Chapter 352: Chapter 352 - No woman deserves to be treated like...
"I’ve already thought about it," Voren said, his voice calm but edged with steel that cut through the room like a blade.
His parents went dead silent right away. He pushed up from the sofa and stood tall, looking from one to the other with clear disappointment burning in his eyes. "And this is my verdict."
The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees, turning thick and heavy.
"No woman deserves to be treated like some kind of outcast just because she wouldn’t dance to her husband’s disgusting tune," he continued, his gaze locking hard onto his mother. "If this pack doesn’t want her, then fine. We’ll build our own pack."
Neither Oriana nor Vladimir said a word. For the first time, they truly got it. This wasn’t some discussion they could talk their way out of. Voren had already made up his mind, and nothing they said was going to change it.
His expression hardened even more. "And since you two are so obsessed with what the Alpha Code supposedly allows, let’s really think this through." A bitter smile twisted across his lips. "If I walk away, I take every single resource I personally poured into this pack with me."
The words landed like a hammer. Everyone in that room knew well how much of the pack’s strength, wealth, and power came straight from him—the businesses, the investments, the infrastructure, the training facilities, the medical programs. He’d funded most of it himself. Without those things, the pack would crumble in ways they didn’t even want to admit out loud.
Voren folded his arms across his chest, staring them down. "And since you respect the Alpha Code so much, why don’t you two just marry Athaliah yourselves?"
His parents gaped at him, the sarcasm hitting them square in the face. Before either could scramble for a response, Voren turned sharply and headed straight for the elevator. As far as he was concerned, this conversation was over.
The elevator doors slid open smoothly. Right before stepping in, he paused, a fresh thought hitting him. He turned back around slowly.
His parents looked up with a flicker of hope in their eyes, but it died instantly when they saw his face—completely serious, no humor, no hesitation, and zero room left for negotiation.
"I’m marrying Seraphine in five days," he announced, the words echoing through the stunned silence. "You can come and support us... or you can find yourselves another son to claim."
Those words hit harder than any shout ever could. Oriana’s face went ghostly pale, and Vladimir’s jaw clenched so tight it looked painful. Before they could even choke out a reply, the elevator doors closed between them.
The last thing they saw was their son’s cold, unyielding expression. Then he was gone.
The ride down to his floor took less than a minute, but it felt like it stretched on forever. By the time he stepped into his private suite, the anger was still simmering hot under his skin, refusing to cool off.
He headed straight for the bathroom, stripped down, and stepped under the icy blast of the shower. Cold water poured over his head and shoulders, washing away the grime of travel but barely touching the frustration still raging inside him.
He planted both hands against the tiled wall, jaw locked tight. It was always the same bullshit. When he was miserable, everyone understood.
When he was suffering under the weight of loneliness and endless responsibilities, people showered him with sympathy and advice. But now that he’d finally found real happiness with someone he’d loved all his life, everyone suddenly had a massive problem with it.
The hypocrisy burned him up more than anything else. Why did Seraphine being Ravyn’s ex-wife automatically make her damaged goods in their eyes? Why did people act like she carried some permanent stain just because another man had been too blind and selfish to appreciate what he had?
The more he turned it over in his head, the hotter his fury grew. Seraphine was brilliant, kind, powerful, successful, and stunningly beautiful. Any pack would be lucky to have her. But some narrow-minded fools could only see the shadow of her past attached to her name.
Bloodfang stirred deep inside, growling with raw possessiveness, fierce protectiveness, and burning anger. ’If you do as they said...’
’Not gonna happen,’ Voren responded to his wolf. The cold water kept pounding down on him until some of the tension finally started to bleed away. Not all of it, but enough to let him breathe.
A little while later, he stepped out, dried off, and got dressed. He’d barely pulled on a clean shirt when his father’s voice pushed into his mind through the mins link. ’Voren. Come back. Let’s talk about this.’
His face went completely flat. ’Unless you are ready to support the wedding, there’s nothing left to talk about.’
’Voren—’
He cut the connection before she could finish and blocked the link entirely. The sudden, beautiful silence that followed felt like a relief. For the next few hours, he had zero interest in listening to anyone’s opinions, especially not his parents’.
He grabbed his stuff and headed for the door. The second he opened it, though, he stopped short. His father was standing right there in the hallway, looking worn out and determined.
Apparently blocking the mind link hadn’t been enough to stop Vladimir from finding another way to keep pushing.
Voren let out a heavy sigh. "Dad."
"Voren..." Vladimir stepped closer, exhaustion etched across his face. "Have you calmed down yet?"
The question almost made Voren laugh bitterly. "Have you agreed to support the wedding?"
Vladimir’s expression soured instantly. That was all the answer he needed. The older man shook his head. "No. Spell or no spell, that woman is only good enough to be your mistress."
The hallway went deathly quiet. For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Vladimir suddenly seemed to realize he might have crossed a dangerous line. The look in Voren’s eyes was terrifying, pure, ice-cold fury that didn’t need yelling or threats to be felt.
If Vladimir hadn’t been his father, Voren probably would’ve laid him out right there on the spot.
They stared at each other in heavy silence. Then Voren simply looked away, stepped into the elevator without another word, and let the doors close behind him.
Vladimir stood there for a while afterward, letting out a deep, weary sigh. Everything was spiraling into a complete disaster. He shook his head and turned to leave when a phone started ringing from inside Voren’s suite. His brows furrowed. The kid must have forgotten it in his rush to get out.
Muttering under his breath, Vladimir let himself in. The ringing kept going. He spotted the phone on a nearby table, picked it up, and the screen lit up. His expression darkened immediately.
It was a picture of Seraphine, beautiful, smiling, radiant with happiness. Below it was the nickname ’Baby.’
Vladimir’s jaw tightened with irritation. Without thinking twice, he answered the call, his voice coming out colder and harsher than he meant.
"You disgraceful woman," he snapped before Seraphine could even say hello. "Why can’t you just stay away from my son?"
At the other end of the line, Seraphine froze, the phone almost slipping from her fingers. She’d been expecting Voren’s voice, not this unfamiliar older man.
Her grip tightened as confusion and shock washed over her. "I’m sorry," she said, keeping her tone polite despite the insult. "I thought Voren was there."
Vladimir scoffed. "He isn’t." His irritation bled through with every word. "We advised him, and he understands that he needs to marry Athaliah, the Alpha King’s daughter."
He waited, clearly expecting tears, shock, begging, or at least some kind of angry outburst. But Seraphine’s response only ended up making him even angrier.
