If Kaitlyn was surprised, shocked, or even fazed, her face didn’t show it. Her expression didn't change, and she only gave a slight nod, crossing her arms in front of her again.
"You're not the first person, sweetheart. And..I am still here."
She spaced the last four word for emphasis, a slight smile on her face. She loved the expression on Linda's face as it paled, as if she just realized what she had said.
"Why do you look like you didn't mean to say that out loud?" Kaitlyn chuckled. "Bye, Linda."
She turned away, walking out of the grand hall, into open space. Linda chumped on her bottom lip hard. She hadn't intended to voice it, and she knew, within herself, that if It persisted, she would do it.
Aiden lay down, his face on the pillow. It was evening now, and he was still fatigued from the white wolf festival. He has still managed to show up at the restaurant in the morning, but he had gone through the tasks like a zombie instead of a wolf, and he had received two knocks from the chief.
He just wished he could bite him or something, but he was a higher ranked omega than himself, and wolves of the same pack attacking each other attracted capital punishment to whoever initiated the attack.
He smiled to himself, for no particular reason at all, and closed his eyes. Even though his life felt a bit too problematic, he didn't know why he was so happy. He drifted off to sleep, his cheat heaving, his breaths even.
"Go serve this." Aiden nodded and collected the plate from the chief, resisting having the temptation to sniff it. Wolves couldn’t do without sniffing their food, but at the pack's restaurant, they thought it made it less pleasurable for the customers since they had been deprived of the first sniff.
He opened the adjoining door that stood between the restaurant's eating space and its kitchen, and scanned though the large space for the table with the white cardboard bearing the inscription 46.
He soon found it, and the person occupying it had her light blonde, almost white hair turned to him. His breath hitched as he saw it, the uncanny resemblance setting him off. He turned back, and re entered the Kitchen, the plate still balanced on his palm.
The chief gave him a side eye. "Why are you back with it?"
He cleared his throat. "Ouch!"
The chief's brows came together, sending creases some way up in his forehead. "What is wrong with you?" He didn’t sound concerned, just about to reprimand.
"I think I caught a wolf sickness. Please....let Tom serve this, while I..ouch!" He went down in a square, making sure to settle the plate on a table, because he didn’t want to have to pay for it.
The chief rolled his eyes and flannel at Tom, who didn't need a second tell, or an interpreter. He quickly scooped the plate and went out with it. Aiden straightened and went to the back, making sure he looked at least convincing.
He came back after a few minutes, to meet the other working Omegas. Tom came In looking pale.
"Sir. .she rejected it." The chief looked up from the steak he was cooking.
"Why?"
Tom turned the plate around and showed it to the chief. "Wolf hair."
The chief took one indignant look at the plate, rolled his eyes, saying something like petty higher ups, and stuck his hand In the meat dressing, the plucked out the strand of hair.
"Go serve it."
Aiden blinked. "Sir."
"What?"
He cleared his throat. "It is etiquette to serve a new plate when something like this.."
"Why don’t you just run the restaurant, then?" He folded his arms, looking at Aiden.
"That is not..."
"For all I know, I may be serving an omega who is just a bit lighter than us pitch blacks! Why should I lose a plate of food over that?"
Aiden started to protest, but the chief paid no heed and pushed Tom out to serve it again. There was silence everywhere for a while, except for the sizzling of steak and the rapid beating of Aiden’s heart.
He knew drama was about to go down, especially if the customer was who he thought her to be. He didn’t have time to feel relieved before the sound of plate crashing rang through the customer. The attention of all were drawn and all was silent, then the dark, appealing voice rang through.
"I want to see the Head omega here." The chief looked pale. "Now." The voice said again, an air of unbeaten superiority around it.
The chief removed his apron and walked out, Aiden seeing the normally annoying man meek for the first time. Aiden knew who it was, so he didn’t dare step out, but only watched the drama unfold from a little window on the adjoining wall. It offered him a limited view, but with his ears, he could know what happened.
"Are you the chief omega here?" The chief nodded and the woman, who, still had her back to Aiden nodded. "How dare you serve the same plate of food, right after I complain about it having strands of hair?"
Her voice was calm and superior, and the chief started to clear his throat. "I am..deeply sorry, Ma'am. It was.."
She raised a palm and he stopped talking. "That's it. I won't come here for food anymore. Bye." She turned, and Aiden could see her face now.
Beautiful as ever, still aglow, even though she looked pissed off, her hair bouncy, like it always was, her jawline sharp, her teal eyes beautiful.
"Lyn." He said, without realizing it.
She must have heard it, as her eyes flickered to where he was. She didn’t see him, though and she continued her journey out. The chief came back, ready to transfer aggression.
"It was the alpha's daughter." He said, putting his hand on his waist. "You knew that, right?" He turned to Aiden, who was still bent from avoiding her.
"What?"
"You knew it was the alpha's daughter, right? That is why you pretended to be sick. Why were you avoiding her? You have a history or what?" He was walking to him now and Aiden squeezed himself to the wall. "Tell me!"
Aiden kept his face calm even in the face of the volcano. "Yes. I know her. So, what? I should get her back for you, or what?"
He said it as a way to get back, be potty, and show that he was angry too. He certainly didn’t expect it when a humorless smile took over the chief's face and he went
"Yes. That is exactly what you will do for me."