The Vicious Vixen: Mother To The Panther Lord’s Pups Chapter 03
The First Strike
I came downstairs at seven.
The dining room was all dark wood and stone.
Isolde sat at the head of the table in a silk blouse, perfect hair, and diamonds on her fingers at seven in the morning.
Octavia sat to her right, sipping tea and watching me with sharp eyes.
A plate was already set at my place. I looked down.
A single piece of bread. Stale. Slightly green at the edges.
Isolde had eggs, fruit, and bacon.
Octavia had eggs, fruit, fresh bread, and cheese.
I pulled out my chair. Sat down. Looked at my moldy bread.
“Oh,” Isolde said, not even glancing up. “The kitchen wasn’t sure what you liked, so they kept it simple. I hope that’s alright?”
She smiled. Octavia smiled too.
The house staff stood against the wall. None of them smiled. They knew exactly what this was.
I picked up the bread, looked at it, and set it back down.
“You know what, Isolde? You’re right. I should eat what the house provides.”
I stood, walked to her end of the table, and picked up her plate.
She blinked. “What are you—”
I flipped it. Straight down onto her blouse. Eggs and grease slid down her silk top.
Isolde screamed.
Octavia set her teacup down hard.
I leaned close and lowered my voice.
“Let me make something very clear. In this house, if I eat garbage, you eat worse. If Darian’s pups go hungry, your pup goes hungry. If you ever pull this again, I will make you beg Lord Darian to throw you past the border.”
Isolde opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
I straightened and turned to the kitchen staff.
“Remake breakfast. For everyone. And from now on, the pups eat first. Before anyone else in this house touches food. Am I clear?”
No one answered.
“AM I CLEAR?”
“Yes, my Lady,” three voices said at once.
I walked back to my seat and sat down.
Octavia stared at me, furious. Isolde sat there with grease on her blouse, shaking with rage.
Neither of them said another word.
Twenty minutes later, fresh plates appeared.
Eggs, toast, fruit, juice. Set in front of Cassian and Liora first.
The pups ate quietly, glancing at me every few seconds as if the food might be taken away.
No one would take it away. Not anymore.
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