Chapter 129 129
Aurélie POV
I kept my insecurities to myself.
I had no right to suspect Damien of anything. He wasn’t mine was he? Not yet, anyway. And even if fate was pulling us together, did I truly intend to keep him?
My thoughts were scattered, my emotions worse. But slipping the cold façade back into place was easy. I’d done it a thousand times before. I could stitch over the places where my heart had begun to fray, pull tight the seams before they split completely. Coldness kept me safe. Coldness gave me control.
Wanting Damien while simultaneously keeping him at arm’s length was giving me emotional whiplash. Goddess only knew what mixed signals I was sending him. But Clémence was an alpha’s daughter, and Damien was the King of the alliance her pack belonged to. It was no different than Simon requesting a private word with me.
Would I want Damien flying into a jealous rage over that?
No.
Fabrice returned from the tour with Dominique, giving me the opportunity I needed to finally get my son dressed and looking respectable especially with farewells approaching.
We descended the stairs together, a family unit once more, stepping into the courtyard where guests lingered as cars were brought around and suitcases loaded under the direction of each pack’s beta. Dominique watched the process with fascination. I suspected he was already filing away mental notes observing not just what was done, but what he would someday do differently.
“Well, Dominique, Delphine thank you for your hospitality,” Alpha Maurice says warmly, bending down to Delphine’s height. “Especially for the tea parties…”
He taps her nose gently, making her giggle.
I sense Damien entering the courtyard before I see him. My eyes find his just as he looks down to watch Maurice saying goodbye to the twins. Delphine rises on her toes and presses a soft kiss to Maurice’s cheek, his bright, pearly smile on full display.
I don’t miss the way Damien stiffens. Maurice was enjoying this winning Delphine’s affection before her own father could. A quiet, playful upmanship.
“Aurélie, my love…” Maurice straightens and opens his arms to me, pressing a kiss to each of my cheeks before slipping my arm through his. He guides me toward his car.
“You’ll visit my pack soon, I hope?” His tone is light, but his eyes gleam. “Ash Valley will always be open to you and the children. You know that, don’t you?”
I don’t need enhanced hearing to catch the low rumble that echoes from Damien’s chest behind me.
“Thank you, Maurice for everything,” I reply sincerely. “And yes, I’ll take you up on that soon.”
He had helped save Dominique. My hero with the wicked smile. Playful, yes but beneath it lay an aura that, if crossed, could freeze the coldest corners of the earth.
“Promise me something,” he says, his tone turning serious. “If you ever need an ally call me.”
“That’s very”
“Promise me,” he insists gently, needing to hear it.
“I promise.” I kiss his cheek before stepping back.
“Very good.”
I move through the courtyard, offering farewells to members of the Darkvale alliance, assuring them that now my identity was no longer hidden, I would visit their packs personally. I also extend an invitation once the birthing centre settles for Fabrice and me to welcome them to Darkvale.
The Bloodnight alliance members watch from a distance, their expressions wary, edged with distrust. They had been contacted. They had made their loyalties clear. And that was fine. I hadn’t threatened them or pressured them only left the door open should they ever wish to reconsider.
Across the courtyard, Damien and Lucas stand with a cluster of alphas, while the lunas converse nearby. Alpha Jérôme and Clémence linger off to the side with Quentin.
Odd.
Were they so disliked among the Bloodnight alliance? Even the lunas seemed to be deliberately avoiding Clémence.
A deep, hearty laugh bursts from Damien’s chest, and I turn without thinking.
His face is caught mid-laughter, open and unguarded, his ocean-blue eyes alight, cheekbones sharp, lips full and pink. That slight pout he usually wore only when frustrated or smoking was there now, softened by genuine joy.
Our eyes meet.
Heat flares instantly between us, sharp and undeniable. His laughter fades as his gaze slides past me, locking onto someone at my side.
Someone who wants my attention.
And just like that, the moment shatters.