Brave One (Completed)

Chapter 5

"This is the worst kitchen I've ever seen." I whispered to Clint who just nodded. We were downstairs in the main pack house where some other omegas were running around. Some were carrying platters and other were carrying brooms. 

The kitchen, however, was in complete disarray. 

Pans and dirty plates were lining the grim caked floors and the grease coating the stoves and ovens made it look like the appliances were sweating. None of the the omegas or help seemed to care they were working in the pigsty, but once in a while they would scrunch their noses at the sour smell of something rotting. 

Thank god that wolves have strong stomachs. 

"Yeah." Clint pursed his lips, "We never get to clean it since the luna keeps throwing parties at her private home with outside pack guests and they have to tend to them." 

My mouth was about to drop open, but the stench from the kitchen was so gross that I almost could taste it. 

Covering my face with my sweater sleeve, I changed into my pug sweater I found in a shopping bag in Clint's office - I slipped it over my thin long sleeve, I tried to speak, "Can you do me a favor?" 

Clint looked to me with a raised brow, nodding, "What do you need?"

"Can you move them to the other pack house kitchen?" I asked. I couldn't let these people work here. 

He seemed to understand my plan, "Sure, I'll come back and help too." He whistled, yelling at all of them to follow him out. Some of them immediately dropped what they were doing, looking like they waited nothing more to get out of there. Others were a bit skeptical, propping their supplies on the walls and slowly followed Clint out. 

I got to work, silently cursing that I couldn't just order the kitchen to clean itself like some weird Disney movie like Saiph could. I just threw off my pug sweater, making sure to nicely place it on a nearby, clean, chair. 

I tied my hair back and pull up my long sleeves, not caring about my old pants as I get on my hands and knees and pick up a nearby bucket of soap water that look like it was meant for the kitchen but no one got to it yet, or didn't want to.  I almost forgot about the clip still in my hair, so I just removed it and placed it nicely on the sweater.

I just started scrubbing, cursing at the grim that took forever to get off to the floor and finally be able to see the white-ish tiles of the old kitchen. 

Great, one tile down.

Hundreds more to go. 

I just kept scrubbing, reliving the old life I used to live when I was 11. The filthy smells. The dirty floors. Everything was so nostalgic. 

I scrub and scrub, just in my own world like I used to, thinking of random songs I remember or funny things that happened to me when I was little with Boras. Before I knew it I finished with the floor and had already started on the oven and stove with a fresh bucket and another rug. 

I didn't even notice that Clint  was here too, pulling out old looking things from the massive fridge and freezer with a mask over his face to try and mask the wretched smell. But due to our sensitive noses even I could smell it from yards away. 

I didn't bother acknowledging him, but he did see me looking at him and nodded. I just continued to pick at the burned chucks of something on the inside and top on the oven and stove, it so caked on that I almost broke my nail off. 

I took a spatula, scraping it with as much ferocity as possible, once again in my own world. 

I was halfway in the oven, my whole torso in the smelly death chamber when I hear the voice.

The voice belonging to the one person I was not particularly excited to talk to. 

The voice that still sent chills down my spine, though for some reason the chills weren't as prominent as they used to be. 

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" 

I was so startled I jumped and hit my head on the top, though the small stinging pain faded as soon as it came. Scooting awkwardly out of the oven, staring down at the floor still kneeling on the ground, I had my head bowed respectfully in the presence of the alpha. 

"I'm cleaning the kitchen alpha." I spoke formally, a slight tremble in my tone. The last time I saw him was years ago and I can't even remember what I last said to him before I left. 

"Why?" His voice was gruff, like he was hiding his true fury. 

"Because it was filthy and it is my job to cl-" I started, but the air felt like it was shaking with the rumble coming from him. 

This is when Clint popped up, from behind me, tapping on my shoulder to signal for me to get up. 

That's when I finally noticed how dirty my clothes were. My previously blue jeans were black, especially by the knees, and my forearms are coated with rusty and gray stains. I didn't bother wearing gloves, seeing how I had no idea where they were and I was immune to basically every poison and sickness imaginable. 

But this somehow shamed me. 

I didn't like my appearance. 

I didn't even realized I was just trying to wipe away all the grime on my shirt and pants as awkwardly as possible, my hair covering my face as I do this. 

"Alpha, if you don't mind, we need to finish cleaning before dinner starts." Clint's hand was still on my shoulder, and the way it tightened I felt like the alpha was glaring daggers at him. 

I could still feel the alpha's menacing presence but it soon fading away with loud stomps. 

I sighed out in relief that I didn't have to speak to him that much, noticing that Clint was still staring at the direction of the exit with so much anger I thought his eyes would fall out of his face. 

"You okay?" I asked him, seeing his cheeks getting red and his breathing getting heavier. He really has been under so much stress to turn him like this. 

What happened to his job in the diner?

"The owner died and the diner was sold to a nice family," I didn't even realize that I said my question aloud, "I didn't want to work for them but they gave me partial ownership and I get some money from the place still. I go back once in a while to check on the place." 

"That's nice." I was happy that my friend has something positive, and not so positive, in his life. "I'm sorry for your loss though." I awkwardly reach to hug him, and he reciprocated despite the two of us covered in filth.

"Oh my god." 

We broke apart and saw that the omegas and help have returned with gobsmacked looks on their face. 

"Oh sorry, we're not do-" I was about to explain why the kitchen was still a little dirty. 

"Thank you so much!" The oldest-looking omega ran up to me and hugged me, not caring I was covered in whatever coated the kitchen as she squeezed me to almost suffocation. 

"N-no problem." I wheezed. 

She finally let go of me, beaming at me with a wrinkly smile. "I've never seen this kitchen so clean since that witch came!" She still held me relatively close, "Though you didn't have you, we were going to clean after dinner." 

I smiled, keeping my dirty hands by my side, "It was really no problem, plus all of you looked like you needed a break." I don't know where Clint brought them, but all of them looked like they got enough time to freshen up or at least adjust their appearances.

A lot of them were giving me beaming smiles and many of them walked closer and thanked me as well while shaking my dirty hands without hesitation.

I think I'll enjoy my time here.