Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 100: Chapter 100 - but I know she has to live

The voice belonged to Voren. Panic and anger filled his tone as he raised his head and shouted across the room with enough intensity to silence several nearby conversations instantly.

”If anything happens to her, every single one of you will answer for it.”

The declaration shocked everyone who heard it.

Voren was widely known as Ravyn’s closest ally, and both men had spent most of the evening opposing Seraphine in ways that left no doubt about their hostility toward her ambitions.

Yet now Voren held her unconscious body with unmistakable protectiveness, his expression filled with urgency that no one present had ever seen directed toward her before.

Ignoring the stunned reactions surrounding him, Voren carried Seraphine quickly through the corridor that led toward the private suites reserved for elite guests.

Once inside one of the rooms, he placed her carefully on the bed before immediately crossing toward the medicine cabinet mounted against the wall.

The moment he stepped close enough to examine her condition properly, the scent confirmed what he had already suspected.

Wolfsbane poisoning.

His jaw tightened as he began searching through the cabinet for a specific vial stored among the emergency medical supplies.

The anti-serum had been placed there years earlier as a precaution for rare situations exactly like this one, although he had never actually needed to use it until tonight.

His hands moved quickly through the shelves until the small glass vial finally appeared in his grasp.

Relief flashed through him for only a fraction of a second before he rushed back toward the bed.

Seraphine’s condition had worsened dramatically during those few moments.

Her skin felt icy cold beneath his fingers. The bluish discoloration had spread further across her arms and face.

Her teeth had clenched tightly enough that her jaw trembled with the strain.

Voren knew exactly what that stage meant. It was the final phase before wolfbane completely overwhelmed a victim’s body.

If Seraphine had remained inside a werewolf pack territory where her wolf possessed full strength, the poison would have weakened her wolf first while leaving her human body more resistant.

However, the distance separating her from her pack had already weakened that natural defense.

Without immediate treatment, the poison would claim her life before dawn.

Voren pressed two fingers firmly against the side of Seraphine’s neck, searching for the faint rhythmic beat that should have been there, but the terrifying stillness beneath his touch made his chest tighten until it felt like something heavy had settled directly over his heart.

Panic began clawing its way through him when he realized he could not find a pulse, not even the faintest trace of one, and the realization forced the breath from his lungs as a cold dread crept through every nerve in his body.

The serum was still clutched tightly in his hand, the only fragile thread separating her from death, and he knew with absolute certainty that he had to get it inside her body immediately if there was even the smallest chance of saving her life.

”She has to wake up,” he muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse with anxiety as he crouched beside her unmoving form.

Voren quickly tried to open her mouth so he could pour the serum down her throat, but the moment his fingers touched her jaw he realized something was terribly wrong because her teeth had locked together so tightly that no matter how much pressure he applied, they refused to part.

His heart began pounding violently against his ribs, each beat louder and faster than the last as a terrifying thought pushed its way through his mind.

If the muscles in her body loosened on their own, then it would mean the worst possible outcome had already happened.

It would mean she was gone.

”No... Sera, you can’t die,” he said under his breath, the words escaping him in a strained whisper that sounded almost desperate in the quiet room. ”No... not like this.”

His fingers dragged through his hair in frustration as his mind raced wildly for a solution, because every second that passed felt like another grain of sand slipping through an hourglass that was running out far too quickly.

Then, in the middle of that spiraling panic, an idea surfaced.

Without wasting another moment, Voren uncorked the small vial and poured the serum directly into his own mouth before quickly leaning over her.

He braced one hand against her jaw while the other forced her mouth open with careful but firm pressure, ignoring the resistance of her clenched teeth as he pressed his lips against hers and pushed the serum into her mouth, guiding it past the barrier of her teeth so none of it would spill or be blocked.

The bitter taste of the antidote lingered on his tongue while he made certain every drop had been transferred, and once he felt confident the serum had gone down her throat, he gently lowered her back against the bed.

For a moment he simply stared at her face, watching for any sign of life while his breathing remained uneven with tension.

Seconds stretched into something unbearable. Voren closed his eyes and lowered his head, something he had not done in years.

”Moon Goddess,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion he rarely allowed anyone to hear. ”Our forefathers sinned when they begged you to break the mate bonds that you blessed us with, and over the years our people have slowly turned their backs on you as if your power and guidance never mattered.”

He swallowed hard before continuing. ”But even after everything we’ve done, I still believe you love your children, and I believe you’re still watching us whether we deserve it or not.”

His hands tightened slightly at his sides as the next words left him. ”Please don’t let her die.”

His voice lowered even further. ”I don’t even understand why this matters so much to me, but something inside me keeps telling me she cannot die here tonight.”

”I don’t know why... but I know she has to live,” he cried for the second time in his life.