Chapter 353: Chapter 353 - That woman is clever
Seraphine felt the color drain from her face the second she heard the name. Athaliah.
For a split second, her fingers tightened around the phone like it was a lifeline. Of course, she knew exactly who Athaliah Spencer was—every werewolf in the community did.
Years ago, their paths had crossed at the training academy before Athaliah headed off to France. Not long after, Seraphine had landed her scholarship and moved to New York to chase her dreams in medicine. Their lives had taken completely different roads from there.
Athaliah had become everything the werewolf world put on a pedestal: elegant, composed, graceful, and stunningly beautiful in that way that made heads turn the moment she walked into any room.
People were naturally drawn to her. Even Seraphine couldn’t deny it. For one uncomfortable heartbeat, a sharp little spark of insecurity twisted deep in her chest, a painful reminder that the woman being pushed toward Voren wasn’t just anybody. Athaliah was exactly the kind of Luna most packs fantasized about.
Then her eyes drifted over to the photographs lining the fireplace mantel. Pictures of her younger self with Voren. Snapshots filled with genuine laughter and happy moments that warmed the whole space.
The sight hit her like an anchor, pulling her back to solid ground. The uneasy feeling melted away almost as quickly as it had come, and a soft, knowing smile curved her lips.
Voren wasn’t like the other Alphas. That was exactly why so many of them couldn’t stand him.
His principles were downright strange by werewolf standards. He didn’t chase status, didn’t give a damn about appearances, and never treated people like pawns in some political game.
If he’d wanted a marriage that boosted his power or connections, he could’ve locked one down years ago. Instead, he’d spent all that time fighting for a woman the rest of them wanted him to forget.
That realization steadied her completely. Almost immediately, she saw exactly what was happening here. Alpha Vladimir wasn’t just delivering news. He was deliberately trying to stir up trouble, to drive a wedge between her and Voren.
"Can I speak with Voren?" she asked, her voice staying calm and perfectly polite.
Unfortunately, the man on the other end only sounded more annoyed with every passing second. "He doesn’t want to speak with you."
Seraphine’s eyebrow rose. The claim was so ridiculous she almost laughed out loud. "Voren isn’t the kind of man who avoids confrontation," she replied, still respectful but firm. "If he didn’t want me, he wouldn’t be afraid to say it to my face."
Silence stretched across the line. Then Vladimir’s voice sharpened like a knife. "Are you calling me a liar?"
Seraphine leaned back against the recliner, completely unfazed. "No." A faint, knowing smile curled the corner of her lips. "You’re my elder, Alpha Vladimir." She let the title hang there deliberately, a clear reminder that she knew exactly who she was talking to. "Can you swear by the Moon Goddess that what you’re saying is the truth?"
The silence that followed was almost comical. One second, two, three, and then the line went dead with a sharp click.
Seraphine stared at her phone for a moment before letting out a soft, amused laugh. Well, that pretty much answered everything.
Back at the pack house, Vladimir nearly dropped the phone as he stormed toward the elevator, his face flushed red with pure frustration.
The doors opened and he jabbed the button for his floor over and over until they finally slid shut. By the time he burst into their suite, he was practically fuming.
Oriana was already pacing the living room, tension radiating off her. "What happened?"
Vladimir tossed the phone onto the table with a clatter. "That woman is clever."
Oriana’s face darkened instantly. "Of course she is." She folded her arms tight across her chest, the admission coming out through gritted teeth. "Seraphine is intelligent. If she hadn’t chosen Ravyn all those years ago, she would’ve made a perfect Luna."
A heavy sigh escaped her, thick with frustration. "But now she’s tainted. Why can’t Voren see that?"
Vladimir rubbed his forehead, looking more exhausted than angry for once. "That’s not even my biggest concern right now."
Oriana stopped pacing. "What do you mean?"
He dropped heavily into a chair, shoulders slumping. "The second we show up at that wedding, we’re accepting her as part of this family. And if we don’t go... we risk losing our son."
The brutal reality of their situation settled over them like a suffocating weight. Neither choice worked in their favor.
Vladimir shook his head slowly. "How can Voren put us in this impossible position over one woman?"
Oriana pressed her lips together, her mind racing. The more she turned it over, the more irritated she became. "We only spoke with Marigold," she muttered, the complaint slipping out before she could catch it, "and now she suddenly wants to be called Espe or whatever."
Vladimir ignored that part completely. Marigold’s change of name was the least of their worries right now.
Oriana straightened suddenly, a new spark lighting in her eyes. "I’ll call Jasmine."
The call connected almost instantly. Jasmine’s gentle voice answered, sounding pleasantly surprised. "Mom. How’s everything over there?"
Oriana skipped the pleasantries entirely. "Voren came back to the pack."
Jasmine went quiet. "Why didn’t you come with him?" The Luna’s eyes narrowed. "And have you been doing everything I asked?"
Several long seconds ticked by. Then Jasmine finally spoke, her voice heavy with sadness. "Mom... it’s been years."
Oriana frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"
A soft sigh carried through the phone. "Even a rock would’ve melted by now." Before Oriana could cut her off, Jasmine continued, "Voren’s heart has always belonged to Seraphine. Just give them your blessing."
For a brief second, stunned silence filled the room. Then Oriana exploded. "No!" Her roar echoed off the walls, making Vladimir wince. "We stick to the plan," she growled, breathing harder now, "or I’ll tell Voren the truth."
The silence that followed stretched much longer this time. When Jasmine spoke again, her voice was calmer and steadier than ever. "At first, I was terrified. I was afraid of becoming a lone wolf again."
A faint, almost relieved laugh followed. "But after meeting Luna Seraphine... I can finally see opportunities I never even considered before. And honestly, it’s time Voren learned the truth."
The room went deathly quiet. Oriana’s eyes widened in shock. "Jasmine—"
The call ended just like that, no goodbye, no apology, nothing.
Oriana stared at her phone in disbelief for several seconds before her face flushed bright red with rage. "She hung up on me!" Her voice shot up an octave, full of genuine offense. "Vlad, Jasmine hung up on me!"
She started pacing furiously around the room, anger rolling off her in waves so strong Vladimir half-expected steam to start rising from her head.
For a while, he just watched her. Then something finally clicked. His eyes narrowed slowly, carefully. "What truth?"
Oriana froze mid-step. Every trace of her fury vanished in an instant, replaced by raw panic. The room fell into heavy silence as Vladimir sat up straighter, his full attention locked on her now.
A strange expression crossed his face. "What do you have to tell Voren?"
The color drained completely from Oriana’s face, her stomach twisting into knots. Only then did she realize what she’d done. In the heat of her anger, she’d forgotten her husband was standing right there... and she had said way too much.
