295 Brotherly Banters in the Kitchen

    b~/bbiThird /i/bbiPerson/i/bb~ /b1

    “Yes.” His expression didn’t waver.

    She blinked. “Draven, an Alpha in the kitchen to watch ice cream being made? That’s unheard of.”

    In other words, she was asking, ‘Have you, an Alpha, got nothing better to do other than stepping foot into the kitchen to watch food bring prepared?‘

    “Then I will be the first Alpha to break that record,” he replied smoothly, not even looking at the bigger picture. Or maybe, he simply didn’t care about his image.

    Behind them, Dennis approached with the bags of fruit hanging heavily in both hands. He caught thest part of the conversation and grinned.

    “Brother, the chefs are going to be ufortable with you looming in their space.”

    Draven looked at him without missing a beat. “Then they should leave the kitchen.”

    Dennis snorted, shaking his head, while Meredith only stared at Draven, caught between disbelief and a strange flutter bof /bwarmth at his words before they resumed their steps forward.

    Dennis trailed behind them with the bags of fruit hanging heavy in his arms.

    “Anything unusual at the market?” Draven slowed his stride just enough to nce back.

    Dennis shook his head. “No. It was just the usual crowd; humans and a few wolves mixed in. There were no signs of threats.”

    Draven gave a single nod, then pushed open the kitchen doors.

    The bustling room fell quiet at once. Chefs stiffened, hands pausing over bowls and knives, their gazes flicking nervously toward the

    Draven.

    Meredith felt the tension immediately. “Draven,” she whispered under her breath, “you’ve just frightened them.”

    Draven said nothing, just his usual expression of indifference, sitting on his face.

    Dennis set the baskets down with a thud on the counter, and cut through the silence. “Rx, everyone. We are just here to make ice cream, not inspect the kitchen.”

    The chefs exchanged uneasy looks, but slowly returned to their tasks.

    Meredith approached closer to the counter, her eyes btracing /bover the bright pile of fruit. “So,” she said, turning to Dennis, “where do we

    start?”

    Dennis grinned, “With the basics; cream, sugar, and patience.” The next second, he began pulling ingredients together andying them out neatly.

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    295 Brotherly Banters in the Kitchen

    Meredith leaned in with curiosity clear in her gaze and began asking questions here and there as he worked.

    Draven remained a quiet presence beside them, arms folded, watching Meredith instead of the food being made.

    His gaze followed the way her eyes lit with interest, the way her voice softened when she forgot to guard herself. It was a simple thing, yet it eased something in him.

    When Dennis cracked a joke about how his version might taste like “frozen disaster,” Meredithughed, shaking her head.

    The sound filled the kitchen, and for a brief moment, even the nervous chefs nced over with faint smiles.

    Draven didn’t smile, but his gaze warmed, steady on her.

    By the time Dennis scraped thest of the mixture into the churner and pulled it out again, the kitchen smelled faintly of cream and

    fruit.

    The chefs lingered in the background, half–working, half–watching as Dennis portioned a small serving into a ceramic bowl.

    “Here,” he said, handing it to Meredith with a proud grin. “Test subject number one.”

    Before Meredith could even take the spoon, Draven’s voice cut in. “My wife isn’t anyone’s test subject.”

    Dennis blinked, then smirked, clearly amused. “Rx, brother. It’s just ice cream, not poison.”

    The chefs tried to look busy, though a few exchanged awkward nces. Meredith, however, rolled her eyes faintly, lips twitching with

    the start of a smile.

    She took the spoon, dipped it into the bowl, and tasted. Immediately, the cold sweetness spread across her tongue, and her eyes lit. “It’s actually good,” she admitted.

    Dennis threw his hands up in mock despair. “iActually/i? That’s all I get for ving away over frozen cream?”

    Meredith grinned but didn’t argue. Instead, she scooped another bite and turned to Draven. Without hesitation, she held the spoon up to his lips. “Here. Try it.”

    Draven’s gaze lingered on her, silent for a heartbeat as if weighing more than just a spoonful of ice cream. Then he leaned forward and tasted itb, /bbhis /beyes never leaving hers.

    He swallowed slowly, a faint curve tugging at his lips. “Not bad.”

    Dennis groaned dramatically, shaking his head. “Not bad, actually good… clearly, I’m unappreciated in this kitchen.”

    Meredith’sugh slipped out, light and genuine, while Draven’s smirk deepened, less about the ice cream, more about the warmth in her expression.

    Finally, Draven straightened, his smirk fading back into the calm authority that always seemed to fill a room.

    “That will be all,” he said, his voice even but leaving no room for argument.

    The chefs froze mid–motion, then they exchanged quick nces amongst themselves before bowing out one by one, quietly gathering their things.

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    Dennis raised both brows. “Seriously? You are clearing out the entire kitchen because I gave her ice cream?”

    Draven didn’t look at him. His attention stayed on Meredith as he reached out, brushing his fingers lightly against her wrist. “I want a

    moment alone with my wife.”

    Meredith’s cheeks warmed at the quiet im. She set the bowl down carefully, sensing the air shift as thest of the staff slipped out the

    door.

    Dennis sighed loudly, shaking his head as he picked up his things. “One of these days, brother, you will have to learn to share!”

    Draven finally nced at him, his tone dry. “If you don’t like being lonely, Dennis, go and get yourself a mate.”

    Dennis snorted. “See the kettle calling the pot ck. You forget so soon how long you were single before the Moon Goddess finally showed you mercy and paired you with Meredith?”

    A faint smirk curved Draven’s mouth. “I’ve forgotten so soon. What can you do about it?”

    Dennis shook his head with a grin and walked out. “Fine. Just have thest words today.”

    Meredith smiled softly as she watched the exchange. The banter between the two brothers was rare, especially from someone as serious

    as Draven. And the warmth of it lingered with her.

    This reminded her briefly, of the contrast with her own siblings, of the sharpness and bitterness she often faced from them. But she

    didn’t let the thought weigh her down now.

    When the door finally shut, Draven’s hand brushed hers again. “Finally, some peace.”