Chapter 354: Chapter 354 - Then you won’t see me here again
"It’s nothing," Oriana forced out with a laugh that sounded fake even to her own ears. "I was only trying to scare her." Her smile felt strained and brittle, like it might crack at any second.
But Vladimir had been married to her for decades. He knew every little tell she had, every expression, every habit, every lie she tried to hide behind. The second those words left her mouth, his eyes narrowed sharply. He wasn’t buying a single syllable of it.
"Right," the former Alpha said as he rose from his chair. His voice stayed calm on the surface, but there was a rock-solid firmness underneath that immediately put Oriana on edge. "If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out another way."
Oriana’s stomach twisted into a painful knot. Vladimir adjusted his shirt, his gaze never leaving her. "When Voren returns to the city, we’re going with him."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"
"You heard me." He crossed his arms, expression unchanging. "If you won’t answer my questions, Jasmine will."
The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Oriana clenched her teeth so hard her jaw ached. This was exactly the nightmare she’d been desperately trying to avoid.
That secret had stayed buried for years, long, careful years. Now both Jasmine and Vladimir were threatening to drag it into the light. If Voren ever learned the truth... No. She couldn’t let that happen. She absolutely couldn’t.
A forced smile stretched across her face. "Fine," she said with a casual shrug that didn’t fool anyone. "You’ll see for yourself that it was nothing." The words came out sounding confident, but inside, panic was already sinking its claws deep into her chest.
Vladimir studied her for a long moment, his suspicions only growing stronger. The more she denied it, the more certain he became that something big was being hidden from him.
Without another word, he turned and headed for the door. He still had Voren’s phone tucked away—he’d completely forgotten to return it during their argument.
The second he left the room, Oriana slipped out quietly after him. She kept far enough back to stay unnoticed but close enough to watch every move he made.
Outside, the first soft hints of morning light were just beginning to chase away the darkness over the pack territory.
Pack members were slowly stirring, emerging from their homes. Some headed toward the training grounds while others prepared for the day’s work. The whole place was waking up around them.
Vladimir eventually spotted Voren near the shaman’s stone dwelling. The Alpha stood beside the older woman as they stepped out together. She looked far more alert now, her meditation apparently finished. Vladimir walked straight toward them, his eyes moving between the pair. "Where are you taking her?"
Voren barely spared him a glance. His patience for any conversation involving his parents had just about run out.
Before he could even respond, the shaman answered instead, her wrinkled face breaking into a knowing little smile. "He’s taking me to the young woman whose memories were blocked."
Vladimir’s jaw tightened visibly. "So that’s why you brought her here." His gaze sharpened with suspicion. "Where is she?"
The question instantly grated on Voren. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Why do you need to know?" The words came out ice-cold, heavy with warning.
Vladimir ignored it and took another step closer, frustration and concern mixing on his face. "Because whatever you’re planning affects this entire pack."
Voren stayed silent, his patience fraying faster by the second. The shaman glanced between father and son, wisely choosing to keep quiet. The tension stretched thick between them until Vladimir finally let out a tired sigh. "Let’s go back and settle this."
The plea sounded exhausted, like he wasn’t even trying to fight anymore. He just wanted some kind of solution. But Voren shook his head firmly. "We already discussed it."
His tone left zero room for argument. "All I need is for you and Mom to come to the city. If that’s inconvenient, I’ll send the helicopter to pick you up later."
Vladimir frowned. "And if we don’t come?"
"Then you won’t see me here again."
The words hit like a punch to the gut. Even the shaman’s eyebrows rose in surprise at how deadly serious he sounded. "You would really give up everything for her?" she asked, genuine curiosity coloring her voice.
Voren looked away for a moment, searching for the right words, the right explanation. But there wasn’t one that would make sense to people who had never felt anything this deep. He let out a slow breath. "When you love someone... nothing else matters."
The simple, raw honesty in those words silenced everyone. Even Vladimir had nothing to say.
The older man stared at his son, and for the first time, he truly saw just how profoundly Voren loved Seraphine. This wasn’t obsession or fleeting infatuation. It was something soul-deep. She had become a part of him. That realization only made Vladimir more uneasy.
The former Alpha glanced around. Several pack members had started gathering near the training fields now that the territory was fully awake. A few young warriors noticed Voren and called out respectful greetings. "Good morning, Alpha."
"Welcome back, Alpha."
"Good to see you again."
Voren acknowledged them with a nod. The warriors smiled politely, but inside they were all silently praying he wouldn’t decide to join training. Everyone respected him.
Everyone admired him. Everyone knew he would lay down his life for the pack without hesitation. But nobody wanted to spar with him when he was in a foul mood. Those sessions usually ended with plenty of injuries.
Still, despite his brutal training style, most of the pack considered him the best Alpha they could ever hope for.
Vladimir cleared his throat. "Oh." He finally remembered why he’d come in the first place. He held out the phone. "You left this behind."
Voren took it automatically, but something in his father’s expression made him pause. A strange, uneasy feeling settled in his chest. His eyes narrowed. "It was ringing."
Vladimir tried to sound casual. "So I answered it."
Every muscle in Voren’s body went tight. The shaman noticed immediately. So did Vladimir.
"Who called?" The question came out dangerously calm.
Vladimir hesitated for just a second. "Her."
That single word was all it took. The air around Voren seemed to drop in temperature, his gaze darkening with barely contained fury. "What did you tell her?"
His father straightened up. "The truth." That was all he managed to get out.
Voren didn’t wait for more. He didn’t ask for details, didn’t listen to excuses. The second he realized his father had spoken to Seraphine, every protective instinct inside him roared to life.
He knew his father too well, knew exactly how ugly and cutting that conversation must have been.
Without warning, he grabbed the shaman’s arm. The older woman blinked in surprise. "Voren—"
"We need to go."
The urgency in his voice caught even her off guard. A second later, he was already moving fast, practically dragging her along and leaving Vladimir standing there stunned.
Father, son, and several nearby warriors watched as Voren hurried away with the shaman in tow.
"What just happened?" one warrior muttered.
Nobody answered.
Voren took a hidden route that only a handful of people even knew about. His underground hideout wasn’t marked on any pack map, very few wolves had any idea it existed.
The whole way there, worry gnawed at him like sharp teeth. His father was stubborn, proud, and judgmental, and when it came to Seraphine, he rarely held back his words.
The more Voren thought about it, the faster he moved. What if Seraphine had misunderstood? What if she actually believed his father? What if she thought he’d agreed to marry Athaliah? His chest tightened painfully with every step.
By the time he reached the entrance, he was already bracing himself for damage control but as soon as he stepped inside, he froze.
The sight waiting for him was the last thing he had expected. Warmth instantly flooded his heart.
