Page 51 of The Alpha and the Baker

I peeled my eyes away from the scene surrounding me. The man who’d stayed while his friend went to find Sal was holding a glass out to me. Now that I thought about it, I was thirsty. I had been singing along to the radio for most of the drive and hadn’t realized just how dry my mouth had gotten.

“Oh, that’s sweet of you. I actually am!”

“Ain’t no thing,” he said before drinking out of his own cup. “Punch table is over that way if you end up wanting more.”

“I appreciate it.”

I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu as I went to take a sip. I paused. Something was pulling at my memory, but it was a bit too hazy for me to put my finger on exactly what it was.

At least, it was until a hand gently took the cup from me before I ever had a single sip. A bit offended, I turned to tell the young man off, only to see Sal.

“I’m sure this was a mistake, but this punch is meant for shifters. It’s a bit too strong for you, and I don’t think that alpha of yours would take too kindly to me getting his girl inebriated unless she was fully informed about it.”

That’s what it was. So much of the reunion was a blur. I had forgotten how tipsy I’d gotten off a third of the cup of punch I’d had there. Jeez, I was really distracted by both the wolf transformation and the elaborate party.

“Thanks. I don’t suppose you have some water for the road? I’d be most appreciative.”

“Sure, I can do that.” He looked behind my shoulder and spoke rapidly in Spanish. My understanding of the language was rudimentary at best, but I did catch the word agua in there. Strangely enough, the short answer back didn’t sound anything like Spanish at all.

Sal must have clocked my confused expression because he chuckled. “That was Fox,” he said as if that explained everything.

“Fox?” I frowned. “Like the animal?” Were there even fox shifters? I didn’t recall Cas mentioning that, but it might just not have been relevant.

Cue another laugh from Sal, and I felt my cheeks color. Was I making a fool of myself? “Nah, Fox language is what we Sauk speak. My family doesn’t have a ton of Sauk blood, but I was just talking to Whitefish. He’s from a more direct line, so he usually only speaks Fox when with the pack.”

“I… I had no idea that was even a language.”

“I don’t blame you for that.” A look passed over Sal’s face that was far more melancholy than I expected.

“History has done a very good job of erasing so many people. You know most people around here don’t know that there are indigenous people from Mexico and Hawaii that all got gobbled up by the US. ”

I grimaced. “Yeah, someone once asked if I was Hawaiian when I wore a flower in my hair.”

“But you’re Asian.”

“I’m aware.” I shrugged. There was a mutual understanding between us, and for a moment, we weren’t shifter and human, just two people from different cultures adjusting to the great melting pot of America. “Oh, the invoice!”

“Right, right. I took a peek at those cakes. They look incredible.”

“Hopefully, they’ll taste that way too. I’ve got a pen if you wanna go over to a table to sign. I figure that’s easier than using my back.”

“Ha, yeah.”

We strolled over to the table and made quick work of the invoice. A beat later, a man who looked only a couple of years younger than me jogged up with two water bottles and handed them over.

“Cakes look nice,” he said with a simple nod to me before hurrying off.

That was sweet.

“Thanks,” I called after him before immediately opening a bottle and downing half of it. “All right, I better head out.”

“Is this the baker of those gorgeous cakes?” a voice behind me called, and goodness, if it didn’t remind me exactly of my high school drama club teacher.

Turning, I saw a short, older woman who looked to be around Auntie Siobhan’s age, dressed in a burgundy gown covered in jewels.

Her long, salt-and-pepper hair was done up in an impressive crown of braids on her head, and a glorious technicolor pashmina was draped across her shoulders.

“They smell incredible. I couldn’t believe they were from a human.

No offense.” She sashayed right up to me, then took my face in her many-ringed hands and kissed me on both cheeks.

Normally, I would be pretty uncomfortable with someone manhandling me like that, but something about the woman put me at ease.

“Who is this visionary creature standing here before me?”

Sal’s long-suffering sigh told me this had to be one of his direct relatives.

Cas had explained to me that in packs, they all used the honorifics of Auntie and Uncle for adults whether they were blood connected or not, and I figured the Ramirez back was similar.

“ Abuelita , this is Felicia. She’s the human baker I was telling you about. ”

“I thought so!” The older woman said, releasing my face with a flourish. “How does it feel to be behind enemy lines, mija? Are we the monsters you were told of?”

I opened my mouth to answer and defend Cas while I did, but the woman was already looping her arm through mine and pulling me away. “Come, come! I will give you a tour of the place! You will want to see the opening number, si. My beautiful Aiyana has been practicing for months.”

Quinceaneras had opening numbers? I really had a lot to learn.

No time like the present, I supposed.

“ Abuelita! You can’t just kidnap a service worker,” Sal objected behind us.

“Nonsense. I’m not going to let this lovely young woman’s impression of us be from a bunch of country gringos. Let me be the ambassador for our people.”

I got the distinct feeling only the woman beside me could talk to the pack’s alpha like that, and honestly, I found it far more amusing than I should have.

Yeah, Gammy McCallister and Abuelita Ramirez would most definitely be a pair to be reckoned with. Maybe the universe had a reason for keeping them apart. They’d probably cause an explosion of awesome.

I enjoyed walking around on Abuelita Ramirez’s arm.

She seemed to take distinct pleasure in correcting anyone who pointed out that I was a human by telling them that I was a human in the know.

Mostly people just nodded and moved along with the conversation, but every so often someone asked why, and an exasperated Sal would say it was the McCallisters’ fault.

There was a brief moment where I had the horrifying thought that Sal would use that against Cas if we lost the bake-off, but I had to put that completely out of my mind otherwise I’d ruin the entire mood.

I just had to win, plain and simple. As lovely as the people were all around me, I still was determined to stomp them.

I liked to think I sowed a little goodwill as I met and talked to dozens of people from the Ramirez pack. Just tiny snippets of peace that could potentially take seed in people’s minds. I knew it was probably a long shot, but I figured it was better to take the opportunity than to waste it.

Eventually, the endless procession of new faces ended when the lights dimmed and Abuelita let out a happy squeal. “It’s time for the number. Come, sit with me. I have the best seats in the place.”

Still arm in arm, she hauled me over to seats right in front just as the lights dimmed.

A spotlight lit up, and a beautiful young woman in a truly opulent dress appeared on stage through the velvet curtains.

Three of me could join arms and still not be able to fully encircle the bottom of her dress—it was so large and completely covered in crystals.

Whew, that must have cost a pretty penny.

A dozen other young men and women in classic tuxedos joined her, and they all began to do a group dance showcasing Aiyana. It was magnificent and made my heart soar.

I didn’t care what crazy magic the fairies had or how airtight their contracts were—I was going to unite these two packs if it was the last thing I did.

There would be peace between the McCallisters and Ramirezes.

I just needed to figure out how to do it.