Page 35 of Spirit Walker Pack (Kingdom of Wolves #5)

FLINT

I am stunned. Speechless. Chef Flick has feelings for me? What? When did that happen? What am I supposed to do now? Wow! Fenya takes Blossom and Lyle, and I’m left here gasping like a fish out of water, with Chef Flick.

“Chef Flick…”

“I knew that was how you saw me. That’s why I never approached you as anything other than a councilman. I’m sorry you had to find out this way, or at all.” Even though she is obviously hurting, she stands proud, and her voice is strong.

“Flick. May I call you Flick?”

“That would be nice if it were for the right reasons.” Her eyes search mine, and I can’t look away.

“Flick, I haven’t looked at a female as anything other than her position or rank for many years.

I have been alone for so long, I thought that the Goddess had forgotten me.

I cannot deny that I am shocked by this revelation of your feelings for me, but I am not revolted or displeased with the idea.

You are a stunning female in both looks and personality.

I have enjoyed our few conversations, and I have to say that on more than one occasion I would have gladly talked longer. ”

“But? I’m waiting for the but. There’s going to be a but, I know it.” She drops into a chair by the desk and looks defeated. I don’t know why, but this makes me very sad.

“I don’t have a but, I just never tried to extend those conversations, and I don’t know why.

I have resigned myself to being alone, and because the Goddess hasn’t done the work for me, I haven’t opened my eyes to a potential mate for me to choose or be chosen.

I guess I’m a bit slow at coming forward in that respect.

” Sitting in the chair opposite Flick, I can only wonder what happens next.

“So, what happens next?” Flick asks. I laugh gently and stop quickly when I realize that it could be taken all wrong.

“You must be able to read my mind. That’s exactly what I was thinking as I sat down. You lead and I’ll follow?” I don’t know what else to say.

“I lead? I have no experience in these matters. I’ve spent months just waiting to cook you a meal!

” Flick’s outburst takes me by surprise.

“What can I do? You’ll be gone again in a few days, or less, and then I’ll be mooching around in a state of abandonment until I hear you’re coming for another flying visit!

” Her arms are flying about, emphasizing her words.

“Well, if you’re agreeable, I’d like to explore this further. Certainly get to know you better and…”

“I bet you would! I’m not sure that I’m ready to be explored, thank you very much.” I look up from my feet in shock when I think she has misunderstood my meaning. Seeing her bright green eyes sparkling, her face framed by her sandy brown hair and her lips wide in a smile, I realize she’s joking.

“One thing I know. It’s not going to be boring, getting to know you,” I say, smiling back at her.

“It’s not going to be easy either. Me being here and you being at the Council. I’m not ready to leave everything I have achieved here, and especially not at this time. I wouldn’t ask you to do that either. This could become a lengthy courtship.”

“That’s okay, Flick. It will take me some time to tell all my other mistresses, concubines and harlots that I’m off the market.”

“Ha, Flint. You flatter yourself. I have made extensive inquiries into your private life over the months. If there were even a whiff of any of those, we wouldn’t have reached this point.

Let’s go for a walk. The Alpha will need his office shortly I’m sure.

” With that, she takes my hand and we head for the door.

As I’m closing it behind us, I ask where we’re going. “I’m taking you to the orchard. There’s something I need to tell you before you hear it from someone else.”

GLENN

Hearing that Blossom is interested in me as a mate comes as a great shock.

I hardly hear what Luna Fenya is telling me.

Running to the packhouse, I must generate a great deal of interest from pack members.

I see more than one stop and watch as I rush by.

Dashing into the packhouse, I head for the Luna’s office.

As I approach the guard, he opens the door for me.

Barreling into the room, I see Blossom jump to her feet and stare at me. Stopping in front of her, my mind a blur of things that the Luna had told me, I hear Luna Fenya telling me to ‘lift her up and kiss her’.

Now, Blossom is considerably shorter than I am, so to pick her up and kiss her presents a problem.

Throwing caution to the wind, I bend down, put my hands on her butt, and lift her up to my waist. Now she is looking down at me and as I get ready to kiss her, she slams her mouth onto mine and beats me to it.

We don’t break the kiss until we need to breathe, and it’s a quick gulp of air before we’re into our second kiss. Ending that kiss, I don’t know what to do, so just stand there looking up at her.

“I didn’t know how to approach you. You’re so handsome and such a hunk. I’m just so plain and tiny. I was afraid to say anything.” Blossoms whispers this, and I’m aghast at her words.

“Plain? You are the most beautiful thing in any of the gardens. I walked the gardens just to get a glimpse of you and would then be so embarrassed, I’d slink off without you seeing me,” I confess.

“I saw you many times but didn’t know what you were doing. I thought you were birdwatching or something. If I’d known you were looking at me, I’d have dressed better than in my old t-shirts, overalls and wellies!” Blossom laughs.

“You shouldn’t knock those overalls of yours. I have fallen asleep many times to a mental picture of you in those overalls.” I blush a little as I reveal this.

“My work gear? You’ve seen me in all sorts of clothes and you dream of me in my overalls and wellies?” She blinks several times as she says this.

“It was just your overalls. No t-shirt or wellies. Just the overalls. They did it for me. What can I say?” I whisper.

“I have a pair that I cut down to shorts. I haven’t worn them yet. They are in my tool shed. I’ll put them on, and then we can go to the orchard. I have something to confess, if there’s no one already there, that is.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me and I hope that means what I want it to mean!

“That’s a coincidence. I was going to suggest we go to the orchard for a while.” Remembering what Fenya had said about taking her there and also not botching the opportunity.

Before I put Blossom down, she gently strokes my cheek. “You have a handprint on your face. That must have hurt for it to be so red. How did you get it?”

“It happened at training in the woods. I wasn’t paying attention when I should have been!”

LYLE

Enjoying the evening meal with Fenya in the dining hall, we look up when the hall goes silent.

Entering the hall are two couples, Flint and Flick holding hands and Glen and Blossom arms linked.

I stand to applaud them, and the hall stands with me.

Far from being embarrassed, they turn to the hall and take a bow.

Fenya whispers to me, “Flick and Flint are taking things slow. Blossom and Glen are already at the next level.” Before I can ask how she could possibly know that, she adds, “Just look at the glow on Blossom's face and the smug look on Glen’s. He is declaring to all who look, Blossom is his female.” I can’t dispute her logic on that.

As they get their food from the counter, I can’t help but notice the entire kitchen staff are at the counter congratulating Flick on getting her mate.

They are a close-knit bunch, and that is thanks to Flick’s management.

I know she has had her problems with some of them over time, but not once has she had to call on me, or my parents before me, to sort it out.

Beckoning the two couples over, we congratulate them on finding their mates and sit down to find out how they got to their respective levels of relationship.

Flint is surprisingly vocal, and I think Fenya could be wrong about them taking it slow.

As Flint talks about Flick, I see her taking note of how he speaks of her.

It is all very complimentary, and some of his recollections of her go back quite some time.

I think they’ll soon catch up with Blossom and Glen.

Blossom does most of the talking for her and Glen, not surprisingly.

She gets quite breathless when she describes how he burst into the Luna’s office and swept her off her feet.

She blushes when she tells how he lifted her by her butt, but positively glows when she says that it was she that initiated their first kiss.

We all look at Glen as he jumps and gives out an ‘ouch’.

That would be Fenya reminding him he was supposed to do that.

Flint looks very thoughtful, and when Blossom and Glen leave, he holds Flick back. “Alpha Lyle, could I ask you something?”

“I can’t imagine what it would be related to, but fire away.”

“Would I be able to have a home built somewhere in your pack lands for Flick and me? I can’t resign from the council in the middle of our current crisis, but I could live and work from here for some of the time.

I’ve given a lot of consideration to resigning of late and as I’m the last of the old councilors, I think once we have the Arric issue put to bed, I’d like to leave the Shifter Council to the new councilors we now have. ”

Flick looks quite shocked by his declaration and makes it quite clear that she doesn’t want him to uproot his life just because of her.

“My dear Flick, I can’t think of a better reason. You get to carry on with the thing you do best. I get to retire, eat excellent food and annoy my friend Lyle on a daily basis. What could be more perfect than that?”

His innocent look fools me not at all. He would indeed take great pleasure in causing me annoyance and displeasure, in one jovial form or another.

Once back in my office, I give Bronze a quick call. Learning how many warriors he has sent me I begin making plans for their encampment. It needs to look much bigger than it is if our plan to deceive Arric is to work.

After speaking to Connell and Gabe, I call Earl to the office. Giving him the numbers, he disappears to get things in motion. Gerry is pleased with the numbers that he is receiving and has made plans for their much more discreet sleeping arrangements.

Getting the rogues to focus on Blood Pearl Pack is key to the plans that Bronze and I have to end this farcical attempt at creating a kingdom for King Arric and his subjects.

The only concern in the entire plan is the mysterious Number Seven.

Is he truly a member of the Shadow Clan, or is he another upstart with high opinions of himself, like Arric?

Only time will tell, and time is running out.