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

Chapter 18

Linc had gone to culinary school in both France and Italy. Schools Brianna had recommended to him. She'd gone to multiple schools throughtout the years, learning everything she could. Linc figured he'd end up doing the same at some point, but for now, he was content with the education he had. Plus, he knew he would learn best from Bri, as long as she was willing to teach him.

Of course, cleaning up after himself and coming in after meals to help clean up had definitely gone a long way with her. She was more willing to work with him and teach him.

Lincoln rolled out the biscuit dough and began to cut out the biscuits, plopping them on the huge baking sheets. Brianna brushed melted butter over them and then put them in the oven. The smell of baking biscuits soon began to fill the room, making his mouth water. Brianna made better biscuits than anyone he knew.

Linc liked the calmness of making biscuits and the repetition. Some days, he preferred to not have to think about what he was doing. Like today.

"Linc?" Brianna finally broke the comfortable silence between them.

"Yeah?"

"Before the others come in here, I have a question for you." Brianna grabbed the butter off of the stovetop. Linc knew she made it herself. He'd helped her do so more than once. He had a feeling if she had time for it, she'd raise the cows herself, but instead, the milk was purchased from another pack on a regular basis, a new pack in upstate New York that ran a dairy farm.

"Sure."

"Would you be willing to take over the cooking at the pack house for a little while?" Brianna pulled the first tray of biscuits out of the oven, looking them over, then set them on a rack to cool.

Linc froze at her question, then began to work again. Why in the world would she ask him that? He had a full-time job. It was sort of out of the blue. But then, Brianna had been at this for hundreds of years. She could be completely bored with it and want a change. "Why?"

"I'm pregnant," Brianna said quietly.

He did stop then and turned to her, listening intently. He could hear it, now that he focused on it, the rapid heartbeat of a new life. A new pup. Her and Landon's first. He smiled at her. "Congratulations, Bri. Tell me what you're thinking."

"Well, I'd like to cook as long as I can, but I know Landon and I will clash on that," Bri said with a smile. "He will be the overprotective wonderful man I know he is and insist that I not be on my feet as much. It'll stress him out. And of course, I plan to take some time off after I have the baby. I want to enjoy motherhood. I've waited so long for it."

Linc nodded slowly, his mind working. "When are you due?"

"October."

"I need to think about it, if that's okay," Linc said quietly. This most definitely was not what he was expecting. He wasn't upset about it, just shocked. But he was still happy for her.

His life had abruptly changed in the last few days, and he knew it would again as soon as he met his mate. He just had no idea how much, or how long it would be before he met her. Realistically it could be after October. He sort of hoped not though. But maybe it would be better if it was.

"Of course. I didn't expect an answer from you right away. I know you have a good job to think about," Bri murmured as she popped the last tray of biscuits in the oven. "You wanna fry up some bacon?"

"Sure." Linc looked up as some of the women and a few men from the pack came in to help with breakfast. He has a feeling even if he didn't take over, things would continue on just fine, but it was something to think about.

Linc watched Landon walk into the kitchen and over to his mate. He kissed her neck and placed a hand over her belly. Linc sighed quietly. He knew he shouldn't complain about the fact that he didn't have a mate. Brianna had waited hundreds of years for Landon. But the two of them together made him long for his own mate. It was what had pushed him into getting into a relationship with Gina.

He walked over to the walk-in cooler and opened the door, then grabbed the big bin of bacon. He was going to end up smelling like bacon after this, but that was fine. He headed back out and over to the huge griddle that was already hot and waiting for him and got to work.

***

Linc spent the morning at his rental, packing up his things. He was amazed at how much crap he'd managed to accumulate there. More than he would have thought. Some of it he'd keep, some he'd get rid of. Five years of stuff. He sighed, wondering how it would be in a hundred years from now. More pointless crap. At least he wasn't a hoarder.

The sex toys he'd acquired over the last five years all went in the trash. He didn't want the reminder of her, and he knew he would think of her every time he pulled them out. Plus, it would just be weird to use them on another woman. And most definitely not on his mate. He wouldn't do that to her. He wanted no reminders of the mistake he almost made. This woman would become his primary focus in life. His other half.

But it made him wonder if his mate would enjoy sex like that. Or would she just want their relationship to just be completely vanilla? He wondered what she was into and if she was open to trying new things. Linc wasn't under the illusion that she'd be a virgin. Not likely, though the possessive part of him wanted to be the only one to ever be inside of her. Unlike Gina. He rolled his eyes in disgust.

But in all reality, he truly didn't expect her to be. He wasn't, and expecting anything different from her would be hypocritical.

He scoffed to himself. The last thing he needed was a virgin. She would have to be pretty young to be one, he'd imagine. Linc wasn't that young. He was close to thirty-seven. He knew in the grand scheme of things; he really wasn't that old. His great, great grandfather had been over a thousand when he'd found his twenty-two year old mate. He didn't look it and had stopped aging before he'd hit twenty-five. He wouldn't start aging again unless he left Regal Eclipse, something that he probably wouldn't even think about for a very long time. And of course, that would have to be a mutual decision between him and his mate.

His thoughts drifted back to Brianna and the fact that she was pregnant. He smiled. He was happy for her. Brianna had also waited a very long time for her mate, and Logan had been through quite a bit, being held prisoner for a long time, while his brother thought he was dead. He'd found Brianna shortly after that and they'd bonded instantly. Linc thought that even if they were human, they probably would have bonded. They were rarely apart.

Brianna had been the head chef for Regal Eclipse for hundreds of years. At one point, during Caleb's rein, and through some of Daniel's, she'd also been the head housekeeper. But she'd quit that position and now she didn't even cook every day. She wanted to spend time with her mate.

Taking her position, even if temporary, would be huge shoes to fill. But Linc had plenty of training from Brianna. He knew how she liked things done. He knew she preferred to make things herself over store bought. He also knew they tasted better. His pack members were spoiled by Brianna's amazing cooking

He glanced at the time and realized it was getting close to lunch. He needed to get out of here if he was going to eat. He grabbed the last box and headed out to his truck, tossing it in the back, then climbed inside and headed back to the pack house. Maybe he would take Biranna up on her offer. Maybe he just needed a change. Gina had messed him up too much for his own liking.