Arranged To The Beast Alpha
Guilt

LEAH

"A Masters in Art, I didn't even finish high..." Why doesn't she have a picture of Gladys, and what's a Facebook page?

"What are you saying, Gladys? Are you a fraud? Oh God, I knew I shouldn't have trusted Bryan replaceing me an artist on Facebook; he didn't even send the pictures of you." She looked at me, "You are Gladys right?" She asked; I didn't know what else to do, so I nodded.

"Great." She sighs

"Start fixing." I almost jumped out of my skin as the lady yelled aggressively.

"Y-Yeah."

"Tamara, we have a problem over here." Someone yelled, and the lady sighed, eyes locking on mine.

"Hurry up girl, we don't have much time to waste." She narrowed her eyes and began walking towards the door, "I will be back in a jiffy."

I took a deep breath and turned back to the supposed job I got hired for.

There was no other option presenting itself; I just had to try my best to fix the painting.

I picked the paintbrush to fake up a ready stance while I examined the painting. It was a wildlife painting focusing on just a bird; the bird looked....lifeless. The colors were dull, the brushstrokes clumsy.

I set to work reworking the painting. I adjusted the composition, adding more negative space to create a sense of balance. I introduced new colors, vibrant blues, and greens that seemed to dance across the canvas. And I worked on the brushstrokes, loosening them up to create a sense of movement and energy.

I was so engrossed I lost track of time. The door jerking open had me looking out the window; my heart sank; an orange hue painted the sky, indicating time had passed since I stepped in there.

My stomach growled, and I cupped it, feeling the dying of hunger.

"Wow, oh my goodness...this is...this is beautiful. Gladys, I knew I should have trusted you." Tamara picked up the canvas like it was a newborn baby.

"This is perfect for the auction. I wore your balance immediately." Tamara said but I shook my head, my mouth dry from both silence and lack of food. "The restaurant," I said.

"Of course." She placed the canvas back in its position. "Come with me. You can have any food you want. Bills on me."

Finally, I took a deep breath of relief.

We arrived at what looked like a dinner. Most of these places I had never been to. I took a seat, and Tamara joined; she waved, and a lady in a black apron approached us.

"Go ahead, order anything you want." Tamra requested, and all of a sudden, she seemed nice. The work and Gladys's tardiness caused her to be aggressive and pushy.

"I will eat anything you eat." she smiled, a smile that reached her eyes and made them sparkle. Were humans this nice and easygoing? I know they can have their bad sides, but so far, I have been meeting well, not quite, but possibly the opposite of what we have heard about them.

"We will have two Bacon cheeseburgers and two milkshakes."

The lady left, and not quite long after, she returned with strange looks. It was different, like nothing I had ever seen.

I stared at the mysterious food in front of me, my curiosity piqued. "What is that?" I asked, my eyes fixed on the round, golden-brown patty nestled between two soft, white breads.

"It's a bacon cheeseburger," Tamara replied, her brows raised. A surprised smile spread across her face. "You've never had one before?"

I shook my head, feeling a little embarrassed and scared she might flare up or call the police as Damien suggested. Regardless, I replied, "No, I don't think so. What does it taste like?"

Tamara's smile grew wider. "It's amazing. The beef patty is juicy and flavorful, and the bacon adds this smoky, salty flavor that's just incredible. And then there's the cheese, which melts all over the place and adds this creamy texture..."

My mouth was watering just listening to her describe it. I reached out a tentative hand and touched the bread, feeling the softness of it.

"Go on, take a bite," she urged, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

I hesitated for a moment, and then I carefully lifted the burger to my mouth and took a small bite.

The flavors exploded on my tongue, just like my friend had described. The beef was rich and juicy, the bacon was smokey and salty, and the cheese was creamy and melted to perfection. I chewed slowly, savoring the flavors and textures. As I swallowed, I looked up at my friend with a smile. "Wow," I breathed. "That's amazing."

Tamara laughed. My stomach growled louder, seeking more of this delight.

I ate and consumed it all in just a few minutes. "Do you want more?" Tamara asked, I was already nodding even before she could finish her sentence.

The waitress came by with two more burgers, and I ate both in under five minutes. I wanted more, no doubt. Werewolves had a much larger appetite than humans, Tamara ordered two more, and I wasted no second in devouring it. "Gladys, hold your horses in those burgers, that hot snack has been staring at you for close to 20 minutes. Or maybe it's me." She said as if shy, she began fixing her hair.

Hot Snack that's a weird name to give someone; I was curious to see who she was referring to. I slightly turned and met the coldest gaze I had ever seen. The burger fell off my hand and my heart sank, joining all the meals I ate. Damien.

I cut my gaze, staring at the food before me. "I am so dead," I whispered. "What?" Tamara asked

"Nothing." I could barely hear my voice.

"Oh the cutie is coming, act girly." She said, shifting in her seat, failing to notice I was panicking. Beads of sweat appeared on my forehead. Damien pulled out the other seat and slowly sat down, calculating his movements. I hung my head down, refusing to look anywhere else but the table. "What brings you here, handsome?"

Damien grabbed my hand under the table and shoved something on it before presenting it to Tamara.

Tamara's brows were now perched in a frown. "My wife," Damien said coldly. "Right?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"What..."

"Tamara." Someone called out breathlessly. I looked behind her and two ladies were rushing towards us. Tamara tilted her head to see the caller, "Gladys is here; I have been trying to reach you all this while." Tamara silently turned to me; her gaze traveled from mine to Damien's.

She turned back to her caller, "The appointment got canceled. I hired someone I found,urh..."

"Leah," I said timidly. Gosh, I felt so small, like I was shrinking in guilt and disobedience.

"Leah,"Tamara repeated. She stood up and walked over to the counter before leaving with her caller and the real Gladys.

I leaned back on my chair, feeling strange. At that moment I didn't even care about Damien and what punishment he was going to give me for trespassing. Great.