Chapter 157 157
The moment he stepped inside the house, the sound hit him.
Her laughter.
Soft. Bright. Unrestrained.
And woven into it a man’s deeper laugh.
Every instinct in him snapped to attention. For half a second, he was ready to attack. But then he recognized the other voice.
Alexandre.
Of course.
Damien rounded the lounge, his steps silent but predatory as he headed toward the kitchen. And then he stopped.
The sight before him ignited something ugly in his chest.
Alexandre was sitting there with her. Leaning casually. Talking. Laughing.
And she
She was glowing.
Damien didn’t know why the hell it bothered him so much. But the urge to put his fist through Alexandre’s face rose fast and violent.
Why the fuck was he here?
Why the fuck was he sitting with her?
And what the bloody fuck were they laughing about?
The growl that tore from his chest made Jacqueline jump.
Alexandre didn’t even flinch.
He had probably scented Damien the second he stepped onto the property.
What the fuck are you doing here? Damien snarled through the mind-link.
Relax, Alexandre’s voice echoed back lazily. Just listening to this pretty chatterbox. She’s funny.
Pretty.
The word scraped Damien raw.
His hands twitched at his sides. He wanted no, needed to hit something.
Why in the fucking world was he this riled up?
“Let’s go,” he bit out aloud, forcing his wolf down. The animal inside him was bristling, fur raised, teeth bared.
It took everything in him not to lunge forward when Alexandre fist-bumped Jacqueline and she beamed up at him with those wide, sparkling eyes.
His wolf snarled viciously.
He shoved it back.
His jaw tightened so hard his molars ground together, the sound audible even to Alexandre.
Once they were outside, the tension snapped.
Damien was in Alexandre’s space in an instant. They stood eye to eye same height, same build, both unyielding.
“What the fuck were you doing in there?” Damien growled, voice low and lethal.
Alexandre had rarely seen Damien lose control like this. And when he did, it was never small.
He shrugged lightly. “Healthy flirting.”
Damien’s fists clenched at his sides.
Alexandre knew exactly what he was doing.
“Stay the fuck away from her,” Damien warned, each word sharpened to a blade.
Alexandre cocked his head. “Why? She your girl?”
The question caught Damien off guard.
His fists slowly loosened. He drew in a steady breath.
“She’s not my girl,” he said evenly, slipping his hands into his pockets. The transformation was almost unsettling seconds ago, he’d looked ready to kill. Now he stood there calm. Detached.
Alexandre folded his arms over his chest. “So you won’t mind if I hit on her?”
Damien shot him a glare so cold it could freeze blood.
“I will fucking mind it.”
The menace in his tone was unmistakable.
Alexandre played dumb. “Why? You just said she’s not yours.”
He was pushing. Deliberately.
“Because she’s my responsibility,” Damien replied, voice controlled now. “And she’s human. I won’t let you mess around with her.”
A beat passed.
Then Alexandre nodded once. “Fair enough.”
The tension eased barely.
“What have you got?” Damien asked, Alpha authority sliding back into place.
“It’s not confirmed yet,” Alexandre replied. “But from what I’ve gathered, Alpha Gérard hasn’t allied with the Black Blade pack. Seems like Henri is trying to sway him.”
“Did you meet Dominique?”
“Not yet. Heard you were back. Figured I’d stop by.”
Damien’s jaw tightened slightly, but he moved on. “Dominique and I are working on something. You’ll like it.”
The conversation shifted fully to business as they got into Damien’s car and drove toward the training center.
But the image of her laughing with Alexandre lingered in his mind like poison.
—
Jacqueline sat on the couch, arms folded, sulking.
He had left with Alexandre.
He hadn’t come back.
It was already late.
She and Mathieu had eaten dinner and watched a movie. She tucked him into bed once he fell asleep. But she couldn’t settle.
The house felt suffocating.
She paced the lounge, restlessness crawling under her skin. She had never been confined this long. The walls felt like they were inching closer with every passing hour.
She couldn’t breathe.
She went to her room and changed into jeans and a simple T-shirt. She slipped into the slippers Charlotte had given her.
Then she headed downstairs.
Quiet as a whisper, she eased the front door open.
Step by careful step, she moved along the flagstone pathway. Once she reached the street, she pumped her fist into the air in a tiny, triumphant gesture.
Freedom.
She would just take a short walk. Nothing dramatic. She’d be back before Damien returned.
The night air was cold, but adrenaline warmed her veins. It felt thrilling like sneaking out of the mansion all over again.
She strolled along the pavement, humming softly, eyes drifting up to the wide stretch of sky above her.
Eventually, her feet carried her toward the woods at the edge of town.
She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with crisp, untouched air. Instantly, some of the tension eased from her body.
Being caged inside was making her sick.
A small walk like this out in the open, under the moon would help.
Damien had warned her it was dangerous.
But she doubted Julien’s men would search for her here. If they were looking, they’d be combing the city not this quiet town.
And Damien wouldn’t even know she had left.
She slowed when she reached the path leading into the woods.
A faint rustling came from within.
She turned toward the sound.
It wasn’t exactly a forest more like a stretch of thick woodland. The chances of wild animals wandering this close to town were slim.
It could be a person.
Her gaze fixed on the narrow track disappearing between the trees.
What were the odds?
She chewed lightly on her bottom lip. A quiet whine slipped from her before a small smile curved her mouth.
This felt like a hunt.
The moonlight was strong enough to illuminate her path. It wasn’t pitch dark. She wasn’t afraid.
If her friends were here, Gilles would already be panicking like a frightened bunny.
She chuckled at the thought and stepped into the woods.
She wouldn’t go far.
Just a few steps. Enough to satisfy her curiosity.
One more step.
Then another.
A sudden, low rumbling growl erupted from the woods to her right.
Her heart dropped straight into her stomach.
She froze.