Chapter 1 — Food is Life

Present Day.

Anna Marie:

The ladies smothered her with hugs and kisses, and her body jolted from their excited cheers and hollers.

People at the school auditorium glanced their way—some critical and irritated, some genuinely happy— but none dared reprimand their boisterous celebration.

Breathing became a huge issue from their loving embrace, but despite that, a huge smile graced her lips.

Goddess, she had made it. After eighteen months of nonstop lectures, demos, and apprenticeships, she finally graduated from ICE, NY at the top of her class.

-Who would have thought?-

Her family couldn't be prouder of what she had achieved.

Alexander, her sister's incredibly handsome mate, gave her two thumbs up. It was so rare to see a brooding man like him smile. But she guessed the two pups in his arms had mellowed him a bit.

Mikhail and Annalisa, her twin nephew and niece were adorable. She bet they could get away with any crime with just a bat of their luscious eyelashes and cherubic chubby cheeks.

Then there was Lucian, Michael and Alexie's little boy. He was one gorgeous pup, and he liked warm hugs.

More often than not, she found herself part of a puppy pile every morning in her huge four-poster bed. And Mish, her introverted sister, the biggest pup in the group, grappled with all the blankets in the middle of the night. It frustrated her to no end.

"Ok. This calls for a celebration. I have made dinner reservations at The Mark," her brother-in-law announced. The Mark was one of his hotels and one of the most expensive in NYC.

She frowned at him playfully. This man loved to spoil them rotten. He was the reason she was admitted to a very exclusive and elusive culinary school in the world.

You know what he did? He bought major shares to own the business.

"I just graduated from culinary arts, and we’re eating out?" She tried to look stern, but the pups giggled. It was no use.

"Yup. It's a treat from us. Mia anima, please tell your sister." He pulled her sister in, pups and all, and kissed her lips gently. Once, twice. Her sister responded immediately to his loving. Urgh!

"Hey, guys. Keep it PG." Rie rolled her eyes and took one of the twins before they were squished. The cutie Annalisa grasped her face, making her smile. Mish took Mikhail.

Their parents love to make out all the time. They were used to the scene. The twins gurgled happily, cooing.

"Rie, come on. Besides, Xander is announcing something special. You’ll love it." Anna, her Lycan sister, stretched fer full lips into a smug smile as she coaxed her.

"You're pregnant again?" she answered, faking a surprised gasp.

Alexander, the Lycan king chuckled.

"Goddess, no. Though that wouldn't be a bad idea." Yeah, right. Anna could say that to hundreds of women out there who struggled to get back to their slender version after giving birth. Her sister and Alexie never lost theirs. They looked even more stunning with curves in all the right places.

But Rie remained plain as a brown mouse. She didn’t even have a boyfriend to maul her body. Damn!

"Okay. Let's go. I'm starving," she relented. Alexie and Anna whooped, which made her wonder how they ran a kingdom.

Rie wished Sofia and Oliver were there. They went to Russia for an emergency. She could guess why…

Her amber eyes found Mish, who was busy playing with Mikhail, and she seemed happy. For now. At times, she saw her staring blankly into space, like she was waiting for someone. In those moments, she readily questioned Xavier's decision.

Mish was broken-hearted and she didn’t even know why. How Rie wished she could tell her, but she couldn't. Anna and Xander and the rest of the family made her promise. Her youngest sister would be eighteen in a few months and Rie turned twenty in a couple more.

Mish would know how lucky she was in due time.

Rie's dream was to experience that kind of love.

It was one of the reasons why she shunned human suitors.

It may sound biased and prejudiced but she wanted what her sisters, Alexie, and Sofia had. And all that she had witnessed inside the pack.

Loyalty.

Faithfulness.

Undying and eternal love.

Arg! All sappy bullshit. Her sister Anna was mated to a Lycan, and Mish to a vampire. What other supernatural men were out there for her? Nada!

She had to concentrate on her glorious career instead, where there was no heartache and no complications. Only plain old recipes to keep her warm.

Her only love was cooking, and it loved her back unconditionally.

***

"Xander, your chef's souffle has not risen properly." The comment slipped unheeded, out of habit.

"You think? Let's fire him then," he answered seriously. His mate smacked his hand with a silver spoon. "Ouch! What did I do, baby girl?"

"You can't fire people on a whim, darling," she reprimanded him. Rie nodded in agreement. Sometimes, Xander was too much.

"Oh, ok. As you wish, mia anima." He went back to feeding the twins soft meat and vegetables and cooing at them.

Anna had him wrapped around her pinky finger one hundred million times.

"I will never comment again," she mumbled. Alexie heard, and she snorted to cover her laughter. She glared in her direction.

Mish was so quiet, and her steak moved in circles on her plate. Rie elbowed the ladies on her side. They noticed Mish’s mood at once.

"Mish, are you ok? Do you want anything else?" Anna asked, worried she might be sick.

"No. The food is great." Mish glanced around the table. "I had a dream."

Everyone held their breath, waiting.

"What was your dream, Mish?" Alexie tried to sound nonchalant. Her face open but guarded.

"A man with curly blond hair and ice-blue eyes. He…called me…um…beloved," her little sister answered in her small, sweet voice. Her emotions confused her. She had noticed the mark on her neck as soon as she woke up from a deep sleep after she was attacked almost two years ago. It was a crown in the middle of two red puncture scars that was luminous and ethereal in the moonlight.

To hide the truth from her, Anna had a tattoo of a crown done near her mark, Alexie and Sofia got one on their wrists, and Rie on her chest over her heart. They told her it was a symbol of their sisterhood, which was partially true.

They had sworn to smack Xavier on the head as payment for their sacrifice under the needle.

"Well, maybe he is your prince charming, Mish?" She grinned at her to cheer her up, trying to lighten the mood.

"He seemed familiar, like I’ve seen him before." Her frown marred her delicate beauty.

Alexie and Rie exchanged glances.

"Never mind," Mish whispered, withdrawing once again, and went back to picking her food.

"Oh, Alexander and I have a surprise for you, Rie!" Anna’s excited voice announced. Thank Goddess for Anna's quick thinking to dispel the sudden gloomy atmosphere.

"And what would that be, huh?" She was game to anything that might distract Mish. In all honesty, she was looking forward to the surprise. If it came from them, it must be grand.

"Well, before that, this beauty is from us girls." Alexie glanced around the table in excitement before she placed a velvet box before her. "Open it."

With trembling fingers, as if what was inside would jump out and bite, Rie opened the lid of the expensive rectangular box.

Her jaw dropped. "Oh, goddess!" The magnificent necklace must have cost a million dollars. It was longer than a normal choker. At the center was a big yellow stone about the size of her thumb. The rest of the necklace was made of flawless diamonds all lined up in a perfect single row.

"Do you like it?" Mish's eyes glowed with happiness. "I chose it for you."

"I love it so much!" The girls all grinned with misty eyes.

Michael coughed, uncomfortable with the mushy stuff. They all giggled. These powerful men hated it when they cried.

Alexander rose to his feet as bubbly champagne glasses were distributed around the table. His beta stood by his side.

The pups were crawling and wobbling around the private room, supervised by at least five nannies.

Her brother-in-law cleared his throat. "Rie, you make us all proud to be your family. You excelled academically. And did it with medals around your neck. It's time to put that to the test. As a gift to you, I give you the family's flagship 3-Michelin star restaurant, The Elementals, to do with as you please!"

Oh shit! That can't be right. She heard it wrong. Or did she hear it correctly? She didn’t know!

She was crying and laughing at the same time. To manage a restaurant…at barely twenty?

Rie shook her head yes. She was totally at a loss for words.

"Okay. Group hugs everyone!" someone shouted. It was her sister Anna.

She had a loving and supportive family, which was more than she could ever ask for.