Chapter 215 215
Aurélie’s POV
A few days have passed since I was discharged from the hospital and officially approved for recovery at home. Fabrice and I have been speaking frequently over the mind-link both of us fully aware that Damien won’t be thrilled by my decision to return to the Darkvale pack.
But Darkvale is my home.
It’s my pack.
And I am its Alpha.
Recovery or not, I have responsibilities that don’t simply pause because I was injured.
Fabrice and I sit once more in his old medical office the same one that holds far too many strange memories from four years ago. Nothing about it has changed. It looks exactly as it did when we left. I’m not even sure another doctor has ever been assigned to this room.
“I’m willing to sign you off to return to Darkvale,” Fabrice says carefully, scanning my charts. “But I want to continue monitoring you once you’re back there.”
“I’m fine, Fabrice,” I interrupt. “I feel fine.”
There is too much happening for me to sit idle. Damien and Maurice are working on something something important and they’re being unusually secretive about it. Maurice, at least, has been incredible. The children adore him. He’s slipped seamlessly into their daily routines, stepping in when needed, teasing them when they need grounding, snapping them back into line when required.
My wolf, however, still lags behind her energy slow to return.
“You might not feel the same in two weeks,” Fabrice says with a sigh, eyes dropping to my blood results. His glasses slide slightly down his nose, and he nudges them back into place without thinking.
“What do you mean?” I frown. I don’t understand his concern. The poison is gone. My heart is strong. Yes, there are scars on my chest and leg but in the grand scheme of things, those are nothing.
“You’ve been marked,” he says quietly. “By an Alpha. By an Alpha King.”
“Okay…” I draw the word out, waiting for the point.
“This has never happened before,” he continues. “I’ve been researching there’s no historical record of an Alpha marking another Alpha.”
I can tell how hard he’s been pushing himself. Between monitoring my recovery and ensuring the safety of the Darkvale pack and our family here, he’s nearing exhaustion. Fabrice has never been good at stepping away.
It’s what makes him such an exceptional doctor.
“Fabrice,” I say gently, “Damien and I already have children. It’s not like I’m” I hesitate, then grimace. “a virgin.”
The awkwardness hits immediately. Heat rushes to my face, my cheeks burning. Doctor or not, he’s still my best friend. Still my Beta.
“I just need you to be prepared,” he says firmly. “An Alpha mark is notoriously the hardest during the first heat”
“That’s usually when there aren’t children involved,” I cut in. “Honestly, I think you’re worrying about something that doesn’t need worrying about.”
Damien and I have already been together. We’ve already built a life. This isn’t some newly turned Luna barely of age being claimed by her mate.
“Aurélie,” Fabrice says softly, meeting my gaze, “he may be your mate but I’m your Beta. And your best friend. I have the right to worry. You really scared me.”
He’s right.
I’d feel exactly the same if the roles were reversed. Fabrice has always been part of my life always. That’s why, when Gaston and Geneviève threatened everything, protecting him mattered so much. Keeping him safe mattered.
I exhale slowly. “Alright… if it’ll make you feel better, why don’t we head back to Darkvale but stop at the Lake House first?”
He looks up, listening.
“The kids would love it,” I continue. “A break. A reset. They can play in the water with Damien. You can spend some quality time with Florence. And I can rest.”
I smile, already picturing it.
“My favorite chair. Overlooking the lake. A mug in one hand, a book in the other. Sounds perfect to me.” I tilt my head. “Exactly what the doctor ordered.”
Fabrice snorts.
“I am the doctor.”