Aysel's POV I watched him glance at the takeout menu with that faint look of disdain, and my mind immediately started calculating. "Maybe I could hire a personal cook" -give them twenty thousand a month-and still make a little cut for myself as middlewoman. Easy. "Not interested," Magnus said flatly, cutting me off before I could even finish my thought. "I don't like strangers in my space." I blinked. Well, that was... Magnus Sanchez for you. The Shadowbane Alpha. Cold as ice, meticulous as a wolf tracking prey, yet somehow, he could make my small kitchen feel even smaller. We sat in silence on the sofa for five long minutes, eyes locked like two wolves measuring territory. Finally, Magnus sighed, reaching across to cover my wide, bright eyes with a heavy hand. The decision was final. "Order takeout. Buy groceries. I'll manage." Half an hour later, I leaned against the counter, sleeves rolled, watching him in the cramped kitchen. He was actually... cooking. My chest tightened with a mix of disbelief and pride. Somehow, having the Alpha of Shadowbane Pack cooking dinner in my tiny apartment felt... domestic. Wolfish, almost. I couldn't help but worry. Yesterday he had bled so much. And looking at him now, effortlessly moving among the counters and chopping boards, I kept expecting disaster to strike. My dinner could easily have turned into a one-headed wolf's feast if something went wrong. Magnus caught my hesitation and, with a smirk, shoved a freshly washed tomato into my hands. "Try it. See if I can handle it," he teased. "Try what?" My brain stalled for a moment. When I registered the mischief in his gaze, I rolled my eyes and stalked off to the living room, leaving him alone in the kitchen with his antics. The Alpha's chuckle followed me. The kitchen was open, and I instinctively reached for my phone. Magnus glanced over, remembering something he'd "forgotten" because of dinner. "Your phone was ringing when you were asleep. I answered it." I blinked. "You... answered my phone? Without permission?" He didn't look fazed, expertly flipping a pan. "Your phone wouldn't stop ringing, and it was disturbing my rest. Someone refused to wake up, so I intervened." "Besides," he added, feigning innocence, "I took a few verbal hits for you." I scrolled through the call log, expression neutral. It wasn't surprising. My mother hadn't yelled enough at me this morning, so the family apparently decided to take turns calling in rapid succession. Even Knox Draven, Celestine's little lapdog, had joined the chorus. News of me sending Celestine to the emergency room had traveled fast. If Magnus were my subordinate, this would count as on-the-job hazard pay. But he wasn't. He was Alpha, Shadowbane Alpha. Capital and power wrapped in human form. "So... you yelled back for me?" I asked casually, shrugging. "Nope," he said, still calm, flipping a vegetable with precision. "How could I demand payment if I hadn't even vented my anger?" I shrugged harder. "Then the deal's clear-you only do it if I give you a reward." He leaned back, pondering, a faintly amused glint in his golden eyes. "So... if I insult your family for you, you'll pay me?" I answered immediately. "Yep." Magnus picked up his phone and called Jackson, issuing a single command: insult the Vale family. I could almost see Jackson's face through the call. The task was absurd, juvenile, yet he obeyed. He hired a few skilled voices to run through the list Magnus provided, each taking turns, lashing the Vale family with a precision that made even a wolf like me smirk. Then I can imagine the scene: in the hospital, Celestine sat with Damon and Lykos, Fenrir was handling the old estate issues, the Moonvale elders attended a temporary dinner, and Knox Draven nursed his wine-all their phones buzzing in unison with the results of Magnus's little operation. Back in my kitchen, Magnus's cooking impressed me. Three dishes, one soup, and even a chili chicken adjusted perfectly to my palate. My mouth watered. A wolf of his caliber should have been clumsy with mundane tasks, yet his hands were deft, efficient, and even gentle when necessary. For once, I felt a strange sense of domesticity. Sharing a meal with Magnus Sanchez in my home felt almost... warm. Wolf warmth. After dinner, I cleaned up the battlefield, hands finally washed, and Magnus, lounging on the sofa, beckoned me over with a simple gesture, his fingers curling like a wolf claiming territory. "What now?" I asked, slowly approaching. "To collect proof of payment," he said, eyes glinting. Jackson had already filtered through the recorded calls and videos, selecting the ones with the most impact and creativity. Side by side on the sofa, Magnus played the first clip.The sound and scenes of Alpha Remus exploding in anger filled the room. I froze, staring at the screen. The Vale patriarch, usually untouchable, had just been verbally eviscerated by Alpha Magnus. I had to suppress a laugh. This was life with Magnus Sanchez. Dangerous, wild, and utterly... wolf.