His mate's secrets

Chapter 8 - A helping hand

The sun was still high in the sky as Flic flipped over the closed sign on the door. She sighed with the loss of the rest of the day but there was nothing she could do about it. Her dad was busy with a task for Alpha Neil and she couldn’t back out of her commitment to Damon. Today was the day she was moving into the packhouse, her new home for the foreseeable future. She had no idea what it would be like to live with the Alpha and the thought had been churning in her mind all day. Flic often didn't know where she stood with him. When she teased him, he would sometimes flirt back with her, but other times he would pull away, and then in quieter moments he would warm up to her again. Constantly adapting to his mood gave her a headache and she hoped he would mellow if they spent more time together.

There was a sudden rattle from the kitchen and Flic spun on the spot, her eyes narrowing. The Beta’s scent wafted from the other room, drawing her closer, but when he made no attempt to call out to her she donned a playful smile.

“Hello?” She didn’t manage to keep all the amusement from her voice.

As expected, there was no response and Flic failed to smother a giggle as she crept forward. Just like the night before, the rolling pin was on the counter as she passed, but she had a better idea. She passed through the archway on her tip toes and put on a show of scouring the kitchen for any sign of an intruder. Though the fear from the night before wasn’t there, it was replaced by a small tingle of excitement waiting for the moment Julien would pop out at her. He was only hiding around the corner and when she finally turned towards him, she was ready.

Flic arched her arm up as if to hit him with the rolling pin again, and he caught her wrist, however she quickly followed through with her true plan. Cupcake in her other hand, she thrusted it into his unsuspecting face, leaving him only enough time to make his eyes grow wide as the icing descended on him. She smeared the frosting over his nose and mouth, wriggling it into him before stepping back and admiring her handy work. Julien hadn’t moved, his mouth open but at a loss for words, as Flic bent over and held her side in hysterics. He looked ridiculous and she wished she could take a picture to keep forever.

As the shock subsided, a grin pulled at the Beta’s lips, and she had the suspicion a pink hue hid under the icing, not that Julien would ever admit it. He wiped most of it from his face and then she watched, memorised, as he darted his tongue out to collect the rest. He hummed his approval, the noise a deep and husky rumble in the back of his throat. Flic's breath hitched, the sound playing over her skin with an enticing tingle, and she found herself wanting a taste. His smile turned sly as he caught her staring but she didn’t look away. Instead, she sauntered closer, until she drew directly in front of him. Without breaking eye contact, Flic lifted to her tip toes and slipped her hands to the back of his neck. She pulled his head down to meet her, watching as his eyes closed and lips parted. With a smile, she coaxed him lower, and flicked her tongue out to catch the last drop of frosting on the tip of his nose.

The Beta jerked in her hold, his eyes snapping open and locking to her. Flic pulled away, expecting the pair to fall into laughter but instead she froze. The weight in his gaze held her still and she swallowed the lump it formed in her throat. There was only a breath between them, a static charge dancing within the gap, coaxing them closer.

Suddenly, there was a tapping on the front door and the pair jerked apart. A flush bloomed in her cheeks and she placed a cool hand against it in an attempt to quell its rage. Her lips parted to speak but she found no words before the tapping came again. Flic went to see to it, but it was just a wolf at the door wondering why she was closed. She quickly explained and sent the customer on their way but it gave her a few seconds to compose herself before returning to Julien’s side.

He watched her closely and she fidgeted under his gaze. Unable to look him in the eye, she turned and gathered random items from the kitchen counter to put away, although they were already in the correct spots. Flic closed her eyes, giving herself a mental warning to not do that again. Only yesterday she had pushed him away, it wasn’t fair to tease him again, not when she still hadn't figured out her situation. Julien was her friend, she didn’t want to hurt him.

“What are you doing here? Did you miss the lunch rush?” she asked with a laugh, but the sound was hollow.

“No, I was sent here to help.”

Flic frowned and peered over her shoulder. The Beta was tense, his eyes hardened, and realisation dawned on her. Damon had sent him to help her move to the packhouse. When she had asked the Alpha to send some warriors to her today, the Beta wasn’t who she had had in mind, especially not the one who Damon had sensed leaving kisses along her neck. She narrowed her eyes, unsure if she was casting the Alpha in a bad light or things had just fell this way, but it felt too much of a coincidence.

All the items she was taking to the packhouse were already packed up neatly into three boxes. A lot of her stuff still needed to be kept hidden from Damon but her dad would be staying in their house and she trusted him to keep an eye on it. Anyway, she’d be in the bakery everyday and only downstairs from anything she needed, so she only took enough to convince everyone that the packhouse was her permanent residence.

Flic grabbed the boxes and carried them down to the Beta.

“Is this it?” Julien frowned as he picked up two of the boxes.

“Yep.” She smiled and shrugged. “Its only for show, I’ll still be spending way more time here than there.”

Some of the tension in his expression unwound and Flic’s grin grew. She knew he was worried about her and she hoped he realised the relationship with Damon was as fake to her as it was to the Alpha. She only needed him for his protection and to keep her and her father's place in the pack.

During their walk to the packhouse, Flic found herself grateful to Damon for sending Julien to help. She had spent the day dreading this moment and yet her friend made everything easier. They took their time as they walked, catching up on any odd gossip each of them had and it put her at ease. The Beta had her laughing her head off as he recounted stories of the warriors and told her of his recent success in catching the younger ones messing around in the changing rooms. She grinned, remembering her own coming of age shenanigans and teased him to find out what he was like at eighteen. It was a surprise to hear he was as straight laced as they came.

“What changed?” She giggled, eyes sparkling with her memories of Julien, that were anything but innocent.

“I met a woman who was a bad influence.” He winked at her.

While they were walking a lot of warriors stopped to talk to Julien and those who did want to disturb him gave him a respectful nod as they passed. Where Damon had received a lot of attention the night before, it had mainly been from the civilian wolves. Flic noticed this was different and asked him about it.

“Well... its been a hard few years for the pack and someone had to step up.” Julien shrugged.

She didn’t know much about his role as the Beta. Aside from Alpha Neil assigning Julien to accompany her on a few of her trips off the pack’s territory, she only ever saw him as her friend. Around her, he didn’t speak about his work amongst the warriors and she assumed it was for the same reason she didn’t want to discuss her work during her downtime. When discussing the agreement, Alpha Neil had said something similar about the pack struggling ever since Damon lost his Luna, but she never realised Julien had been the one to take on the extra burden. Something clenched in her chest knowing her friend hadn't told her about it.

“It must be hard to lose a mate.” She spoke in a low voice. Damon’s neglect wasn’t because he wasn’t fit for the Alpha role but because he was in despair. It was another reason Flic didn’t want to find her mate. It would leave her vulnerable to unbearable pain.

“Yes, it is.” Julien grunted.

There was something underneath his tone that made Flic frown, and she eyed him. They hadn’t ever talked about mates before but she supposed it was strange that the Beta didn’t have a partner yet. In all the time she’d known him, he had never even had a girlfriend. She wanted to press him for more, but a flicker of tension bounced in his jaw and she decided to stay quiet, letting the pair ruminate on their conversation as her new home came into view.