Chapter 216 216
Aurélie’s POV
“Then order it,” I say with a smile, chuckling softly.
And just like that, I know it’s exactly what I needed. A return to my place of rest. The place I love most. The lake, the quiet, the stillness. The children will love showing it to Damien, splashing in the water, laughing without fear. And I’ll have the space I need to heal my wolf.
It doesn’t take long for Damien to pack, and soon we’re on the road to the Lake House. Being closer to my pack settles something inside me but Damien is right. Long-term, we’ll need land somewhere in between. We’re both active Alphas. We both need to be on or near our packs. There’s no avoiding that reality.
I invite Théo and Roland to come with us, but they’re eager to return to Émilie and rightly so. They’d left her early that morning to rush to our aid.
Later, I’m sitting in one of the outdoor chairs overlooking the lake, a blanket wrapped snugly around my legs and a warm cup of tea cradled in my hands. The lake is peaceful always has been. Soft ripples spread across the surface whenever a bird dips beneath the water in search of fish, adding to the quiet magic of the place.
“I’m all unpacked,” Damien says from behind me. “Dominique wants to go swimming does he have a swimsuit?”
Before I can answer, he leans down and presses a kiss to my neck, right over my mate mark. The sensation sends a shiver of pure ecstasy through me one he notices immediately.
“Does it feel strange when I do that?” he asks, clearly enjoying my reaction.
“No,” I murmur, smiling up at him. “I like it.”
“You like it?” His eyes darken playfully as he crouches beside me. He adjusts the blanket, tucking it higher around me, making sure I’m warm, secure.
“When can I mark you?” The words tumble out before I can stop them. I’ve been thinking about it constantly these past few days feeling my wolf’s determination, her desperation to make him ours. To return the bond.
“Whenever you want,” he says easily. “Though maybe we should have a ceremony? It would help unite the alliances. I know I took that choice from you but I had no alternative. And I don’t regret it.”
“I know,” I say, but my brow creases. “It’s just…”
A ceremony hadn’t even crossed my mind. Something like that could take months to plan especially with the heightened security Damien and Fabrice are juggling.
“What do you want, Aurélie?” he asks gently.
I catch the knowing smirk on his lips.
Oh he knows.
He straightens, lifting something that had been resting beside him.
How did I not notice it?
“What is that doing here?” I ask sharply, my gaze dropping to the royal sword my disdain immediate, visceral.
“I’ve ordered all my warriors to carry them as part of their armour,” Damien replies, genuinely confused. “What”
The innocent logic of his words does nothing to stop the anger burning up my throat.
“Aurélie?” he calls as I stand abruptly, snatching up the sword.
I walk toward the lake, dragging it behind me. The weight surprises me it’s heavy. Heavier than it should be. Or maybe I’m not as healed as I thought.
With a scream and a full-bodied swing, I hurl the sword into the lake with all my strength.
I can’t.
I won’t have that thing in my sight. Not on my land. Not anywhere near me.
It represents nothing but pure evil.
“Aurélie, what the hell?” Damien roars from the deck as I turn back toward my chair toward what had been my peaceful place.
“I can’t have that thing on my property, Damien!”