III

"Thank you," the chief cook said. "I need to go to the market. Will you turn on the stove for me? The master likes boiled eggs. Also, mix these ingredients and add them to the sauce."

Alexander did as told. He was familiar with the ingredients he showed him. He guessed he was making a Spaghetti alla carbonara, a recipe that he made many times for him and his brother.

He quickly chopped the garlic and added it to the egg yolks and the thickened cream. He grated some parmesan cheese on them and finished with the smoked pancetta cubes.

Alexander felt at ease as the kitchen was a place where he felt very comfortable. Whenever he feels lonely or stressed, he looks for a new recipe and tries it out. Choosing the best ingredients, cutting them into different shapes and combining them with others to create a good taste fascinated him.

He used to sit in front of his mother while she was cooking since he was a child, especially when he had a free day. He learned a lot of skills from her and started helping her when he got older until he became the main cook of the family.

He smiled when he remembered Matthew coming to his room one night to tell him a secret. 

You cook better than mum.

He missed that part of Matthew. He was always cheerful, and with a smile that never left his face, but it suddenly faded right after their mother's death.

"I need to find my brother," Alexander mumbled after he finished cooking. He turned off the stove and left everything on the counter before heading to the garden. Luke told him he could have a break until he finishes his chores.

"Oh, you're the new boy." a tall black-haired male smiled to him. "I'm Leo, the gardener." 

"You're a beta," Alexander mumbled after recognizing his scent. "Like me." 

"Yes, I am," Leo nodded. "You can be comfortable with me." 

"I see," Alexander rubbed his chin. "So what should I do?" 

"Well first, you'll help me cut these dead weeds after we'll water those pretty flowers there, you see them?" Leo asked, and Alexander nodded.

"Roses," Alexander mumbled quietly. "My favourites."

"Like the master," Leo said. "He also likes roses very much. What surprises me is that he doesn't seem like the romantic kind, right?" he chuckled. "He never brought a girlfriend or boyfriend home, and he never talked about finding his mate, but he likes to watch the flowers from his office or his room's window."

Mate?

Alexander furrowed his eyebrows at this word that sounded unfamiliar to his ears.

What does he mean by finding his mate?

He wondered if it was something he didn't know about werewolves, but he remembered that his parents taught him everything, so he chased the idea from his mind.

It must be something concerning the alphas.

"So, pretty boy, you didn't tell me your name," Leo said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his clean hand.

"Luke didn't tell me the gardener was a flirt." Alexander rolled his eyes.

Leo stared at him confusingly and started laughing. "I didn't even try to flirt with you, you know?"

"Pretty boy..." Alexander repeated what he said before.

"It's just a fact, don't you think?" Leo smiled. "But if you don't like it, then okay, I'll change it." he pretended to clear his throat. "Ugly boy, what's your name?"

The blond-haired male made an annoyed face and sighed heavily. "I won't tell you," he mumbled before finishing to cut the weeds and heading to fill the watering can with water.

Leo chuckled and followed him. He didn't add a word and just kept staring at him while he concentrated on his work. He liked how he was meticulously and gently watering the beautiful roses like they were the most fragile creatures on earth. He approached his face to the flowers and closed his eyes to smell them.

"No, you really should tell me your name." Leo interrupted his dreamy moment.

"I don't want to," Alexander answered coldly. "Just do your work and forget me."

"How can I?" Leo mumbled to himself, his eyes not leaving Alexander's face.

"Alexander!" a voice disturbed their work. They turned their heads to see Luke waving. Alexander got up to see what he wanted.

"Now, I know your name." Leo faced him with a smirk. "Alexander, the ugly boy."

The blond groaned from frustration and left him smiling like an idiot.

"What do you want? I still haven't finished my work." Alexander told the butler.

"Let the roses to Leo. You need to apologize."

"Apologize?" Alexander raised an eyebrow. "To who?"

"To the master. For what you did earlier in the morning."

Alexander stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious? That master of yours doesn't know what joking means?"

"If it was a joke, then it was a very bad one," Luke said. "You're lucky he didn't destroy your pretty face with his claws."

"Oh, so scary!" Alexander chuckled. "I'm not going to apologize."

"You have to if you want to live peacefully in this house."

Alexander thought about it for a moment. His pride was telling him not to apologize to Elijah, but another part of him screamed that it didn't like any more problems. 

"Alright. I'll apologize to that master of yours."

"Chef! You are called to the dining room!" one of the maids ran to the kitchen. The cook stared at her confusingly. Since he started working for the leader three years ago, he was never summoned by him. He took off his apron and headed to the dining room.

"You asked for me, sir?" he gently bowed his head to the master. 

"Who made this?" Elijah asked, pointing at his pasta.

The chef pursed his lips, regretting to give such a task to a newbie. "I... I am very sorry, sir. I shouldn't have let him cook your meal, it was very irresponsible of me. Please excuse me."

"Him? Who?"

"Your beta slave sir. I needed to go to the market, and I left your dinner to him. Please, I am sorry, sir."

Elijah rubbed his chin, staring at his plate. "You can go." he signalled him to leave the room with his hand.

The chef bowed and left, worrying about the consequences.

"So that rude guy got some skills," Elijah mumbled and took another bite of the pasta. "Delicious." he licked the sauce on the silver fork. "Very delicious."

His peaceful moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in." he already knew who it was thanks to the strong scent.

He met a thousand people before, from different packs; alphas, betas, and omegas, but he never met someone with the same scent as Alexander, and he wondered why. 

Elijah kind of guessed something, but he feared it would be true.

Alexander appeared, and he rolled his eyes, not appreciating his presence. 

"What do you want? Want to spill some sauce on me now?"

Alexander faked a smile and tried so hard not to throw anything at him. 

"I came to apologize," he said with a confident voice.

"You don't seem sincere." Elijah rubbed his chin.

"I don't care, I just want to apologize, and then you say that you forgive me, and we're done."

"Who said I'm going to forgive you?" the alpha scoffed. "No one has ever disrespected me as you did. Who do you think you are?"

Alexander frowned, not expecting him to respond this way.

He cleared his throat and raised his head in order not to look weak in front of the alpha. "Well, you should get used to changes," he said. "Just don't think that I'm going to treat you like a prince as everyone does."

"Didn't you say you were a servant?" Elijah scoffed. "A servant should respect his master."

"You're not my master!" Alexander shouted.

Elijah stared at him with disbelief. He got up from the table and approached him slowly. 

"Spilling water on my body and now raising your voice at me? I thought better of you. I thought you would be obedient and respectful, but it seems like they got me a noisy little bastard here."

Alexander felt like punching him on the face. He always hated alphas. Not always, but since his mother was murdered by one of them. After that, he promised himself not to approach them or even be nice to them. He couldn't bear their presence.

"You know what? Forget what I said earlier, I don't want to fucking apologize to the likes of you! You alpha asshole!" Alexander shouted before slamming the door.

He ran to the hall, looking for a way to escape that hell, but it was hopeless. There were security agents everywhere, and there was no way he could go unnoticed. 

"I need to find my brother," he mumbled, running from corridor to another until he stopped in front of a giant door.

He remembered what Luke told him the night before.

You must never go there, there are Elijah's brother's chambers.

He knew he couldn't cross it, but his curiosity was stronger than him. Plus, who cares about the laws?

Alexander opened the door slowly, trying not to make a sound.

He widened his eyes when he saw the different colours painted on the walls. It was the same house, but the atmosphere was very different. Levi's place was more alive.

Instead of servants doing their work, they were chatting and laughing with each other while cleaning the rooms. Instead of pianists portraits, coloured paintings were hanging on the wall. He couldn't recognize any of them and guessed Levi painted them himself.

What surprised him the most is that there was music in every place of the house. All the workers were doing their job while listening to the music of their master's choice.

Alexander remembered how Luke told him that Levi was the perfect opposite of his older brother. What he saw right now just proved him right.

Everyone was so busy that they didn't notice his arrival. He kept walking until he arrived at a big hall. A tall brown-haired male, wearing a black apron covered with paint and holding a brush while humming a song was alone. 

He knew he smelled his scent when he quickly turned to face him. "Oh, who are you? I've never seen you before."

He expected him to give him a death glare, but he received the softest smile.

"I was just looking around. I'm from the other part of the house."

"You work for my brother, right?" Levi rubbed his chin. "It must be tough, isn't it?" he chuckled.

Alexander found himself smiling along.

"Yeah, he's kind of rude," Levi added.

Kind of?

"But you'll get used to him." he winked to him. "But since you're here, I shall welcome you to my house!" Levi smiled widely. "Would you like some tea or coffee?"

"What? No!" Alexander waved his hands. "I should go anyways," 

 "Oh, please!" Levi made him sit on a comfortable chair. 

"Matthew!" he called.

Matthew?

"You'll see, there is a guy who makes the best coffee ever!"

Like my brother. Alexander smiled to himself.

"Oh, Matthew! We have a guest!"

Alexander lifted his head and saw his brother standing in front of him, as surprised as he was.

"Do you know each other?" the young alpha stared at them confusingly.

"Matthew!" Alexander shouted and jumped on his brother. "You bitch, I thought I lost you forever!!" he hugged him tight until he gasped for air.

"Where were you?" Matthew asked.

"In the other part of the house."

"Uhm, would you please explain this situation?" Levi nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"We're brothers," Alexander told him.

Levi widened his eyes. "Two brothers working for two brothers?"