Chapter Thirty-Seven
A knock at the door interrupted the nervous flow of Catherine’s mind. She checked her appearance one more time in the mirror before heading to meet Rebecca. Today she would start her new job as the lead chef of Blackmoore. Her stomach was tied in knots but she felt adequately healed. She took comfort in the fact that today wouldn’t involve any real work. Instead Rebecca promised she would only be getting a low down on what her responsibilities were, a tour and a meet and greet with the rest of the kitchen staff.
Catherine opened the door to find Rebecca and Graham’s friend, Lucas, chatting on the opposite wall. She’d met Lucas the night before when he’d come knocking. If she weren’t already mated to the hottest man in the pack, Catherine might find him attractive. He had chestnut blonde hair, styled with a buzz on the sides and kept longer on top. He had striking blue/green eyes and a smile that seemed to always hold the promise of a good time. Not to mention he was built very similar to her own mate with sinewy muscle and tattoos on both of his arms.
“Lucas, I’ll watch over her. There’s no need to shadow us today,” Rebecca said.
“Nu uh, no can do, Luna. I have strict orders from Grey not to let her out of my sight. I respect you but just think of me like Ted. I’ll stay out of your way but not out of quick reaching distance,” he told her, crossing his arms and giving her that charming smile.
“Don’t give me that look, it doesn’t work on me,” Rebecca scolded.
Lucas leaned closer, placing his hand on the wall close to her. “You sure?”
A man Catherine hadn’t noticed cleared his throat and stepped purposely between the two. Lucas raised his hands and laughed. “Chill, Ted. It’s called a joke. I don’t have a death wish.” Then he turned to Catherine. “Morning!”
“Good morning,” she said with a slight chuckle. How were these lustful, happy-go-lucky men best friends with her serious, guarded mate?
“Are you ready for the tour?” Rebecca beamed.
Your read
Catherine smiled. “More than ready.”
Rebecca started by taking her to the farm where the produce for the packhouse was grown. A large deer fence surrounded the five acre farm where a couple men and women worked. She was surprised by the amount of vegetables available for harvest that seemed to be going to waste. When asked about it, the workers mentioned the former chef rarely utilized the crops. He was more of a ‘meat and potatoes’ man. She couldn’t say she was surprised as wolves and lycans tended to favor carnivorous diets.
She loved how excited the workers became when she told them all the ways she would prepare the available veggies. They promised to keep her updated on what was in season and invited her to come out as often as possible.
After leaving the farm, Rebecca took her next door to meet the man who raised the livestock. Robert had been working on the property since its conception. She couldn’t guess his age but based on that fact alone she knew he had to be several hundred years old. His face would turn an adorable shade of pink whenever Rebecca spoke to him causing Lucas to tease him mercilessly.
They timed their arrival to the kitchen to be just past lunch so the staff wouldn’t be too overwhelmed.
“So, working in the kitchen will keep you busy. Once Grey bucks up and accepts his role, you’ll have to transition away from being head chef,” Rebecca clarified earning a scoff and a chuckle from Lucas. Catherine gave him a curious glance as Rebecca continued. “We serve three meals each day. Breakfast is served at 7, lunch at noon and dinner at 5. The kitchen serves everyone who lives in the packhouse and I recommend making a few extra for guests, and the few stragglers who come and go between training and work.”
Catherine counted in her head. “That would be about 70 people?”
Rebecca gave her a look of approval. “I believe Donald would prepare enough to feed 75, that’s correct. Lucille is the sous chef, I made sure she was present to meet you. I don’t see any reason why y’all wouldn’t get along.”
“Lucille Beumont?” Lucas asked, concern laced in his voice,
“That’s right!” Rebbeca chirped, opening the door to the kitchen.
Rebbeca preceded her in. Catherine had only been to the kitchen once before when she’d gotten the paternity results. She looked around with fresh eyes. It was large but still felt like a typical house kitchen. She walked to the fireplace that bolstered three hanging cast iron pots. She wanted to clap her hands in
excitement.
1/3
Chapter Thirty-Seven
A dozen workers bustled around cleaning up the mess from lunch. Lucas entered, his eyes scanning the room… and the women. Catherine rolled her eyes. It had taken the walk from her room to the front door to realize how much attention he garnered from the women of the pack… and how much he reveled in it. This look seemed different though, like he was looking for someone who was a threat.
“Lucille!” Rebecca exclaimed.
A short woman turned around and wiped her hands on her apron. She had a breathtaking smile that brightened her alabaster skin. Her eyes were so blue they were almost silver and her hair was black silk, pulled back into a high ponytail. Lucille took Rebecca’s hands and kissed her on each cheek. Lucille glanced over her shoulder at Catherine and she couldn’t help but notice the pinch of her nose indicating she smelled her rogue status. Her eyes then found Lucas who had taken a close stance behind Catherine.
“This is Catherine, your new chef!” Rebecca exclaimed, gaining the attention of everyone else in the room.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you all. I appreciate this opportunity to work alongside you and learn everything I can from you,” Catherine said, wanting to sound humble as she made eye contact with everyone in the room.
“Lucas? What are you doing here?” Lucille asked, ignoring what Catherine said.
Lucas cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. Catherine’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I’m just keeping an eye on Catherine here.”
“Why?” she asked, her eyes scrunching in curiosity. Rebecca caught on to the awkward tension building in the room and glanced between Lucille and Catherine.
Lucas rubbed the back of his neck and sent Catherine a look as if to apologize for what was about to happen. “Grey asked me to while he was out of town.”
“Grey… asked you…” Lucille’s gaze slowly ticked to Catherine. The confusion slowly filtered away to be replaced with anger and hurt. “I see. You’re the rogue he’s brought to town.”
“Lucille,” Rebecca gasped. “You will not speak to her like that. She is a part of this pack and…”
“But she’s not, is she?” Lucille asked, taking a threatening step forward causing Lucas to draw Catherine back closer to him. The act didn’t go unnoticed by Lucille. “Alpha Jensen clearly has some hang ups as does Graham…” Lucille reached forward and Lucas growled low in warning. She rolled her eyes and flicked Catherine’s hair away from her neck. Lucille smiled at the unblemished skin she saw there. Her arctic eyes met hers. “If our two top officials refuse to accept her there must be a reason.” Lucille stated.
Murmurs were buzzing around the kitchen at her words. Catherine tried to stifle the hurt she was feeling in her chest. Little did this woman know she was voicing each of Catherine’s own insecurities aloud for all to hear and using them as an insult no less.
Lucille crossed her arms. “I’ll not work under a rogue and I’m sure no one else wants to either. We can’t cook if we can’t smell what we’re cooking over the
stench of…”
Catherine reacted without thinking. Her hand shot out and she smacked Lucille across the cheek. A tear slid down Catherine’s face and she quickly wiped it away. If they only knew who she was. If they only knew what she had gone through. If they only knew… Lucille gripped her cheek in shock.
“It’s painfully obvious why you don’t want to work with me and we can both agree my rogue status has nothing to do with it. I am a damn good chef and would love to work with you but if you can’t look past something you can’t understand then…” Catherine took a step back and raised her arm toward the door. “There’s the exit.”
Lucille straightened her shoulders and smoothed down her apron before she untied it and threw it to the ground. She took another step forward, putting her face mere inches from Catherine’s. She sniffed the air and spit at the ground. “No wonder he hasn’t marked you. Who could stomach the stench long enough to get near you?” Lucille hissed.
Catherine resolved herself to not let her words affect her, or to at least not let them show. Later, when she was alone, she would let the feelings envelope her. But not now.
“Leave, Lucille,” Rebecca ordered in a stern voice Catherine had not heard her use before then. “And anyone else who has an issue can go with her.”
Catherine looked around nervously as one after another people began to take their aprons off. The aprons began to pile up at Catherine’s feet as people passed her. Some spit, others held their nose and one even cursed her as she passed. She stared down at the aprons and for the first time since getting to Blackmoore she hated who she was. A hand wrapped around her shoulder and she glanced back to see Lucas holding a tissue for her. She hadn’t realized she was crying. She thanked him before taking it.
“Mable, Dear, it appears you’ve gotten yourself a raise,” Rebecca chimed in after a moment.
2/3
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Catherine glanced to the sink where a mousy little woman with plump cheeks, wide hips and a shy smile watched them. Her clothes were soaked from washing the dishes but she still wiped her wet hands on them to try to get them dry.
“… I would like to stay, Luna,” Mable said. Her eyes went to Catherine. “I have tried your food at the Grill in Sterling. I’m not much of a cook but I joined the staff in the hopes that I might…”
Mable couldn’t finish because Catherine gripped her in a fierce hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Mable gave a slight nervous chuckle. “You may not be thanking me in a few days. It’s a lot of work and I’m afraid I won’t be much help.”
Catherine nulled back. “You’ve already helped more than you know.”
Surrendering to Destiny
