Chapter 29 Owe You A Meal

[Ella]
Those two Dobermans are pretty unfriendly to strangers. That is the first thought that pops into my head when I meet Claire's two dogs making warning noises at me.
Well, I know in some sense we belong to the canine family in our wolf form. I am not supposed to be afraid of dogs. However, ever since I was mauled by a Shepherd on my father's farm when I was 5 years old, I have been terrified of big dogs.
Unfortunately, Claire's two 90-pound-looking pets just happened to be the type I am afraid of.
"Good boys!" I say to them, holding two dog treats mixed with lots of high-grade beef. The maid named Lucy keeps silent and stands behind me with absolutely no intention of reminding me to be safe.
[It's okay, you can do it!] Part of me encourages me to keep approaching them. I take three steps forward, and both dogs show their sharp fangs and let out a string of roaring barks at me.
The two Omega gardeners holding the dogs' leashes seem not to spend a lot of effort stopping the two dogs from lunging at me. I bet those two snickering Omegas wanna see the comical sight of watching an Alpha being chased by two dogs.
I would have said "no" to her if I had known Claire's dogs were two bad-tempered Dobermans. I stop moving forward and immediately put down my dog food bowl, ready to get away from them.
"Miss, I'm afraid to remind you Luna Claire requires you must feed them yourself. You will need to put their dinner in front of them." Lucy states after she has been silent for a long time.
"What if I don't do that?" I ask.
"I'm sorry, Miss, I'm just in charge of keeping records. I'll tell Luna Claire the truth," Lucy says, as expressionless as a robot.
Damn! My left wrist hurts just thinking about that crazy woman. I pick up the dog food bowls again and walk to the two Dobermans about seven feet away from me.
Fortunately, the two dogs switched their attention to their food after I put their food bowls on the lawn. I am relieved that at least I get a brief moment of safety.
"It's time to walk the dogs!" Lucy dutifully reminds me after the two dogs have finished their dinner.
I take two steps back as they still show their fangs at me, even though I'm preparing dinner for them.
"Easy, easy," I murmur, holding my right hand and trying to recall how the heroes in the movie tamed the dinosaurs.
Perhaps they realize my fear and start barking at me again.
Childhood memories of being bitten by the dog seem to be activated by the non-stop barking. I turn and run, even forgetting that I can shape-shift and have no need to be afraid of two dogs at all.
"Hey! Jay!"
The yell of the gardener comes from behind me. I glance back to find one of the Dobermans breaking free of its leash and chasing me, getting closer and closer to me. Unfortunately, the other dog breaks free of his leash at almost the exact moment.
I close my eyes and clench my teeth, pulling out all my strength to run ahead. The sound of the barking dog follows me closely.
"My moon god, if I can escape from this hellhole alive today, I will definitely stop being lazy and go running every day!" I pray to the sky while escaping.
"Really? How many kilos are you going to run?"
"I don't know. 10km,15km... As long as I can get those two guys to stop chasing me," I reply subconsciously before realizing the voice man asking the question sounds familiar.
The dogs' barking stops. I pause and turn around to see Eth standing behind me.
"Sit down!" Eth commands them.
The two Dobermans miraculously move back a few steps and sit on the lawn, with their heads hanging down.
Coincidentally, Lucy arrives with the two gardeners who are holding the leashes.
"Alpha," Lucy and the other two gardeners bow their heads to Eth.　
"You have a very innovative way of walking dogs." Eth turns his head to me with a toothy grin and ignores them.
"I owe you a meal!" I pant.
"Only one meal?" Eth asks me with a smirk.
"What more do you want?" I ask.
"I need time to think about it." He says.
"Whatever! Why are you here?" I say.
"I come to see how my pet sitter walks two Dobermans. I'm impressed." Eth says, with a bad smile.
While I'm glad Eth showed up just in time to save me, it makes me a little angry to think that I'm in such a mess because of his mother.
"I thought you were talking to Joanna or some other girl with noble status," I grunt. I wonder if he already knows what his mother Claire had done to me, but the twinge of pain from my left wrist still reminds me not to be talkative.
"If my memory is correct, I am in a dating relationship with you, Ella Jane Ronan. Have you lost your memory from being scared by my mother's pet?" Eth says. It is as if a chill has entered his blue eyes, yet the corners of his mouth remain upturned.
I haven't even gotten mad yet, and he's upset ahead of me? Are all Clapton family members the temperamental type?
"Of course, I remember we are trying dating. But... I think there are still some gaps between us after seeing your mother's pets." I decide to conceal what Claire has done to me after hesitating in a blink of an eye.
"What do you mean? The way you walk your dog?" He asks jokingly.
"Maybe!" I say, not saying anything else.
Eth smiles meaningfully, then turns his head to look at the two Omegas standing behind Lucy. "Why are you still standing here? I don't need dog walkers who can't keep their dogs on a leash."
The two young guys are pale as paper, their teeth chattering. The boy with curly gray hair gathers his courage and reports to Eth, "Alpha Ethan, I'm sorry. But we were just following Mrs. Freeman's orders." After saying that, he glances at Lucy, standing in front of him.
"How dare you!" Lucy shoots him a glare and immediately explains to Eth, "Alpha Ethan, it's not what he claims. You know I only take orders from the Madam."
"Mrs. Freeman, don't worry. I won't fire you because mother won't approve." After that, Eth shifts his gaze to the two omegas and continues, "You two, today you failed to do your job and caused my mother's pets to scare my date. Tomorrow, you might get Sophia scared or even wounded because of your negligence. I can't find a reason to keep you guys working here."
The two Omegas are sitting on the lawn like deflated balls, which means they both lost their jobs because of me. Guilt floods through me.
"Eth, the truth is..." I wanna tell Eth that it's honestly not their fault; it's his mother who hated me and instructed Lucy to teach me a lesson.
"Stop it, Ella," Eth already senses that I'm attempting to speak up for the two Omegas, and he turns around, looking serious, and interrupts me.
"No one can influence my decisions."
His hawk-like gaze pierces into my eyes as if he can read my soul. His voice contains the power that he does not allow anyone to challenge. This is what I lack and the power I aspire to.