16 What Happened to You?

"So...." The man placed a hand on his chest. "My name is Chef Mastrano, at your service." He gave Lacey a slight bow and smiled. "What can I get for you?"

Lacey shrugged. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. What do you have?"

"You're the princess, right?"

She nodded.

Chef Mastrano sighed. "Well, most of the shifters like steak. How's that with a baked potato?"

Lacey’s mouth practically started watering at the thought. "Sounds great. Could you cook it medium, please?"

"You got it!" His face lit up as if she had just asked him for Christmas. "Why don't you go into the dining room to wait and I'll bring it to you in just a bit."

Lacey sighed. "Is there another room that's a bit more private where I may dine?"

Chef Mastrano smiled. "There's a smaller dining room out the door to the right. It’s a bit more private." He shrugged. "You can wait there, if you like, and I'll bring your meal to you momentarily."

“That would be perfect.” Lacey smiled. "Thank you." Then she headed out the door and turned toward the right, just as Chef Mastrano had instructed, and there was a smaller, more intimate dining area. The bigger dining area was obviously for meals and gatherings with the whole pack. This was for more private gatherings.

When Lacey walked in, paintings adorned the walls around the central dining table. She walked slowly around the room, taking in the scenes of the forest and the surrounding countryside. The paintings were gorgeous, done in oils. The scenes, each just as beautiful as the last, caused her wolf to want to get out into the surrounding Nez Perce Clearwater Mountain Range, here in Idaho, and run. Even though she had been held captive only a few days, she missed the forest and longed to run free along with her wolf.

"Here you are, Princess," Chef Mastrano broke her reverie, setting a plate on the table, and then looked up. "Do you like the paintings?"

Lacey nodded as she turned to face him. "Yes, very much. This is quite a collection."

He nodded, his obvious pride evident. "The Master did them."

Her head snapped up. "Master?"

He nodded, smiling. "Yes, The Master. Alpha Julien Grey."

She didn't say anything, dumbfounded beyond words. Who knew he had the capacity for such creativity? At that moment, she realized how complex Julien was. There was a lot that she didn’t know about him.

Chef Mastrano bowed slightly. "Well, I must get back to the kitchen. The soup awaits."

Lacey nodded. "Thank you." After he left, she sat at the table and ate in silence, thinking about the paintings, amazed that Julien was capable of capturing such beauty on canvas.

"Why are you in here?" Julien asked, startling her, even though his voice was soft. She looked up and Julien stood in the doorway, watching her.

"Since this was the first time that I had been out of my cage... er... room," she replied. "I wanted to eat in peace." Lacey sighed, laying down her napkin. She had just started eating and now he was going to run her out of here, too. But this time, she had no desire to fight with him. Instead, she stood and picked up her plate. "I'll go somewhere else."

He shook his head. "No. Stay."

She sat and started eating, surprised that this room, as well as the others, wasn't off limits.

He walked slowly around the room, looking at the paintings. "Do you like them?"

She nodded, chewing a big bite of delicious steak as the savory juices ran down her throat. “They're gorgeous."

He smiled, obviously pleased by her reaction.

"It makes my wolf want to get out and run," she said between bites.

"Yeah. Mine, too.” It was the first time that he had talked to her about his wolf… or about anything, for that matter. He turned back to face the paintings.

"You did a good job painting them, you know." She took a sip of her lemonade, practically downing the whole glass in one gulp.

Julien glanced over at her, his lips curling into a sexy smile. "Thank you. I did them many years ago."

Lacey nodded, surprised. "If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?"

He smiled as he turned back to the face the paintings. "Old enough to know not to answer that question."

Lacey chuckled, swallowing the bite she had been chewing. "It wouldn't bother me, you know." She shrugged. "Shifters are quazi-immortal."

Julien nodded. "I'll tell you eventually, but not now." He smirked, flirting. “I’m an old man, you know.”

She laughed. “Not hardly.”

“So, how old are you?” he asked, trailing his fingers along the chairs across from her.

Lacey sighed. He was sexy even without trying. “Twenty.”

He nodded smiling, as he studied her.

"So, why did you stop?" she asked between bites.

One corner of his lips curled into a sexy smile. "Stop what?" he asked, his voice merely a whisper.

Lacey sighed, her wolf panting being so close to her mate. "Painting. Why did you stop painting?"

"Who said I did?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Fair point." She took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. "So, do you still paint?"

"That's beside the point."

"So, I was right," she replied. "Why don't you paint anymore? You're quite good."

Julien nodded, taking the seat kitty-corner from her at the head of the table.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, motioning toward the door. "I could have Chef Mastrano make you something."

He shook his head slightly as a small smile lit his lips. "No, I ate earlier." He looked down at the table, and then into her eyes. "I've made a decision.”

"About?"

He sighed, contemplating. Lacey could see that this was hard for him. "I've decided to make you my Warrior Trainer."

She nearly fell out of her chair. "Really?" Then she reeled herself in, not wanting him to change his mind.

He nodded, then his face suddenly turned serious. "Despite what your father said before we left, you have great skills. When you were fighting alongside me in your father's pack, I could see it." He leaned forward. "I'd like you to teach my warriors." He sighed. "We are a fierce pack, but I want us to be better. I think you can take my warriors to the next level."

She raised an eyebrow as a mischievous smile lit her lips. "And will you be joining us?"

He chuckled. "I think not." Then he tilted his head to the side. "But maybe someday."

"Fair enough." Lacey turned her attention back to her meal.

Then he looked into her eyes. "But before I give you this honor, I want you to do something for me."

She stopped chewing in mid-bite. But she quickly recovered herself and swallowed. "And what might that be?"

"I want you to agree to follow my rules."

Lacey sighed, dabbing at her mouth with a cloth napkin. "And what rules are those? To stay in my room for all eternity?" She knew she shouldn’t have said it, especially since they were finally having a civil conversation, but she would walk on eggshells for no one.

He sat back in his chair, running his teeth over his lower lip, smirking. "No. My rules are simple. You may have full run of the house and the grounds, but never leave."

"Done."

"Also, you will never cheat on me," he added, staring into her eyes. "If I ever find you with another man, I will kill you both without hesitation."

She reached over and placed her hand atop his. "I have no intention of cheating on you. But if I am to train the warriors, I will have to be able to speak with men, as well as women, and I don't want to be wrongfully accused of being with another man for just talking."

Julien drew a lazy circle over her hand. "Agreed."

Lacey nodded, giving him a smile. "Are there any other rules I am to follow?"

He nodded. "You may have full run of the forest and the surrounding area, but don't ever leave."

She knew that he was telling her not to leave him. She nodded, feeling a crease form between her eyes. “What happened to you, Julien?"

"It's not for us to discuss… not now." He rose from his seat, placed his hands on her shoulders, and whispered in her ear. "You know the rules." Then he walked out, leaving her with her own thoughts.