Authors Note: New Characters! Hope you love them as much as I do. If you see any grammar mistakes, please leave me a comment and I'll make sure to fix it. Thank you for reading!
-Saturn
He should have expected this. Max knew he was in for some craziness when he saw Tyler and his mate, Isabelle, sitting in the dining area. They always looked like the perfect couple. His parents came in second. Max hoped that he wouldn't be too obvious around them. He was already pretty obvious at the restaurant. But he had gotten lucky that night, since his parents were interested in watching Charlie too. They were nosy people when they got out into the town. They loved to listen in on gossip of other people and watch what they did or how they talked. It was better than T.V. for them.
The kitchen staff was already putting lunch together when Max and Charlie walked in. Usually everyone ate lunch in their own dining areas and on their own times. This was a big enough house for most families to have their own dining areas. It was just the kitchen that they only had one of. Typically, if their family got bigger, they could ask Max's dad to move into a bigger space, and he would help them. Packs were all one big family anyway. And family always helped family.
The grand dining room that came right after the kitchen, was meant for special occasions. But Max guessed that it hadn't been used in so long that they had to make use of it somehow.
Now he had Tyler, Sam, and Ed sitting together with their respective mates by their side. Along with his parents, that made eight pairs of eyes staring at him as soon as he walked into the room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Locke!" Charlie was the first to break the silence. "It's nice to see you again." The sound of his voice alone seemed to alleviate some attention. Everyone just seemed curious about him. Tyler and Sam recognized him from the second they saw him. But this just made them more curious as to why he was here.
"Charlie!" his dad beamed, "I'm glad to see you walking around again."
"Just trying to say thanks for all the help you've given me," Charlie said as he put down two of the pies.
"Ah, Ed told me you were making pies, but you didn't have to do this for us," He tried to look serious, but his eyes kept looking towards the steaming pies. The smell was already filling up the room. That mixed in with Charlie's scent was absolutely heavenly.
"It was more fun than anything," Charlie said, giving them all a big smile.
"Everyone," His dad mind linked with them, "This is the human that's been staying with us for a week now."
"Why have we only been told this now?" Tyler asked. His brown eyes glared at Max and he felt slightly guilty for not telling his future Beta sooner.
"Because I wanted it to stay hidden until the young man recovered enough," His dad replied. "The last thing we needed was a bunch of werewolves packed into the infirmary."
"Why do we have a human here in the first place, Alpha?" Isabelle asked. Her long black hair was put up in a nice bun. She always had this professional look to her no matter what she was doing. And she was always there to back up Tyler with whatever point he had. "What about the rule?"
"This human tried to do good for us and paid the price for it," his mom said, "We are showing him the same respect he has and still is showing us."
With that the mind link was broken and everyone got in line to take a piece of the pies that were now all lined in the middle of the table. The cooks still had the lunch they made on the table alongside the pies. But the pies smelt so good, it was hard to resist not eating them first. Max made sure to get two pieces of apple pie. He had to try it.
While cutting out their pieces, Charlie officially met each of them. Sam's wife, Leah seemed to love him already. And Ed's wife, Emily, was always a sweet talker. She seemed to love the fact that there was a new face here after so long. As much as she seemed like the serious one, Emily was a lot like Ed when it came to outside of work. And she always wore rather comfortable clothing rather than ones that looked professional or fancy. It was that and her pixy cut brown hair that always made her come off as easy to talk to. Her and Ed were two peas of the same pod.
Charlie's own magic seemed to be at work. Because everyone calmed down for the most part about him being here. He had such a charm to him that Max loved to see. Maybe it was his scent. It was that smell that always calmed Max down after all. It could definitely be that dazzling smile that he loved to share with everyone as well though.
Charlie beamed as he started talking about baking and the restaurant he worked at. Pretty soon he had all the wary ones laughing and smiling. Even Tyler became less tense after he got Isabelle to laugh a little.
"This pie is ten times better than the one at that restaurant, Charlie," his dad said. He was already on his third piece of the raspberry. "Trust me. I'm a pie connoisseur." The way he sat up straight and put his hand to his chest when he said that made Max laugh. He almost spat out his drink at that.
"You have a real gift here," Ed said. "You should open up a bakery or something."
"Thanks, but it's probably just because I had all fresh ingredients," Charlie replied. "Chef Ryan taught me how to make them. He's hoping to start up a bakery soon."
It almost made Max jealous to see how happy he was talking about another person. A part of him wanted the blond all to himself. He guessed that did make him possessive, even though he did try to control that side of himself. He wanted to consume Charlie's thoughts. Because, this man had already started to consume all of Max's thoughts.
"I certainly hope you go with him to that bakery," His mom said. She was using the same tone that she always used on Max when she was overly worried about him. "You need to go somewhere that you get treated better." The way she looked reminded Max of all the times in school where she argued with teachers on his behalf. She had just barely met this human a little over a week ago, and now she was already acting like a mom to him.
Maybe telling his parents that Charlie was his mate wouldn't be so bad after all. The idea of it still left him uneasy, but not as uneasy as the idea of having to tell the whole pack soon. That was not a fun thought.
"Oh, the restaurant's a good place. It's just in a bit of a rough patch right now."
Max knew that was a lie. With how packed that dining room was the day that they all went there, it was easy to see that the restaurant was at it's peak. Why was Charlie defending it? What did he like about it that made him defend it so much?
Before the conversation continued, the doors opened to a slightly frustrated Dr. Button.
"Charlie, there you are!" he walked up to him. "I'm gone for one morning on a trip and you decide to disappear from the infirmary?" If there was anyone who acted like an overly worried mother to Charlie, though, it was Button. It wasn't too often that he was this worried about someone. Usually, since they were all werewolves, he'd just treat them all and let them do as they pleased. But, since Charlie was a human, it wasn't that simple to heal.
That's when Max started realizing just how long it had taken to make these pies, and how much work Charlie had put into them. He was so hypnotized by the blond that he had forgotten how important it was that he get rest so that he could recover. He made sure that he ate at least. But he shouldn't have let him stay in that kitchen.
"Sorry to worry you," Charlie apologized. "I just wanted to do something to thank you guys for letting me stay here and for doing all of these things for me."
Emily and Ed were trying not to laugh at the flustered doctor in the background. Max could hear them giggling. It almost put a smile to his face. Ed and Emily were his favorite couple to hang around, because they acted more normal than the rest of his friends when the couples were together.
"That's nice, and I appreciate the sentiment," Dr. Button said, his face got a little softer at Charlie's words. "But have you eaten at all today?"
"He snacked all while he was baking," Max answered for him. He had tried to make sure of that at least.
"I ate a smaller breakfast when I first woke up though," Charlie answered. He swiftly got a piece of pie for the doctor and handed it to him, beckoning him to sit down with them.
Max's parents seemed rather amused by all of this as well. As much as they were concerned for Charlie, they enjoyed how Button was reacting to Charlie's acts of kindness.
"Have you eaten lunch yet?" Dr. Button furrowed his eyebrows. He sat down at the table just like Charlie had wanted.
"The cook always eats last," Charlie sat the plate down in front of the doctor and wiped his hands on his apron. "And I need to clean up some last-minute things for Chef Aldi. I don't want him to be angry with me."
Dr. Button was going to get up and say something to stop him, but Max was already one step ahead of him. He put a hand on his shoulder and tried to ignore the sparks that traveled through his whole being as he guided him back to the table where he pulled out a seat for him.
"You're excused from kitchen duty for the rest of the day," Max said, sitting him down.
"But, the Chef -!"
"I'll tell the chef that you're excused," Max told him. This time he wasn't going to be convinced. The sparks were only getting more noticeable. Max had to control his need to sweep Charlie into his arms and feed him, himself. Everyone was watching him. He couldn't lose himself when he had so much at risk right now.
Ed was giving him a devilish smirk the whole time.
Charlie finally seemed convinced and ate the food that the kitchen staff made. With that, Dr. Button seemed more relaxed. Max had no idea why he basically had to pull teeth just to get the man to eat, but it was a miracle that he did so easily this time. Max sat on the far side of the table, to get some space from him. It seemed to be the only way that Max could gain any control of himself.
During lunch, they talked about anything and everything under the sun. They talked about Leah and Sam's clothing business; Isabelle's crazy stories from when she was in school to be an accountant; even Tyler's gun collection that usually bored everyone. Charlie seemed fascinated by it all. It was as if he was just absorbing as much information he could. He was a vacuum for knowledge. Max wound up tuning out most of what was being talked about and just watching his mate's mannerisms. Everything he did was mesmerizing.
"You got hurt before you came here?" Leah asked. Her hand was now resting on her very pregnant stomach. Leave it to Sam to somehow get her pregnant just by one night. Apparently, it took Tyler and Isabelle three months until Isabelle finally got pregnant with their first child.
"Yeah," Charlie brushed off. "It's nothing to worry about, though. I should be healed up in no time."
"What happened, though? Do you remember who hurt you?"
"Well," he looked a little awkward as he explained. "There was a misunderstanding with a coworker of mine."
"A coworker?" Emily piped up this time. "Oh, you poor thing! You should report him to the police!"
"There's really no need," Charlie assured. "Besides, there's no cameras outside the restaurant. So, there's not really any evidence."
"Those bruises are enough evidence," Emily said. "All it would take is the police to do a small investigation and they could help figure it all out for you. Who was this coworker, anyway?" Emily was in law school, so she loved talking about stuff like this.
"He's the nephew of the owner," Charlie admitted. He looked more uncomfortable the more he talked about this. Max wanted to change the subject, but he also hated the fact that Charlie would just brush this stuff off so easily. "Normally he's not that bad of a person. I think he just really wasn't having a good day."
"Not having a good day is no excuse for beating someone up so bad they pass out, and then leaving them by the dumpsters," Max's voice radiated with anger. Just thinking back to how badly beaten the blond had looked that night made him wish he had torn Evon apart.
Was Charlie used to this? Did this happen to him a lot? No one would just brush off something like this. But Charlie was sitting there making excuses for him!
Max still remembered what he had told him when he was a wolf.
'I wish I could be like you. At least I'd have a pack to help me. And I'd never go hungry.'
Those words pained him enough as it was. Hearing Charlie defend his attacker only made him more infuriated.
No one should have to live like a personal punching bag. He deserved respect. Especially considering all the work he did for that little business. If the owner didn't respect him then he was an idiot.
Max was going to make sure that he got respect from now on. There was no way he was ever going to let this happen again. And he would never let him go hungry again.
"He's right, Charlie," Dr. Button said. He looked equally as concerned for the man. "You shouldn't be trying to make excuses for that man. No matter what happened to him, he had no right doing that to you."
Charlie readjusted himself in his seat. He looked beyond uncomfortable. He started looking in all these different directions to look for some escape from the conversation they were having. Those sparkling green eyes didn't stop darting around until they met with Max's, who ground them in place. They showed a hint of something that Max had not seen in them before. He couldn't put a finger on what it was either. There was a whole other layer to them that Max had never seen before. It was a never-ending maze that Max just couldn't seem to make it through. Every time he thought he found the center, he would be met with more pathways.
"You're right," Charlie finally said. "Sorry, it's a bad habit."
Habit?
"How many times has this happened to him?" Emily mind linked with Max. Her face showed just how worried she was for the human. It wasn't just her, though. Everyone in the room stayed silent as they wondered the same thing.
"I don't know," Max told her. "I wish I did."
"This is an interesting human, to say the least," Dr. Button said in the mind link. "If this does happen often, though, I don't like the idea of him going back to that job of his."
"I don't get it," Max's mom said. "That city has always been amazing, with some great humans. They always seemed to care for each other."
"Something tells me he got the short end of the stick," Tyler said. "Every city has it's bad side, after all."
Button looked like he was analyzing a new set of information. Max wished he could ask him what it was, but now was not the time, and he knew that the doctor wouldn't tell him at the moment. He liked to think about everything as in depth as he could before he told anyone what his thoughts were.
Not wanting there to be an awkward silence, Max changed the subject back to food and let it continue without him. Charlie picked up on it easily, and it was simple for him to bring everything back to the light-hearted conversation that it was before.
Max looked over to his dad. He was watching Charlie with just as much confusion as him. It was so strange to see someone who was so open, yet so closed off at the same time. The mysterious human was intoxicating to even be around.
Max almost forgot that he needed to tell Aldi about the extra cleaning that he told Charlie not to worry about. He didn't want the chef to get upset with him over something that Max had told him not to do.
Aldi was on break when he mind linked with him. He told the chef the news and heard him mentally sigh before ending the link. He knew the chef hated doing extra work, but Charlie needed to rest now. It was a miracle they were even getting the man to eat.
The pleasant conversation went on for a few more minutes before someone else burst through the doors to the dining room.
"Apple," Aldi came in. The tone of his voice made Charlie flinch in his seat. Max wanted to growl at the chef for speaking to his mate like that. Why was he mad?
"Yes, Chef?" the blond looked like he was preparing for the worst.
"What in the world do you still have to clean in my kitchen?!" the mood immediately changed from tense to amused as Aldi's face changed from stern to shocked. "I looked everywhere for that mess you said you left in the kitchen and, boy, you left that kitchen spotless!"
Max's dad laughed as he watched all of this go down. It wasn't every day that the chef acted so dramatic. He wasn't as stuffy as Dr. Button, but he normally didn't act like this either.
"I - uh," Charlie looked a little surprised by the chef's change in attitude as well. "I was going to clean the ovens. The pies get them really messy sometimes when you're baking them."
"You've cleaned ovens by hand before?" Aldi's eyes went wide. "Apple, I haven't cleaned an oven by hand since I was a boy! What kitchen do you work in that doesn't have a self-cleaning oven?"
"All of those ovens are self-cleaning?!" now it was Charlie's turn to look shocked. Max couldn't help but chuckle a little at his reaction. He looked so cute like that.
"I'd say he's a keeper," Ed mind linked with him this time. "The fact that he was able to impress Aldi is no easy feat."
"What about a keeper?" Tyler popped into the mind link with them. Max was quickly running through his mind to think of something to say to him that wouldn't make it too obvious, but Ed beat him to it.
"Max is thinking about keeping him as our personal baker," Ed answered.
"Man, I wouldn't be opposed to that," Sam thought to them all, popping another piece of pie into his mouth. "I've never had such great pie in my life."
"Much better than jerky," Tyler joked. It wasn't too often that the future Beta joked around. Especially not when they were in a setting like this one. But Max was glad that they all had to hide their laughter just like when they were younger.
A personal baker wasn't a bad idea. Maybe Max could try to hire him as that.