Chapter 68 68
Aurélie POV
I wait until both male wolves disappear into the distance before I finally move. Only then do I begin to undress, my fingers steady as I fold my clothes and tuck them neatly into Maurice’s bag. The moment my skin meets the night air, I let go and my shift takes over.
My yellow-sandy brown wolf emerges, stretching instinctively, her spine arching as though she, too, hadn’t realised how long it had been since she last ran free. I groan internally as she works the stiffness from her body, muscles rolling beneath her fur.
She grips the bag between her teeth and takes off, chasing after the two Alpha males who are already far ahead.
When I finally catch up, Damien’s wolf can’t look away from me.
His ocean-blue eyes have darkened into a violent navy, like a storm-tossed sea barely holding itself together. The intensity of his stare makes my wolf preen despite herself her tail actually giving a small, pleased wag before I snap at her internally to behave.
Had our wolves ever truly met like this? I know I’ve seen him shifted before, but I can’t recall a moment where we stood together as wolves, where instinct met instinct without human restraint.
Maurice’s wolf pads toward me, lowering his head as if to scent my neck but Damien’s teeth snap sharply in warning, the sound cutting through the night like a blade.
My wolf snorts, unimpressed by both of them, and then launches herself forward, leaping ahead to take the lead.
We put distance between ourselves and the village quickly, the scent of humans fading as the trees thicken. That’s when I feel it Théo’s presence through the pack bond and immediately push into his mind.
“Théo?”
“Alpha?” His voice comes fast, relieved. “Where are you?”
“We’re in wolf form, in the woods, surveying the area. Do you have anything on his location?”
Please. Please, Moon Goddess. I can’t survive another night without my son.
“We believe they’re holding him in the old, unused pub,” Théo replies. “We don’t know how many are inside, but there are five males positioned around the village.”
I slow, turning my head toward Damien he must be mind-linking Lucas at the same time.
A sudden swoosh of displaced air pulls my attention back as Maurice shifts mid-stride. When I glance over, he’s already crouched in human form. I force myself not to look too closely, knowing exactly what I’d see.
A low growl sounds beside me.
Damien shifts next, his body solid and imposing as he lands in a crouch, dark energy rolling off him. His eyes lift immediately to Maurice, glowing with unmistakable threat.
I move quickly behind a tree, shifting back and dressing as fast as I can before rejoining them. By the time I step out, both men are already clothed.
“Any updates?” Maurice asks, eager, restless.
“Five men around the main buildings,” Damien says. “The pub is our primary target.” His gaze flicks to me. “Aurélie?”
“Yes,” I confirm. “That’s what Théo said.”
Maurice exhales slowly, then looks directly at me. “Alright. So what do you want to do?”
I blink, caught off guard. “You’re asking me?”
“It’s your son they have,” he says calmly. “As an Alpha, I know what I’d do. But as a parent… this should be your call.”
“I’ll go first” Damien starts.
“Damien,” Maurice cuts in sharply, “Aurélie decides.”
“You’ll stay with Aurélie and keep her safe” Damien snaps, turning to Maurice. “And”
“No,” I growl, rising.
“Aurélie,” he says through clenched teeth, frustration bleeding into his voice. “I’m the Alpha King. I know how to neutralise five men without raising alarms.”
“This isn’t about your strength,” I fire back. “It’s about making sure I get my son back.”
Maurice shifts uncomfortably as the air between Damien and me crackles.
“I think,” Maurice adds cautiously, “as his mother”
“I’m his father!” Damien snarls, fury finally snapping free. “So I decide what happens to my son.”
Silence crashes down.
“What?” Maurice breathes.
“I’m his father,” Damien repeats. “And the girl’s.”
Maurice turns to me slowly, disbelief etched across his face. “Aurélie… is that true?”
“Yes,” I say evenly. “And I have my reasons.”
“Keep her here,” Damien orders sharply. “No matter what.”
His aura floods the clearing, heavy and absolute. Maurice nods, submitting to the command.
“Damien no,” I protest, trying to stand
but Maurice is already restraining me, holding my hands behind my back as he forces me down.
“He’s gone,” Maurice says firmly once the pressure lifts. “If you chase him now, you’ll expose him and compromise everything.”
He steps back, hands raised. “I’m sorry. He’s right. You need to stay safe.”
I swallow hard, then reach out through the bond.
“Théo?”
“Alpha.”
“Damien has gone to deal with the men on the perimeter. Do not move until I say so.”
“Understood, Alpha.”
I sever the link.
Now all that’s left is waiting.
I sink down against a tree, pressing my back into the rough bark, exhaustion settling deep into my bones. Maurice remains standing, alert, eyes fixed on the darkness where Damien disappeared.
“So,” he says after a moment, not looking at me. “Married. With kids.”
“You say that like it’s simple,” I sigh, turning as a branch snaps somewhere nearby.
“Damien?” Maurice murmurs, attention snapping toward the sound.
“Easy?” I echo softly. “No. Nothing about it ever was.”