Chapter 30 30. Cake Tasting
Tabitha’s POV
I scoot closer to Mom and whisper, “How did you even convince all four of them to come?”
Mom beams at me. She looks triumphant, as if bringing her four stepsons to this appointment is a personal victory—maybe it is for her, but for me… this is a disaster waiting to happen. Coming with her was a mistake!
“When I mentioned the cake tasting, they actually showed interest,” she says proudly. “I hope this means they’re starting to warm up to us.”
I take a deep breath. I accepted her invitation hoping it would buy me some time away from the brothers, but now I’m stuck with them. Just great! A part of me wants to run away. But mom looks super excited. I don’t want to be a jerk and ruin her fun because I can’t stand being around the Aldair brothers.
Reed steps forward and clears his throat. “Are we just going to stand here, or are we going inside? I’m starving and I can’t wait to try some cake.” He runs a hand over his buzzed hair and casts an impatient look at the shop’s door.
Mom laughs softly. “Then let’s go,” she announces.
I follow her inside, careful to keep a space between the boys and me. When Jace moves to fall into step beside me, I immediately shift closer to Mom. He slows down for a second as if registering the deliberate dodge. I catch a flicker of something in his eyes before I turn my gaze away.
Maybe it was hurt. But I convince myself it wasn’t. It must have been irritation. Maybe even anger. That makes more sense. I don’t have the kind of weight in his life to hurt him—or any of them for that matter.
Inside, I’m surprised to see that Alpha Emery isn’t there. I was half-expecting this to be a whole family bonding experience. But I guess the Alpha has better things to do in his already busy schedule. Mom greets Lydia, the pastry chef, and they exchange a few pleasantries.
She gestures toward the spread. “We’ll start with the lighter flavors first and work our way to the richer ones,” Lydia explains and my mom nods as he listens. “Each cake has been prepared with different frosting and filling combinations, so you’ll be able to taste how they blend. If something feels too sweet or too heavy, feel free to take a break or sip water in between.”
As Lydia talks, I sense Jace slide in beside me. He doesn’t say anything. He just stands there, quiet and still, as if waiting for me to turn his way. I don’t. Instead, I shift slightly toward Mom and pretend I’m more interested in the table setup than the boy looming beside me.
Shit. Why does he keep on trying to get close? It’s taking a lot of effort to maintain a poker face while Jace Aldair is intentionally invading my personal space. It doesn’t help that my heart is also hammering wildly inside my chest, as if it’s excited about the madness of this situation.
Jace tries to take a step closer to me again but I instinctively back away. I catch a glimpse of him in the mirror ornament hanging on the wall. His expression is clearer this time. He looks… sad. Hurt. There’s a weight behind his eyes that he doesn’t bother to hide. I don’t know what to do with that. I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to feel.
“Please, go ahead and take a seat,” Lydia announces with a smile. “We’ll begin with the vanilla sampler and move down the row.”
I choose the chair next to Mom without hesitation. I keep my head down as I sit. From the corner of my eye, I notice Luca reaching for the chair to my other side, but before he can pull it out, Jace steps in to grab it as well.
My heart pounds crazily as I watch the two brothers locked in a quiet standoff, each holding opposite ends of the same chair. Neither of them lets go. Jace’s fingers tighten, his knuckles pressed white against the polished wood. Luca holds firm, but his jaw tenses. They are not talking but I can see the silent irritation brewing in their eyes as if they battle for the chair.
Fighting over dominance isn’t exactly uncommon between werewolves—especially those with Alpha blood like them. In fact, werewolves are naturally territorial creatures. They are often in a pissing contest with each other over the simplest of reasons.
But I have a feeling that Jace and Luca are not just fighting over a chair.
Luca frowns, clearly annoyed. Jace’s expression stays unreadable, but his grip tightens. His knuckles go pale.
Luca frowns, clearly annoyed. Jace’s expression stays unreadable, but his grip tightens. His knuckles go pale. I’ve never seen Jace look this serious before. He’s always the most playful one among his brothers. But now, he looks almost as intimidating as Evren. Their eyes lock, and for a second, it feels like the air stills around them. Their Alpha energy makes the air slightly suffocating. I’m just glad my mom is too busy chatting with Lydia to notice what is happening. Meanwhile, Reed quietly observes his brothers in amusement as if he is watching a boxing match and he doesn’t care who gets to win as long as he’s entertained.
I shift in my seat, uncertain if I should intervene or look away.
Luca’s eyes drop to his brother’s hand. Then he sighs. He glances at me once, then lets go of the chair and steps aside, letting Jace have it. Shit.
I straighten as Jace quietly slides into the seat beside me. Luca circles around the table and sits beside Evren instead. Reed takes the chair next to Jace, balancing the group out, as if nothing just happened. My neck is stiff while I put a conscious effort to not look to my right, fearing I might lock eyes with Jace.
The tasting begins with vanilla. Chef Lydia serves us with individual slices. It looks tasty, but I might as well be chewing concrete, because all my focus is on figuring out how to avoid Jace.
“That’s delicious!” Mom comments. She looks delighted. Well, at least the bride-to-be is happy.
I hear the scrape of a plate being pushed forward and the soft creak of a chair leaning back. “Vanilla’s alright, I guess. But I’ve never really been into vanilla things,” Reed comments.
Mom lets out a breathy chuckle, and Chef Lydia gives a knowing smile as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. I can hear Luca snort under his breath, and even Evren’s lips curl faintly in amusement. But the seat beside me stays still.
I don’t need to look to know Jace isn’t laughing. He’s quiet, it’s strange. Normally, he’d be the first to egg Reed on or throw in something worse. But now, there’s nothing. I risk a glance toward the mirrored ornament on the far wall and catch a partial reflection. Jace is looking at me, not at the cake. His gaze is heavy that makes me quickly drop mine to my plate.
I try to ignore his blatant stares as we move on to chocolate, then strawberry shortcake. Each time someone offers their opinion, I stay quiet and keep looking at my napkin.
During a short break, while everyone is busy cleansing their palate with water or chatting quietly, I take the chance to excuse myself to the bathroom. I walk to the sink and turn on the faucet. The water runs over my hands, and I focus on the sound as I get rid of the sticky icing that had clung around my fingers.
Just then, I hear the door open behind me. I glance up at the mirror.
Jace. Ugh, of course, it’s Jace!
He steps in and leans against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze meeting mine through the reflection. I sigh and shake my head.
“You really have a hobby of barging into ladies’ bathrooms.” I can’t help the bitter twist in my voice.
Jace exhales sharply. He doesn’t look amused.