Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 763: Chapter 763 - Come on, Voren. Don’t be mean

Damon slammed the brakes on the transformation, his body jerking as the change reversed. He grabbed his clothes, fingers fumbling with urgency, and swept Quinn into his arms.

Her head lolled against his shoulder, lifeless and pale, and his heart hammered against his ribs so hard it hurt as he ran. ”She fainted,” he choked out the second he saw Seraphine, his voice cracking under the weight of pure terror.

Seraphine’s face softened with quiet reassurance that eased a fraction of his panic. ”It’s alright. Most likely the shock.”

The moment her fingertips grazed Quinn’s skin, Quinn gasped awake, her eyes flying open, wild and unfocused. ”Damon, I had a nightmare.”

A ragged breath tore from Damon’s throat. He cupped her face, forcing gentleness into his voice when everything inside him screamed with fear of losing her. ”It wasn’t a nightmare, Quinn.”

His thumb brushed her cheek, trembling slightly. ”Have you seen why I rejected your proposal? We come from different worlds.” His chest constricted, bracing for the recoil, the disgust, the moment her love would curdle into terror.

But Quinn’s expression didn’t shatter. It hardened, her jaw clenching tight with sudden resolve. ”So it’s true? You aren’t human?”

Around them, heads shook. Seraphine let a warm smile break through. ”But thankfully, you aren’t the first human to set foot here. You are the first female, though.”

Damon’s head snapped up, surprise cutting through his residual panic. ”A human has been here before?”

Voren nodded once. ”Pete.”

”Right.” Damon exhaled hard, dragging a hand down his face as relief and residual fear warred inside him. Pete. He had been so buried in Quinn’s family chaos that the memory had slipped through his fingers.

He’d known Quinn since she was a teenager, and if not for the recent revelation, he never would have guessed the people he thought were her family weren’t her blood at all.

She had been treasured. Except when desperation turned them cruel. ”How did it go?” Damon asked, his voice rough with lingering emotion.

”Quite well,” Voren assured him. Then his gaze settled to Quinn, steady and searching. ”Now you’ve seen who we are. Do you still want to be with Damon?”

Quinn’s eyes locked onto Damon’s. Fear, nervousness, and something reckless and bright twisted inside her, churning her stomach until she felt dizzy. ”How is this possible?”

The words barely escaped, hushed and trembling. All this time, people walking in the flesh, people she’d passed on the street without a second glance, weren’t human. The realization left her reeling.

Damon caught both her hands in his, his thumbs pressing slow, soothing circles into her knuckles as if he could transfer every ounce of his certainty through the touch.

”Quinn, we’re made to live in both worlds. But if I choose the human world, I sacrifice my wolf. I can survive there, but I only feel complete here.” His voice dropped, raw and honest, cracking with vulnerability. ”I only feel complete with you.”

”So, shall we live here if we get married?” The question burst out of her, desperate and hopeful, her heart pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it. Could she adjust to this new world? It didn’t matter.

The truth burned through her chest like wildfire. She loved Damon. The fear of losing him again, after he’d returned, was a wound she couldn’t survive reopening.

”Most of the time, if you want,” he said, his voice low and urgent, eyes locked on hers with fierce intensity. ”But I can make an exception. I have responsibilities here and in the human world, so I’ll be juggling between both. However, you can’t tell anyone about this place.”

Quinn nodded slowly, understanding flooding through her in a rush of clarity. Now it made sense why Damon hadn’t brought Mary along. Now everything made sense.

”And if I accept you, then you’ll marry me? You’ll never leave me again?” Her voice climbed, eager and raw, her fingers tightening around his as if she could hold him there forever.

Damon’s smile broke through, relief flooding his chest, loosening the vise around his heart until he could finally breathe again.

”I’ve always loved you, Quinn. I only rejected you because I was afraid you’d hate me if you saw this side of me. If you accept me for who I am, then I promise you’ll be the only woman in my life.” His voice cracked on the last word, the weight of his long-held fear finally crumbling into something warm and free.

Warmth surged through Quinn’s heart, fierce and overwhelming, filling every empty place the fear had left behind. If she hadn’t known Damon for most of her life, her fears would have been justified.

But she knew him. Knew him well enough to know she was safe with him. He had paid off her family’s loans to free her from Edwardo. Damon might not be an angel, but he wasn’t a demon either.

A werewolf. That was what he was. And she loved him anyway, with every piece of her heart.

”Okay. But what about Mary? You promised you’d bring her,” Quinn accused, her eyes narrowing, her chin lifting even as residual emotion still trembled in her voice.

Damon’s lips curved into a smirk, the tension in his shoulders finally easing into something lighter. ”Do you think we should bring her?”

She shook her head firmly, her hair brushing her cheeks. ”No. I’m only accepting this because I can’t bear to be away from you ever again. We were always inseparable.” Her voice broke on the last word, tears glistening in her eyes with pure, unguarded love.

Relief poured through Damon’s chest like a dam breaking. He leaned in and kissed her, slow and sure, pouring every ounce of his love and gratitude into the press of his lips until the world around them faded. Voren cleared his throat loudly. ”To your suite, Damon. Not here.”

Damon pulled back with a laugh, his eyes bright with joy. ”Says the man who kisses his wife everywhere, including the gym.”

”Damon,” Voren barked, his voice sharp but laced with reluctant amusement. ”You and me. Training tomorrow.”

The excitement inside Damon shriveled on the spot, his face falling into playful dread. ”Come on, Voren. Don’t be mean. I deserve my honeymoon, don’t I?”

He was halfway to the door when Seraphine spoke up, her voice warm but firm. ”Quinn, I hope you’re aware I’m also a doctor and a scientist.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, conspiratorial and kind.

”This is the first time we’re having one of our kind mate with a human in our world. I don’t know what you’ll experience, but you’ll explain everything to me when it’s done, okay?”

Quinn nodded, heat flooding her cheeks, her eyes dropping to the floor as a mix of shyness and trust filled her. ”Okay.”

”And if you feel any discomfort, you tell him. Don’t keep it to yourself. We have to ensure your safety and comfort while you’re here.” Seraphine’s hand found Quinn’s arm, a gentle squeeze full of genuine care.

The concern in Seraphine’s voice wrapped around Quinn like a warm blanket, chasing away the last of her nerves and leaving only quiet gratitude. ”Thanks for your care, Sera.” Her voice was small, grateful, and full of emotion.

After they left for Damon’s suite, Kael walked to his own room, his shoulders heavy, his steps dragging, each footfall echoing the hollow ache in his chest. So far, he was the only unmated one among the leaders.

The loneliness pressed down on him, suffocating, a quiet emptiness that no amount of duty could fill.

”You finally got the second part of your experiment,” Voren remarked as soon as the elevator doors slid shut, his voice low and warm with shared satisfaction.

Seraphine smiled, satisfaction curling her lips as quiet joy lit her eyes. ”Indeed. And I think I like her. She’s so innocent and hilarious.”

”Indeed,” Voren agreed, his arm sliding around her waist with familiar affection. ”That also means we need to prepare for two weddings in the human world.”

At the thought of a wedding, Seraphine’s expression turned thoughtful, her gaze drifting with a flicker of concern. ”Do you think Jasmine is still in love with Kael? Should I call her?”