Scum (Book 1)

44. Dough

Chey’s POV

Since the beginning of my punishment, I’ve not been able to sleep well, likely because I don’t know what’s going on with the pack’s security. I didn’t realize that spending as much time as I did on the patrols made me so paranoid, and now that my best friend is pregnant, I feel like I need to do much more to protect our home.

Nora’s still working, but nothing like she used to do because my parents and Dallas won’t let her. It’s setting the family back, especially since Mrs. A will be moving in with her ‘not boyfriend,’ to make room for a new addition.

The woman has been secretly dating Mr. Matthews for years, but I think she thinks it will hurt Nora’s feelings to see her moving on, so despite the fact that everyone KNOWS, no one has dared to confirm.

I know that in the beginning Nora was sad about it, but after some time, she realized that her mother needed the emotional support that came from a person who knew what it was like to lose a fated partner.

After that, it’s something that she and I laughed at, just the way we laugh at how she and Dallas were sneaking around before they found out they were fated partners.

That said, I can’t stand being in bed for no reason, so I get up to go to the kitchen early, eager to try my cinnamon roll recipe.

I’ve done small batches at home, and I think I’ve got it perfected enough to serve to the pack.

I may have gone a bit overboard though because by the time the rest of the staff started strolling in, the entire kitchen was filled with giant mounds of dough that’s been left to rest.

“Help me?” The head chef rolls her eyes and grabs a pin roller.

“Cheyenne, you better be fated to one of my sons.”

“Don’t wish that on Hector. He deserves better.” That’s not actually a lie; I think Hector deserves a calm woman, not one who may punch him without warning.

“Whatever, just tell me what all the dough is for.”

“Cinnamon rolls.” Hungry sounding yums’ ring around the kitchen, and before long, everything is flattened, brushed in my cinnamon mixture, and rolled.

We made several sizes, and since the pack ovens are huge, we can bake many at a time. We’ve even had enough time to scramble eggs, and fry bacon.

The breakfast staff is efficient, so we finished early and decided to eat before everything’s gone.

“Wow Chey, these are amazing!” They are amazing, but now, I’m afraid alpha Lucas will use it to keep me in the kitchen forever.

Liam’s POV

I hate the patrols because I’m not patient enough to sit still for hours on end. If a twig snaps, I have to see what it was, and the bugs… I’m not afraid of them, but I can’t stand the creatures, so when the sun started to rise, and my shift was over, I wanted nothing more than to go home and shower, but I was distracted by people literally sprinting toward the cafeteria.

Royce and Jenna have their own punishments; my sister has extensive training with Dallas, and her mate has yard work. He should be awake by now, so I mind-link him.

“The f*ck is happening?”

“Chey made cinnamon rolls… They’re amazing.” I wanted a shower, but I’m suddenly on my way to the eatery.

Immediately I’m hit with a scent that’s so alluring that I abandon all protocol and jump the line. I haven’t spoken to Chey since we got in trouble, so when she saw me, she immediately found something else to do.

I’ve been texting her, sending her funny pictures, and even sending my apologies through Dallas, but all I’ve gotten in response is nothing.

In the very beginning she chased me around with a stick, accusing me of turning her into a criminal, but her mother caught her, and because her parents don’t know the ins and outs of things, Chey dropped it as to not compound her issues, but I’d rather have her trying to kill me than to ignore me.

However, now isn’t the place to talk about what happened, so I find Royce and sit, slightly chuckling because he doesn’t look as clean cut as he normally does.

My beta is the type to get a regular haircut, his line-up is always perfect, and his curls are quite literally finger styled into perfection. I like to look fresh too, but my locks aren’t as tight as his, so when my hair is ‘messy’ it looks like a style.

“Yard duty kicking your ass?”

“Bro... I have a new respect for the people who choose to do this sh*t. I swear it’s like I turn my back, and the grass I cut has already grown back.” To keep our pack safe, we keep the grass cut far beyond where anyone lives, but since the territory is big, it’s like a never-ending task that only slows down in the winter.

We use concrete to keep walking paths clear for longer, but mother nature is no pushover, and wherever she says there should be grass, grass grows.

“How’s the patrols?”

“Would be better if I actually had something to attack.” I don’t mean that. Our pack is safe, that’s a good thing, but it’s boring as f*ck.

Royce understands my point though, so he doesn’t say anything, but I notice that he’s staring at me, so I pick up my still warm cinnamon roll and bite into it.

I cannot believe the thing was made in our pack’s kitchen, and I’m kind of upset that I didn’t take more than one.

“Cheyenne is really the man. Imagine if she opened up a bakery?” I look toward the kitchen where I catch a glimpse of Chey pushing a large cart toward the exit.

I’m assuming that she’s about to report to daycare duty; so, after I’m done eating, I’ll detour that way to see if I can get her to at least look at me.

Chey’s POV

I have never ever been afraid of anything as small as an infant, but the thought of holding something that I can accidently kill rattles me down to my bones.

“Cheyenne, she doesn’t have teeth. She won’t bite you.” I know that, in fact, I can see that, but I still have the child as far away from my chest as I can hold her while I walk to the changing station. “You could hurt her arms holding her like that.” That only makes me walk faster, and by the time I rest the child on the padded surface, I have to take a second to calm myself. “Cheyenne!” The women around are laughing at me, but I see nothing funny.

“But she’s so little. What if I hug her too tightly and her ribs break?” I’m seriously asking because that’s my fear. I can’t even hold puppies for the same reason, so I tend to stay away from tiny, cute things that have a heartbeat.

“That’s ridiculous Cheyenne?!” I turn with narrowed eyes, glaring at the intruder because, that’s what he is right now.

I haven’t spoken to alpha Liam since he got me into this stupid assignment, and right now, he doesn’t need to be anywhere near the daycare, so he must be trying to antagonize me.

“Alpha Liam, please turn around so that I can change this young lady’s diaper without an audience.”

“Chey!” I unapologetically glance toward the head nanny who looks like she’s about to die from holding in her laughter.

Everyone knows that Liam and I got in trouble for something, but they think it’s because we were in another state making enemies, not because we conspired to defraud them of their tax dollars, a serious crime that’s only being overlooked because of who we are.

Fortunately, my quip worked to embarrass Liam, so he walks away with a red face that makes me chuckle menacingly.

“That was mean,” a nanny whispers, nudging me as she moves closer.

I’m not great at changing diapers, but I am a girl, so I know what to do and what not to do. I just can’t manage to keep the tiny tyrants from kicking and rolling around when I’m trying to clean them up.

“That was an improvement!” The woman says, slightly clapping as I flash her a grin that I hope shows how proud of myself I am. “Keep this up and you’ll be a great mother.”

“A what?!” I’m so taken aback by the statement that I release the child I was holding, immediately earning myself negative points from the very attentive nannies. “I’m seventeen.”

“So… I had my son when I was eighteen, and isn’t your brother’s mate nineteen?”

“No,” I reply, shaking my head because I have life goals, and children aren’t really a part of it right now. “I want to start my career, I want to save, I want to travel, and I want to enjoy being with my mate for a few years before I even think about having a baby.” I’m responded to by loud laughter, making me feel stupid. “What?” My question comes off as a weak whisper, but I really want to know what’s funny.

“Cheyenne, if you meet your mate, you won’t make it two years before you’re doing things you never even thought you’d be willing to do.” I don’t even want clarification, so I take ‘my child’ back, and head to the play area.

For now, I’m only responsible for one baby, but the more experienced nannies can handle up to five infants at a time. When they start walking, the number drops by three, but when they hit four, it goes up by one.

I don’t understand it all, but it seems to work, so I mind my business and watch out for who I’m told is the mildest infant in the group.

I wonder if Nora is going to have a little girl, and if she does, will she be as big as Dallas, or will she take after her mother and be on the shorter side. Will she be quiet, or will she be a cry baby? Will she look like my side of the family, or Nora’s?

Somehow, I start thinking of myself, wondering the same questions, only, I can’t imagine what my mate will look like, so I spend the better part of my shift pondering if the man will be handsome or not.

I really don’t care about looks, but if I could choose, my mate would have many of Alpha Liam’s features, only, he won’t get me in trouble.