The Chef's Sick Mate (Book 17 of the Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 33

The scent was in the dining room. Lincoln was inside, heading up to the buffet when he caught it. His eyes scanned the room as he walked, moving over all of the people that were happily eating their breakfast, and a flash of silver caught his eye. 

He turned to see a woman hurry out of the dining hall, her short silvery hair hanging around her thin shoulders. He frowned as he watched her go. Was she the one the scent had come from? He wasn't sure, but doubted it.

More than likely that was Ana, or at least the hair matched. But maybe not. Ana wasn't that tiny, and he was pretty sure she wasn't even here. She and Aidan had gone to Missouri so that she could quit her job. Linc wasn't even sure if they were back yet.

He headed up to the buffet and dropped off the hashbrowns, then glanced around the room. He breathed in the scent deeply. It wasn't overly strong but his eyes swept the hall anyway, trying to pinpoint it. He sighed in annoyance when he couldn't figure it out, but he did notice his cousin.

Aidan was back and seated at his usual table, though he was down a bit from the others. Ana was sitting next to him, looking as beautiful as she always did, and Lincoln let his gaze linger on her as thoughts of his own mate ran through his mind.

Another woman sat across from them that he'd never seen before. She had blond hair that was just a few shades darker than Ana. Linc couldn't see her face though. She was turned away from him. And she wasn't where the scent was coming from, but she was in deep conversation with Ana and Aidan.

He sighed softly. Why did he feel like there was something he was missing here? He watched Ana get up and leave the dining hall as he made himself a plate, then headed over to his usual table to sit down close to Xavier and Maddie. He liked Xavier's mate quite a bit. She was the opposite of Xavier and had tamed the Alpha, bringing out a side of him Linc had never seen before. She was also completely comfortable chatting with all of their friends. Xavier had explained to him her old job, and then Maddie had gone into detail about Xavier working there as well.

Linc had been shocked to learn that the man who was a bit of a control freak had been waiting tables with no shirt on while women practically fought over him and propositioned him left and right. Maddie has managed the place and she was the only one that held Xavier's interest. She was his fate, and he'd brought her home with him and she would one day rule by his side.

Linc plopped down across from them. "Morning."

"Morning Linc," Maddie greeted him warmly.

"Who's the woman Aidan is sitting with?" Linc asked in a low voice. Now that he was closer, he'd quickly realized that she had to be someone related to Ana.

Xavier glanced up at him, then down the table to where Aidan was still sitting alone with the woman. "Ana's mother."

"He brought her here?" Now that he could sort of see her better, he could see the resemblance to Ana. Her mother was a beautiful woman too.

"Yeah, along with Ana's younger sister. Her father gave her my blood because she's been very sick most of her life. They didn't expect her to live much longer. But he inadvertently turned her," Xavier told him. "They brought her here so she'd have a pack to join and to make sure she's completely healed from everything if she's not already."

Linc frowned. "The mother or the daughter?"

"Daughter. The mother is just fine as far as I know, but the daughter, Ana's sister, has been sick pretty much her whole life. She'd spent a good portion of it in the hospital. Ana said they didn't think she'd make it to adulthood. She didn't go to school or anything. Her mother homeschooled her." Xavier popped a biscuit in his mouth.

Linc felt his heart drop at that. He couldn't imagine how hard that had been on the family, let alone on her. And then to suddenly become a werewolf out of the blue with no rhyme or reason as to why had to have been scary too.

He knew about Ana's father and how he'd been involved with Xavier's kidnapping. He hadn't known that he'd given Xavier's blood to Ana's sister. The poor girl. Or woman. "How old is she?"

Xavier frowned and looked at Maddie.

"She's twenty-four," she said with a smile as she looked at Xavier, then to Linc. "Breakfast was really good."

"Thanks. Though I just made hashbrowns." Lincoln flashed her a smile. So Ana's sister wasn't a kid. She was a woman. He wondered if that's who he'd seen leaving the dining hall earlier. He glanced back down to Aidan and Ana's mother. Aidan wasn't talking at all, though he finally stood. He grabbed both his plate and Ana's mother's, and they both left the dining room together.

Linc watched them go as he finished up his own food, half listening to Xavier and Maddie. He finished up eating and stood. 

"You working today?" Xavier asked him. 

"Yup. I'm going to head to the gym now though," Linc said. "Catch you both later." He got rid of his plate, then left the dining room and headed down to the gym, traces of that scent lingering in his nose and perking up his wolf. 

He frowned as he stood there in the elevator. Was Ana's sister his mate? No way. There was no way she could be his. She was almost thirteen years younger than him. Not that he supposed it mattered. His great, great grandfather's mate was over a thousand years younger than him. But still, if she was, why had she disappeared this morning? Why had she ran?

He supposed he'd find out at some point. He sort of wanted to go look for her, but at the same time, it would just be odd if she really wasn't his mate. He'd wait. He could afford to. He had forever. 

And if she'd just recently turned, she might not have any idea what was happening to her. She might not know what the mate bond was.

Linc sighed softly as he stepped off the elevator and headed down the hall towards the gym. If Ana's sister truly was his mate, his life was about to be upended. And the thought of it sort of excited him.

***

Gen held her breath as she walked next to Ana back to the house. Aidan was standing on the front porch waiting for them; her mother nowhere in sight. "Aren't we supposed to be getting our things today?" 

"Yes, but it can wait until after this at least. It'll give you a boost of confidence. It always does me," Ana told her, her gaze moving up to meet Aidan.

He stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. "You cold?"

"I'm fine, Aidan," she responded, though she snuggled into him.

Gen watched them both and sighed. This was what she'd never have. Someone looking at her the way Aidan was looking at Ana. Like she was his sun. The man was completely enamored by her.

Gen walked up the steps and followed Ana and Aidan inside. She wondered what Aidan thought of her. Probably that she was crazy. Oh well. It didn't matter. Aidan wasn't her mate. Maybe sort of her brother-in-law, but from what Ana had told her, werewolves didn't marry. They'd completed the bond between them, and at some point in the spring, would have a mating ceremony, which Aidan had said was sort of like a wedding.

Weddings were one thing Gen had never let herself fantasize about. She had always known it would never happen for her, so why bother putting in the effort to daydream about it? She always thought she'd be better off planning her own funeral. And she sort of had. She'd left a list of songs she wanted played, along with a list of people she wanted them to invite. That was a short list. Food she wanted served, because why not? She'd specifically requested that they not have any pictures of her displayed. No slideshows or anything ridiculous like that. She shook her head. She supposed now, that was all going out the window.