Chapter 117 117
Aurélie POV
“I think” Alpha Quentin begins.
I don’t let him finish.
I lift my hand, cutting him off mid-sentence, and the room stills instantly. I savor it. Especially knowing that so many of the Alphas watching me are members of my alliance.
All eyes swing to me as I slowly raise my hand to my face.
I pat my cheeks deliberately.
“Nope. No boils.”
A ripple of confused murmurs spreads through the room.
Then, unhurried, I slide my hands downward tracing over my breasts, along my waist, down to my hips, and lower still. I take my time, emphasizing every curve. Slim frame. Perky, modest breasts. All of it on display.
The same eyes that had been roaming my body earlier without permission now drink me in openly because I allow it.
“Aurélie.” Damien’s low growl cuts through the silence, jealousy sharp and unmistakable as every gaze locks on his mate.
Confidence surges through me hot, intoxicating.
“A penis?” I add lightly, mockingly. “Nope.”
Then I grin at the entire room.
“I am Aurélie Roux, Alpha of the Darkvale Pack. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all especially those of you I’ve only had the joy of dealing with through emails.”
Silence crashes down.
Élodie is the first to move.
She crosses the room toward Dominique and Delphine, crouching to their level with a warm smile.
“Would you like to see our playroom at the pack house?” she whispers gently, offering her hands.
They light up instantly, taking them as she leads them away.
“Take your time, Alpha,” she adds over her shoulder. “I’ll watch them.”
“Thank you, Luna,” I reply, winking at her. My acceptance and my support of her new title rings clear.
“You’re the Alpha of Darkvale… a woman?” the scornful female can’t stop herself.
“Is that so hard to believe?” I turn fully to face her.
She sneers, clearly unimpressed until I release my Alpha aura.
It rolls through the room like a storm, pressing down on every person present. I focus it sharply on her, watching her stiffen beneath the weight.
“Two surprises in one night, Alpha Quentin,” the older man beside her says quickly, attempting humor. “You do spoil us.”
I don’t rein my aura in.
Not until Damien’s arm slides around my shoulders, grounding me instantly.
“Alpha Damien,” the woman says, her gaze glued to his arm around me, “where is Geneviève?”
The name detonates.
A beastly roar tears from Damien’s chest as he rounds on her, fury raw and unrestrained.
“Geneviève is in exile,” he declares. “If anyone has knowledge of her whereabouts or notices unusual activity near their borders you will report it to me or to Alpha Aurélie Roux immediately.”
His aura surges outward, colliding with mine as music continues awkwardly in the background.
“Alpha Damien is correct,” Maurice cuts in firmly. “And we expect full compliance.”
Then, with perfect timing, he grins.
“Now is this a party or what?”
He offers me his hand.
After a brief hesitation, I take it.
He spins me effortlessly, then pulls me onto the dance floor just as a slow song begins. His arm settles at my back.
“That was bold, Aurélie,” he murmurs with a chuckle. “The way you held every male’s gaze… I think you aged a few of them.”
“Maybe that was a little too confident,” I admit, shaking my head.
“In a room full of Alpha males?” He laughs softly. “There’s no such thing. Besides I think you’ve gained a few admirers.”
He tilts his head toward a group of watching Alphas.
“I give it until the song ends before they ask to cut in.”
He isn’t wrong.
The moment the music fades, a small crowd begins to move toward us.
“Nope. Not happening.”
Damien appears instantly, gripping my arm and pulling me off the dance floor. He doesn’t slow until we’re outside the party room, through a quiet corridor and into a fairy-lit garden.
He stops beneath a pergola draped in red roses, lanterns casting warm light around us.
“To let Maurice dance with you is one thing,” he growls. “But not those other fuckers.”