Chapter 6

Valeria POV

My step-brothers went easy on me for the rest of the week.

They treated me like I was invisible but that was fine since they were no longer bullying me. Maybe they finally had a rethink. So, I decided to take my mother’s advice.

The sound of sizzling oil filled the kitchen as I carefully arranged the honey-glazed chicken inside a lunch box. I tried to copy the movements of the chef whose tutorials I had seen, cutting the vegetables into perfect shapes – carrots carved into delicate flowers, cucumbers rolled into a beautiful spiral.

The clock in the kitchen read 5:30 Am but I have been awake since four, determined to make the perfect lunch for my Oldest brother, Alerion.

Three weeks of living in the Packhouse has taught me to treasure these quiet morning hours before the maids arrived, before my step-father’s critical gaze – although he rarely speaks to me except when he wants to organize my life the way it pleases him and wants to inform me, still I couldn’t help but feel the heavy judgments in his eyes all the time.

Also, before my step-brothers came from their room paying no attention to me. Here, in the morning stillness, I could pretend that I was the luckiest girl in the whole of Red Ridge pack. I have hot brothers who love me to bits, a stepfather who cherishes me and a mom who will do anything for me.

Here, I don’t have to pretend that the action figure that I had gotten for Lysander from the money I saved up from my part-time job before moving here as an act of peace offering had ended up with the housekeeper’s grandkids.

Since Lysander was the hardest to crack and I had to endure going to school with him every day in the same car, I found out through the pack maids that he was into action figures. In my bid to please him, I had gotten a collection of action figures last week.

The next morning on our way to school, I had carefully brought out the gift box and called out to him gently.

“Um, Lysander?” I called out softly.

“What?” he didn’t even look up from his phone.

“I – I got you something,” I stammered holding out the gift box.

Finally, he glanced up, his eyebrows raising in mild surprise. “What is it?” he had asked flatly, almost uninterested.

“It’s…an action figure,” I said, feeling a little foolish as I gave him the gift.

He stared at the package for a moment, before lazily unwrapping it. He pulled the figures out and studied them with a cold expression.

“Huh,” he muttered. “I guess it’s fine.”

I had smiled faintly, relieved that he hadn’t rejected it outright. “I thought you might like it,” I said.

He didn’t say anything he just dropped the gift box next to him. Later that evening, while I was walking to the garden, I passed by one of the housekeepers chatting with another maid.

“Alpha Lysander gave my grandkids a set of action figures. Isn’t it nice?” the woman laughed.

At first, I tried to dismiss it but when I saw some children playing in the grass with some action figures, the same ones I had given Lysander some hours ago, my chest tightened and I felt humiliated but I knew better than to show it.

I would try again.

Not just that, I made it a point of duty last week to help Caius iron his clothes with the guidance of the maid that was in charge of it and had delivered it to him, two days ago. I had a big smile on my face just like my mom had suggested.

“Valeria!” he had arched his brows at me when he had opened his bedroom door, his eyes darting from me to the laundry basket in front of me.

“Hi, Caius,” I greeted brightly. “So, I found a way to keep your shirts crispy and still ironed all day. I used to work at a laundry shop before we moved here. So, I can just help you with ironing all your shirts, starching them or whatever you want.”

He had looked at the shirts in the laundry basket for a moment before he nodded and took them adding a curt “Thanks.”

Only for me to come home the day after and I saw the shirts on the bodies of the male servants. They said, Caius had given them to it, that it was a gift from a weirdo.

Even Zane, who I thought would be friendlier since he welcomed me and Mom well the first day. I noticed he was always leaving the house early to go to the Pack building because of work and barely had time for breakfast.

So, I started doing something for him too. I would wake up extra early each day and pack him breakfast. One of the afternoons, since I didn’t go to school that day because I had my heart, I decided to make lunch for him and Alerion.

It took hours to prepare the meal I thought they would like. When I brought the food to them in the office. Alerion was the one who answered. He didn’t say a word to me, he just glared.

“I made lunch for you and Zane,” I said quietly, holding out the containers.

Alerion glanced at the food and then back at me, his face unreadable. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“I just thought … since you’re both working so hard, packing breakfast is not just enough and I wasn’t doing anything, so I decided to bring this here.”

He had taken the containers without a word and shut the door in my face but I didn’t mind. At least they still accepted my food.

That was why this morning, I had woken up earlier to make food for Alerion.

So, two days ago, I overheard, Alerion mentioning his fondness for honey-glazed chicken to his brothers and saying he would make out time this week to go and get it from a diner in a neighbouring pack.

The recipe had taken me five attempts to perfect, each trial was funded by my meagre savings but I didn’t mind. Of all the brothers, they were the only ones who accepted my gifts.

“Miss, you’re up early,” the pack’s head housekeeper, appeared in the doorway. Her name is Rose.

“Good morning, Rose,” I managed a small smile as I secured the lid of the lunch box. “I thought I’d prepared something special for Alerion.”

“I’m sure he’d love that,” Rose chuckled. “I’ll leave you to it then.” She said.

Later, I took the bus to his office, leaving the house before Lysander was ready for school. As I neared his office, through the glass walls, I could see him hunched over his laptop with his secretary organizing documents beside him.

I knocked and ushered myself in. “Alerion,” I said softly. “I brought you breakfast but you can have it as lunch.”

He glanced up briefly. “Just leave it with Angela. I’m busy.”

I placed the lunch box on the coffee table in his office, my fingers lingering on the lid. “I made honey-glazed chicken. I remembered you mentioned…”

‘I said I’m busy,” he cut me off, his voice filled with irritation. You don’t need to bring me food anymore. That’s what the pack staff is for.”

“I was just trying to be…”

“Listen, Valeria!” he looked up at me now. “I don’t appreciate you always bringing food for me like I’m a dog or kitten. Stop showing up here and causing a nuisance.”

“I’m sorry!” I nodded. “I’ll go to school now. Have a nice day.”

***

After school, I went to the Pack Office building to retrieve the lunch box and the other containers I always bring food with to him. I was already running out of containers and I needed them for him and Zane’s breakfast tomorrow.

When I got to his office, he wasn’t in.

Wondering where he had gone to, I started towards Zane’s office thinking he would be there, when a voice reached me.

“Valeria, right?”

When I turned, it was Angela, Alerion’s secretary.

“Yes!” I nodded drawing close to her. “Do you know where my brother is?”

“Alpha Alerion?” she arched her brows at me. “He’s in a meeting. What brings you here?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing!” I responded with a smile. “Just that, I wanted to ask him for all the food containers I’ve used to bring him food. I’m running out and I’ll need them to pack his lunch tomorrow.”

“Oh my goodness!” Angela exclaimed with a bright smile. “Are you the person behind all those delicious meals?” she smacked her lips sighing wistfully, “Today’s honey-glazed chicken is a 10 out of 10 for me. It was so delicious.”

My heart lurched. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“Alpha Alerion gives me all the food you bring to him. He’s always too busy to eat them. I was wondering if you could make porridge tomorrow, you see…”

But I didn’t need to hear the rest. I knew what she would say next. I turned on my heels, before she could see the tears in my eyes and started for the elevator.

I could have my body diced into small parts and offered to them but they would never accept it nor appreciate my efforts.

Who was I kidding? They would never accept me.