Auren POV?


    My megh dre


    dropped open to the floor so hard that I was surprised it didn''t roway across the tiles. By


    the time I collected it. Alpha Lucien was already wearing a kitchen apron. With those strong arms that could rip several woolves in pieces, those thighs that looked like pirs and those ws that could snap someone''s neck in a second, he looked frious.


    The sight was so unexpected that I couldn''t stop staring at Alpha Lucien, the terrifying growing leader of this pack, as he stood there adjusting the strings of an apron with a cartoon teddy bear smack in the middle. His sharp features were as serious as ever, but the image of him wearing something


    soft made my brain short-circuit.


    "Did you listen to what I just said?" he snapped "Are you going to gawk all day?" he asked, his tone clipped, but his ears turned faintly red.


    "1" I licked my lips. "What did you say?"


    The raised his eyebrow. Then in an intimidating voice said, "Go to your room and lie down. I''ll get it for you."


    I didn''t argue with him, so I just turned sharply and botted to my room. But the nging of pots and pans made me sit up from where I was curled on the bed. My stomach grumbled faintly, and I was trying not to think about how hungry I was. I wondered if I should have gone back to the kitchen. The sound increased to the level that I knew 1 had to do something, before the whole ce turned into a disaster before the cooks jenumed. So I stood and walked back.


    Lucien was standing his towering frame filling the space as he leaned over a pot, a spoon in one hand and a cookbook in the other


    He was frowning. Deeply


    Alpha I


    Lucien''" I asked softly, stepping closer.


    He spun around, almost dropping the spoon.. "Why are you out of bed!" he barked, his voice sharper than it needed to be


    Alpha, I know how to make soup," I said, stepping closer. "I could help—"


    weak. You''ll rest"


    he said firmly and turned. "You''re too weak.


    1 blinked at his back, then quietly sat down at the small table, my hands folded in myp.


    The sounds that followed were chaotic, to say the least.


    There was a loud crash, followed by a muntered curse. Then came the sound of something sizzling, though I was certain soup didn''t require frying He opened the fridge, stared at its contents, and pulled out what looked like a jar of jam. Soon, the kitchen was a warzone. Chopped vegetables hered the counter, along with stray sshes of soup. A spoon lud somehownded on the floor, and there was a faint smell of something burning


    Finally after what felt like forever, be poured the soup into a single bowl. He wiped his hands on a towel, smudging them further, and turned to me with a look of pure triumph


    "Here" he said, setting the fowl in front of me. "Soup" When he ced it in front of me, my eyeballs bulged. It looked like someone had murdered the vegetables.


    sid politely, cringing inside.


    "It looks interesting." I said politely,


    He crossed his arms and watched ine expectantly,


    So I picked up the spoon and took a cautious sip. From the moment the spoon touched my tongue, my eyes welled with tears. The soup tasted like somarone had boded gym socks in dishwater and added a handful of spices just to make it worse. My taste buds recoiled in horror, but Lucien was watching me with those piercing eyes, his arms crossed like he''d just conquered the culinary world. He was waiting for my reaction with smug anticipation.


    My lips twitched into what I hoped resembled a smile. "It


    "It''s great," I managed, my voice a little too hoarse,


    He took a deep breathi like he was holding it. "Go on. Eat it all.”


    The second bite was worse. My throat seeped to protest, but I forced it down, my face heating up. My eyes watered, and I had to fight the urge to cough. It felt like betrayal, swallowing that CONCOCTIONE


    "You''re rating aw


    arrowing his eyes.


    g awfully slow," he remarked, narrowi


    Hroze, spoon halbway to my mouth. "I''m just.. Lavoring it


    Lucien grunned, clearly pleased with himself, while I internally logged the Moon Goddess for strength. Each swallow was like a battle, but I soldiered on houl i brushed it all


    "Tanking ultra satished, he opened his apron, discarded it somewhere and walked out of the kitchen. I literally jumped out of the chair and ran to


    2:42 PM mc


    clean my tongue with water. However, I was in the midst of it when I heard a familiar honeyed voice. "Alpha Lucien?


    I froze in my ce. It was Sable Brown. As I wiped myself, I heard hering towards him. I tiptoed to the main hall.


    "You had left the charity event so early. I thought I''d ask you if you were feeling well," she said as she came to stand next to him, and craned her


    neck to see him


    Lucien frowned lightly. I''m perfectly well Sable." He saw me from theer of his eye. "Auren wasn''t well, and so I had to return"


    “Oh Sable''s head snapped toward me. “I can understand. She is an omega breeder. What can you expect from a breeder? If it is okay with you. I can help her with her diet. I I am a nutritionist and 1 can write a great meal n for her. She lifted her hand to ce it on his chest. "She is here to give birth to your heir. After that, the curse will im her. But until then she has to stay healthy" She Buttered her eyshes. "After that, I am here. to take care of you and your heir.? Lucien''s brows furrowed and his expression darkened. He took a step back, making her hand fall down abruptly. He walked to me, held my hand and brought me with him to stand in front of Sable. Curling his hand around my waist possessively, he said in a dangerous voice. "Are you telling me that my Luna is going to die soon? Or are you saying that I can''t take care of her?" Sable paled. "Alpha Lucien, n-


    He put his hand up to stop her. "I just made soup for Auren, and she loved it." He looked at me. "Isn''t it?" When I nodded, he said to Sable, "See I don''t need a nutritionist."


    Sable blushed so hard that I felt like giggling but pursed my lips to stop myself. "Im sorry that I offended you, Alpha Lucien," she apologized.


    "You may leave, Sable. Auren needs to rest. Saying that, Lucien grabbed my hand and walked me to the stairs towards my room. I could feel Sable''s eyes burning a hole in my back. But I felt.. happy.


    Never in my life, for the love of the goddess, did I expect what happened next.