THE SILENT REBELLION

Chapter 16

Little Pot of Tricks

I stirred the bolognese absentmindedly. The pot was nearly empty now, and I had carefully separated the portions: one for the men and one for the women. All the women had finished their servings, and I stayed behind to tend to the remaining food.

I didn’t want to be in the same room with both Jeremy and the man I now only thought of as "Alpha." He was no grandfather to me. My dad would never have turned against me like that.

I should’ve known better. There had been enough signs. But our moments in the forest, or even just talking in his office, made me believe for a while that maybe he actually cared for me. But I was wrong. I mean, if he didn’t care for his own mate, why would I be any different?

Just as I was lost in my thoughts, wondering if I’d be able to stay in the kitchen without being noticed, Bee rushed through the door.

"Alpha demands your presence," she said with a grimace.

I nodded, turned down the heat, and walked into the dining room.

"Yes, Alpha?" I asked coolly.

"Why aren’t you in here with the rest of the women? And why haven't you made enough food?" he demanded.

I glanced at Luna and saw the smirk on her face. I had already explained myself to her, but it seemed she hadn’t passed it on, or maybe she misrepresented my reasons.

"As I was cooking alone, I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to prepare everything, so I made it in two portions: one for the men and one for the women. I didn’t want the men to have to wait for their food," I explained carefully, trying to keep my sarcasm in check. "I didn’t come through because I’m still working."

I locked eyes with him, trying to remain calm. I felt dead inside, but I had to shut down my emotions or risk losing control. I kept my gaze steady, ignoring everything around me, especially Jeremy.

"You must be in here when we are served. It is disrespectful not to be," he said, his tone sharp.

I nodded silently.

I couldn’t help pushing a point for my own satisfaction. "So you want me to stay here, even if it ruins the food for all the women?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Will it ruin?"

I pretended to think for a moment, then shook my head. "No."

"Then your question is pointless. You will remain," he said firmly.

I nodded again, retreating into the corner, my eyes fixed straight ahead.

As I stood there, I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction when I heard the men groaning with appreciation as they devoured the food. I even heard a few colorful swear words as they ate.

They ate so fast and so much that I was glad I’d held back the women’s portions. As the last spoonful was scraped from the pot, Warrior Randolph scanned the room until he found me.

"Go get the rest of the meat from the kitchen."

I burned with anger. These men really only cared about themselves. "If you take any of it, there won’t be enough left for the women," I said boldly.

He shrugged and another man echoed the order.

"I don’t know if it’s ready yet," I said, but Alpha interrupted.

"Bring it, Greta," he ordered.

I sighed, glancing at the women. To my surprise, several of them gave me small, knowing smiles, their faces tinged with quiet support.

I entered the kitchen and assessed the remaining food. There was barely enough. I wasn’t above a little revenge, though, so I quickly scanned the kitchen for an idea. I spotted a small pot that might work.

I tested it by sliding it into the larger pot, pushing it through the food until it hit the bottom. The edge of the small pot was just covered by the sauce. I scooped some more sauce into the smaller pot, grabbed the salt, and poured a small mountain into it, mixing it in with the meat.

I gasped loudly, intentionally, to make my story believable. This would make a perfect "accident."

I held my breath. If my plan worked, the men would get an overly salted portion, but at least the women would have some food. If it didn’t work... well, I’d have a whole lot of nothing to bring back to them except spaghetti and garlic bread from the kitchen.

I picked up the pot, carefully using the corner of my heatproof apron, and walked back to the dining room. Alpha beckoned me over.

"Put it on the table," he commanded.

"The pot is too hot to touch," I said shakily. "You won’t be able to serve yourselves."

Jeremy leaned forward, grinning. "Well then, I guess you’d better serve us, Greta."

His voice sent a shiver down my spine, but I forced myself to stay calm. Silver didn’t, though. She bared her teeth aggressively at him. I reminded her to stay calm, and she seemed to smirk, fluffing out her tail.

"Can you please pass me the spoon?" I asked a man I didn’t know.

He passed it to me eagerly, a grin spreading across his face, but I was ready to wipe that off soon.

I turned to Alpha, pausing for a moment. He looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"What, Greta?"

"I had an accident with the seasoning," I said, holding his gaze. "The lid came off the salt. I’m not sure how it will taste."

He gave me an assessing look. "Serve me some and I will see."

I dipped the spoon into the small pot, making sure I was only scooping from the smaller portion. I placed the overly salted meat on his plate, watching him closely.

As soon as it touched his tongue, he spat it out. He shook his head and signaled to the men.

"Inedible. We’ll leave it to the women," he said, his face contorted in disgust. "It all has to be eaten, no waste."

The men stood up and left the room.

I asked The Starfish to help me bring the rest of the food through and carried the large pot back to the kitchen. I removed the small pot and met the curious gazes of the women.

"I may have done something sneaky," I said, winking at them. My joy couldn’t be contained. My plan had worked. I quickly tossed the contents of the small pot and rinsed it, hiding the evidence.

"I have another plan," I whispered, sharing my next move with them. They agreed, some reluctantly, and we went back into the dining room.

I sat at the table, watching Luna put a tiny spoonful of meat on her spaghetti. Internally, I grinned. The Starfish would get plenty to eat tonight.

I scooped a heaping portion onto my plate and passed it on. Beta’s Mate, Eldra, scowled at me, but I ignored her. I watched her carefully measure out a small portion for herself.

The other women followed suit, taking small portions until the Starfish, who mirrored my actions, heaped large amounts of meat on their meager spaghetti.

We waited, watching as the others took their first bites.

A few curious frowns formed as they put the small portions of meat with the much larger servings of spaghetti into their mouths. Then came the first forkfuls of pure meat. Wide eyes turned to me, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction.

"What is the meaning of this, Greta?" Luna’s shrill voice pierced the air.

"I don’t know what you mean," I said innocently.

"This meat is far from inedible," she accused.

I shrugged lightly. "I guess the salt only fell in one place. I tried not to mix it in. Alpha must have had the worst part."

The women exchanged looks of understanding, their gazes shifting to me with gratitude. To my surprise, they didn’t seem angry.

"That’s inappropriate behavior, Greta. I’ll be reporting this to Alpha," Luna spat, clearly displeased.

"I think it was obviously an accident," Fiona spoke up, earning my attention.

Several other women agreed with her, and Luna’s face tightened. She pressed her lips together, but there was no denying that the other women were on my side.

"You are welcome to your opinions, but I shall still be reporting it to Alpha," Luna said stiffly.

"Very well," I replied, turning back to my meal.

I noticed that most of the women were staring at their small portions with sorrow. I couldn’t help but bite back a giggle.

With a nod to The Starfish, we all stood.

"We haven’t started eating yet. We’d be happy to share our portions with you," Lacy said, her voice shaky.

The others, including Fiona, chimed in eagerly.

"Yes, please," Fiona said.

The floodgates opened, and all the women agreed. The Starfish and I shared a satisfied look.