Chapter 47: THE WOMAN FROM THE STORE
KEISHA’S POV
The kitchen was busy when I walked in and smelled like things that would have made my stomach turn two days ago but were somehow fine today.
Just great.
Becca moved around the space quickly, telling me what I needed to help out with and I got them done as quickly as I could.
"You’re good in a kitchen." She said at some point, watching me de-skin a piece of fish without being shown how.
"My mother taught me." I smiled.
She smiled at that. "Good woman." She said simply.
We worked in comfortable near-silence for a while and I was wrapping the last of the prepared dishes when I caught the edge of the knife wrong on the chopping board and it skidded sideways and the blade caught my palm.
Fuck.
"Oh—" I pulled my hand back immediately.
"Let me see." Becca was beside me in seconds, taking my hand and examining the cut, her brows furrowed with concern that I had hurt myself badly. "Not deep." She finally sighed. "But it needs covering." She steered me to the small first aid cabinet by the door and got the bandage out.
I stood there while she wrapped my palm and thought about the fact that I was standing here preparing food for the woman Callum was going to be mated to.
Wow. That sounded so stupid when I thought about it.
I was bandaging my hand to serve lunch to Callum’s future Luna.
"There." Becca tied the bandage off neatly. "Keep it clean."
"Thank you." I forced a smile.
She looked at my face. "Are you alright?"
"Fine." I said.
She stared at me for a long second, obviously knowing something was wrong but not wanting to push. With a stiff nod and a clasp on my shoulder, she turned back to the stove.
Nadia appeared in the kitchen doorway just as we were loading the dishes onto the serving trolley. She was fidgeting with her sleeve in the way she did when she was nervous and trying not to show it.
"She’s not here yet." Nadia announced.
"Who?" Becca said, not looking up.
"Vanessa." Nadia said the name like it tasted strange. "She was supposed to arrive twenty minutes ago. Osric keeps checking the door. Dad is just sitting there looking—" She made a face. "You know how he looks when he’s accepted something he hates."
"Patient?" I offered.
"Exhausted." She corrected. She looked at me. "You ready?"
"To serve food." I said. "Yes."
"To be in the same room as whatever this is going to be." She stared at me.
I looked at the trolley. "We’ll see."
Nadia made a sound and disappeared back toward the hall while I helped Becca maneuver the trolley out of the kitchen and down the corridor.
The hall was set for a formal lunch. The long table dressed properly, flowers at the center, the good dishes out. Several elders were already seated— Osric at one end, Elder Malik beside him, two others I recognised from the unauthorized meeting Dane had described to Nadia. Callum was at the head of the table.
His eyes found me the moment I came through the door but I looked at the trolley and kept moving.
Look away.
Dane was standing to the side behind Callum’s chair and when I came in, something moved across his face like he didn’t expect me there. I didn’t look at him again.
I helped Becca set dishes along the center of the table, refilled the water glasses and kept my face completely neutral. Osric asked me to refill his glass and I did it without comment. Elder Malik thanked me and I nodded.
Nadia caught my eye from her seat and gave me a small nervous smile.
I gave her a very small nod back.
"She’s taking her time." Nadia said, loudly enough to be heard. "First impressions matter and all that."
"Nadia." Callum warned quietly.
"I’m just observing." She said. "If I’m going to meet my potential stepmother, I’d at least like it to happen before the food goes cold."
"Nadia." Callum said again, looking at her this time.
Osric cleared his throat. "She’ll be here momentarily. She had some travel delays I believe."
"Mhm." Nadia said.
I moved back to the trolley, kept my hands busy and I didn’t look at Callum or Dane.
Why would I? This was just a room and I was just in it doing a job.
Then the door opened and a woman walked in.
Dark hair pinned neatly with a composed expression. A coat that said she had dressed carefully for this and knew what it meant. She came through the door with the slightly knowing air of someone who knew they were important.
Almost unconsciously, I straightened.
She looked around the table and I looked at her well.
Oh shit.
We both went still at exactly the same time.
The woman from the clothing store.
The same woman who was angry at the attendant, and demanding a refund. The one who I had given some money to. Oh fuck.
Her eyes widened slightly and mine probably did too.
From the table — "Keisha." Nadia’s voice had gone very strange as she stood up, her voice low enough so that only I could hear as she inched closer to me. She was looking between me and the woman at the door with her mouth slightly open. "Is that—"
"Yes." I muttered, looking away.
"From the store—"
"Yes." I said again, my voice stuff.
Vanessa looked away from me to the table and recovered her composure remarkably quickly, smoothing the front of her coat and moving to the empty chair Osric was gesturing toward. She sat and arranged herself and looked at Callum and smiled.
Callum was looking at me but I looked at the trolley.
Nadia made a sound that was not quite a laugh and not quite a gasp.
Osric began introductions.
I stood beside Becca and kept my face completely still and thought about the look on that attendant’s face. The way she had backed herself against the counter trying to make herself smaller while this woman abused her power.
This was the woman they had chosen for Callum.
This was the woman who was going to stand beside him at pack functions and be introduced by name.
Fuck, I already hated her.
