Chapter 339: Chapter 339 - Maybe it made you happy
Kylie was the first to snap out of the stunned silence. The weight of Voren’s words hung heavy in the small living room, too serious to brush off.
Her eyes widened for a moment before narrowing slightly. "Alpha Voren," she said, her voice calm but carrying a clear note of hurt underneath. "Are you suggesting that I had something to do with Seraphine’s memory loss?"
The question cut through the air. Voren’s jaw tightened as his emotions surged dangerously close to the surface.
Everything he had learned in the last twenty-four hours had completely upended his world. Esperanza, the missing memories, the possibility of sorcery, and the gut-wrenching realization that Seraphine might have spent years suffering because of something done to her.
Staying calm was getting harder by the second. Voren’s gaze stayed locked on Kylie. "So you knew."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Humphrey frowned immediately, but Kylie let out a long, tired sigh. The older woman suddenly looked exhausted. "Honestly, Alpha Voren, Seraphine appeared perfectly fine when she woke up. We had no reason to believe anything was wrong."
Humphrey nodded in agreement. "And don’t forget something important. Her parents were the ones giving us the information." The reminder didn’t do much to ease the storm raging inside Voren, but Humphrey pressed on.
"What exactly were we supposed to do? Yes, we were the leaders of the pack, but being Alpha and Luna doesn’t mean we can override a parent’s authority, especially when there was no evidence suggesting anything unusual."
The explanation made logical sense. Unfortunately, logic wasn’t doing much to soothe Voren’s emotions right now. The more he thought about everything they had lost, the angrier he became.
Years. They had all lost years that could never be recovered. His gaze darkened. "For some reason, I find that hard to believe."
Both Humphrey and Kylie stiffened at once. Voren leaned forward, his voice sharpening. "You always wanted Sera with Ravyn."
Neither of them denied it, because it was true. Everyone in the pack had known it—the future Alpha and the future Luna, the perfect pair, the perfect future. At least, that’s what everyone had believed back then.
Voren let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe it made you happy. Maybe seeing my memories disappear from her mind was exactly what you wanted."
A heavy, dangerous silence filled the room. Humphrey slowly rose from his seat. The older Alpha wasn’t angry, not yet, but clear disappointment etched across his face.
"Now you’re accusing us without any proof," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "And that’s dangerous, Alpha Voren."
Voren held his gaze, neither man backing down. Eventually Humphrey continued. "Yes. We love Sera. And yes, we wanted her to marry Ravyn when they grew up."
The honest admission surprised Voren. Humphrey sighed. "We won’t deny that. But things changed. Eventually we realized there was someone else."
Voren frowned. Humphrey looked him straight in the eyes. "You."
The single word stunned him. Kylie chuckled softly. "It took us longer than it should have." Her eyes softened with nostalgia. "At first, she stopped talking about Ravyn. Then all we heard about was V. V this. V that. V said this. V did that." Even Humphrey laughed quietly. "It drove us crazy trying to figure out who V was."
Voren sat frozen as the image of a younger Seraphine endlessly talking about him filled his mind. His chest tightened painfully. Kylie shook her head. "When we finally realized it was you... everything made sense."
The room fell quiet again. After a long moment, Humphrey’s expression turned serious once more. "But believe me when I say this. We had absolutely nothing to do with that accident." The conviction in his voice was impossible to miss. Kylie nodded firmly. "Nothing."
Another silence stretched between them before Humphrey sighed. "Our biggest mistake wasn’t causing it." Regret flashed across his face. "It was not looking deeper when she couldn’t remember you."
Kylie lowered her eyes, shame creeping into her expression. Because that part was true. They had noticed. They had questioned it. But not enough. Not nearly enough.
"It made us happy," Kylie confessed quietly, the words painful. "At the time, we were glad her attention remained on Ravyn." Humphrey shook his head bitterly. "If I could go back and change that..."
Kylie finished for him, tears glistening in her eyes. "After everything Ravyn did to her... I wish she had ended up with you from the beginning."
The honesty stunned Voren, but it wasn’t enough to wash away the bitterness building inside him. His stomach churned, the taste of regret rising in his throat.
Too much damage had already been done. Too much pain. Too many years. He ran a hand through his hair. "From what I’ve gathered... a spell was used."
The words immediately caught their full attention. Kylie frowned while Humphrey looked confused. Voren continued. "If her memory loss came from the injury, then other things should’ve been affected too. Not just me." His eyes narrowed. "If a head injury erased memories, then why was I the only person forgotten?"
The question hit them hard because he was right, very right. Humphrey slowly sat back down as the realization sank in. Kylie looked deeply disturbed. Neither of them had considered it from that angle before.
A long silence followed. Eventually Kylie sighed, the sound carrying years of regret. "Look. We’re sorry." There was no pride left in her expression, no excuses, only guilt. "We truly didn’t know. If sorcery was involved, we never suspected it."
The sincerity was obvious. Still, another question clearly bothered her. "Why now?" she asked, spreading her hands. "Why are you investigating this now? For years, you acted like you didn’t care."
The words struck a raw nerve. Pain flashed across Voren’s face, raw and unfiltered. The reaction startled the couple. "You know damn well I care," he said, his voice cracking with emotion that shocked even him. Years of frustration, regret, and loving Seraphine while convincing himself she had chosen someone else, all of it surged to the surface at once.
Humphrey and Kylie exchanged glances. For the first time, they truly saw the depth of his feelings and the weight of his regret. Voren swallowed hard. "But someone covered this up. There was a conspiracy."
Humphrey’s patience finally snapped. The older Alpha straightened, authority rolling off him. "Watch your tongue, Alpha Voren." The warning carried enough force to shake the room. For a moment, Voren looked like the hot-headed older Alpha he used to be, but Humphrey wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. "You are still standing inside my territory."
Silence followed. Then Humphrey pointed toward the floor. "First. We covered no conspiracy." A second finger lifted. "Second. When Seraphine didn’t come home that night, Kylie asked questions."
Kylie nodded as Humphrey continued. "Her mother told us she had been rushed to the hospital. According to them, she fell while playing with Daisy near the rocks."
The name immediately darkened Voren’s expression. Humphrey noticed. "So yes. Daisy was involved." A bitter laugh escaped Kylie. "Back then she was sweet. At least that’s what everyone thought." The older woman shook her head. "We had no idea what kind of person she would become."
Humphrey kept going. "When we arrived at the hospital, everything matched their story. Every detail, every explanation, every injury, and nothing appeared suspicious. At least not at the time."
The room fell silent once more. Then Humphrey folded his arms, his expression thoughtful. "If you still have questions... then stop looking at us." The statement was blunt and unavoidable. His eyes hardened. "You need to speak with Seraphine’s biological parents. Or Daisy’s parents." He leaned forward slightly. "Unless you’d like me to do that for you."
