Chapter 16 16
Aurélie POV
With Miss Lambert off to collect Delphine along with whichever doll or stuffed creature absolutely had to join them I take the chance to crouch down so I’m eye level with Dominique.
“What’s going on?” I whisper, resting my hand gently on the back of his head.
“Nothing…” He tries to shrug me off, but I don’t let the gesture deter me.
“Dominique.”
My tone sharpens. I straighten, letting just a sliver of my Alpha aura slip free.
“My wolf is just becoming more present. That’s all.”
He tries to sound nonchalant, but he’s far too perceptive, far too mature for a four-year-old. It unsettles me in a way I try not to show.
“That’s because you’re my successor,” I remind him softly. “One day you’ll take my place as Alpha. You’ll make a strong leader, Dominique but you must learn to control your wolf. Maybe it’s time we start proper training?”
The thought still feels foreign on my tongue. I was an Alpha-born only child, but even I didn’t begin training until my teenage years and even then, most of it involved sitting quietly at the back of pack meetings, observing rather than participating.
“Can I attend the pack meeting today?” he asks eagerly, eyes bright with interest.
“Maybe just a bit too young,” I chuckle, leaning forward to kiss the top of his head.
Delphine appears at that moment, clutching a giant bunny stuffed toy to her chest, Miss Lambert right behind her.
“Oh good,” Dominique crows, snatching the bunny from her arms before she can react, “are we playing hunt and kill the bunny today?”
“No, Dominique!” Delphine shrieks, chasing after him as he bolts out the front door.
Miss Lambert sighs with soft amusement. “I’ll take them for as long as you need.”
“Thank you.” I place a hand on her shoulder. Truly, I would be lost without her. She had become the grandmotherly figure my children never got to have.
Later, in my office large enough to house a round meeting table I sit with my four head warriors and Fabrice.
With our pack expanding and a new alliance forming, I need each head warrior to oversee a unit of trainees and maintain four rotating shifts of border security.
Théo, my original head warrior, has been with me from the beginning long before I was Alpha. He was the one who tried to stop me from rushing into the burning Alpha house to reach my parents’ bodies. He’s protective, relentless, and as meticulous with security as I am.
“How were things while we were away?” I ask, wanting reassurance that our absence hadn’t opened any vulnerabilities. Our lands were generally quiet; a few rogue wanderers occasionally drifted too close, but Théo and his men always intercepted them before they could see or sense me.
“All clear. It’s been quiet,” Théo replies, rubbing the stubble on his jaw. Judging from his exhaustion, he came straight from night watch. I make a mental note to send him to rest as soon as we’re done.
Théo is thirty-one a few years older than Fabrice and me. His mate, Émilie, is younger than I am, and their son Roland is two years older than Dominique. My son idolizes him, often disappearing into their home until I practically drag him out.
“No rogues?” Fabrice asks.
“No, Beta. Nothing.”
Fabrice stepped naturally into the Beta role Beta-born, respected, and capable. When the pack doctor was away, he often handled medical duties, especially assisting women in labor. The pack adored him.
“Are you okay?”
His voice echoes privately through the mind-link just as Théo starts giving routine updates.
“Yes,” I answer silently. “But Dominique says his wolf is becoming more present. It’s earlier than I expected…”
A frown tugs at my brow even as I keep my expression warm and attentive.
“He was born to be the King of Alphas,” Fabrice replies through the link. “His wolf will be very dominant.”
“I think we need to start his training early. Teach him to control the anger before it grows with him.”
“I’ll arrange something. I’ll speak with Théo,” he promises.
“Nothing too hard,” I warn, a protective ache pulsing through me. “He’s still my baby.”
“And Damien’s…”
My wolf growls the words in the depths of my mind, and the sound of his name rips a sharp breath from my lungs.