Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 762: Chapter 762 – Crazy or just plain foolish

Damon smiled and informed the middle-aged man, his voice steady and sure even as something deeper moved behind his eyes. ”We’ll set the wedding date after we return from a short trip.”

”Can Mary come along?” Quinn suddenly asked, her eyes bright with hope. Damon stiffened slightly, a flicker of tension crossing his face before he answered. ”Yes, but not this one.”

She was about to argue when her mother cut in, voice sharp with exasperation. ”Silly girl, your man is taking you on a trip and you want to bring your best friend? Are you crazy or just plain foolish?”

Quinn realized what her mother meant. Even after finding out they weren’t her real parents, nothing had changed between them. The love was still there, the bond still unbroken, and the familiar scolding only made her chest ache with affection. ”But Mom, Mary isn’t that kind of person.”

Her mother opened her mouth to say more, but Damon spoke first, his voice soft yet final. ”Mary is a good girl. That’s why I said another time. This trip is just for you and me.”

He reached up and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears, his fingers brushing her cheek with a tenderness that made her pulse jump. Quinn lowered her gaze shyly, warmth blooming hard in her chest. ”Okay. If you say so.”

For the days that followed, Quinn stayed close to Damon’s side and slowly got used to Kael’s quiet presence. It became almost familiar. Mary visited a few times until the morning came when it was finally time to leave for the pack.

Quinn and Damon went to say goodbye to her family, but when they arrived, she realized there were far more people than expected. Not only her parents, but her two brothers, Mary, some work colleagues, and even Kael were all standing there waiting.

Her attention locked on Kael, suspicion narrowing her eyes. ”How did you get to my parents’ house?”

She was still asking when she noticed Kael looked amused, his gaze fixed on something behind her. Following his line of sight, she froze. The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. Damon was on one knee in front of everyone.

”Quinn, I promise to marry you if you still accept me after our trip. I want to assure you and your parents that my intentions are pure. So will you marry me after we return?”

Quinn could not answer right away. Her knees gave out and she dropped to the floor, wrapping her arms around Damon’s neck like she might never let go. Tears stung her eyes. ”Yes, yes, yes, Damon. I’ll marry you even now.”

Damon laughed, the sound low and full of relief, and kissed her right there in front of everyone, sealing the promise between them. When he pulled back, he slipped the ring onto her finger and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

”Then remember these words when we return.” He was helping her to her feet when Mary spoke up, her voice cutting through the celebration. ”Damon, you keep talking like this trip has some hidden... I don’t know.”

”We’ll miss the flight if we don’t leave now,” Kael announced, easing the tension with a welcome distraction. After a round of tight goodbye hugs, Damon and Kael left with Quinn. For most of the journey she slept in Damon’s arms, the place she had always longed to be, the place that finally felt like she belonged.

When they stepped down from the chopper, her eyes went wide as she drank in the world around her. ”Where is this? It’s so beautiful.”

Kael and Damon exchanged a quick glance before Damon answered. ”This is my family. This is where I’ve been whenever I left.”

The warriors at the entrance welcomed them with respectful nods before Quinn could fully understand that this place was different from anything she had ever known. Their eyes held a quiet knowing that made her stomach flutter with nerves.

They met Voren and Seraphine in the conference room. Kael announced without hesitation, ”You won’t believe this. Damon found his mate.”

Voren did not look surprised, but Quinn immediately recognized Seraphine, her face lighting up. ”I remember you. MindNest Chairwoman. God, you’re so cool, and I love the games.”

Seraphine smiled, warmth radiating from her. ”I’m glad you like them. Have you tried the advanced ones? They were upgraded just a few days ago.”

”I haven’t played since Damon came back, but I’ll check them out,” Quinn said excitedly before turning to Voren, eyes going even wider. ”God, this is Mr. Ashkael, right? Ashkael Holdings?”

Voren smiled at her. She was so open and warm, a bright presence in the room. ”You’re right about that.” His attention settled on Damon, expression turning serious. ”Have you told her?”

Damon shook his head, jaw tightening. ”Not yet.” He went quiet for a moment, the weight of the truth pressing hard on him. ”Honestly, I’m scared she’ll leave me.”

Quinn frowned, confusion clear on her face. ”Damon, what’s the problem?”

Seeing Damon’s discomfort, Kael spoke up, voice gentle. ”Quinn, there are worlds outside the human world, and one of those worlds is this. We aren’t humans.”

Quinn smiled, a soft laugh bubbling up. ”Kael, you’re funny. You look completely human to me.”

”What he means is, the movie Twilight is real. We are werewolves,” Damon added, nervousness sitting heavy on his spine as Quinn laughed again, the sound bright and full of disbelief.

”You’re joking, right? Things like that don’t exist.”

”But you’ve heard of witches,” Seraphine hinted, and Quinn’s laughter slowly faded as she nodded. ”Yeah... I know there are good and bad witches. White and black ones.”

”Good. Then you should also know there are good and bad werewolves. We are the good ones.”

Quinn nearly choked on another laugh as Seraphine offered her a glass of water. ”Drink.”

She gulped it down and managed a shaky smile. ”Thank you, Chair—”

”Sera. Just call me Sera,” Seraphine said kindly as Damon spoke up, his voice heavy with something Quinn still could not name. ”Let’s go. I’ll show you what I’m talking about.”

He took her by the arm and led her outside the pack. Quinn followed with a mix of excitement and rising curiosity buzzing through her veins. When she saw Damon start undressing, her cheeks turned pink and heat flooded her face. ”Damon, why are you undressing? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Damon shook his head as he stood there in only his boxers, the evening air cool against his skin. ”You’ll understand soon.”

Quinn pressed her lips together, her expression moving from excitement to curiosity, then to nervousness, and finally into a deep frown as she began to hear the sound of bones breaking and rearranging. Claws replaced nails. Paws replaced feet. Fur rippled across his skin. Fangs slid into place where human teeth had been.

Before Damon could finish the transformation, Quinn’s vision went dark and she fainted, her body crumpling to the ground.