Chapter 175 175
“It’s not safe,” he said through clenched teeth.
Jacqueline let out a quiet sigh. “Okay,” she murmured.
Damien studied her closely, his sharp gaze searching her face as if he were trying to unravel the thoughts moving behind her eyes. But before he could read anything there, she slipped her arm out of his grasp and walked away with an easy sway of her hips.
Without even thinking about it, his feet followed.
By the time she neared the crowd, Eugénie spotted her. With a bright smile, she grabbed Jacqueline’s hand and pulled her toward the center of the celebration where Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz were cutting their anniversary cake.
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Damien remained just a step behind Jacqueline the entire time, his watchful presence shadowing her every move. If any man so much as glanced her way, Damien was already there, fixing the poor fool with a glare sharp enough to send him looking elsewhere.
Soon music filled the hall again.
Sofía and Fernando stepped onto the dance floor, swaying together while several others joined them. Jacqueline stood nearby with Charlotte and Eugénie, chatting lightly while Damien lingered only a few steps away.
That was when Dominique approached her.
Damien’s molars ground together as he watched his brother take Jacqueline’s hand and lead her onto the floor.
Why the hell was everyone suddenly getting on his nerves?
An ugly tension twisted inside his chest, his wolf pacing restlessly behind the bars of its mental cage.
Fuck.
Enough.
He was already moving before he realized it. The moment the song shifted, Damien stepped forward, cutting in with perfect timing. He pulled Jacqueline smoothly out of Dominique’s hold and shot his brother a glare dark enough to curdle blood.
Fuck off, Damien snapped through the mind-link.
If it had been anyone else, Dominique would have torn the man apart and left him headless on the floor. But this was Damien his brother, his blood.
And besides, this had been Dominique’s plan all along: force the stubborn bastard to finally recognize what he was feeling.
So Dominique simply smirked and walked away.
Jacqueline stared up at Damien, her big brown eyes wide with surprise. She placed her palm against his chest as if to push away and create distance.
Damien reacted instantly.
His arm slid around her waist and pulled her firmly against him, locking her in place. His hold was unyielding, like a band of steel wrapped around her.
“D-Damien…” she whispered, confused.
“Not a word,” he growled under his breath, tightening his arm as he began to move with the music.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed his parents staring at him in shock. Even his sisters looked stunned.
Only Dominique and Alexandre stood off to the side, wearing smug grins.
Assholes.
Jacqueline remained quiet in his arms almost too quiet. Her body felt small and fragile against his, her scent drifting up to him like something dangerously intoxicating.
She wasn’t even looking at him.
Instead, her gaze stayed fixed on the center of his chest.
He would never understand this woman.
One moment she burned like wildfire bold, teasing, fearless.
The next, she was soft and quiet, almost submissive in a way that was equally captivating.
“You look beautiful,” he said finally, his voice rough and low.
Her lips parted slightly.
“You confuse me,” she whispered after a moment, her voice small. “I don’t understand you, Damien.”
She hesitated before continuing.
“I don’t know what you want from me.”
The truth was, he didn’t know either.
All he knew was that he never wanted to hurt her… and yet somehow he kept becoming the very storm that battered her.
“I’m planning to go back,” she continued quietly. “I’ll contact my friends. I’ll tell them everything.”
Her voice dimmed.
“They’ll help me fight Julien.”
Even hearing her speak about leaving twisted something painfully inside his chest.
“I’m gathering evidence against him,” Damien said quickly. “Just give me a few more days. That’s all I ask.”
His voice softened.
“I promise I’ll get you justice.”
After a pause, she nodded.
He wasn’t lying. For days he had been doing everything he could to collect enough proof to put Julien behind bars. Killing the man would have been simple but it would also be reckless.
The last thing Damien wanted was law enforcement sniffing around his pack.
His other hand settled at her waist as well, leaving Jacqueline no choice but to slide her arms up and rest them around his neck.
“Do you like me?” she asked softly.
The question caught him completely off guard.
When she lifted her gaze to meet his, he had to swallow hard.
“You’re… a nice person,” he blurted awkwardly.
She broke into a small smile.
“Stop giving me mixed signals,” she said gently. “If you don’t want me, then just say it clearly.”
Her eyes searched his face.
“Your lips say one thing, but your eyes tell a completely different story.”
She shrugged lightly.
“Don’t worry. Your rejection won’t hurt me.”
Then she added with a teasing note, “Besides, there are plenty of attractive people in your little town.”
Before he could respond, she rose onto her toes and pressed a soft, fleeting kiss against his cheek.
Then she slipped out of his arms.
Damien stood frozen as she walked away, heading toward the kitchen just as the song came to an end.
Inside the quiet room, Jacqueline drew in a deep breath and reached for a glass of water. She drank slowly, trying to steady her racing heart.
That had taken courage.
A lot of courage.
Pain.
The sudden voice echoed inside her head.
Jacqueline gasped in shock, choking on the water. She doubled over in a fit of coughing as panic rushed through her.
A warm hand gently patted her back.
She struggled to regain control of her breathing before looking up.
An elderly woman stood beside her, freckles dusting her cheeks.
“What’s wrong, honey?” the woman asked kindly.
Jacqueline blinked rapidly, trying to figure out if her mind had just played a cruel trick on her.
“Voice…” she whispered shakily.
The woman smiled softly.
“I can see the pain in your eyes,” she murmured.
She took Jacqueline’s hand gently and turned her palm upward, studying it closely.
Jacqueline could only stare at her in stunned confusion.
The woman examined the lines of her palm with intense focus before a knowing smile curved her lips.
“I’m Cécile,” she said, her wise eyes lifting to Jacqueline’s face.
“I… uh… I’m Jacqueline,” she stammered.
Even at her age, Cécile was strikingly beautiful. But there was something unsettling about the way she looked at Jacqueline as though every scar on her soul lay exposed before her.
“Your fate has been cruel,” Cécile whispered.
Jacqueline’s throat tightened painfully.
“I…” The words refused to come.
She tried to pull her hand away, but Cécile’s grip tightened slightly.
“There will be more suffering,” the older woman said, her voice distant, almost trance-like.
Jacqueline watched her, unsettled.
“But…”
Cécile’s thin lips curved into a small smile.
“There will also be joy,” she murmured. “Two wounded souls will heal one another.”
Jacqueline jerked her hand free and pressed it against her chest, taking a frightened step backward.
For a brief moment just a second she could have sworn the woman’s eyes had turned completely black.
Cécile blinked, suddenly realizing the girl’s terrified expression.
“Did I scare you?” she asked gently.
Jacqueline nodded like a lost child, swallowing nervously.
“I’m sorry,” Cécile said quickly. “It was only my intuition speaking.”
Jacqueline had never felt so relieved to see someone in her life as when Sofía walked into the kitchen.
“What’s wrong? You look pale,” Sofía said, stepping forward and holding her arms gently.
“She got startled,” Cécile said smoothly. “I was playing a little prank on her.”
Sofía gave the older woman a look that made it clear she suspected something far less innocent likely one of Cécile’s mysterious little tricks.
“Enough with your pranks, Cécile,” Sofía scolded lightly.
Then she slipped an arm around Jacqueline and guided her out of the kitchen, leading her toward the room where she would be staying that night.
Sofía had already informed Damien that they would all be sleeping in the packhouse.