Chapter 360: Chapter 360 - You were always the one
"Sera, you made it."
Relief flooded Voren’s voice the second her eyes opened. He pulled her straight into his arms like he was terrified she might slip away again.
For the past several days, he’d been carrying this heavy weight on his chest, a deep fear he hadn’t even wanted to admit to himself. Now, feeling her warm and alive against him, that weight finally started to lift, melting away with every steady breath she took.
But Seraphine barely seemed to register it at first. Her whole body trembled as she fought to catch her breath, tears already gathering in her eyes.
"V..." Her fingers gripped his shirt tightly, holding on like he was her anchor. "I remember everything."
Voren froze. For a moment, the entire room seemed to fade away around them. Everything he had hoped for, everything he had fought for, everything he had risked, had actually worked.
His eyes reddened instantly with overwhelming emotion. Without another word, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.
The kiss was raw with relief, longing, and all the feelings neither of them could fully put into words. Seraphine responded right away, her arms wrapping around his neck as she poured herself into it.
For those few precious seconds, nothing else existed, no pack politics, no enemies, no misunderstandings, no lost memories. Just the two of them, reconnecting in the most honest way possible.
Then suddenly, Seraphine pulled back. Voren blinked in surprise as she stared at him with wide eyes. "I’m starving."
The completely serious look on her face caught him totally off guard. He just stared for a second before a real, genuine laugh burst out of him, the first one he’d had in what felt like forever. "Let’s eat."
Before she could even protest, he carefully lifted her into his arms. Seraphine instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her toward the dining area.
A few moments later, he settled her gently into a chair. The delicious smell of the food hit her immediately, and her eyes widened. "You made this?" The suspicion in her voice was unmistakable.
Voren narrowed his eyes playfully. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Seraphine glanced at the food, then at him, then back at the plates. "Nothing."
The innocent smile she flashed didn’t fool him for a second. Before he could defend his cooking, she’d already grabbed a fork and taken the first bite.
Then another, and another. Voren watched in amazement as she basically inhaled the meal. She wasn’t just eating, she was attacking the plate with serious determination. Within minutes, half of it had disappeared.
Voren finally remembered he hadn’t eaten either. He grabbed another plate, sat across from her, and started serving himself. But just as he lifted the first bite, a hand reached across the table and his plate vanished. He just stared her.
Seraphine stared right back, completely serious. "Aren’t you going to ask?"
"Ask what?"
"If I can have this," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Voren glanced at his stolen plate, then at her nearly empty one. A helpless smile spread across his face.
"No, I don’t mind." He pushed the plate fully toward her. "Eat."
The bright smile that lit up her face was worth way more than any meal. Without hesitation, she dug back in.
Voren shook his head with a fond chuckle and made himself another plate. The counter-spell had clearly taken a massive toll on her body.
It was only after she finished two full servings that she finally started to slow down. Then she grabbed a glass of water, drained it, and immediately went for another, and another. Three glasses disappeared in record time.
When she finally leaned back in her chair, she looked like she’d just run a marathon. Her chest rose and fell heavily as she rubbed her forehead. "Wow. Voren, I feel like I just got years of my life back in one night."
Voren’s attention sharpened right away. This was exactly what he’d been waiting to hear. He pushed his half-eaten plate aside. "Tell me everything."
Before he could say more, Seraphine frowned and pointed at his plate. "Wait. Aren’t you going to finish that?" A second later, she’d already pulled it toward herself.
He watched helplessly as she polished off every last bite. The sight would’ve been funny if he wasn’t so completely fascinated by just how hungry she was.
Only after finishing everything did she finally stand up. "I’ll be right back." She rushed off to the bathroom. Several minutes later, she returned looking noticeably different. The exhaustion was still there, along with the emotional storm she’d been through, but she seemed calmer now, more centered, and more like the Seraphine he knew and loved.
Voren’s chest tightened with a rush of emotion. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Seraphine slowly walked over and sat right beside him instead of across from him, close enough that their knees touched and she could rest her hand on his.
Tears gathered in her eyes again. "V." Her voice cracked with raw feeling. "You were always the one."
Voren swallowed hard, his heart pounding. "I liked Ravyn at first," Seraphine continued, a sad smile stretching her lips. "Back then I was young and confused." Her fingers tightened around his hand. "But the more time I spent with you... the more I fell in love with you."
Every word felt like it was healing old wounds he’d carried for years. "You were the one I wanted. You were the one I waited for. You were the one I loved." A tear slipped down her cheek, then another. Voren reached up and gently wiped them away, his own emotions swirling fiercely.
Then Seraphine’s expression darkened, pain replacing the warmth in her eyes. "It was Daisy." The name instantly soured the atmosphere. She looked away, her voice heavy. "It was Daisy who destroyed our golden fish."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Voren’s entire body stiffened, his jaw clenching so tightly that a muscle ticked along the side of his face.
The golden fish, the symbol of everything they had shared. Blood fang growled deep inside him as he asked, "What happened?" His voice was dangerously calm. Too calm. The kind that came right before a storm.
Seraphine lowered her gaze, pain flashing across her face as the old memories resurfaced. Her fingers tightened around his hand. "It happened a week after you left for the city."
