His mate's secrets

Chapter 9 - Acclimatising

Flic was panting by the time she had climbed the stairs to the second floor of the packhouse. With all her time needed in the bakery, she hadn’t exercised in a while and carrying the moderately heavy box up two flights of stairs had winded her. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her arms ached, but she hadn’t made it to her destination yet and gave a huff. Julien snorted as he passed her with his two boxes, not a hair out of place, and she had enough energy to glare at him but not to think of some witty remark to knock the smirk from his face.

In the packhouse, she had only ever been in the main hall and the Alpha’s office, so this area was completely new to her. The grandeur of the building carried to the upper floors, and it all felt rather impressive compared to the small, dainty home she was used to. With gold banisters lining caramel walls and a vibrant red carpet that led to a large oak door, Flic felt out of place in her work slacks. She knew the other side of that door held her new accommodation, but she wasn’t sure she could ever feel at home in a place like that.

Julien waited for her beside the door, giving her time to catch her breath and gather her courage before she managed to approach him. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she grabbed the cool handle and swung open the door. The first thing to hit her was an overwhelming rush of the Alpha’s scent. It filled the air, wrapping around her, and she noticed it was fresh. Taking a couple of tentative steps into the apartment, she soon realised why.

“I’ve been waiting.” Damon stood, clad in black, in the middle of a large living room. His arms were folded, and a twist of disappointment danced in his expression.

“If you had nothing else to do, you could’ve helped me with the boxes.” She retorted, but there was no bite to her words.

Her attention was stolen by the area she had just entered. She was in a short hallway which followed the same colour scheme of the stairway and led to the living room. Thankfully the colours were toned down in there and with floor to ceiling windows, it had a very open and bright feeling about it. Flic peered outside and took in the amazing view over the pack’s territory and the highlands surround it but, before she could appreciate it, her focus was again pulled away. Adjoined to the living room was the largest kitchen she had ever seen. It sparkled with disuse and her eyes filled with glee thinking about the mess she would make in there, giving it all the love it deserved. The kitchen she had at the bakery didn’t compare and, as she took a slow twirl of the area, she was certain her whole building could fit in that room alone. Flic could see more doors leading to other areas and held a star stuck expression. She had no idea the pack had this kind of place.

“Which bedroom is mine?” She managed to ask when she realised both men were staring at her, one with a smile and the other with a frown.

Damon pointed to a door on her right and she skipped towards it, a flutter of excitement in her chest. She didn’t consider herself a materialistic person, but at that moment she felt like a princess in her castle. Julien followed after her, but she quickly heard his footsteps come to a stop. She peered around at him, ready to coax him to carry her stuff all the way to her bed, when she saw the Alpha had intercepted his path.

“I’ll take it from here.” He grunted, holding his hands out for the boxes.

“I managed to carry them here from her home, I can make the last few steps.” Julien gave him a stiff smile, his hands gripping the cardboard so tight, it began to dent.

Flic cast her gaze between the pair and frowned. They were both rigid and unwavering as they stared at each other and, though their faces were neutral, a tension flickered in both expressions. A prickle crawled across her skin as the air thickened between them and she realised she couldn’t remember the last time she saw them both together. Of course, they both attended warrior training and formal events, but other than that she drew a blank. It was strange, she thought the Alpha and Beta of a pack were supposed to be close.

An uncomfortable twist turned her stomach as the tension grew and Flic was about to step between them when Julien finally relented. With lips pressed into a hard line, he pushed the boxes into the Alpha’s arms and took a deliberate step back. It was clear he was allowing this exchange rather than conceding to his Alpha, but it didn’t seem to faze Damon who was quick to turn his back on the Beta. He sauntered towards her, a smug smile on his lips that made her bristle.

“Should we go and explore your new room together?” He stopped next to her, a teasing glint in his eyes as he lifted a hand to her cheek.

Before he could touch her, Flic stepped back and c****d her head at him, relishing the way he froze. “There’s no need to pretend, everyone here knows this arrangement is fake.” She turned her back on him, her attention on Julien. It seemed her first thought had been right about the Alpha’s intentions. He had been ruffled that he found the Beta’s scent on her skin and was trying to assert some kind of dominance. Flic wouldn’t let him treat her that way and was happy to teach Damon a lesson about herself. “Thank you for your help, Julien.” She smiled, but her eyes were apologetic.

Some of the tension ebbed from her friend's frame but he only offered her a short nod before he turned and left the pair alone to unpack. Flic didn’t want Julien to leave, but she also didn’t want to make him stay. Not if Damon was going to be an ass about it. The door clicked shut behind the Beta, and she huffed and she strode past Damon, not sparing him a glance as she pushed into her new room. Flic quickly dumped her single box on the bed and, since the Alpha hadn’t moved, she returned to pull the last two from his grip.

“I’m going to unpack.” Her tone was clipped, and she didn’t wait for Damon’s response as she closed her bedroom door on him.

Instead of doing what she said, Flic flopped on to the bed and gave the ceiling a sigh. She had been in the apartment for all of five minutes and she already felt like she had gotten off on the wrong foot with Damon. It wasn’t how she wanted her moving in day to go and yet here she was, alone and feeling crappy.

Shaking off her disappointment, Flic turned her attention to the room. Just like the rest of the place, it was massive, much larger than she had ever slept in before, but all the awe she had held moments ago fizzled away with her sour mood. Without it, the space wasn’t impressive and just felt empty and barren of life. It didn’t feel like a home, and she knew she’d have to add a few personal comforts if she was to stay there. A multitude of ideas sprung to mind to make it cosier, but really, a room like that needed to be shared. It was too big for one and she wondered how Damon stayed in this whole apartment alone.

Her belongings only took a few minutes to unpack and didn’t even take up a quarter of the storage space on offer. Even if she had brought all her stuff over, Flic doubted she would’ve been able to fill the room with her presence.

Once that was done, she contemplated going out to talk to Damon, but a door she hadn’t explored caught her eye. Flic wasn’t ashamed to admit that she gave a little squeal as she walked into a fully equipped en-suite bathroom. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of a bathtub big enough for two, hell maybe even three, and a waterfall shower that twinkled at her. She didn’t need any more of an invitation than that and immediately stripped off. In ten seconds, she was standing beneath scolding hot water that made her skin shine with glee, with a smile on her face that could only be described as bliss.

Flic took her time in the glorious shower, putting off the inevitable, but after she had scrubbed every part of herself twice and let herself sing a few tunes, she knew she had to face Damon again. She slipped on some joggers and a tank top and let her freshly blow-dried hair fall at her sides, before she finally stepped out of her room.

The Alpha was sat in the living room, and she wondered if he had been waiting for her the entire time. He held a vacant stare as he looked straight ahead, and he didn’t notice her as she walked in. Flic took the rare moment to look over the man as he was, unobserved. The same authority hung around him, like an air of control he would never relinquish, and it pronounced itself in every way. The way Damon sat, lounged back without a care, the way his sculpted form demanded attention, and the way he slowly brought a tumbler to his lips to sip his drink. Even without his family lineage, he looked like a man born to lead.

Flic tore her eyes away from the Alpha. She was still unseen and began to feel the cringing sensation of awkwardness within her. She didn’t know what she was meant to do, what she was allowed to do. She was half tempted to sneak back into her room and just wait out the rest of the evening in there, but a pang of hunger shouted for her attention. An empty ache made her realise that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast and her eyes slowly turned to the kitchen. A grin took over her expression and she decided her next move.

“Do you want something to eat?” Flic called out to the Alpha as she headed into the kitchen. Damon jerked and blinked away his thoughts before frowning at her like she had appeared from nowhere. She c****d her head, waiting for him to answer.

“You’re not here to cook for me.”

“Too right I’m not.” She laughed, the sound bouncing around the room, filling it with the life it craved. Flic planted her hands on her hips and gave Damon a pointed look. “I’m hungry and want to eat. It’s not hard to whip you up something too.”

The Alpha eyed her, but she waited until he nodded his agreement before getting started. She rolled up her sleeves and twisted her hair into a loose bun on top of her head and felt a flicker of excitement. She was ready to pop the kitchen’s cherry. Flic searched the cupboards and then the fridge. It looked like the place had recently been stocked and she salivated at all the possible recipes she could make. The grumble in her stomach was impatient for something quick and easy so she settled on a simple chicken and rice dish for tonight but promised herself and the pristine work surfaces to do something more adventurous next time.

As she relaxed into the familiar movements of preparing the food, Flic barely registered Damon approaching. He moved from the couch and sat at the kitchen island behind her. Though he didn’t speak, she could feel the pressure of his eyes and wondered if he held a curious gaze or was amused by the novelty of someone using the kitchen. Without conversation, his presence fell to the back of her mind and Flic hummed as she worked, feeling the stresses of the day start to ease. Baking was what she loved, but she also enjoyed cooking. At her house, her dad cooked the meals, as she was often tidying up the bakery in the evenings, so this was a rare treat for her.

It wasn’t long before she had two plates of steaming hot food presented on the kitchen island. Her smile was proud as she handed the Alpha some cutlery, eager to see him try her cooking. Trying not to stare at him too hard, she dug into her meal, moaning as the flavours quelled the aching of her stomach. Damon cast her a glance and then took a cautionary bite. Though his expression didn’t change, his eyes widened a fraction and a gleam appeared in them. It was all Flic needed to see to know it was a success.

After that, the Alpha practically inhaled his food. She ate slower, but once she was done, he told her to go and sit on the couch. Flic did as she was told, expecting him to join her, but her eyebrows raised as the clatter of dishes came behind her. Damon had his shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows and his hands were deep in soapy water, scrubbing their dishes clean. The image of him was so strangely domestic that she did a double take as she sat. Flic never imagined the Alpha would, or even could, do chores. That kind of work seemed beneath the leader of so many and yet here he was, getting covered in bubbles and making the kitchen spotless.

Damon cast a smirk over his shoulder as she watched him, and she realised her mouth had fallen open. She snapped it shut again and managed to pull her gaze away, though it was like trying to avoid looking at the abominable snowman.

“What’s your poison?” Damon asked. His voice was deep and had an air of satisfaction about it, but Flic wasn't sure if it was from her cooking or the sparkling kitchen. It once again looked like it had never been used and she wondered if he was hiding a secret talent from her.

“Anything.” She shrugged but he gave her a look that mirrored her own from earlier. “Whiskey.”

It was strange to think he didn’t know something as simple as her favourite drink, when they had just moved in with one another. Flic knew it was fake, but there was an element of connection that was bound to grow from being so close and spending more time with each other, and she wondered if they should’ve got to know each other first.

Damon came over with two tumblers and a decanter of amber liquid. Flic could help but notice the muscles of his forearm flicker as he handed her a glass and poured her a drink. The Alpha poured his own and leaned back onto the couch opposite her. His arms spread wide over the back of the furniture, and he watched her as he took a long swig, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed the liquor.

“Do you like your room?” He asked, but there was an appraisal in his eyes that already knew the truth. Perhaps he had heard the shower going or she had a glow of its relaxation still on her skin, but she nodded anyway. He chuckled. “I’m glad you’ve made yourself comfortable.”

Flic noticed she was sitting stiffly, teetering on the edge of the couch, and took his words as an invitation to relax. She shuffled back, letting the comfy cushions embrace her as she sighed into them. She hooked one leg over the other and took a sip of the whiskey, enjoying the burn of warmth down her throat. She caught Damon’s eyes drop to her legs and slowly follow the curve of her thighs upwards, but when he lifted his gaze to see her amused stare, he didn’t seem bashful.

“I apologise for my behaviour earlier.” The Alpha spoke after the pair sat for a few minutes in companionable silence. “This is the only area in the pack where I get peace. I don’t like people in my space.”

Flic blinked, the sudden apology catching her off guard. She hadn’t expected Damon to acknowledge what had happened earlier, let alone accept his fault. She wasn’t sure the reason he gave was the whole truth, after all her had invited her to his room the day he chose her for this role, however she appreciated it. She didn’t want to have any bad blood between them if they were to live together like this. It would only make the awkward arrangement harder to endure.

“It must suck that I have to stay here now.” Flic felt almost apologetic; she knew the agreement wasn't Damon’s choice and Alpha Neil was enforcing their adherence to it. She peered around and hummed thoughtfully. “I’m sure we could make a secret exit if you’d prefer I didn’t sleep here. I could come every evening, sneak out the back and be at the bakery in time for bed. No one is awake when I get up for work so it wouldn’t...”

“No.” He cut her off.

The word was firm and left no room for debate, not that she wanted to argue with him. Though Flic had her reservations about moving into the packhouse, she could admit that she was having a nice time in the Alpha’s company. Yes, it was a bit awkward, and they had barely talked to one another, but there was an ease to being in his presence that was starting to feel natural. His acceptance of her into his space felt like a first step to the pair making their partnership work, and his firm decision to not let her sleep elsewhere felt like he was asking her to stay. The sentiment warmed through her and curled with the heat of the whiskey in her belly. Flic took another sip of her drink, letting the glass rim press against her lips to hide the smile that curled there. Maybe staying with Damon wouldn't be so bad after all.