Confrontation in the kitchen

Leah's POV 

The tension in the kitchen was so thick I could almost taste it. I stood frozen at a place, every nerve in my body urging me to run but yet I didn't move. I couldn’t move. The Alpha’s sharp gaze bore into me, demanding an answer to his question.

“Leah,” he repeated,  louder this time, the sharpness in his voice making me flinch. “I said what are you doing here?”

I swallowed hard, my heart racing in my chest. His presence was overwhelming, but I forced myself to stand still, meeting his gaze directly. “Don’t I have freedom of movement anymore?” I shot back, my voice louder than I anticipated. “Why are you so concerned about where I am?”

A collective gasp surged through the room. The cooks, froze. Every eye turned to me now, wide with disbelief and fear. I could sence their anxiety, their silent pray that I hadn’t just sealed my own fate.

The Alpha’s face became darker, a low growl rumbling from his chest. His lips curled back slightly, showing his sharp teeth as he moved closer to me. “You’re asking me,” he said, his voice dangerously soft, “if you have freedom the move.… in my own pack?”

I stood my ground, though every instinct urged me to look down, to submit. But I refused. Not after everything. I clenched my fists at my sides, refusing to show any fear.

“You’re going to regret that,” he said, his voice rising. “I’ll teach you a lesson for speaking to me like that.”

The kitchen felt like it was about to explode . Before I could reply, he turned sharply, his gaze landing on the cooks. His sudden movement made them shrink back, their heads lowering even further.

“Rosa!” he barked, his voice cracking through the air.

Rosa, the head cook, stiffened. She had been standing at the far end of the kitchen, her hands busy with a bowl of dough, but now she stood Frozen, her face pale as a sheet. She slowly turned to face him, her lips shaking.

“Yes, Alpha?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He took a step closer to her, his presence looming over her like a storm cloud. “Explain to me how Leah ended up here, now,” he demanded, his tone cold. “Today is her first day in my pack, yet she’s already feeling at home in my kitchen, laughing and charting like you've known each other for long. How did this happen?”

Rosa opened her mouth to respond, but no word came out. Her eyes shifted to me for a brief 

 moment, then back to the Alpha. The fear in her eyes was clear, her hands Shaking, as she gripped the edge of the counter.

“Go ahead?” Alpha keal  pressed, his voice rising. “I’m waiting, Rosa. If you lie to me—if I even suspect you’re lying to me—I promise, you’ll regret it.”

Rosa swallowed hard, her expression filled with fear and confusion. “Alpha… I…” she stammered, but before she could finish, his hand struck out.

The sound of the slap resonated through the room like a gunshot. Rosa staggered back, her hand darting in her cheek as a bright red mark appeared on her skin. The room collectively flinched, and the other cooks lowered their gazes more  My stomach churned at the sight of it, my fists clenching tightly.

The Alpha’s gaze was cold, his jaw tightened as he turned to the rest of the cooks. “And the rest of you,” he spoke, his voice like ice. “Speak. Tell me the truth, defend yourselves. How did Leah get here? If you don’t tell me the truth, you’ll face punishment alongside Rosa.”

The room fell silent. The cooks exchanged anxious glances, with fear showing in their faces. No one was ready to speak, the weight of the Alpha’s presence silencing them all.

Finally, after a long pause, one of the cooks—named Esme—stepped forward. Her hands were shaking as she clasped them in front of her, her eyes fixed on the floor.

“Alpha,” she spoke, with a low voice. “It was my fault.”

The room seemed to hold its breath. My eyes widened in shock. What was she doing?

“I… I brought her here,” Esme continued, her words spilling out in a rush. “I thought… I thought she might like to see the kitchen and meet everyone. I never knew it would be against your. Please I’m sorry.”

The Alpha’s gaze locked onto her, his expression unreadable. He remained silent for a long moment without saying anything, simply staring at her with those cold, piercing eyes.

“And the rest of you?” he finally spoke. “Do you agree with what she just said? Did she act alone?”

The cooks shared anxious glances, with fear in their faces.  Slowly, one by one, they nodded.

“Yes, Alpha,” one of them said, her voice shaking. “It was her idea.”

“We didn’t mean any harm,” another added quickly, her voice shaking.

“She just wanted to welcome Leah,” Rosa said supported, still holding her cheek.

The others murmured with agreement.My stomach twisted as I realized what they were doing. They were lying—for me. Protecting me. But why? And what would the Alpha do to them?

The Alpha’s eyes scanned over the cooks as their were shaking like a predator sizing up its prey. As his voice, cut through the silence.

“Do you think I’m a fool?” he asked, his tone dangerously calm. “Do you really think you can stand here, lie to me, and get away with it? None of you have told me the truth.”

The cooks remained silent, with their heads bowed, fear radiating from them.

“I’m done playing games,” he continued, his voice rising slightly. “Tomorrow morning, before I wake up, every single one of you will kneel in my palace with your hands raised. You’ll wait there until I come to decide your punishment. If you think this is unfair, remember—you brought this on yourselves.”

The kitchen was eerily quiet except for the sound of shallow breaths. I noticed Rosa shaking, gripping the counter as if it were her only support. My anger boiled in my chest, bubbling and threatening to explode.

“No,” I shouted suddenly, my voice slicing hrough the stillness like a blade.

The Alpha turned his head toward my direction, his piercing eyes locking onto mine.

“What did you just say?” he growled, his tone filled with disbelief.

I took a step forward, my heart racing in my chest. “I said no. This has nothing to do with them. Don’t use your power over me to punish innocent people.”

For a brief moment, he just looked at me, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning, he closed the gap between us in two long strides. Before I could react, his hand shot out, seizing my arm in a crushing grip.

“You think you can tell me what to do?” he hissed, his face inches from mine. “You think you can challenge me in front of my pack?”

“This isn’t about your pack,” I shot back, refusing to break eye contact with him, even though every instinct urged me to. “This is about you misusing your power. Why don't you punish me and leave them out of this.”

The room seemed to shift as his grip on my arm tightened, pain couarcing through me. 

“You’ve crossed the line, Leah,” he said softly. “And now you’re going to pay for it.”