Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 553: Chapter 553 - Your power out here in the outlands is scary as hell

Seraphine raked her mind, searching for some explanation for Voren’s strange behavior, but the harder she tried to figure him out, the more confusing it got. She finally gave up, deciding this wasn’t the time for any deep thinking.

Whatever he had planned, she’d find out soon enough. ”I honestly can’t guess.”

Voren smiled, clearly amused by her answer, and kept driving. One hand rested comfortably on the steering wheel while the other stayed relaxed, like there wasn’t a single thing in the world worth worrying about right then.

”You hear from Marsha?”

The question pulled Seraphine’s attention right back to him. When she tried to reach Marsha, it was like she’d been blocked. She had tried more than once, but every attempt ended the same way, leaving her with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

”She’s not cooperating.”

Voren wasn’t surprised. If anything, the faint curve of his lips suggested he’d expected exactly that.

”Don’t worry about it. She’s gonna be the one begging for your attention soon enough.”

Seraphine turned toward him, her brows drawing together. Before she could make head or tail of his words, the scenery outside the car began to change.

The familiar roads gave way to the wilder part of the territory, where thick trees crowded both sides of the path and sunlight filtered through the leaves in scattered golden patches.

A few minutes later they arrived at the waterfalls in the outlands. The sound reached them before they even got out of the car.

Water crashed over the rocks somewhere ahead, loud enough to drown out the rustling leaves and distant sounds of wildlife. The air was cooler here, carrying the fresh scent of water, wet earth, and trees.

When they stepped out, Seraphine instinctively looked toward the direction of the waterfalls. She had missed this place. It was strange to admit because her last encounter here hadn’t been a good one.

The memory still sat somewhere in the back of her mind, tied to the assassins Daisy had sent and the danger they had faced. Back then, her relationship with Voren hadn’t been defined.

Before she could take another step toward the waterfall, Voren bent down and lifted her into his arms. Seraphine let out a small gasp, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

”Aren’t we gonna enjoy the waterfalls?”

There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. She had been looking forward to seeing the place again, even if the memories attached to it weren’t exactly pleasant.

Voren glanced down at her, his expression holding a secretive amusement that immediately made her suspicious.

”I got something better lined up for you.”

Seraphine studied his face. There was no point trying to argue with him. She had learned that much about her husband. So she decided to trust him, and she was glad she did.

Voren carried her deeper into the woods, his powerful strides barely slowing as the trees grew thicker around them. The farther they went, the more isolated the area became.

The noise of the waterfalls gradually faded behind them. Seraphine rested against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat while the branches above them swayed gently with the breeze.

Every now and then sunlight slipped through the leaves and fell across Voren’s face, making him look almost too peaceful for a man whose name alone could make an entire pack tense.

Then a cabin came into view. Seraphine’s eyes widened slightly. It was tucked away among the trees, secluded enough that anyone who didn’t know it was there would probably walk right past it.

Two men stood in front of the cabin, waiting for Voren’s arrival. The moment they saw him, both straightened.

”Alpha Voren, everything’s just the way you asked. Let us know if you need anything.”

Voren didn’t answer them. He simply continued toward the cabin with Seraphine in his arms. The men stepped aside, allowing him to pass.

Inside, the cabin was nothing like Seraphine had expected. It was warm and beautifully arranged, with everything placed carefully and thoughtfully. The lighting was soft, creating an intimate glow across the room.

The bed was neatly prepared, surrounded by comfortable furnishings, while small details throughout the cabin made it obvious someone had taken the time to prepare the place specifically for them.

Voren carried Seraphine to the bed and lowered her gently onto the mattress. She looked around, taking everything in while Voren did the same. His eyes moved across the room, checking every detail.

He wasn’t simply admiring the setup. He was making sure everything was exactly the way he had requested.

Only after he was satisfied did he turn away and step outside. Seraphine remained on the bed, still trying to understand what he had planned for her.

Outside, Voren approached the two men. ”It’s perfect. Just make sure nobody bothers us and keep tabs on my family till they’re out of the outlands.”

”Alpha, the chopper took off five minutes ago,” one of the men replied after checking something on his phone. He looked back at Voren and continued, ”Beta Corvine, Princess Athaliah, Jasmine, Bryan, and Esperanza were on board.”

He held out the phone and showed Voren a picture of them boarding the chopper. Voren glanced at the image. Seeing his family safely on board seemed to satisfy whatever concern had been lingering in his mind.

”Good. Then your job’s done. I’ll call you later to have somebody take care of this place.”

The man nodded. He glanced at the other man, and the two exchanged a silent look before stepping away from the cabin. A moment later shifted, muscles reshaping as they transformed into their wolf forms.

They sprang into the woods, disappearing between the trees with such speed that within seconds there was almost no trace they had ever been there.

Inside the cabin, Seraphine had heard everything Voren said. She had also heard the men leave. The moment Voren walked back inside, she looked at him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

”Your power out here in the outlands is scary as hell.”

Voren let out a faint smile. There was no pride in his expression, only the quiet confidence of someone who knew exactly how much influence he had built and why.

”I never blended in with most of the Alphas because of their stupid egos and crude ways, so I built my army out here in the outlands. That way, nobody sees it coming when I use them to attack.”

Seraphine raised a brow. She had known Voren was powerful. She had known he had influence. But seeing how easily he could summon an army from somewhere most people barely paid attention to made her realize there were still sides of him she was discovering.

”You know what? I’m glad I’m on your team.”

A small smile stretched Voren’s lips. Seraphine couldn’t help thinking about how much sense everything suddenly made. This was why Voren was never afraid of his authority being taken.

Before you even thought about attacking his pack, you had to think again. His real army was out here in the outlands, hidden among people and wolves no one would expect him to control. And he paid them generously.

Then he turned to Seraphine and just like that, all that intimidating Alpha aura seemed to disappear. The ruthless leader who could command an army with a few words was gone, replaced by the man she knew. Amusement danced in his eyes as he looked at her, and the playful curve of his mouth made Seraphine’s heart beat a little faster.

He stepped closer. ”So, between letting our wolves take control of our bodies and learning about what I found out from Noelle and Chuck, which one you picking?”