His mate's secrets

Chapter 12 - Trust

Flic took a deep breath, sucking in the fresh air and embracing the rumble of life all around her. It was rare for her to be around so many people and she indulged in the busy atmosphere. Absent chatter echoed off tightly packed buildings as shoppers weaved through the crowd like a school of fish instinctively swimming between the small gaps that appeared. It was mesmorising to watch, and Flic held an admiration for the humans. For beings without a concept of a pack and the inability to connect to others in the same way wolves did, their capacity to link together and form large communities was something to behold.

It wasn’t her first time among the humans, she regularly visited the settlements nearest to the pack, but she held the same curiosity each time. On the busy high street, she kept to the side in fear of being swept away with the crowd, but she couldn’t deny the buzz of life in the air. This place in particular was the closest town to Red Valley, though it was more than five times the size of her pack. Flic had been there a few times before, when she had been invited out by some of the warriors, and recognised some of the streets but she indulged in the experience of getting lost.

Her father had come with her for the trip, he always did when she needed to resupply off of the territory, but they had split up to get through their list quicker. Her father was grabbing items for the bakery while she was headed to a back-alley shop to find the ingredients she needed for her brews. Flic supplied the hospital with medicines they couldn’t procure and created a few private items for Alpha Neil. The next order needed to be completed soon but with everything that had been going on she hadn’t had a chance to get off the territory to buy them. Though there was nothing stopping wolves from leaving the pack, she always got permission and left under the guise of restocking the bakery.

From the moment she stepped foot off the territory, Flic had adjusted her and her dad’s ring to the default level. She had to be extra careful when she left the safety of her home. She couldn’t risk being recognised or leaving a scent trail behind for anyone to follow back to Red Valley. It was unlikely that the man hunting her would be here, but his reach and allies spread far. Though she wasn’t invisible, the ring smothered her scent and masked her presence. Even among the humans, she could stand unobserved and just watch them pass her by. The only downside was her inability to connect to other wolves, including her dad, but that’s what mobiles were for. It felt oddly exposing to not be able to mindlink and she held the mobile tight in her hand, anticipating a buzz.

It didn’t take long for Flic to find the shop she required, and she was in and out in minutes. Apparently, humans didn’t have much need for raw ingredients from all over the world and just her presence in there had made the shop owner send her odd glances. She tucked her bag of items into her handbag, to keep it hidden from other curious gazes, and headed to the spot where she was meeting up with her dad.

The sun was bright in the sky, casting a warmth over her that bled into her skin like an indulgence. It coaxed her jacket from her shoulders, and she tied it around her waist as she continued to dawdle through the streets. It was nice to be by herself with some freedom rather than being restricted to her work and the Red Valley territory, and Flic felt a stirring of excitement in her gut. It swirled within her, making her limbs feel weightless and she allowed herself to stop and look around. Usually, she headed straight back to her father’s side and then they went home, but she wanted to do more. She wanted to make the most of her time. Sending a quick message to her father, though most times she would be finished long before him, a grin pulled across her expression. She danced towards a nearby shop, a bounce in her step and a twinkle in her eye.

Flic had three bags on her arms when she suddenly stopped. She had been in a Chocolaterie, a kitchen supply store and a clothes store, buying something in each one. Her smile was as bright as the day, and she continued to weave through the crowd of busy shoppers, until something caught her eye. Like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to a large window which held a stunning dress wrapped around a mannequin like it was waiting for someone to bring it to life. Flic drew close, her eyes sparkling with potential. Her bottom lip slipped between her teeth, imagining it hugging her body like a second skin, its colour the deep red of the Alpha’s eyes when he gave her a heated look.

As if the man himself was drawn to her thoughts of him, a familiar scent, she didn’t think she’d smell that day, caught her nose. Flic tipped her head, a smirk crossing her lips as she tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She had asked Alpha Neil for one favour that day but, of course, he wouldn’t do it. A part of her wasn’t surprised at Damon’s presence, it was just her luck for him to show up when she didn’t expect him, he always seemed to. Another part of her was quietly happy that Neil had failed to keep him occupied. Him showing up here was another moment to spend with the Alpha, and since there was no one to perform for, she wondered how distant he would be.

Flic knew the exact moment he found her. His eyes locked to her, his gaze a steady pressure on her skin that she never wanted to alleviate. It increased as he approached and soon all other sounds fell away except the deliberate footsteps behind her. She itched to turn around, but where was the fun in that? Instead, she resisted the urge and watched the crimson eyes approach in the window’s reflection. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, stimulated by Damon’s advance. When the Alpha drew to a stop behind her, a thrill raced down her spine sending tingles over her skin that begged her to turn around, but still she resisted. His presence was all encompassing when it was just the pair of them, and she held his full attention. For others, it may have been overwhelming, but Flic revelled in it.

“That would look beautiful on you.” His voice rumbled behind her.

Her heart fluttered, it was almost a compliment, but she schooled her expression, knowing he was watching her reflection too. “If only I had somewhere to wear it.” She sighed dramatically, then spun on the spot, finally caving to her body’s desires. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, barely holding back a smirk. “Or someone to wear it for.”

Damon was looking at her with an intensity she didn’t expect to see, and her breath hitched. He searched her expression, a slight frown on his face before he reached out a hand and scooped her loose curls behind her shoulder. His hand then rested at the base of her neck, his thumb balanced on the hollow of her throat, before he dipped his head close to her. Flic’s lips parted in surprise, and she couldn’t look away as Damon closed the distance between him. His cheek skimmed hers, while he let his fingers trailed across her collarbone and down her bare arm.

“I’ve been trying to find you.” His voice was a low murmur against her ear, and she had to suppress a shiver. “Where is your scent?”

Flic jerked when the hand, which had been touching her so lightly moments ago, clamped onto her arm. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to keep her still. When she had scented the Alpha, her own situation had fled her mind and only now did she realise that mistake. When it was too late, and Damon already had questions.

“Alpha Neil gave me a scent blocker when I informed him of this trip.” Flic knew his father must’ve had blockers considering Damon used one on the day he chose her, but she hoped it wouldn’t seem too strange to the Alpha.

“Why?” He grunted, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. They were intimately close, and if his hold on her arm hadn’t been so firm, she knew her racing heartbeat would’ve been for an entirely different reason.

“I didn’t want to bump into unknown wolves and risk leading them back to the pack.” The words whispered from her lips as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Damon’s gaze didn’t soften, if anything it sharpened. Flic could see the doubt there. “Why can’t I mindlink you?” His words were firm, carrying the weight of an Alpha’s tone, and she did her best not to squirm beneath it.

“I don’t know. Maybe it was a special blocker?” She winced at the weak reasoning her scrambled brain provided.

Damon straightened and dropped his hand from her arm. His warmth quickly left her skin and Flic forced herself to meet his eyes. She wasn’t surprised to see disbelief swimming in the crimson orbs but there wasn’t any distrust or malice in his gaze. It felt more like disappointment, and she could help but feel it swell in her gut as she questioned why she couldn’t just tell him the truth.

When her and her dad had first come to Red Valley, it had been a part of the agreement that only Alpha Neil would know about them. The fewer people who knew about their roles aiding the pack, the better, and it had worked that way for many years. Flic was so used to hiding that part of herself that the moment she could’ve opened up, the vulnerability of the truth became too much and stole any honesty from her tongue. Though she knew Damon a bit better now compared to back then, she could hardly call him a friend. They had spent mere days talking to each other and she knew nothing about him except his need to use her to maintain his Alpha title. It was exactly the strongest foundation for trust.

Flic was fooling herself and she knew it. The truth was, she didn’t want the way Damon looked at her to change. There was a mistrust of spiritual wolves among normal wolves, and many shied away from them. It laced the gaze with suspicion and created distance. She saw it every time Alpha Neil looked at her and she didn’t want Damon to see her in that same tinted light, she just wanted to be Felicity to him. That’s who she was, just like any other wolf, except she had some special abilities. It was unfair that she would be treated differently, especially when all she did was use them to help. The wolf world revered the Big 6 packs for the same reason, a fact that left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Her chest tightened and her gaze dropped to the floor, no longer able to look at him while she lied. The truth was right there, on the tip of her tongue but it was swallowed by doubts and replaced by a hollow laugh that did little to hide her dishonestly. “It must be the blocker.” She whispered again, stealing her chance to tell him.

Flic felt his gaze on her. It felt heavy with the pressure of the barrier between them growing thicker with her choices. She felt herself tense, waiting for him to call her out and demand the truth, but it never came.

Damon sighed. “Have you had lunch yet?” She frowned and peered up at the Alpha. His stance had relaxed but his eyes had now averted from her. She shook her head. “Let’s go then.”

“My dad...” Flic managed to get out around her dry throat.

“He’s already headed home.” He answered, not bothering to look at her as he turned away. “How do you think I found you with your... scent blocker.” His tone soured, but Damon said no more as he ventured into the crowd of people.

Flic followed after him, but kept her head dipped watching her hands twist together. They clutched her decisions, desperate for them to be the right, but a searing regret twisted in her stomach, laying a seed of doubt, and she wondered if she should have told him the truth.