Chapter 254 254
Sabine POV
“Auntie, watch out!” Dominique shouted.
A warrior came skidding toward me, clearly aiming to knock me off my feet. Dominique’s warning gave me just enough time to react. I leapt over the warrior, his hand brushing uselessly through the air beneath me, and landed running.
Dominique was sprinting ahead, three warriors right on his heels.
I’d had enough.
We’d been out here for hours, and exhaustion burned through my limbs. It was time to end this session. What was Damien going to do lock me inside the lake house?
“Dominique, move!” I roared as I charged toward him.
He glanced back just as I passed him, and I threw myself straight into the three warriors barreling toward us at full speed.
I rugby-tackled them.
I launched myself headfirst, completely disrupting their momentum and catching them off guard. They had to react mid-fall, switching instantly from attackers to protectors, making sure I wasn’t injured when the inevitable crash came.
They moved fast too fast. At the last second, they shifted my position so that when we hit the ground, I landed sprawled across them instead.
A low growl vibrated through the air.
Maurice clearly didn’t appreciate their hands being anywhere near my arse or chest. Still, in a real fight, things like that were unavoidable.
A warm scent coffee and cinnamon wrapped around me as strong arms lifted me up and set me back on my feet.
“Apologies, Alpha,” all three warriors muttered, their eyes firmly fixed on the ground as Maurice’s mood darkened.
“Don’t apologise,” Damien snapped, striding toward me, shoulders rigid with barely contained irritation. “Sabine what the fuck was that?”
“Dominique was in danger,” I replied calmly. “I protected him. You should be proud.”
I smirked, enjoying how easily I got under his skin.
“It doesn’t work like that”
“Look, Damien,” I cut in, “I see it two ways. If there’s a battle, I’ll do whatever I can to protect the twins job done. Or I’m kept locked safely inside the house, and if that house’s security is breached… I’m screwed anyway. I mean, if someone gets past the best warriors you have, what chance do I honestly have?”
I shrugged.
“I’d rather spend my time swimming in this lake than stressing over things I can’t control.”
“You are fated to be a Luna”
“A Luna without a wolf,” I interrupted. “Which means I’ll need warriors to fight for me. You tried…” I gave his shoulder a sarcastic pat. “…can’t win them all, Alpha.”
I flashed him a wide, unapologetically goofy grin before holding my hand out to Dominique. Together, we turned and started toward the lake.
“What is it about sisters?” Dominique muttered beside me as we walked.
The water ahead was calm and blue, reflecting the golden leaves clinging stubbornly to the trees a last breath of summer on a perfect autumn day. There was a bite to the evening air now, though I seemed to be the only one who noticed.
“What do you mean?” I asked, glancing at him as Delphine came racing toward us.
“They know exactly how to push our buttons.”
“That’s a sister’s job, Dominique,” I said lightly. “She’ll annoy you, upset you, drive you mad all day long but the second someone else hurts her, you’d kill for her.”
I leaned closer, lowering my voice as Delphine gained some distance ahead of us.
“I’ll tell you a secret. She knows it. And she loves pushing your buttons.”
I didn’t have that with Damien. But Dominique and Delphine did and I couldn’t deny the pang of envy it stirred in me.
“Are we swimming?” Delphine asked as she reached us, breathless from running.
Before I could answer, a thunderous roar split the air behind us.
I turned to see Damien storming back toward the lake house, his warriors falling into step beside him.
“Dominique. Delphine. Inside. Now.”
His aura slammed outward raw, lethal power. For once, I didn’t dare challenge it.
The children released my hands and ran toward their father, leaving me standing alone, staring at the lake.
Another moment. Another opening.
A fleeting chance to run.
As if sensing my thoughts, Maurice’s voice came from behind me. He hadn’t moved he never did. Always watching.
“Bee,” he called softly. “Come.”