Chapter 7

The next morning I woke up early hoping to grab a bite to eat and make my way to school before Kai realized I had gone. My plan was to avoid him as much as possible for the next year. I was grateful he had provided me a place to stay and welcomed me as a part of his family, however I knew it was also his way of controlling my relationship with Kassius and that only proved to make me angry all over again. 

I threw on my school uniform and made my way to the kitchen. If the cook had not made breakfast yet I would just grab some fruit and head out. I didn’t have time to wait around. As I rounded the corner towards the kitchen I could hear bacon frying and pots and pans being moved. My stomach started to rumble. I guess I was hungrier than I thought, I told myself. Good thing the Alpha’s cook starts early. I stopped dead in my tracks when I finally entered the kitchen. 

Kai was standing at the stove making breakfast. He hadn’t seen me come in and I debated if I would be able to sneak back out without him noticing. Trying to ignore the rumble in my stomach that told me to just grab some bacon first, I took a slow step backward.

“Don't be shy, Fallon. I am making breakfast for you after all. I thought you could use some good comfort food to help you start your day. If I remember correctly I think I got all your favorites.” Kai smirked.

He was right there was bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits and even chocolate gravy. I was surprised he had remembered the chocolate gravy. It was a southern thing that most people here thought sounded disgusting, but my mother had come from Kentucky originally and it was a family favorite. My resolve softened some when I realized he had done all of this for me. I took a seat at the large kitchen island and watched as he finished up. He piled a plate high and placed it in front of me with a smile. 

“Milk or O.J.?” He asked with a glass in his hands.

“Apple juice.” I said with a grin.

“Should have known, you always did have to be difficult.” he snorted as he grabbed apple juice from the fridge and poured me a glass. I took a big bite of the bacon and a fork full of the biscuit with chocolate gravy rolling my eyes back in ecstasy. This was always one of my favorites and I hadn't had it so long. Not since my mother had passed. My mind instantly went back to the days Kai and I would sit at the table watching mom cook. I noticed him sitting on the opposite side of the island watching me without a plate of his own. “Well is it edible?”

“It. Is. So. Good.” I answered “Where did you learn to cook?”

“Well while you would be too interested in your wild plans for the day when we were kids, I was more observant. I enjoyed watching your mother cook. She always seemed so into it. Afterwards I would come home and try it out for myself.” he explained

I looked into his eyes, feeling as if I was finally seeing the real him for the first time in so many years. “I never knew that.” I was shocked I hadn't expected that he had been paying that much attention to my mother. It occurred to me that maybe he admired her just as much as I had. His own mother, while kind, was the wife of the alpha. She had always been so busy with pack duties he spent a lot of time at my house and my mother had treated him as if he were one of her own children. I guess maybe he looked at her as a second mother, which had never occurred to me.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked him.

“Oh I don't think so. I was never really much for breakfast food.” he grinned

“Oh come on, you can't make all this food just for me. Plus you spent all those years at my house and never once tried chocolate gravy.  You have to try it.” he shook his head wrinkling his nose as if it were the most disgusting thing I could have offered. “Just one bite. I will not let you leave until you try at least one bite of it.”

“Ok fine, If it will get you to finish up so we won't be late.” I handed him the fork and he scooped a tiny amount. 

“No, no, no, that isn't even a bite.” I said taking the fork from his hand and scooping a larger amount of biscuit and gravy.  I brought the fork to his lips slowly as he opened wide. He chewed for a bit as I watched him, waiting for his reaction. His face was a solid, unreadable, mask. Finally he smiled.

“I can’t believe that is what I have been missing this whole time. Why didn't you tell me how good it was.” He laughed

“What? I told you for years. You are the one who refused to try it.” I giggled.

“Nope, I will forever blame you for the years I spent without this delicious goodness.” he made his own plate and sat down with me for breakfast. We ate in a comfortable silence as my thoughts of avoiding him slowly slipped away.

As we made our way to school, I noticed we must have been the talk of the town. Everywhere we went, people stopped their conversations to watch us walking through the halls. Whispers followed me throughout the day, I wasn’t sure if it was because I was the girl who had now lost her uncle and her parents, because I was the poor girl the alpha had to take in so she wouldn't be homeless, or because people were wondering what was going on between Kai and I since the last time anyone had seen me I was leaving with Kassius. I realized it was likely a mixture of all three. By lunch time I had noticed I had not seen Kassius all day nor had I heard from him. It seemed odd to me that he hadn't shown up for school nor had he tried to reach out to me to see how I was doing after all that had happened.

I checked my phone again. Still nothing. I sent him a message asking where he was. I waited and waited for that familiar ring of my phone. Hours had passed and still not a word from Kassius. 

At the end of the day Kai offered to give me a ride home from school. I wondered if this was going to be the new normal for me, riding to and from school with the alpha. Was this his way of being nice, was this just out of convenience, or was this his way to keep track of me?  Again I assumed it was likely all three. The stares from everyone at school had intensified as I got in Kai’s truck to ride home. Every girl within one hundred yards gave me a glare full of hatred. I wasn't sure what that was about, surely they knew Kai was only spending time with me out of duty.  When we arrived at the pack house Kassius’ car was parked out front. My heart skipped a beat hoping he was here for me. As we walked in we found both Kassius and his older brother Kade in the living room, waiting for us. Kassius gave me a look that held so much emotion though I wasn’t able to sort them all out to know exactly what he was feeling. I wondered why he had been ignoring me all day. I knew this wasn’t the time or place to ask him. I would have to get him alone at some point.

“I am glad to see you both here.” Kai spoke first. “I am sure you are wondering why I have asked you both to come. As you both know, The binding ceremony is coming up very soon, at the ceremony I will be naming my Beta. I would like to name you both as beta. I will be leaving that up to the both of you. If you will agree to work together as co-beta I would be happy to have you both. If not we will have a contest to see who is worthy of being beta.” They both looked at each other. I could see the betrayal in Kassius’ eyes. He was hurt, he had always been meant to be beta. Kai was his best friend, how could he be doing this to him? Kade seemed fine with the co-beta offer, but I knew Kassius would never stand for it. 

Kai turned to me. “I have one more announcement I need your help with as well. I have spoken to the rest of the alpha council, we have agreed that with my unique situation, that I will be permitted to attend the mating ceremony a year early. In the spirit of fairness we will also offer that invitation to all wolves seventeen and older. I would like you to extend that invitation to our entire pack. Let them know I plan to announce my Luna at the binding ceremony as well.”

Kai left the room as the rest of us stood there completely silent trying to take in the information he had just given us.