Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 347: Chapter 347 – Are you pregnant yet?

The waterfalls looked like they were bursting straight out of the living rock itself, roaring down in wild curtains of white foam that crashed into the pool below with a thunder that you could feel in your chest.

To her left, perched on a rocky ledge just above the waterline, sat this little cabin, small on the outside, quiet and tucked between stone and thick moss like it had grown there naturally over centuries.

Then Seraphine noticed the flowers, soft clusters of them glowing pale along the path, lit up gently by the lanterns strung between the boulders. Her heart squeezed so hard she pressed a hand to her chest, eyes stinging with sudden emotion.

”V, it’s so beautiful,” she whispered, voice thick.

Voren walked right beside her, hands shoved deep in his pockets, taking in the whole scene like he was seeing it with fresh eyes too.

”A lot has changed since the first time I brought you here,” he said, his low voice warm and unhurried.

”The pack was going through some massive, chaotic changes back then, around the time I took over from my father, and holding onto this place was one hell of a fight. Trying to build an entire underground pack inside these rocks while keeping something this deep and special intact wasn’t easy at all.”

He paused at the water’s edge, staring out at the falls. ”But every single time I thought about giving it up, I remembered how much you loved it. That memory kept me going.”

Seraphine didn’t say a word. She just looked at him, her chest aching with a rush of love so strong it almost hurt. He didn’t meet her gaze right away, just kept walking forward with that quiet intensity of his. She followed, heart pounding.

Stone stairs had been carved straight into the rock, rising right out of the churning water, and they climbed them one behind the other. Cool mist from the falls kissed her skin, sending little shivers through her.

When Voren finally pushed open the cabin door and stepped aside to let her in, Seraphine’s mouth dropped open all over again in pure awe.

She’d already been blown away by the pack itself. From far away it just looked like thick greenery swallowing up a massive wall of rock, giving nothing away.

But up close, she’d caught the subtle transparent gates, the glass walls almost invisible behind curtains of vines, and the soft, inviting golden light spilling through them that promised something incredible inside.

The outside blended perfectly with the hillside but stepping in felt like entering a whole different world.

The cabin pulled off the same kind of magic. The space stretched way wider and deeper than the modest outer walls should have ever allowed, like the rock itself had decided to bend reality just for them.

A huge canopy bed dominated one side, draped in heavy, luxurious fabrics that practically begged you to sink in and lose yourself in warmth.

Right in the middle of the room sat a big jacuzzi already filled and steaming, lazy curls of vapor rising into the air.

A plush recliner had been pulled close to the window for the perfect view, and a neat little kitchen counter ran along the far wall, fully stocked and ready.

Everything was open-concept with no walls dividing the spaces, but the thoughtful arrangement made it feel cozy and intentional instead of crowded.

”It’s so huge in here,” Seraphine breathed, the words tumbling out before she could hold them back.

Voren dropped their bag near the door with a soft thud. ”Just wait till I show you the rest of the pack. From the outside it looks like nothing special, but once you’re deep inside, you’ll get why the Grimroot pack is the biggest and strongest around.”

Seraphine barely registered the last part because her eyes had already locked onto the fireplace.

It wasn’t the hearth itself that hit her so hard, but everything surrounding it. Dozens of photographs lined the mantle and spilled across the walls on either side.

Pictures of her and Voren from years ago, caught in moments she could not remember. Her laughing with her head thrown back in pure joy.

Him with his fingers tangled gently in her hair, looking at her like she was his whole universe. A lazy summer afternoon she couldn’t quite place but could feel deep in her bones, that sweet ache of nostalgia blooming in her chest.

Her throat tightened painfully, she quickly reached up and pressed her fingers under her eye to catch the tear, but one slipped through anyway, tracing a warm path down her cheek. She turned to face him, emotions swirling so intensely she could hardly speak.

”I still can’t wrap my head around how a man like you could love me this much,” Seraphine said, her voice coming out softer and more vulnerable than she meant. ”But I guess that’s just how it is with us.”

Something raw and powerful moved across Voren’s face. In three quick strides he closed the distance and pulled her tight into his arms without saying a word, his chin resting on top of her head as he held her like she was the most precious thing in his world.

They stood there wrapped up in each other, hearts beating together in the quiet cabin filled with the distant roar of the falls.

After a long moment he eased back just enough to look at her. ”I arranged for us to stay here a few days. I need to go handle the shaman situation first, so let me take care of that. There’s a bathroom right through there if you want a quick shower, and I’ll sort out some food for us.”

Seraphine stepped gently out of his arms and glanced over at the kitchen counter, her eyes lighting up at the fresh groceries neatly stacked and waiting.

”Looks like everything we could possibly need is already right here,” she said, moving toward it and trailing her fingers lovingly along a bag of rice. ”I’ll cook for us.”

Voren raised one eyebrow at her, that familiar mix of amusement and challenge in his expression.

She shot him a flat, stubborn look right back, and he let it go with a small smile. ”There are some clothes in the closet for you,” he added, turning toward the window. ”But there’s another big reason I brought you here besides just getting away from everything. I want to activate the mindlink before the moon festival. I need us to be able to connect that way when we’re there, really be in each other’s heads.”

Seraphine opened her mouth to answer, excitement and nerves bubbling up inside her.

And then a voice exploded through her mind like someone had kicked a door wide open.

’Yepeeeee! You two finally made up! Are you pregnant yet? Come On, stop standing around all lovey-dovey and drop some blood already so we can activate this mindlink properly!’

Seraphine squeezed her eyes shut, a mix of fond exasperation and laughter rising in her chest.

Marsha. Of course, it was Marsha.

She pressed two fingers to her temple and let out a long breath through her nose. Then she looked at Voren.

His jaw had gone rock-tight, nostrils flaring once in that classic sign of strained patience. Then his whole expression melted into something between pure exasperation and total, loving resignation.

Seraphine knew that Bloodfang was equally giving him a hard time...