Chapter 19: Kitchen Disaster
Lily Carter POV
The smoke alarm screamed like an injured animal as I yanked the oven door open. Black smoke poured out, making me cough and wave my hands wildly. The roast I’d been trying to cook for three hours looked like a burnt rock.
"No, no, no!" I grabbed the smoking pan with my bare hands, then instantly dropped it with a yelp of pain. The burnt meat hit the floor with a thud, spreading charcoal pieces across the kitchen tiles.
This was meant to be perfect. My first real dinner as part of the Alpha family. I’d wanted to prove I could do traditional Luna things, not just heal cuts and comfort crying pups. But instead of a beautiful feast, I’d made a disaster zone.
The kitchen door burst open. "What’s burning?" Aiden ran in, followed closely by Brock and Caleb. All three brothers stopped dead, taking in the scene: smoke everywhere, burnt food on the floor, and me standing in the middle of it all with tears running down my face.
"I ruined everything," I whispered, holding my burnt fingers. "I wanted to make something special for your family, but I can’t even cook a simple roast."
Instead of the anger or disappointment I expected, Caleb stepped forward and gently took my hands to study the burns. "These need cold water right away."
While he led me to the sink, Aiden opened all the windows to clear the smoke. Brock picked up the falling roast, poking it with a fork.
"Well," Brock said with a straight face, "I think it’s done."
Despite my embarrassment, I let out a wet laugh. "It’s completely ruined. Your father is coming for dinner in an hour, and I have nothing to serve him."
"Hey," Caleb said softly, running cold water over my burnt fingers. "It’s just food. Dad won’t care."