”
He stared down at her, his face guarded, but gave her a curt nod.
She smiled softly at him before skipping off toward the kitchen. She felt his gaze on her until she rounded the corner.
Emmeline was pretty sure he was watching to make sure she didn’t go tumbling down again and break her neck.
She entered the kitchen. The kitchen staff looked up and smiled when they saw their luna coming in. Ever since her arrival, order in the pack house had improved.
The servants were happy to see improvements made to their quarters, and the kitchen staff was happy for the updated appliances.
“Luna.” The head cook, Laura, wiped her hands on her apron and approached Emmeline.
“Laura, I want to do something special today. Your alpha has returned, and I want to cook something he’d like,” Emmeline stated.
Laura chuckled. “I know exactly what he likes.”
Emmeline’s eyes sparkled with interest. “What does he enjoy eating?”
“The alpha is a simple man, Luna. He loves baked mac and cheese, steak, and garlic bread.”
“Excellent! Start those dishes.” Emmeline was eager now. Laura was about to get to work, but Emmeline grabbed her arm. The head cook threw a questioning look at her luna.
“If I may, I’d like to make dessert for everyone,” she said, hoping she wasn’t offending Laura.
Laura smiled with a nod. “That would be great, Luna,” she said happily.
Emmeline was excited. She had read a lot of recipe books, and there was one recipe in particular she had tried out on her father. He had loved the dish so much that he had asked for seconds.
They had finished the dish together. Emmeline smiled at the memory, picturing her father’s delighted smile. She wanted to do the same for Gideon.
She took out some flour, eggs, sugar, milk, butter, and many other ingredients and began working on her dish. She had to make sure she made enough for everyone and more than tripled her recipe.
She made phyllo dough, kneading and rolling the dough into thin sheets. Then she whipped up the custard and popped the dessert in the oven. Her muscles ached terribly, but she was determined to complete the dish.
When the dessert came out, the whole kitchen smelled of sweet custard and flaky pastry. Everyone was literally drooling for a taste.
Emmeline grinned and pushed a fresh tray, warm from the oven, toward the staff. They looked up at her in surprise.
“I made enough for you guys, too,” she said. They smiled and, grateful for her kindness, dove into the dessert.
In a matter of minutes, the whole tray had disappeared. Emmeline watched them in delight, their faces showing her how much they loved it.
“It’s delicious, Luna,” Laura said first. “I’ve never had anything so delicious with such a flaky crust and just the perfect amount of sweetness and tartness.”
“Thank you.” Emmeline blushed. “My dad always loved this dessert. When I first made it, he begged me to make it every night for a month.” Laura chuckled.
“I can’t blame him. It’s delicious.”