99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 86

I hauled my grocery bags inside, already daydreaming about the weekend, a rare chance to whip up some hometown specialties and savour my hard-earned solitude.

But just as sizzling aromas began filling my kitchen, my phone suddenly lit up with an unknown caller ID.

I answered, and Lucien’s voice sliced through the line. “Open the door.”

After vanishing for days, he had somehow teleported to my doorstep without a sound.

The door swung open to reveal Lucien dressed like a shadow in all black, his usually sharp cheekbones looking almost gaunt under the harsh light.

Without hesitation, I grabbed his wrist with a firm hold and dragged him across the threshold.

“You skipped your bandage changes again.” I zeroed in on the darkened gauze peeking beneath his collar.

“Lie down. Now,” I ordered.

To my surprise, the usually defiant man obeyed, letting me maneuver him onto the couch like a rag doll.

I snatched the first-aid kit with practiced ease, kneeling before him before attacking his buttons with surgical precision.

My breath hitched at the sight of the angry, inflamed wound.

“Are you trying to die? A damn bear nearly took your intestines out, while leaving slivers of silver within the wound preventing and weakening your wolf, and you are treating it like a papercut,” I hissed, already scrubbing the injury with clinical efficiency.

When the last bandage was secured, I snapped the kit shut.

“Stay put. I am finishing dinner, and you are eating here.” My tone left no room for argument as I stormed back to the kitchen.

Minutes later, I emerged bearing a feast: Bruschetta, Risotto alla Milanese, ossobuco, and minestrone – the same hearty, spice-laden dishes that filled the Reese family table regularly. Every time I cooked like this, I felt closer to my parents, even though they were both gone.

Lucien reluctantly settled into the dining chair.

Every dish was something he claimed to have loathed. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Did you do this on purpose?”

I blinked in confusion.

“What are you talking about, Lucien? Clearly, I was cooking when you arrived. Now, stop being stubborn and eat.” I enthusiastically piled his plate with food until it formed a teetering pyramid, then poured us both a glass of Chianti wine. “Just try it, you will love it.”

He stared silently at the forbidden items on his plate before reluctantly picking up his fork. After a moment’s hesitation, he took a small bite.

I saw his eyes widen with surprise, it was unexpectedly delicious.

Before I knew it, he was following my lead, shovelling food into his mouth with abandon; his earlier tension had disappeared entirely.

Seizing the chance, I jumped in. “Lucien, about that furniture concept design for the Crown of Thornes Packhouse that you mentioned-”

The doorbell cut me off mid-sentence.

I answered, expecting a package from sss, only to find Liam on my doorstep, clutching an oversized bouquet of sunflowers.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

“Sorry, I have been too busy lately,” Liam said with a practiced smile, “Finished early today because I missed you, and so I stopped on the way to buy you your favourite flowers.”

My eyes skimmed the bouquet, these were not my favourite flowers. But, at least it was not roses again.

Before I could respond, Liam let himself in without waiting.

“These will look great on your table,” he remarked while removing his shoes, then sniffed the air dramatically. “Something smells amazing in here. Mind if I crash your dinner? I am starved!” Not waiting for an answer, he continued. “Claire, this shoe cabinet is far too low. I will have someone come tomorrow to-”

“Liam,” I cut in, my patience fraying, “Are you serious? Furniture design is literally my job, and this is my home to make changes to.”

“I know interior design better than you, sweetheart.” Liam barged in without a hint of self-awareness, already striding forward with his unsolicited advice. “When I replace the furniture upstairs, I will redo this place too. I have already figured out the plans. We will make our two units into a matching couple’s style of decor. It’ll be simple; we already have matching layouts. How about we-”

His words died mid-sentence.

The moment his gaze landed on the dark-clad figure leisurely dining at the table, Liam froze mid-step-the rest of his sentence lodged in his throat like a fishbone.

“Lucien!” Liam’s voice shot up an octave, “What the hell are you doing here again?!”

Rage ignited instantly. He carelessly tossed the sunflowers aside and stormed toward the dining table.

“Naturally, unlike some people, I was invited in.” Lucien did not even grace him with a glance.

“Like hell you were!” Liam nearly exploded. He slammed himself into the chair opposite Lucien, teeth clenched. “I f*****g knew it. The second I am gone, you move in on her. Typical.”

A smirk curled at Lucien’s lips, slow, deliberate, then widening into a full-blown grin, as if he had just heard the world’s most absurd joke.

“I highly doubt anything that Claire and I do from now on is any of your concern,” he drawled.

The words hit like a punch to the gut.

Liam glared daggers at Lucien, watching him savouring every bite like it was his last meal. He clenched his fists in jealous or agony of me cooking for another Alpha, I wasn’t sure. Perhaps both.

The sound of his own growling stomach broke the silence.

Liam could take it no longer. He bolted up and made a beeline for the kitchen. Heaping his plate, he plopped back down opposite Lucien and shoveled food into his mouth like they were in a hungry man competition.

Relization that Liam had just stolen my serving of dinner, I finally saw red.

“Excuse me, Liam! I didn’t invite you, nor did I say you could eat my dinner.”

I was originally only making one portion with a bit of leftover for later if I was up sketching, then when Lucien arrived, I added more for two portions.

But Liam either didn’t hear my complaints or simply didn’t care. I personally thought it was the latter.

I sighed in annoyance. This was the problem with Alphas: they were all overbearing and demanding.

Seeing Lucien had already picked most of the Bruschetta clean, Liam did not hesitate; he snatched the last of the Ossobuco with his fork and transferred it to his plate.

Lucien said nothing, silently claiming the last few slices of spinach left on the plate.

Determined not to lose, Liam immediately seized the remaining broccoli from the dish.

An intense, silent battle over the remaining dishes erupted across the dining table.

At first, I watched these two grown Alphas engage in this juvenile power struggle, feeling a headache coming on, but I knew that they would eventually grow bored with the pettiness. Right?

Gradually, I gave up. I crossed my arms, waiting to see how this absurdity would end.