Chapter 284 284
Aurélie POV
“I don’t understand, Damien. You can’t just let rogues leave,” I say, struggling to keep my voice steady. “They need to be re-educated… given a chance to learn how to fend for themselves. Or if they show remorse that they might be allowed to join this pack or another.”
“Aurélie,” Damien replies evenly, “these people killed our people. They would have killed our children. They can’t stay here. They’re gone. I’ve handled it.”
“But handled what, Damien…?”
“They’re gone,” he repeats, his tone shutting down the conversation. “You don’t need to know anything else.”
“You mean you killed them?” The words tear out of me. “Damn it, Damien, that’s not how we do things around here.” My control is slipping, anger pressing hard against my chest.
“Well, it’s how I do things, sweetheart, and I won’t put your life or our children’s lives in danger.”
I know exactly what he’s done. He thinks I’m naïve. Thinks I wouldn’t have made similar choices if pushed far enough. But the difference is this you give people a chance. You try before you destroy them.
Théo mind-linked me in the early hours, when he noticed bodies being loaded into cars.
“Aurélie”
Lucas tries to step in, tries to defend Damien, but I won’t hear it. I know he was the one who carried out Damien’s orders while Damien lay beside me in bed, holding me like nothing was wrong.
“I don’t want to hear it, Lucas.” I raise my hand sharply, my glare cutting him off before he can finish whatever excuse he’d prepared.
I turn to Fabrice, who has been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the security meeting. “Fabrice… did you know about this?”
“Aurélie…” His eyes flick briefly to Lucas, and I catch it instantly.
“May I remind you that you are my beta,” I say coldly, letting my aura unfurl and press down on him, “and that you follow my rule.”
“I had an idea of what might happen,” he admits, his voice strained under my command, “but not to what extent.”
“You should have told me,” I growl.
Damien moves closer, instinctively protective, but it only fuels my rage.
“Told you what, Aurélie?” Damien snaps. “That they weren’t safe on pack lands? That once again we were attacked? That our people were killed? Families are still in mourning”
“I know!” I scream, the sound tearing through the room. My frustration finally breaks free. “I know they’re grieving because I sat in that Lake House feeling them pass over. Even while I was being plunged under the water again and again, I could feel the pack deaths. I was dying, Damien but I kept going. I kept fighting, not just for our children, but to help as many souls cross over as I could.”
My chest heaves as the memories crash over me.
“So don’t you dare tell me this was for the families. That’s bullshit.”
This happened on my pack lands. Behind my back. Without my knowledge. Fury coils tight inside me, hot and shaking, directed squarely at the three of them.
My hands tremble violently until a hand slips into mine, fingers curling tight, grounding me.
“Aurélie… calm down, sweetheart. The baby,” Damien growls softly through the mate bond. His thumb strokes the back of my hand, trying to soothe me even as anger bleeds through him.
The bond responds anyway sparks, warmth, tingles running through my body. Even furious, even hurt, it refuses to let us disconnect.
“Did you kill them all?” I ask quietly, forcing myself back into the chair if only to calm him.
Damien and Lucas exchange a mind-link right in front of Fabrice and me, their eyes glazing over in perfect unison. Subtle. Real subtle.
“Yes,” Lucas answers, breaking the link first.
“Aurélie, I’m sorry I kept this from you,” he continues, genuine remorse clear in his voice. “But I had my reasons. As did Damien. As did Fabrice. Please believe we would never deliberately put the Darkvale pack in danger or damage your reputation.”
“If we’re meant to be a team,” I say tightly, “then I can’t have things hidden from me. Otherwise, I’ll start acting the same way.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Damien growls, his fist slamming down hard on the wooden round table.
“It means,” I snap back, “that you might be my mate and the father of my children, but don’t ever mistake that for submission. I am an Alpha of the Darkvale alliance and I will act like one, even if that means going against your plans.”
I can’t even shift to burn off the rage tearing through me.
Fabrice wisely disappears back to the hospital, while Damien and Lucas set up camp at the kitchen table, laptops open, maps spread everywhere.
I throw them out of my office. I can’t stand to look at either of them right now.
I understand why they did it. I do. But violence isn’t always the only answer.
The rogues could have been held off pack lands. They could have been shown another way if that’s what they wanted.
So many rogues are taken advantage of.
And tonight, instead of offering a choice, we chose blood.