Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 343: Chapter 343 – More allies

The question hung thick in the air for a half-second before Voren’s mouth curved into a smile. He crossed the room toward her at an easy pace, like nothing could rush him, and his arm slipped around her waist the way it was beginning to do naturally, no asking, no hesitation, as if it already knew exactly where it belonged.

”I told you,” he murmured, voice low and meant for her alone. ”I handle what I can handle. What I can’t, I leave to you.”

His eyes dropped briefly to her stomach, and Seraphine felt heat rush up the back of her neck and flood her cheeks before she could stop it.

She pressed her lips together, eased out of his hold, and stepped closer to Desmond, creating a bit more space between herself and the man who kept making her face burn like this.

Desmond watched her approach with that steady, warm expression of a man who had already made up his mind and was simply waiting for the right moment to speak.

”Sera.” He said her name the way he always did, familiar and deeply precious at the same time. ”The moment you walked through that door months ago, you became our daughter. That has not changed, and it never will.”

He leaned forward slightly. ”Alpha Voren...”

”Just call me by my first name,” Voren chimed, the elderly man did not refuse. ”Voren came here and showed us real respect, spoke honestly, and faced everything that needed to be said. I only have one question left.”

Seraphine held his gaze and nodded, giving him permission to ask.

”Do you love him?” He asked it plainly, without any sharpness, but his eyes searched hers carefully.

”I know you, Sera. Money doesn’t move you. Power doesn’t impress you. You’ve never been swayed by what a man possesses. So I have to ask, is this love real, or is it gratitude? Finding your daughter changes a person. It fills something that has been empty for a long time, and sometimes people confuse that feeling for something else.”

He paused. ”Is this because of what he has done for you and your child? Or is it something more?”

The room fell completely quiet.

Seraphine’s cheeks went from warm to a deep pink. She could feel Voren behind her without turning, not touching, but close enough that his presence felt like a steady fire at her back. She could also sense Corvine off to her left, standing completely still, but she chose not to look in his direction.

”No, Uncle.” Her voice came out softer than she intended, so she steadied it. ”It isn’t about my daughter.” She drew in a small breath. ”Even before any of that...before I found her, I felt attracted to him. Quietly, with nowhere to put those feelings.”

She looked down for a moment, then back up. ”I thought I was imagining it, or building something out of nothing. He was Ravyn’s best friend. Untouchable in every way. And I was certain he didn’t see me the same, so I just kept it inside.” A short breath escaped her, almost a small laugh but quieter. ”I kept it to myself and tried to act normal.”

Something powerful moved through the room behind her. Voren hadn’t moved. But everything in him had changed.

He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t expected her to confess her feelings, right in front of all of them, without warning. Yet hearing those honest words fill the air like that sent a deep wave of relief through his chest, stronger than he had felt in years. His stomach tightened in a way he didn’t want to examine too closely.

Desmond nodded slowly, as if everything had finally settled into place. ”Then you have our blessing.” His hand rested warmly on her shoulder. ”Both of you. And no matter where life takes you, this house remains your home. You may walk through that door any time you wish.”

He pulled her into a solid, parental hug, uncomplicated and full of quiet love. When he released her, Nessa was already stepping forward, arms open, reaching for Seraphine.

”Love is a beautiful thing,” Nessa said, her voice carrying the weight of real experience. ”Real love especially. You won’t have to carry those painful cramps alone anymore, sweetheart. That suffering was never meant to be yours to bear by yourself.”

The words had barely left her mouth when Corvine’s head turned sharply. ”Wait.” His voice came out flat, controlled with clear effort. ”You knew. All this time, you knew there was a solution, and you told me there wasn’t one.”

Desmond and Nessa exchanged a quick glance, the kind shared by two people who had already discussed this in private and agreed on how to face it.

Nessa spoke first, her tone gentle but firm. ”How could we have told you?” She met her son’s eyes steadily.

”Think about it. If we had told you that solution when there clearly wasn’t anything romantic between you two, what would you have done? She was suffering badly, and you loved her. You would have gone to her and offered yourself as the answer, and she might have accepted just to stop the pain.”

She held his gaze. ”And then what? You would have each other, but the love would be built on desperation. She would be with you out of need, and some part of you would always know it. We couldn’t do that to either of you.”

The room remained still, tension heavy in the air.

Corvine’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t pleased, but he wasn’t arguing either, because beneath the hurt, the logic held firm and he recognized it.

Behind Seraphine, Voren stayed quiet, thinking it through.

He thought about those severe cramps, the crushing pain of a she-wolf separated from her pack. He had seen what that kind of torment did to Seraphine.

It wore her down, and he was certain she would have agreed to almost anything for relief. And Corvine’s parents had known the answer the whole time.

They had kept silent, not out of indifference, but because their son’s love for Seraphine wasn’t reason enough to guide her toward him while she was in that much pain.

That took a rare kind of integrity. The kind that carried a real cost.

His respect for them, already present when he arrived, deepened considerably in that moment.

He looked at the couple. ”Thank you. For everything. For how you cared for her.” He meant every word. After a brief pause, he added, ”I know you don’t need anything from me. But partnership still matters, even between people who are already successful on their own. There is a sovereign club meeting coming up. A seat at that table opens doors that remain closed from the outside. I would like to have you both there.”

A flicker of emotion crossed Desmond’s face. Not quite surprise, more like a man who had stood outside a certain room for years and had just been offered the key.

The sovereign circle. Families with names older and wealthier than most countries had long overlooked Desmond and Nessa, not for any fault of theirs, but because they had never gained entry to the room where key decisions were made.

It wasn’t something they spoke about, but it had always been true.

”We’ll consider it,” Desmond said, and the word carried the weight of what was clearly already a yes.

Nessa nodded beside him, once, but it was a firm nod.

Corvine had been quiet, but now he straightened. ”While we’re sharing news.” He looked at his parents. ”Starting last night, I moved into Voren’s place. He has offered me a co-Alpha position.”

The silence that followed felt entirely different.

Desmond and Nessa stared at their son. Then at Voren. Then back at their son.

”That position doesn’t exist,” Desmond said slowly, carefully, as if making sure he had heard correctly. ”That is not a standard rank in any pack structure. You would be —” He stopped and looked directly at Voren. ”You would be creating it. Specifically for him.”

Nessa’s eyes moved quickly, calculating. ”His parents. Voren, your parents — will they allow this? That kind of decision does not rest with the Alpha alone. Your family and entire pack has a voice.”