Chapter 55 A Meal with Family pt 2
Seren
Someone set up long buffet tables along the edges of the dining hall, which were full to the brim with various options. Sections overflowed with warm, crusty loaves, steaming sides, and roasted meats. There were carving stations at the ends of each of the tables, in case you wanted your meat freshly sliced. I wasn’t used to having such free access to food, and the sight of such bounty caused my stomach to rumble, surprising me.
Duncan stood, his smirk mischievous. “If you don’t pick, I’ll just bring back one of everything.”
“Fine. Just some of that ham, and those spiced apples I smell. Maybe some of the bread? I don’t think I can actually eat much all at once yet.”
He turned, moving towards the buffet. An omega placed a pitcher of water on the table beside me, and I quietly thanked her as she moved away. She flashed me a small smile in response.
Conversations hummed around me, but I wasn’t really in the mood to take part. I folded my napkin into increasingly smaller squares as I waited for Duncan to return. While friendly faces and my family surrounded me, there was still so much happening in my head that I didn’t have the bandwidth to engage. I needed some time to myself to process.
The chair scraping back beside me pulled me out of my musings, and I dropped the napkin—now crinkled beyond recognition—onto the table as Duncan placed a heaping plate in front of me. Besides the ham and apples I’d asked for, there was macaroni and cheese, green beans, carrots, and bread. It looked delicious, and my mouth was watering at the sight. He placed two more plates down in front of his seat, both filled to overflowing. I didn’t know where he was going to put all that food.
He brushed his hand over my hair as he sat down, sending tingles through my scalp. I was already getting used to his casual touches, though I knew that a huge part of that was the mate bond. “Eat, little wolf. As much as you can, but don’t worry if you can’t finish it all.” He leaned over and kissed my temple. As I picked up my fork, I felt a prickling sensation, and I knew I was being watched. I looked up and saw Lenore across the room, her angry eyes burning into me like fiery, white-hot daggers. She was with an older couple, likely her parents by the resemblance. This was a grudge that would not go away easily, it seemed.
Kayla reached over then, gripping my hand with hers. “Can you believe it? We’re finally out of that place. And all this food!” She was smiling, her eyes sparkling with joy. It was clear she was finding her place here, and her bond with Julian was strong. I needed to find time to talk to her alone. It would be nice to have her perspective on the mate bond and where to go next with Duncan. I am so far out of my element.
I squeezed her hand, then let go so that I could pick up my fork and start eating. I wasn’t going to let Lenore’s glare get to me. “It’s still sinking in, I think. You have to remember, I basically just woke up!” Since she was sitting beside me, I bumped her shoulder with mine. Then, I finally took a bite of the macaroni and cheese that Duncan brought me.
Flavor exploded on my tongue. There must be five different cheeses in this, and it had the perfect texture, topped with crisp bread crumbs. I moaned a little. Duncan’s eyes shot to me at the sound, his lips turning up at the edges. Heat flared in his eyes. “Like that, do you, little wolf?”
Speechless, I looked down at my plate. The way he said those words made butterflies erupt in my stomach and my core clench. Finally getting enough courage to look at him, I gave a small smile. “It’s delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever had any this good before.”
He chuckled. “It’s a secret family recipe of our head omega’s. She refuses to share.” He winked at me. I felt heat rise to my cheeks at the same time as I heard a plate break across the room. My eyes darted to the sound as I instinctively flinched. Kayla grabbed my hand, and Duncan rested his on my back, rubbing soothing circles. Once again, I felt someone glaring at me, and the three of us looked to see Lenore rigid, fists clenched and face flushed red, by the broken plate. She stomped her foot, then turned and stormed out of the hall.
“We’re going to have to keep an eye on her,” Kayla whispered close to my ear. I nodded, agreeing.
Duncan leaned over to talk to Lucian. “Assign someone to monitor her discreetly. I don’t trust that she’s going to let this go easily. I don’t want another confrontation between her and Seren.”
Lucian nodded, eyes clouding as he reached out to someone via mindlink. He confirmed he had done as instructed when they cleared. In the meantime, Mom and Dad were looking at Duncan’s parents, confusion on their faces.
“Who was that girl?” Dad asked.
“Her name is Lenore. She’s the daughter of one of our warriors and is a warrior here. Not our best, but not our worst, either. She’s had her eye on Duncan for years, though he’s never given her the time of day. I’d say that she’s unhappy he’s found his mate,” Catriona said.
“Is she going to be a problem?” Mom’s voice was quiet, but there was steel underneath.
“Not as far as I’m concerned. Lucian has already warned her once today, and she was in the room for Seren’s introduction earlier. I’ll banish her if she tries anything. No one is going to hurt Seren while I’m here.” Duncan was firm, confident. It put me at ease, even as my internal alarm system flared. I knew Lenore wasn’t done yet. She wouldn’t be giving up easily.