LOGINElena's pov Everything he said to me that day went into one ear and floated out the next. All I thought of was his status as alpha. Only humans who didn’t know about the alpha hierarchy would see that as names being thrown about. But I knew better than to act dumb and incur his wrath. “You seem settled in your head,” his voice came off as I gulped then I looked into his eyes. “I… Uhmm… I was thinking of my son.” I didn’t know why I said that. “You have a son?” He asked with a smile, leaning on his desk while looking at me with intriguing eyes. “How old is he?” “Five,” I said with fake warmth. He nodded. “And his father?” That question caught me off guard. “He’s… not in the picture.” A smile curled on his face before he nodded. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Well… that leaves a chance for some of us to get in and fill the hole then.” That sentence sounded sin
Elena's pov I inhaled sharply then took a step away from him. “I’m sorry;” I cleared my throat. “I was told to get you food. I’m your new cook.” He drank me in with his eyes which took in my curves then he gave a small smile with a little chuckle rumbling in his chest. He looked past me, his eyes now lying on the desk before he walked into the room. I took two steps back to keep that professional distance between us as he gave a nod. “Sit with me.” The way he said it was calm and without hesitation. Like he was curious about me. But I knew men like him. They only wanted one thing. “I truly have to get back to the kitchen, sir,” I protested, gesturing to the door behind him. “I have a lot of new patrons to cook for.” He shrugged. “I can have Gustav attend to them.” “Actually,” I gulped, drawling my words. “He was fired the other day.” He stared at me with surprised eyes befor
Elena’s pov The moment we entered, the room got cold instantly. "Everyone," Jonathan said, his voice cutting through the noise instantly as we entered. Every head turned, and I watched a few of them straighten up nervously. "This is Elena. She is now head of operations in this kitchen. She's taking over everything Gustav used to handle." A collective gasp went through the room. "You can't replace Gustav," one of the cooks said. "Watch me," Jonathan said flatly. "He's already been replaced. His attitude has cost this restaurant money for months. The hotel next door complains. Our own staff complains. Patrons complain. Is that any way to run a kitchen?" "But Gustav could cook," someone else protested. "This lady can also cook," Jonathan shot back. "She's also presentable, professional, and doesn't insult customers to their faces. Anyone want to vouch for Gustav and say he’s a role model to be emulated?” No
Elena's pov I got to the school a few minutes early and waited by the gate, watching kids come out in small groups. My heart started to hurt as I wondered if he was having a hard time in his new school. I silently prayed everything would go well or it was going to be hard to change again. When I spotted Eli, my chest loosened for the first time all day, he was laughing, walking alongside two other boys, his backpack bouncing on his shoulders. "Hey, buddy," I said as he ran up to me. "Mommy!" He grabbed my hand, still grinning. "I made friends. Their names are Marcus and Theo. Marcus has a dog." "That's wonderful," I said, squeezing his hand as we walked toward the waiting cab. Once we were settled in the back seat, I asked him more about his day, and he chattered on happily about how the teacher was nice, how they'd get their textbooks tomorrow, how the playground had a slide way taller than the one back
Elena’s pov“I’m sorry. It’s just that you are…” he gave a shape of a figure eight and I chuckled to lighten the mood."So," he said. "You're here about the job.""Yes, I have my resume…"He waved a hand. "No need. A very good friend of mine called yesterday and already set everything up on your behalf. You're hired." He leaned forward. "But I do want to know what you can actually do.""I'm very good with customers," I said.He chuckled. “With a body like that, I beg you can.”I shook my head, "Not that. I can handle complaints, difficult guests, that sort of thing.""That's nice," he said, "but I need more than that. Can you cook?""Yes," I said. "I'm an excellent cook."A look of relief crossed his face. "Perfect. You're hired." He gestured toward the door the chef had just stormed out of. "That man who just left, Gustav, is getting on my last nerve. I've been this close to firing him for weeks. But before I make that call permanent, I need to actually see what you can do.""I can s
Elena's povThe next morning, I dressed in the one professional outfit I owned that hadn't gotten wrinkled in the move, a simple black blouse and slacks, my hair pulled back neatly. Eli sat on the edge of his bed, arms crossed, refusing to look at me while I helped him into his shoes."I don't want to go to a new school," he mumbled."I know, baby," I said, crouching down in front of him. "But you have to keep learning, even here. I promise it'll get easier."“Why can’t we just go back?”“It’s not that simple.”He didn't answer, he just let me lead him out the door by the hand, his feet dragging the whole way to the cab.When we got in, I told the driver the name of the school I had researched last night and called ahead of time as the man nodded and drove me there.I looked at Eli who was sulking and looking out of the window as I felt bad for him.This move was going to be a huge change for him. But it was for his own good. If I didn’t take him out of Astringe, maybe next time, I wo







