TO SATE AN ALPHA'S FURY

Alaric POV

I dismissed the elders with a sharp wave of my hand.

I felt the heat of anger in my chest. Sophie will be in danger again. I will not let my enemy win.

Sophie says she is from the future. If her claim is true, then she possesses knowledge these northerners do not have.

She can handle them. I will not show any weakness to the council. I will let the competition hold. I called for Roland.

"Go and call the Chief Royal Chef." I commanded.

"Okay, Sire." Roland said.

He bowed and left the room.

I sat in the throne room alone. The silence was heavy. Something feels off about the death of Morgana. Thomas said it was suicide.

But I remember her state. Her hands were tied together. It is difficult to drive a pin into a neck with bound wrists. That is a problem for later.

Right now, Sophie needs to win this competition. I will show the entire clan that I am the Alpha King. No one challenges me and wins.

The heavy doors opened. Sophie walked into the throne room. My thoughts seized for a moment.

She looks extremely beautiful this morning. The morning light caught the gold in her hair. I just want to hold her close to me. I want to tell her she is safe.

"You sent for me, Alpha?" Sophie asked.

Her voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Erm, yes." I managed to say.

I cleared my throat.

"Please sit."

I adjusted my posture. I did not want her to know I was thinking about her. I needed to be the King.

"There is a reckoning that happens by this time of the year every year." I started.

"It is a meeting between the Blackwood Pack and the Moon Crescent Pack."

"Okay. Are you teaching me about the pack?" Sophie asked.

I smiled.

"No, Sophie. The northern clan arrived yesterday. They have heard of your fame. They want you to compete with their finest chefs."

"Another competition?" Sophie asked.

She sighed.

"Yes. And I want you to compete." I responded.

"And if I refuse?" Sophie asked.

She crossed her arms.

"You cannot refuse the order of the Alpha King." I said softly.

She looked at me. Her eyes told me she believed she had every right to refuse my order. She is not like the other women in this court. She does not fear my title.

"Okay. I know you have every right to refuse my order." I said.

"But if you win, I will make sure I find the book that brought you here."

"But you already promised that you will find the book." She said.

She opened her eyes wide.

"So you have not been finding it all this while?"

"I have." I responded sharply.

"But they will increase the search. They will check every corner of this kingdom. No stone will stay unturned."

"And what are the stakes if I lose?" she asked.

"You cannot lose." I said.

I leaned forward.

"I believe you can win. You are from the future. Show them what you have got."

I saw a soft smile pass through her lips. She is happy I now believe her story.

"Okay. I will engage in the competition." Sophie said.

I smiled. Relief washed over me.

"Now I would like you to accompany me to go greet the Northern Clan." I said to her.

"Right now?" She asked.

"Yes. We can go now. They arrived yesterday. It will be rude if I do not show concern about their visit." I said.

Sophie nodded in agreement. She stood up. I rose from the throne and walked behind her.

We walked past the great hall. We headed for the guest secretariat. We saw Alpha Stone and his envoy in the courtyard.

"Oh, how gracious it is to grace the presence of the most feared Alpha King." Alpha Stone hailed.

He bowed, but his eyes were cold.

"Alpha Alaric of Blackwood Kingdom."

"Alpha Stone, quit the pretense." I replied.

"Let us cut to the chase."

"Alpha Alaric, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" He asked.

He turned to his group.

"These are my envoys. This includes my three finest chefs. I also have my royal taster and my guards."

Stone pointed to a tall, muscular man with a scarred face.

"This is Chef Fenris." Stone said.

"He is the finest male chef in this time. Some people call him the master chef."

He pointed to a thin man with a very long nose.

"And this is Chef Varg." Stone added.

"He has cooked to a point that he can no longer taste food. Just from the aroma he can predict the taste."

Finally, he pointed to a woman with sharp eyes and black hair tied tight.

"And for the female chef, this is Chef Skade." Stone continued.

"She is the best female chef in this time. She has won many matches. No one has been able to beat her when it comes to open fire cook..."

"Is that why you requested a competition?" I interrupted him.

"I have only heard of a ghost chef and I was curious." Alpha Stone said.

"I wanted to witness the skills she possesses first hand."

"Yet you refuse to eat food made by the Blackwood chefs?" I asked.

I stepped closer to him.

"She is my Chief Royal Chef. You could taste her skills by eating the food you were served."

"Calm down, Alpha." He said.

"I came with three of the finest chefs known in this time. I saw no reason to stress you or your ghost chef."

My jaw tightened. He is insulting me indirectly. He thinks my kitchen is beneath him.

"Or do you not have confidence that your Chief Royal Chef will win?" He asked.

Mockery dripped in his voice.

I cannot show weakness. I believe Sophie will win.

"What are the stakes?" I asked.

"The higher the stakes, the sweeter the game."

"Right to harvest." Stone stated.

I let out a laugh of mockery.

"I should give you the right to harvest Blackwood's entire resources? You want to harvest all our herbs. All our grains?"

"Are you scared your chief royal chef will fail you?" Stone asked.

"And what are you giving to Blackwood when your chefs fail?" I asked.

My face became serious.

"What do you want from Moon Crescent?" He asked.

"Well, you do not have anything Blackwood needs." I said firmly.

"So I request that your pack be dissolved into the Blackwood pack. I will rule over Moon Crescent. You will be under me."

Alpha Stone went quiet. He looked at his chefs. He looked at his guards.

"I will discuss that with the council." Stone murmured.

"I cannot make that decision alone."

I laughed again. "When you are ready, you let me know." I said.

"But for now, let my Chief Royal Chef prepare something special for both of us. You will see your chefs are no match for her. You should see this before you give out your kingdom for a game you have already lost."

I saw his face. He did not want to show his doubt. I noticed it.

I had broken his confidence. I felt a surge of triumph. I turned to Sophie and gave her a nod.

She understood the assignment. She headed toward the kitchen wing alone. I watched her go. It is a taboo for the Alpha to be seen in the kitchen. I must maintain the laws of the pack.

I stood in the courtyard with Alpha Stone. I felt happy that I had shaken him. But the feeling did not last.

I felt a chill on the back of my neck. I looked up at the palace windows. The architect of all this chaos is still out there.

Morgana is dead. The physician is dead. Someone is watching this game.

Someone is waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Alpha Stone POV

I walked back to the guest secretariat with Alpha Alaric. The air felt cold.

Alaric walked with a confidence that irritated me. He moved like a man who already won the war.

We reached the sitting room. My three chefs stood by the wall. Fenris looked bored. Varg kept twitching his nose. Skade watched the door.

We sat down. The silence between us was like a sharpened blade.

"You won't win this competition, Stone." Alaric said.

He leaned back in his chair. He did not blink.

"I have heard your boasts before." I replied.

I looked at Fenris.

"My chefs are the finest known in this time. They have cooked for kings and conquerors. Your ghost chef is a girl in a mask."

"She is more than a girl." Alaric said.

His voice was low.

"She is the future of this kingdom. You are about to witness something your tongue cannot forget."

Soon, Sophie arrived.

She carried a silver tray. She did not look at me. She placed the tray on the table.

On the tray sat small, round items. They were colorful. They had a smooth top and a creamy center. I had never seen food that looked like jewels.

"What is this?" I asked.

I let out a laugh of mockery.

"Are we playing with children's toys? I asked for a meal, not pebbles."

"It is a macaron." Sophie said.

Her voice was steady.

"It is a special dessert." Alaric said.

He looked at the tray with pride.

"Sophie made it for me. I believe it is one of the finest desserts that one could ever taste. Go on, Stone. Taste the defeat."

I reached out. I picked up a pink one. It felt light. I put it in my mouth. The shell cracked. The center melted.

A burst of flavor hit my palate. It was sweet. It was complex. I felt my eyes widen.

"Uhhhmmmm!"

I made a pleasing sound before I could stop myself. The flavor was perfect.

"You see? I told you." Alaric teased.

He saw my reaction.

"Your chefs are no match for my chef. You should pack your bags now."

"Oh, please. This is nothing." I replied.

I felt the heat in my face. I forced a look of disgust.

"This is a sugar trick. It is nothing compared to what my chefs are capable of. My men cook meat that can make a wolf weep."

Chef Fenris stepped forward. He looked at the tray.

"May I taste the dessert, Alpha?" Fenris asked.

I nodded. I wanted him to tell me it was garbage. Fenris took a bite. He closed his eyes. He made a pleasant sound. He looked like he was in a trance.

"Hmmmmm." Fenris whispered.

He dropped the rest of the macaron.

He quickly arranged his apparel. He straightened his tunic. He looked like he had made a mistake by appreciating another chef's meal. He refused to look at me.

"I leave you to think about this gamble." Alaric said.

He stood up.

"Make a decision. The stakes are high. My kingdom against yours."

Alaric left the room. His guards followed him. The ghost chef walked behind him. I watched them go.

As soon as I could no longer hear their footsteps, I turned to Fenris. I slammed my fist on the table.

"Why would you gush over her food like that?" I asked.

I roared the words.

"You are my master chef. You made me look like a fool."

"You also gushed over her food, Alpha." Fenris said boldly. He did not flinch.

"We can lie to everyone, but our tongue never lies when it tastes something unique. That girl has a gift. Her hands use magic we do not know."

"It is just a sweet." I muttered.

"It is a warning." Fenris replied.

"We do not have to engage in this competition. You are risking the entire Moon Crescent Pack for a game. If we lose, we lose our land. We lose our identity. It is not worth the risk."

"We will do it because someone has assured me that we would win." I roared.

I thought of Magnus. The Grand Prince had promised me victory.

"From the smell of the dessert, I can tell it is a special one." Varg added.

He was still sniffing the air.

"Her scents are balanced. They are strange. They do not belong to our woods. What if we lose to her, Alpha? The council will hang your head on a spike if you lose the pack."

I sat down. My heart hammered. The taste of the macaron was still in my mouth. It was a terrifying taste. It was the taste of a superior enemy. I saw reason. I realized the danger. I was a fool to listen to Magnus.

"You are right." I said.

My voice was quiet.

"I cannot risk the pack for a mere competition. The stakes are too high. I will tell them the deal is off."

I pulled a small piece of parchment.

I wrote a short message to Magnus. I told him I could not go through with it. I told him the risk was too great. I sent a guard to deliver it.

I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

Not long after, the door opened. It was not Magnus.

It was Elder Hrothgar. He did not look like a man of peace. He carried a heavy, leather-bound book. He placed it on the table in front of me.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It is a record." Hrothgar said.

He opened the pages.

"This book records all the offerings you, Alpha Stone has collected from the Blackwood Kingdom over the last five years."

I felt the blood drain from my face. I looked at the numbers. Every bag of grain. Every jar of gold. Every crate of medicine I had taken in secret was listed there.

"These offerings did not get to your council." Hrothgar said.

His voice was like a snake.

"You kept the best for yourself. You grew fat while your people ate scraps. If we show this to your pack, they will tear you apart."

"You would not dare." I whispered.

"We will let all your secrets be exposed." Hrothgar threatened.

"The Moon Crescent Pack loves a strong leader. They hate a thief. We will tell them you sold their future for your own silk sheets."

"What do you want?" I asked.

I gripped the edge of the chair.

"Engage in the competition." Hrothgar said.

"Grand Prince Magnus will ensure Moon Crescent wins. He has already prepared the way. The ghost chef will fail. You will take the harvest rights. You will be a hero to your people."

"And if I refuse?" I asked.

"Then you will be a corpse by sundown." Hrothgar replied.

He closed the book. He left the room without another word.

I stayed in the dark. My chefs watched me. They knew I was trapped. I had no choice. I had to play the game of the Grand Prince.

The next morning, I set up a meeting with Alpha Alaric in the Great Hall. The sun was bright, but I felt cold. Alaric sat on his throne. He looked at me with those gold eyes.

"Have you made your choice, Stone?" Alaric asked.

"I have." I said.

I stood tall. I hid the trembling in my hands.

"I have agreed to the stakes. The competition will hold. My chefs against your ghost chef. My harvest rights against your crown."

Alaric smiled. It was a look of pure joy. He thought he had me. He thought his chef would save his kingdom. I looked at him and felt a dark pity.

Blackwood can never win when their kingdom is divided against it own king.

Elara POV

I sat in my room. The silence felt heavy.

I looked at my hands. They were clean. I had washed away the blood of Morgana.

I killed my trusted maid to save my own life. Now I have to do the dirty work myself. I no longer have a shadow to walk the dark halls for me. The air in the chamber felt cold.

I missed the presence of my servant. I did not miss her soul. I missed her utility.

I stood up. I paced the stone floor. My silk dress hissed against the rug.

I have spent years building my position in this palace. I will not let a girl from nowhere destroy it.

I sent a message through a page. I sent for Cook Damien. He is a man of low morals and high greed. He is perfect for my needs.

He arrived ten minutes later. He kept his head down. He wore his white kitchen tunic. It was stained with grease at the hem. He looked nervous. He should be nervous.

"Why have you not used what I gave you yet?" I asked.

I did not offer him a seat. I stood by the window. I watched the guards in the courtyard below.

"I tried, My Lady." Cook Damien said.

His voice was thin.

"But the ghost chef is like a hawk. Sophie always stays with the food. She stays from the moment the fire starts until the plate is served. She does not leave the kitchen. She does not even turn her back."

"You are a master of that kitchen." I said.

I turned to face him. I let my eyes narrow.

"You have worked there for twenty years. She has been there for weeks. Are you telling me a child is smarter than you?"

"She is careful." Damien replied.

He wiped sweat from his forehead.

"She keeps her spices in a locked box. She watches every hand that moves near her pots."

"I heard about the competition." I said.

I walked toward him. I stopped a few inches away.

"The northern clan is here. There will be a great match. I know Cook Silas and you will be her assistant cooks. The Alpha will chose you because you have more experience and expertise than the others. This is the perfect time for you to use the poison."

"The Alpha wants us to help her win." Damien whispered.

"I want her to fail." I said.

I reached into my pocket. I pulled out a small glass vial. The liquid inside was clear as water. It has no smell. It has no taste.

"This is the perfect time. The kitchen will be chaotic. There will be three northern chefs. There will be fire and steam. She cannot watch everyone at once."

"If I get caught, the Alpha will execute me." Damien said.

"If you do not do this, I will execute you. Not just you but your family too. Remember what I told you the last time." I threatened.

My voice was like a blade.

"I know about the grain you stole from the stores last year. I know you sold it to the black market. One word from me to Thomas and your head will be in a basket before the moon rises."

Damien turned pale. He began to shake.

"I will do it." He said.

"I will find a way."

"You must." I said.

"During the competition, she will be focused on the northern chefs. Wait for the moment she plates the final course. This is the perfect thing to use. One drop is all it takes. It will not kill anyone. It will only ruin the taste. It will make the food bitter. It will make her look like a fraud in front of Alpha Stone." I said.

A wicked smile appeared on my face.

"I understand, My Lady." Damien said.

I stretched my hand and offered that he takes the vial.

He took the vial with a trembling hand.

"Get out." I commanded.

He stumbled out of the room. I felt a surge of power. I did not need Morgana. I only needed fear.

I grabbed a dark cloak. I headed for the secretariat of Grand Prince Magnus. I moved through the side corridors. I avoided the main gates. I reached his door and walked in without knocking.

Magnus sat by his fire. He looked like a man who had already drunk a gallon of wine. But I saw his eyes. They were sharp. He was not as drunk as he pretended to be.

"You killed your trusted maid." Magnus said.

He did not look up from the flames.

"I had to." I said.

I sat across from him.

"I did it because of the incompetence of your rogues. They failed to kill the physician cleanly. They let Thomas get too close. I had to clean up the mess."

"It was your idea in the first place." Magnus said.

He finally looked at me.

"You wanted the girl gone. We almost got caught because you were impatient."

"The girl is still here." I snapped.

"And now she is cooking for the northern clan. Alaric is betting his crown on her."

"Let him bet." Magnus said.

He let out a dry laugh.

"This time my idea will work. I have spoken to Alpha Stone. The stakes are set. If she fails, the Moon Crescent Pack takes the harvest rights. They take the food. They take the medicine."

"And if she wins?" I asked.

"She will not win." Magnus said.

He stood up. He walked to a map on the wall.

"I have a perfect plan in place. I will make sure the ghost chef fails. When the resources are gone, the pack will starve. They will grow angry. Alaric will look like a fool who traded their lives for a cook. Everything will be taken away from him. A coup will begin. The elders are already hungry for his blood. He will be dethroned."

"And what of Sophie?" I asked.

"She will be executed for treason." Magnus said.

"The people will demand it. I will take the throne. You will have your place by my side."

I looked at Magnus. He was a monster. But he was a monster I could use.

I thought about the competition. I thought about Sophie standing over a ruined pot of food. I thought about the look on Alaric's face when he loses his kingdom.

I headed back to my chamber. I felt a cold joy in my chest. If Magnus plan fails, mine will work. I have lived in the shadow of that girl for too long.

Alaric looks at her with a light he never gave to me. He protects her. He treasures her. But he cannot protect her from the rot inside his own house.

I looked out at the northern forest. The sun was setting. The day of the competition is coming.

I touched the place where Morgana used to stand. I did not feel guilt. I only felt anticipation.

I was happy that at last, that ghost chef who had caused me so much trouble will finally fail.