Alpha's Regret: The Hybrid's Royal Contract
Chapter 262 The Disastrous Chef
Author
Elara meant what she said.
But the second she stepped into the kitchen, everyone in the house started praying.
Elizabeth rolled her wheelchair up to the kitchen island and watched her granddaughter like she was watching someone try to land a plane.
"Elara, baby. You have never once in your life liked cooking. Not one time. Why don’t you tell Linda what you want and let her handle it?"
Linda was already tying her apron, ready to step in. "Please, Luna. Let me do this. You’re not even twelve weeks yet. You should be resting."
"Grandma. Linda." Elara held up both hands. "I’m pregnant. Not dying. I can make dinner."
She remembered eating her grandfather’s pot roast at every family dinner when she was a kid.
That rich, slow-cooked beef with carrots and potatoes, swimming in gravy.
She found a recipe on Pinterest and figured she’d give it a shot. It was just meat and vegetables. No big deal.
She pulled up the recipe on her phone. Propped it against the salt shaker. Turned on the burner.
The oil started smoking. She grabbed the beef chuck she’d cut up and tossed it in.
Still wet from rinsing it.
The oil exploded like a grease bomb. Hot droplets shot everywhere. Popping. Sizzling. Flying across the stovetop.
Elara screamed and stumbled backward, nearly knocking over a bottle of olive oil.
"THE MEAT WAS STILL WET!" Linda yelled from the doorway. "GRAB THE LID! PUT IT IN FRONT OF YOU!"
She tried to rush in, but Elara held up her hand. "I got it. Stay back."
"I SAID I GOT IT." Elara grabbed the lid and held it in front of her face like riot gear. Grease pinged off the metal. She looked ridiculous. She didn’t care.
She poured in the beef broth she’d mixed. Worcestershire sauce. Garlic. Thyme. T
he beef turned dark and shiny, coated in a thick layer of sauce. The smell actually wasn’t bad.
She started feeling proud of herself. "Grandma, what if I’m secretly a natural at this? I’m gonna open a restaurant."
Elizabeth laughed. "Maybe hold off on that, sweetheart. Just focus on this one dish."
Her confidence peaked too early.
She meant to add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. She grabbed the bottle next to it and dumped it in.
Apple cider vinegar. Half the bottle.
Her face went white. "Oh god. Oh god no."
The kitchen filled with a sharp, sour smell. Mixed with something burning at the bottom of the pot.
Linda called from the doorway. "Stir it! Keep it moving!"
Elara stirred like she was putting out a fire. She burned her finger on the pot edge. Dropped the spatula twice.
Almost knocked over her phone. But after five minutes of chaos, she managed to get a pot of slightly burnt, vinegar-heavy beef and vegetables onto the table.
The three of them stood there, staring down at it.
Nobody spoke.
"Do we eat this?" Elizabeth finally asked.
Linda didn’t want to crush her Luna’s spirit. She picked her words carefully. "The color is a little dark. But it smells... interesting. Luna, let me taste it first."
"No." Elara wasn’t about to let Linda poison herself for politeness. "I made it. I’ll try it."
She picked out the most burnt pieces of beef and threw them in the trash. Then she grabbed a piece that looked edible. Braced herself for the worst.
She put it in her mouth.
Her eyes went wide. "Okay. This is actually good."
The vinegar was strong. Really strong. But somehow it worked. The beef was tender. The flavor was weirdly satisfying. And that was strange, because before she got pregnant, she couldn’t stand anything sour.
"Linda. Try it. I’m serious." She held out a piece on a fork.
Linda hesitated. But she took a bite anyway.
The second the beef hit her tongue, she spit it out into a napkin. "I’m sorry, Luna. I’m sorry. I don’t want to be rude. But it’s really sour."
"Sour?" Elara looked genuinely confused. "It’s not sour at all."
She turned to Elizabeth. "Grandma? You want to try?"
Elizabeth smiled and shook her head. "If you like it, you should eat it, honey. With some mashed potatoes. Grandma’s fine right here."
---
When Alpha Dominic walked through the front door that evening, he expected leftovers in the fridge.
What he found was his pregnant mate sitting on the kitchen counter, swinging her legs, with a pot roast smeared across the dining table.
He stopped and stared at the table. "You made this?"
Elara was beaming. "I did. And it’s good. Cancel the chef interviews. I don’t need them. Their food makes me sick anyway. From now on, I’m cooking for myself."
Alpha Dominic looked at the meat. It was dark. Almost burnt. The gravy looked thick and weird.
Then he looked at her face. She was so proud. So happy. She wanted him to be proud too.
He took the fork from her hand and picked up a piece.
The sour taste hit him like a punch in the face. His eyes started watering. His throat locked up. He grabbed his water glass and drank half of it in one go.
Elara’s face fell. "You hate it too."
"No." He cleared his throat. "It’s good. Look. I’ll have another piece."
He picked up another chunk of beef and ate it. His whole body wanted to spit it out. He forced himself to chew. Forced himself to swallow. He kept his face calm.
Linda watched from the doorway. She saw the Alpha’s hand curl into a fist at his side. His knuckles were white.
She realized something. The Alpha really loved her. He would eat anything she made. He would pretend it was good even if it was awful. Just so she wouldn’t be sad.
She shook her head and went back to cleaning the kitchen.