Alpha's Moon

Chapter 39

She was leaving. 

After forcing herself to stand by the river bank and look over the Charles River for a long time, Alex had gotten rid of her anxiety and come to a simple conclusion. There was nothing for her in Boston anymore.

When she thought things through in a simple, emotionally-detached way, everything became clear. She came to Boston thinking she could learn how to touch people without pain. It turned out the only way to do that was to turn into a werewolf, which was a definite no. The reasons why she was so dead set against being turned were too complicated to unravel, but Alex could tackle those questions when she had space to do so. For now, all she knew was that she had no reason to stay in this crowded city full of complications.

Putting the last of her clothes into her suitcase, Alex closed it firmly and moved it to beside the suite door. There were a few things still in the room that she wouldn't take with her. An open bottle of essential oils that cleansed the air, some handmade cold cream she impulsively purchased at Quincy Market, and fleece gloves that she would have no use for in Hong Kong. Perhaps someone in Petrichor would make use of the items...

Her mind turned to the restaurant and she frowned. As far as her work at Petrichor went, Alex had already come up with several dishes, and she now knew the restaurant and Luca well enough to work through the rest from a distance. She would find a way to fulfil her contractual obligations, but would Gabriel try to cause trouble for her for leaving before the set time?

"Chef Turner?" The female voice that was muffled by the Suite door was followed by urgent banging. "Chef Turner, this is Jill from Petrichor, are you there?"

"Yes?" Alex asked as she opened the door. The young girl on the other side looked flushed and out of breath. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry to disturb, Chef. But Mr Jaques sent me to get you, urgently."

What could possibly have happened that the formidable Jacques needed her help with? Frowning, Alex glanced at her suitcase, then grabbed her room key from the dining table. She would just check what was wrong before finishing her packing.

It didn't take long to get to Petrichor.

"This way, Chef Turner," Jill led her behind the restaurant's bar and to the side entrance of the kitchen. "Mr Jacques is inside."

Alex pushed through the swing door, "What is going...on." Her words halted at the ludicrous sight before her. Jacques was pacing in front of a furious looking Luca who was being held down in a chair by two large men she recognised as the pastry and pasta chefs. In the meantime, the rest of the staff was filling orders at the instruction of the Sous Chef who was doing an admirable job pretending that nothing was wrong.

"Chef Turner!" Jacques rushed to her side, his shaking hands stopping just short of holding onto her arms. "Please, make him see reason!"

Luca glared at the Maitre D' then looked at Alex's calm face. "Porco cane!" He muttered.

"What, what did you say?" Jacques turned back, leaning down to try to see Luca's expression better.

"I said you can bloody well let me go," Luca sighed. Sensing the change in atmosphere the two chefs holding him cast a questioning look at each other. Their boss looked up, "Guys, go back to work, I will not do anything stupid."

"Oh, thank God!" Jacques rushed over to Luca as the others went back to work. "I'm so glad you've come to your senses Chef Bisset!"

Luca adjusted his white chef's jacket and stood, not looking in Alex's direction. "I've only agreed not to go out there and beat that stronzo, but there is no chance in hell I will cook for him Jacques."