6 Chapter 6: Munchies

Rafe dressed then left to get food. He told her to wait for him inside the bedroom, but she was never one to take orders. After a quick shower, she searched his drawers for something to wear.

She found a pair of navy-blue boxer briefs and shrugged. They were the smallest thing in there, so on they went. She laughed as she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Rafe was at least six feet two inches tall and over two hundred pounds. A good eight inches taller than her. Most of his clothes were going to be way too big. She kinda liked that.

She had to fold the boxers twice to get them to stay up. She topped off her ensemble with a flannel button down shirt. Of course, she had to roll up the sleeves half a dozen times to keep them from falling.

She knotted the shirt tails at her belly button since loose they reached down to her knees. Charley grinned as she braided her hair. Guess I'm petite compared to someone after all. Take that Mrs. Gunfry! She thought of her old gym teacher and smirked.

She tried the doorknob and was slightly surprised when it opened. The hallway before her was long and empty. It was certainly larger than any she had ever seen.

She knew she was in a house with eight men, one of whom she spent the last few hours making the most exquisite love with. There was also one other woman who lived there, the sister. But that was as far as she knew.

She counted ten doors from Rafe's room till she got to a huge staircase that looked like something out of Twelve Oaks from Gone with the Wind.

She looked around and was surprised at the quiet. Hmm. Kitchen? Where is the kitchen? She heard a noise. Like a blender. She followed it and opened the first door she found. Eccola!

Charley stood in a giant state of the art kitchen. The walls were painted a pale yellow. There were miles of marble countertops, polished wood cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances.

"Goddamn it, Seff! Did you use all the basil making those damned watermelon juice things again?" tall, beard boy shouted through a door opposite Charley.

She got a look at what he was doing. Garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes, basil. He was trying to make sauce! She tuned out the argument and went to work.

Charley opened the large Subzero Wolfe refrigerator. She put back the peppers and onions and found some fresh basil in a plastic baggie in the veggie drawer. She pulled it out and handed it to beard boy who was standing behind her with his mouth hanging open.

"You know your herbs would last longer of you wrapped the stems in a damp paper towel. These baggies will make them mold and wilt," she waited while he opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water.

Then he bent his head towards her and sniffed. Charley backed up instinctively. A ridiculously pleased smile broke out on his hairy face and he howled. Like a Wolf. Charley's mouth dropped open.

A stampede of men came into the kitchen and Charley felt like a fool. She stood there, half-naked, in front of her kidnappers and they were all smiles and pats on the back. What the heck? Where was Rafe when she needed him?

"Well, well, looks like we did good after all," said beard boy.

"Easy boys, you'll scare her. Hi, my name is Seff, uh, Seff McAllister. This here is Randall Graves," the soft-spoken blonde held out a hand. She shook it briefly. These guys are not normal.

They won't harm me. That she knew. They seemed to respect Rafe too much for that. Besides, they thought he was their leader. If only she could figure out the cause of this mass delusion.

"Okay, you still with me? The twins here are Kurt and Dib Lowell," he pointed to the two red headed giants, then onto a tall thin male with a grim expression, "This is Tate Nighthawk. Conall Truman, you'll remember. You, uh, gave him one hell of a bloody nose, and this is Liam. He's my baby brother," they all nodded and smiled. Occasionally they sniffed the air and grinned wickedly.

"Okay. I'm Charley, but I think you know that. Now I'm not saying I forgive you, but I am kind of hungry. So, Randall, what kind of sauce are you making?"

"The inedible kind," said Conall. He tried to duck out of the way, but he was too slow. Randall elbowed him hard in the gut. Tate winced, the twins snickered, and Liam bent over laughing.

"Hey man, you want to cook tonight? Be my guest! I'm a game developer, not a bloody chef!"

He threw his dish towel at Conall and stalked over to the mound of ingredients he had gathered.

"How about I help?" Charley grinned and followed him over to the counter where ingredients were strewn all over. The others followed, their expressions hopeful.

"She can cook?" someone asked.

"Put these away," Charley began sorting through the ingredients she wanted. She asked for a sauce pot and another for the pasta. She laughed as they rushed to do her bidding.

"Okay, for a simple meat sauce I am going to need a small piece of pork shoulder and maybe a beef rib bone or two?" They got her what she needed and watched as she taught not one, but seven males how to make a classic Neapolitan tomato sauce.

"What about staples, like sausage and meatballs?" Liam asked.

"Alright, we can make that too, but you guys are my sous chefs," Charley was no fool, after all she worked in a deli that catered. No way was she going to be chained to the stove in that massive house!

Twenty minutes later her enormous pot of sauce was simmering, an even bigger pot full of water laced with sea salt was just about to boil, and four dozen meatballs the size of softballs were in the oven. Randall was frying eggplant. Liam was chopping ingredients for a salad and Charley was rolling out dough for fresh garlic and herbed breadsticks.

Rafe entered the kitchen at a run, in his hand was a sack of fast food. "Has anyone seen Carl-," his stunned expression said it all. He dropped the fast food where he stood and grabbed her in a rough embrace which she happily returned.

"Hey, I'm okay," she stroked his hair back from his forehead and dropped a soft kiss on his lips. His eyes told her all she needed to know.

"Hey, boss, your mate can cook! Isn't that great!" said Liam from his position at the vegetable chopping block.

"You did all this?" he said as he sniffed the air and almost groaned from the delicious smells.

"Yeah, I was getting hungry, and I didn't know where you went."

"No, it's okay. I- Thank you."

She lifted the pan of breadsticks and placed it in the oven. Rafe smiled appreciatively as she bent over. He growled when he noticed Liam's interest and the young Wolf immediately turned his head elsewhere.

Charley lifted her head and looked at Rafe. Was that growl? She must be imagining things.

"Okay, boys, I need you to set the table, get some drinks, and grated cheese and we'll start bringing the dishes out in a few minutes."

Rafe was stunned at the way his mate took charge. And just look at how his Wolf Guard fell into line! He grinned like a madman. They were taking orders from this tiny woman, who just hours ago, was a prisoner. Their prisoner. Now, she was in control of everyone, and she completely took over his kitchen!

Rafe pulled out a chair for Charley next to his. He squeezed her hand and sat down to one of the best home cooked meals he had ever eaten. The rest of the Wolves waited for him to take the first bite. His eyes closed as he savored it.

His Guard smiled and dug in. They were a rowdy bunch, elbowing each other playfully and joshing around. Charley had never had any brothers, but if she could choose a family, she'd love one like this. Their jovial manner and goofing around put her at ease.

Rafe was just as casual in his mannerisms. It was obvious he was in charge, but the entire meal held a touch of informality that made Charley feel relaxed. She watched Rafe as he served himself another helping of pasta and four more meatballs.

He could really pack it away! And she thought they were crazy when they pulled out box after box of rigatoni.

Rafe was so ridiculously proud that his mate had made their meal that he couldn't stop grinning. That's when it hit him. She wasn't really his mate. He had promised to let her have her own life.

He stared at her as she laughed at one of Liam's jokes. How could he let her go? She looked gorgeous at his table with one leg tucked under the other, dipping a breadstick into her salad dressing. It was as if she were born to be his. And she got along with his Guard.

What if she wanted to leave? What if she demanded he keep his promise? His eyes narrowed. He knew there was no way he could live without her. His Wolf snarled in the back of his mind at the very thought of her out of his life. Mine.

After everyone ate their fill Charley stood up to clear the dishes, but Rafe stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "No need for that, the guys will do it. We have a housekeeper who comes in the mornings. He takes care of things like the dishes, laundry, vacuuming..."

"He?"

"Oh, yeah. We are all for equal opportunity here."

"Really?" she looked at him with those big brown eyes of hers. He found it difficult to concentrate.

He could get lost in her eyes. He sensed her pulse speed up and he watched as her lips parted. Rafe struggled to keep steady.