Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 543: Chapter 543 – You owe me an eye

The message came attached to the video, the words sitting heavy on the screen. ’We followed the coffee-brown Alpha wolf to the Silver Moon Pack. Other Alphas entered too, but we couldn’t get inside.’

Someone had stitched the footage together with careful cuts, showing different Alphas arriving at the Silver Moon Pack at scattered times throughout the night.

Watching every frame, Voren finally understood why so many of them had left the Full Moon Festival in such a hurry, the pieces clicking together with a cold clarity that settled deep in his gut.

Without wasting another second, he reached out through the mind link, the connection sharp and urgent.

’Sorry to wake you, Dad, but we need to talk.’

Vladimir answered almost right away. ’You didn’t wake me. I’m already in the kitchen

Voren glanced back at the bed where Seraphine still slept peacefully with the children tucked close against her. The quiet rise and fall of their breathing made something protective tighten in his chest. He grabbed a notepad from the side table and scribbled a quick message in bold strokes. I’m in the kitchen. Love, V.’

Leaving the note where she would see it the moment her eyes opened, he slipped quietly out of their suite.

By the time he reached the kitchen Vladimir had nearly finished his bowl of soup, steam still rising in soft curls, the aroma filling the kitchen. Without even turning around the older man spoke, voice low and knowing. ”I heard about everything that happened... except Chuck and Noelle. We needed their tongues intact for their confession.”

Voren walked straight over, grateful for how thoughtful his father was to have made Seraphine’s soup. ”I already have everything I need from them.” His expression hardened until the lines around his mouth looked carved from stone. ”Tell me who tried to take Espe.”

Vladimir let out a heavy sigh that seemed to pull the air from the room. ”It was Jaron.”

Voren’s hands instantly curled into tight fists at his sides, the tendons standing out sharp against his skin. The more he learned, the more convinced he became that the Alpha King hadn’t pushed him toward marrying Athaliah just to lock down the crown. Something bigger sat underneath all of it, something that made his blood run hotter with every new detail.

”When I reached them, he claimed he only wanted to play with her.” Vladimir’s voice grew colder, the words edged with quiet disgust. ”But I knew that wasn’t true. Espe was frightened, and you know that little girl. She can sense when someone means her no harm.”

Voren clenched his jaw so hard a muscle jumped along the side of his face. King Jaron really thought he was clever enough to hide behind a lie that thin.

”Dad...” His voice dropped lower, rough with the weight of everything he still didn’t know. ”Tell me the truth. What’s so special about that crown?”

Vladimir looked uneasy, the usual steady calm slipping for a moment. He took a slow breath before answering, the words coming out measured.

”The biggest reason I supported Jaron before was because he told me about a business opportunity he couldn’t afford on his own. He said that if we combined our resources, we’d make even bigger profits. He also promised that whoever possessed the crown would become the most powerful leader.”

”But during the Full Moon Festival I overheard something that made me realize he’s about to lose his pack.”

Voren’s brows drew together hard. ”How?”

Vladimir gave a small shrug, though the tension in his shoulders stayed tight. ”I only caught part of the conversation, but the council made him the first Alpha King because the crown had been missing for more than a century. No one knows how Jaron got his hands on it, and that’s why he’s the one who decides who inherits the title.”

His expression darkened further, the lines around his eyes deepening. ”The problem is that he secretly used the crown as collateral to borrow money from people nobody wants to talk about.”

Voren’s eyes narrowed to sharp slits.

”His children and wife don’t know any of this?” Vladimir shook his head once. ”Neither of them has any idea. That’s why Athaliah’s marriage means so much to him. As far as he’s concerned, she’s his only bargaining chip.”

Something immediately clicked into place in Voren’s mind, the realization landing with a quiet thud. ”It sounds like he doesn’t know how wealthy Athaliah is.”

”If she really is wealthy, then no, he has absolutely no idea.” Vladimir scoffed, the sound sharp and bitter. ”Jaron despises humans. He believes nothing good can come from the human world, so he has no respect for anyone who’s built a life there without immense power here.” He shook his head again, slower this time. ”In his eyes, Athaliah can only earn recognition by marrying an Alpha.”

Voren leaned against the counter, the cool surface pressing into his lower back. ”So we still don’t know why he wanted Espe.”

Vladimir spread his hands in a helpless gesture. ”The only thing I noticed was that he looked genuinely afraid the moment I told him I was getting you involved.”

”You should have.”

”You were busy,” Vladimir reminded him, the words carrying no real heat.

Voren fell silent for a moment, the decision settling hard and clear inside him. ”We need to return to the pack, but first I have business to handle in the city.” He looked directly at his father, eyes steady. ”Please stay here with Sera and the kids when they wake up. I’ll order breakfast to be delivered for all of you.”

Vladimir nodded once, accepting the request without argument.

”And right now,” Voren continued, the edge returning to his voice, ”I need to pay Killian a visit.”

His father frowned, concern cutting deep lines across his forehead. ”Is that really more important? I need to meet with the shaman. She told me there’s more to the night your mother gave birth to you, but she won’t reveal anything unless everyone is present.” His voice grew even more serious, almost heavy. ”To tell you the truth, Oriana still isn’t showing any signs of decay.”

There were too many problems demanding Voren’s attention at once. Unfortunately, he could only deal with them one at a time, and the fire in his chest already pointed in one clear direction.

”No one leaves until I get back.” His eyes turned ice cold, the warmth draining from them completely. ”Killian owes me an eye, and I’m collecting it.”

A dangerous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, the kind that never reached his eyes. ”And as for King Jaron, if he can’t give me a damn good explanation for getting anywhere near my daughter, I won’t hesitate to take one of his arms.”

Before Vladimir could stop him Voren was already gone, the door swinging shut behind him with a soft final click.

The moment he stepped outside the hotel, he shifted to his wolf form, giving control to Bloodfang, as powerful paws pounded across the forest floor. Instead of entering through the pack’s main gate he headed straight for the eastern border. One powerful leap carried him over the fence and into the section of forest reserved shifts.

The instant he shifted back to human form, he spotted one of the patrol warriors standing a short distance away. The man barely had time to react before Voren struck once, the blow landing clean and hard. The warrior collapsed unconscious without a sound.

Without hesitation Voren stripped him of his clothes and pulled them on, as he walked straight into the pack house, every step measured and quiet.

The servants froze the moment they saw him. News of everything that had happened during the Full Moon Festival had already spread through the halls, and fear flashed across every face he passed, eyes dropping fast to the floor.

Letting Bloodfang guide his senses Voren followed Killian’s scent through the corridors until he reached the assigned room. He pushed the door open, stepped inside, and quietly locked it behind him.

Killian was still asleep when Voren’s voice exploded through the room like thunder, the sound cracking the quiet wide open. ”Alpha Killian.”

His eyes blazed with a fury that left no space for mercy. ”You owe me an eye.”