His mate's secrets

When the council invited her to the packhouse for a special meeting, this wasn’t what Flic had in mind. Only one member on the pack's council knew about her unique role, hidden from the other Red Valley wolves, so she had doubted it was to do with that. She had tried to think of any other reason, however, as she arrived, she realised she never could've guessed what would happen. As soon as she entered the packhouse hall, Flic was blindfolded, led to a central spot and guided to kneel on the floor. Her heart rate spiked the moment her vision was taken. It hammered against her ribs, but she forced it to calm with deep breaths so she could hear what was going on around her. The smooth stone of the packhouse floor was cold against her shins, though her thick, blue jeans helped protect her from its bitter kiss. She was glad that she had decided against getting changed for the so-called special meeting, shivering at the thought of wearing a dress. Only able to see the dark cloth of the blindfold, Flic focused on what she could hear and smell. Soft whimpers were coming from her right. The scent of six different women reached her, and when she leaned towards them, she brushed against the arm of the one closest to her. From what she could tell, the others were all lined up, blindfolded and kneeling, just like her. She didn’t know what to think about that but it unnerved her. If Beta Julien hadn't been in the room with them, Flic was sure she’d be trying to run by now, but Julien was a good friend and she trusted him, so she waited. A twist of curiosity rose in her gut and though she tried to push it away, it wouldn’t go. She was defenceless and hanging on the edge of the unknown, so why did it peak her interest like a game? A scuffle to her left and a small squeak, made her head turn automatically, but she didn’t know the scent of the woman placed next to her. She could feel her shivering though and reached out a hand to grasp hers. The woman flinched at first then grasped on to Flic with both of her hands, clenching with an iron vice grip. “Don’t worry, I don’t think we’re in any danger.” She whispered. “Felicity? Is that you?” Flic frowned and tried to place the woman’s scent again, but it wasn’t familiar. A lot of the pack knew her because of the popularity of her little bakery but she was only close with a few of them. She wasn’t about to tell this woman that though, not when her hand was trembling. “Yeah, it’s me.” “Are you sure we will be okay?” “Absolutely.” She made her voice sound more sure than she felt, though there was a stirring of enjoyment beginning to form within her. “Beta Julien is with us after all, of course we are safe.” Said wolf, was hovering behind the pair and Flic tipped her head back and smirked up in the general direction she guessed his face to be. She knew she had been spot-on when a hand playfully tugged at a lock of her hair before gently pushing her head back to face the front again. With a reassuring squeeze, she let go of the woman’s hand. Flic had no idea what was expected of them and wanted both of her hands free so she could be ready for anything. Her smile didn’t drop until the door at the far side of the room opened. The sudden crack of it slamming against the wall made all the women jump, Flic included, but the silence afterwards set their fears alight. It hung in the air, a fragile calm holding back a raging tempest. The line of women didn’t dare to make a sound and smothered their concerns between tightly squeezed lips. Flic stayed quiet, but she kept her ears open and tried to catch the scent of whoever had entered. “This won’t take long, everyone. Please stay still and quiet.” Julien spoke softly behind them, reminding them of his presence. His words were comforting for her, but the room's tension didn’t ease in the slightest. If anything, it increased, like he had given a signal that whatever was coming was about to start. Flic let out a slow breath. Her clenched fists, balled against her thighs, were the only indicator that she was uneasy. It helped to ground her whilst the dread of waiting began to swell. The thud of a heavy boot sounded from across the room. Flic locked on to it instantly and swallowed as a second step was taken. Footsteps were coming towards her, but she couldn’t track the scent of whomever they belong to. There was no new scent to catch in the air and she wondered how the pack had gotten hold of a scent blocker without her. The steps continued, stalking towards her with deliberate intent. They were weighted boots, work boots, travelling the hall in long strides that ghosted across the floor. She deduced it was a man and felt her body tensing, rethinking the purpose of a line of blindfolded woman being offered up to him. Before she could reconsider her blind trust of the Beta, the boots stopped. She felt eyes on her, the unmistakable prickle of a gaze, and she did her best to stare back from under the blindfold. She was tempted to rip it off and see the man who dared to line up woman for some show, but this pack had only ever offered her loyalty and until that changed, she couldn’t risk breaking their trust. Flic could hear the gentle noises of the women around her and straightened herself, holding her head high. If this arsehole was looking to intimidate, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. The boots walked again. Metal rattled with each crunch of the steel top caps against the stone floor, leaving a trail for her to follow. He headed to the end of the line and slowly worked his way along the women. Occasionally he stopped but Flic couldn’t tell what he was doing when he did. The room would simply fall silent, waiting for the inspection to continue at his leisurely pace. As he crossed her path, she held herself strong, paying no mind to the hammering of her heart. She smirked as he continued past her without hesitation, feeling some rush of triumph that he hadn’t been willing to stop before her. That smile faltered the moment it came, when the boot steps suddenly halted. Flic gritted her teeth and cursed her bullish need to satisfy her pride. The man moved directly in front of her, and she lifted her head, hoping she was looking right at him. She was so focused on his scentless movement that everything else fell away. He was her only focus. Each second she waited, she felt her body wind with tension, but she refused to look away. She knew he was still in front of her and silently taunted him to make the first move. A quiet rustle of cloth was the only warning she got before she felt the gentle brush of fingers in her hair. It was a fiery red colour that always drew attention, so she wasn’t surprised when he twirled a lock of it around his finger, allowing the smooth strands to glide over his palm. No, that didn’t surprise her, but when the hand returned to cup her face, tilting it to the perfect angle of his liking, she felt her breath catch. Strong fingers caged her jaw, whilst a rough thumb trailed across her cheek bone, banishing all her stubborn thoughts as she melted under his sparing touch. A warmth spread through Flic in a way that hadn’t happened for many years. Only one man had touched her like that before and elicited such a reaction from her body. It had only happened once before, but she remembered the night vividly. The feelings often revisited her in her weaker, uncontrolled moments, and her lips parted under the sensation of him once more. Damon. A tingle danced across her skin, and she could almost feel his smirk through his touch as her recognition became obvious. It didn’t stop him from continuing his game, teasing his hand down her neck and ghosting a grip around it, daring her to hide away from him. Flic protested; eyes locked to where she would be seeing the deep red of his eyes if it wasn’t for the damn blindfold. Her tongue darted out and wet her bottom lip. The tickle of a breath chased after it as Damon leaned in closer. The reaction from her was immediate and she clenched her thighs tight, refusing to let anyone in the room know how needy she was getting. The women around her were scared and here she was feeling her arousal pool between her legs. Once again, she was glad she hadn’t worn the dress and prayed to the Moon Goddess that her jeans hid her from the embarrassment. It felt like each cell of her body was at attention preening for his touch, like she had reverted to a damn teenage pup. “You’re finished?” Julien drawled directly behind her. Flic jumped and pulled away from Damon’s touch, a flood of heat decorating her cheeks. He didn’t answer the Beta and all too soon his footfalls travelled away and out of the hall. Then, she heard movement around her, but a steady hand pressed against her shoulder, keeping her still. The other women were carted from the room leaving only her behind. When the door finally closed, she tore off the blindfold and jumped to her feet, rounding on Julien. “What the hell was that?” She attempted to glare at him but the effect was lost with rosy cheeks still burning into her expression. “Alpha Damon will explain. You are expected to go to his room to discuss the next steps.” A muscle flickered in the Beta’s jaw, and she wondered what he thought of this weird selection ritual she had unknowingly participated it. “I am expected to be there?” She sneered, feeling her stubborn pride return with full force. Julien nodded and her lips twisted into a smirk. “Then I’ll wait elsewhere for him. If he has something to discuss with me, we can do it as equals in his office.” Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heels and marched in the direction Damon had retreated. She knew the way to his office and didn’t need to be led to him. She heard Julien sigh behind her but she didn’t care. No matter what her reaction to him had been, she didn’t like how Damon had lined up the women and inspected them for some kind of suitability. A small voice in her mind preened that she was the one he had chosen but Flic pushed it away. She had no idea what he had chosen her for and daren’t risk guessing at his intentions. There were many reasons why the Alpha wolf could want her.