Chapter 55 55
Aurélie POV
“Sit. Down.”
His aura slams into me raw, suffocating dominance crashing over my skin. Heat sparks where his fingers still wrap around my wrist, tingling along my nerves. But I am not the submissive wife he once hand-picked. I am an Alpha in my own right. His equal. His contract means nothing to me now.
I release my own aura, letting it explode outward, meeting his head-on. A clear, merciless warning:
I will not be commanded.
These are my children.
Not his. Never his.
“Don’t push me, Damien,” I hiss, forcing my power harder into him. And he feels it his eyes flicker, his wolf straining to the surface.
“The way I see it,” he growls back, “if I hadn’t followed you, you’d be dead on that warehouse floor. So sit the fuck down and be grateful.”
“Grateful? To you?” I spit, anger rising so sharply it snatches my breath. “All of this every damn piece of this mess is because of you. If you hadn’t trespassed… if you hadn’t If you hadn’t come back into my life, we were fine. We were fine without you.”
Why did he get under my skin so violently? Any other Alpha, I crushed. My strength grew with every pack that pledged their loyalty. But Damien he unraveled something in me I hated acknowledging.
I inhale slowly, steadying the fury gnawing at my thoughts. I refuse to let him see how deeply he shakes me.
Those dark blue eyes stay locked on mine, storming, shifting and then dropping to my mouth before dragging back up again.
“You stole my children, Aurélie,” he says, voice low and lethal. “I could have you strung up and treated like the bitch you are.”
His aura crashes into me again, heavier, darker like the monster I remember from my nightmares.
And suddenly the old memories ignite blood, screams, bodies falling.
Killed. By his hands.
My chest rumbles with a warning growl, my wolf rising to meet his threat fang for fang.
He scoffs in response but before either of us can escalate further, a new scent cuts through the room.
“Well, well… I see it now. A delicious little love-hate thing, isn’t it?”
A deep, teasing voice drifts from the doorway.
I turn to find an absurdly handsome man leaning against the frame, wearing a grin that makes his cheekbones and dark green eyes even more striking.
“Aurélie, this is Alpha Maurice,” Damien mutters, closing his eyes briefly as though trying to gather himself. He drags a hand through his blond hair, exhaling.
“More like I came to your rescue,” Maurice chuckles.
“I had everything under control,” Damien snaps, bristling. He hates looking weak in front of anyone.
“Hardly. You were cradling this beautiful female like she was made of glass. I swear I even saw panic maybe a tear or two.” Maurice flashes me a wicked smile.
I instantly like him. He knows exactly how to get under Damien’s skin and clearly isn’t afraid of him.
“Dramatic much, Maurice?” Damien growls, breaking eye contact with me as if the sight of me conscious is too much.
Was he… worried?
“I was more pissed I couldn’t kill the bastard who attacked her,” Damien mutters, puffing out his chest.
Maurice raises a brow. Amused. Unimpressed. Taunting.
“You must be Alpha Aurélie,” he says warmly. “A pleasure.”
He steps forward, his short black hair and sharp quiff emphasizing the deep bronze of his skin. His smile is dazzling dangerously charming.
“Thank you for your help, Alpha Maurice,” I reply, offering a small, appreciative smile. “It’s reassuring to know some men still have manners.”
I let him take my hand. Let him brush his lips across the back of it.
And yes absolutely, I do it to rile Damien up.
It works. Damien’s scowl deepens into something almost feral.
“Would you mind telling me,” Maurice asks lightly, “why you trespassed onto my land and why your estranged husband felt the need to chase after you in the middle of the night?”
“Yes,” I reply. “I didn’t realize I’d crossed into pack territory until it was too late. I apologize sincerely I intended to be quick and gone before anyone noticed. I never expected to impose on your hospitality.” I place a hand over my heart, offering a respectful, earnest nod.
He takes it in with obvious appreciation. Damien, meanwhile, looks like he’s considering tearing the chair in half.
“Not at all,” Maurice says with a warm smile. “I’m glad to help. In fact… I trust you’ll both join me for dinner?”