His mate's secrets

Chapter 15 - Dangerous games

“He eyed me pretty hard back there.” Damon rumbled in a low voice once the bakery door shut.

The Alpha cast a gaze over his shoulder, but Flic didn’t need to turn to feel the pressure of her dad’s eyes on her back as they walked away. She winced and twisted her hands together. No matter how old she got, her dad would always be watching her back. Most of the time it was comforting, but when she was headed on a date, it was a bit overbearing.

He had agreed to cover the shop while her and Damon went on their mandatory date, but he had put on a show of glaring at the Alpha and giving his little girl a kiss before she managed to escape. Her cheeks were still hot, and it was taking everything in her to keep her head high and shoulders back. She had been looking forward to this all day and she wouldn’t let a rough moment with her father ruin it.

It had taken until lunch time to admit to herself that the small flutter in her body, that didn’t seem to want to leave, was because of the date. Flic had glided around the bakery that morning, a whistle on her lips and more than one wolf commented on her good mood, though they each held a knowing smirk. When she caught herself stealing glances at the clock, feeling each minute drag by, she finally accepted her excitement. It slowly increased throughout the day, and she could no longer deny it was because her date with the Alpha was drawing near.

It had been a few days since she told Damon about her spiritual abilities and, with every day that passed, the weight on her shoulders lifted further. Any wariness that the Alpha would suddenly look at her any different was slowly dwindling and only now did she realise how much the secret had been weighing on her before.

The pair had fallen into a smooth routine. Each morning he woke first and had a coffee ready for her to drink before she rushed out of the door. At some point during the day, he would pop into the bakery to keep up appearances and then they would have dinner together in their apartment. It felt nice to know someone was waiting for her when she woke, and she could talk to someone other than her dad in the evenings.

Today was their first required date on the schedule provided by Alpha Neil but Damon had asked her if she wanted to forgo it. With the looming Luna ceremony, they both agreed their visibility as a couple was important, but now Flic questioned whether she hadn’t pushed for the date for a completely different reason.

“Flic? Your dad?” The Alpha peered down at her; an eyebrow c****d at her silence.

She shook her doubts from her mind and smiled, though maybe a little too enthusiastically. “He’s just protective.”

“Are you sure he’s okay with me knowing about him?”

“About him?” Flic frowned. “Dad’s not a spiritual wolf like me. I got that ability from my mother.”

Damon hummed, absorbing the new nugget of information. “I guess they were mates given their differences then?”

It was true that spiritual wolves didn’t often mate with normal wolves, but that was mainly due to the stigma around their abilities. It also meant that spiritual wolves often didn't find their fated mates because they would usually stay with their tribe. With tribes being much smaller than a pack, finding fated mates among the small number was unlikely, but that didn’t stop them from finding love. For Flic, she didn’t want to find her mate at all and felt a swell of relief whenever she meant a new wolf and there was no connection there. To her, a mate was a weakness that could be exploited, and she refused to make herself more vulnerable than she needed to be. That’s why she much preferred only using men to sate her needs with no strings attached.

“No, actually.” Flic sighed. “My dad truly loved my mother, but she only wanted him for his bloodline. Once she got what she wanted, she left.”

“What did she want? What was so special about his bloodline?”

“He’s from a good pack.” She danced over the question and continued before he could push for more. “But she waited to confirm my brother was a spiritual wolf before she left. That’s what she really wanted, an heir to her powers.” Her voice twisted with bitterness.

“Shouldn’t she have taken you too then?”

“No, I was a mistake she didn’t need. My brother was a lot older than me so when he got his abilities at fifteen, they left. I was six at the time.” A sour taste coated her tongue. “Why wait to see if I also had her ability when she already had a prodigy?”

Flic didn’t expect an answer and Damon didn’t give her one. Instead, they continued their walk in a comfortable silence as they both stewed in their own thoughts. She didn’t want to think about her mother when she was supposed to be enjoying a date and instead, tipped her head back to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. It was only mid-afternoon and she could feel its abundance of energy humming on her skin. It was soothing and drew a hum from her lips.

The sounds of giggles and squeal floated on the gentle breeze, and she turned to the source with a smile. Rather than head into the pack this time, the pair had chosen to walk around the training field which was currently being used as a park by many of the pack’s families. Little pups ran around under the careful gaze of their parents, enjoying the warm day as much as Flic was. It was the perfect place to be visible as a couple.

Unlike when they were around the warriors, Flic noticed these wolves were as conscious of her presence as the Alpha's, and offered her small waves or a quick greeting as she passed. It was an acknowledgement she hadn’t felt in the pack before. Outside of the bakery, she was an outsider to most wolves, and though no one was unpleasant, Flic didn’t really feel like she belonged. It was fine. Her reason for being at Red Valley was to hide, she didn’t need friends to fulfil that goal, however she found her chest clenching at the sight of faces lighting up in her presence.

She was smiling as Damon led her to a bench on the far side of the field and they sat opposite each other.

“What are you grinning about?” The Alpha asked, the sides of his mouth curling up.

Flic didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she cast her gaze over the field taking in the wolves of her pack feeling a sense of connection hum between them. In the distance, the highlands that surrounded and protect the pack rose high, creating a beautiful picture for her mind to capture.

“This is just all going far better than I expected.”

“This?”

“Being in this arrangement with you. It’s only been a few days and I already feel more a part of this pack than I’ve felt in thirteen years.” She tipped her head back to the sun and closed her eyes. “I wasn’t expecting it.”

“What did you expect?”

“To have to deal with a grumpy ass Alpha all day and be forced to drag you along to these contractual requirements.” She smirked, feeling him glare at her without needed to peak her eyes open. Her voice turned somber once she got her teasing out of the way. “I expected to be unhappy.”

“Why would you agree to this if you thought that?” Damon leaned towards her, his scent enriching the breeze.

This time Flic opened her eyes and leaned on the tabletop towards him. The reason was protection, but she didn't want to tell him and get follow up questions. Even Alpha Neil only knew her and her father were hiding in Red Valley, he didn’t know who they were hiding from. She felt as if she said her pursuers name out loud, it would be tempting fate. It wasn’t something she wanted to risk. Instead, she dropped her voice low, coaxing Damon to come closer. “I had my reasons, but you need to earn my secrets, Alpha.” She purred in a husky lilt.

He jerked slightly at her sudden change, then pulled back. Flic was pleasantly surprised to see a playful gleam in his eyes. “I always knew you were interesting.” He smirked.

“Oh?” She rested her head on her hands, tilting it while she watched every flicker in the Alpha’s expression. “Are you saying I caught your interest?”

“I didn’t, but I can hardly deny it now.” Eyes lock to her and she had to fight off a frown as his blatant honesty. “You appeared out of nowhere and fit so seamlessly in the pack. The bakery was a hit from day one and you were popular with the civilians and warriors alike. How could I not be intrigued when my warriors were arguing over the red-haired beauty, especially when she lived up to the name?”

“Then ten years later you finally buck up the courage to talk to me. Was it hard keeping your distance all this time, Alpha?” A rosy blush danced over her cheeks, but she teased and dipped her head to hide it.

Damon scoffed. “You tell me, Felicity.” Her eyes jumped to his when her name rolled off his tongue. “Don’t you think I could feel the hunger in your gaze all these years?” Her mouth parted in a silent disagreement, but the words didn’t come. The Alpha smirked and continued. “Every time I was near you, you watched me. Almost like you couldn’t help but stare at me with f**k me eyes, no matter where we were or who I was with.”

“I don’t have f**k me eyes.” She grumbled, indignantly, though she couldn't deny she had found her gaze drawn to him in the past.

Suddenly, strong fingers gripped her chin and forced her to face him again with a sharp jerk. “Yes. You do.” Damon’s voice was barely more than a growl and Flic’s breath hitched at the dark swirl of heat entering the Alpha’s eyes. The air thickened between them, and she swallowed the swell of emotion in the back of her throat. She watched as the lighter crimson slowly bled back into Damon’s eyes and when his hold on her softened, she felt like she could breathe again. He trailed his thumb over her bottom lip, gently coaxing her mouth to part for him. The urge to suck the digit between her lips rose but the Alpha dropped his hand from her too soon. “I’m sure Julien thinks so too.”

“No.” A small giggle bubbled from her chest as the tension on her eased. “We’re just friends.”

“Do you f**k all your friends?”

The Alpha’s words weren’t judgemental but held a sharp tone that made her study his face. There was curiosity there and a tinge of something else, but there was the unmistakable gleam of a challenge in his eyes. Flic grazed her tongue over her lip, tasting the ghost of his touch, and leaned on the table. Her leg brushed against his, but she didn’t pull away. Even through their jeans, she could feel the heat of his skin against her, its warmth trying to tempt her closer.

“Only the ones who capture my interest.” She smirked. Goading an Alpha was never good, but she couldn’t ignore such an irresistible challenge, not when the prospect of his answer sent a shiver through her.

Flic tried not to react as a hand brushed against her knee. She thought it was an accident, but his touch quickly returned, resting at the bottom of her thigh. It was a slight weight that drew all her attention, though her gaze was unwaveringly locked to Damon’s, captured by the intensity there, like he was gauging her every crack in composure, looking for a weakness to exploit.

The Alpha smirked when her breath skipped as he began skating his touch up her leg. “Do I have your interest now, Felicity?”

Fingertips danced over her inner thigh as his thumbs kneaded circles into her muscle, soothing and exciting her all at once. Heat bloomed in her body, colouring her cheeks and swirling in her core as Damon travelled higher. They weren’t far away from the wolves in the park, but she didn’t care to stop him. Her brain was too distracted to think about them, the Alpha was her sole focus. His touch drew her attention like a whirlpool she couldn’t escape once she was caught in its flow.

A simmering need burned within her, coaxing her legs to part, inviting him closer to her pulsing core. Her eyelids flutter as he accepted without hesitation, her breathing becoming shallow, but she bit her lip to stop it dissolving into pants. Flic was hot with desire, knowing the Alpha could sate the flames, but unwilling to show her thirst for him. Damon’s hand rested at the apex of her thigh, and she tilted her hips towards him, shame glowing in her cheeks as the damp cloth of her knickers skimmed over her s*x. Her arousal flooded the air between them, and a whimper fell from her lips as the Alpha's thumb glanced over her centre. He applied just enough pressure to push the rough material of her jeans against her sensitive core, stealing a breathy moan.

Suddenly, the touch pulled away and Flic snapped her eyes open.

“Too bad we’re not exactly friends.” Damon rumbled, throwing her own words back at her, though his composure was anything but collected.

With dark eyes and lips parted with bated breath, she knew he would readily take her if she lunged over the table at him. Flic would place bets that his c**k was already stiff for her and she salivated at the thought. An ache for it to fill her with satisfaction bloomed between her legs and she fought her desire to beg him to do just that. A stubbornness stopped the words just before they left her lips, and she stared at him, her chest pumping with ragged breaths.

“Ass.” She growled and slammed her legs closed, curbing some of her need by screwing her thighs tight together.

Flic was barely able to meet his eye for fear she would get trapped in his electric pull again. He was able to sweep an excitement through her too easily. Just being near him, she could feel the lust in his aura, and she wanted so desperately to show him how friendly she could be to get what she wanted from him, but she knew he wanted it too. No, the way he was looking at her, eyes black with a feral light gleaming behind them, she knew he needed her.

Whatever was simmering between them was getting recklessly close to snapping, and she could see resistance in his every tense muscle, warding off his own urges. Flic didn’t know what was holding him back, but she knew it was wearing thin. She held the Alpha’s gaze for a beat too long to only be friendly, and felt a thrill of excitement at being on the brink of something dangerous.