Chapter 365: Chapter 365 - I can’t promise I won’t quietly take out anyone who tries to hurt you
Seraphine let out a long sigh and then pulled in a deep breath, letting the cool mist from the waterfall wash over them.
"V, I gotta admit I was honestly shocked when he told me," she said, leaning back into him a little more as they both watched the water crash down into the lake below.
For a second there, her mind had spun out, but then she’d looked at everything he’d sacrificed for her, every single time he’d put himself on the line to keep her safe, and it just clicked.
She couldn’t imagine him throwing all of that away for anyone else. Not even if the other woman was the moon goddess herself.
She laced her fingers through his, squeezing tight.
Voren gave a soft chuckle, but the worry never left his eyes. "That’s not even what’s eating at me," he said, his voice dropping as his expression turned dead serious. "You know how people are. The second they see something beautiful and real, they’ll do anything to tear it apart."
His thumb kept brushing over the back of her hand like he needed the contact. "She could roll up to the festival and start poisoning your head with all kinds of lies."
Before he could spiral any further, Seraphine burst out laughing, the sound ringing bright and clear across the water.
Voren blinked at her. "What?"
"V," she said, still laughing as she shook her head, her eyes sparkling with pure amusement. "I handled Daisy for years all on my own without Ravyn in my corner. You really think I can’t deal with Athaliah? Especially knowing you’ve got my back no matter what, even if I’m dead wrong?"
Those words hit Voren straight in the chest, flooding him with a rush of warmth that made his heart swell. A slow, genuine smile spread across his face.
"You’re right about that," he said without a shred of hesitation. "Even if you’re wrong, I’ll stand right there and back you up in front of everyone. Then I’ll drag you back to our chambers and handle you in private."
Seraphine rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t hide her grin. Voren smiled with her for a moment before his face grew thoughtful again, that lingering unease still clouding his features.
"Sera..." His voice softened, heavy with everything he was holding back. "That night. Are you completely sure it was Ravyn?"
The question sat thick in the air between them. They still didn’t have all the answers. The DNA test with Esperanza hadn’t included Ravyn’s samples, and there were too many missing pieces that kept gnawing at him.
Seraphine’s expression gentled, misunderstanding the root of his worry. "V, I know his scent," she said quietly, glancing away for just a second as a faint blush warmed her cheeks.
"And I’d be lying if I said nothing happened. I felt the difference the next day." Her eyes came back to his, open and honest. "If you’re freaked out that Ravyn was my—"
"No," he cut in instantly, the word almost desperate as he pulled her closer, wrapping his strong arms tight around her like he could shield her from every doubt.
"No," he repeated, gentler this time, resting his chin on top of her head. "Everything that went down that night is in the past. I wasn’t asking because of that."
Seraphine relaxed against him, melting into his hold. "My shaman said there’s more to that night than we realize," he went on, his eyes darkening with the weight of it. "Something big we’re still missing."
"Yeah," Seraphine agreed, nodding as fresh determination surged through her voice. "And we both know exactly who’s holding those missing pieces. That’s why you’ve gotta let me handle this my way."
Voren let out a dramatic groan, already feeling himself cave. "Fine," he gave up, the word practically dragged out of him. "I’ll leave it to you."
Seraphine flashed him a triumphant little smile.
"But," he added, narrowing his eyes, "I can’t promise I won’t quietly take out anyone who tries to hurt you."
The raw seriousness in his tone made her stare at him, mouth opening and closing without a single word coming out. For once, she was completely speechless. Voren looked dead serious, which only made the whole thing hit harder.
The silence stretched for a beat, then a mischievous spark lit up in his eyes. "Take a deep breath."
She frowned. "Why?"
"Just do it."
Suspicion flashed across her face, but she still inhaled. The second she did, a powerful force wrapped around her waist and yanked her backward.
"Voren!" Her scream dissolved into wild laughter as they both went flying and crashed into the deepest part of the lake. Icy water swallowed them whole before they shot back up to the surface, gasping and cracking up like a couple of carefree kids who’d ditched every responsibility in the world.
Seraphine shoved wet strands of hair out of her face, still breathless. "V! I thought something serious was about to go down when you told me to breathe!"
"That was serious," he shot back with a huge grin, his eyes dancing with pure joy.
Before she could fire back, he hauled himself up onto one of the big rocks near the edge. His soaked shirt clung to every muscle as he peeled it off and tossed it aside, then stripped down the rest of the way.
"Way easier to swim like this," he said with a shrug, turning that playful gaze back on her.
He reached down gently to help her out of her loose outer dress so it wouldn’t weigh her down. "Trust me," he teased, that smirk curling his lips. "There aren’t any fish in this part of the lake."
Seraphine rolled her eyes again, but warmth flooded her cheeks anyway. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her like this, yet his full attention still made her heart race every single time.
Voren noticed and his smile softened with so much affection it made her chest ache. "You’re cute as hell when you get embarrassed."
"Stop," she laughed, splashing water right at his face.
His deep laughter rolled across the lake as they dove back in, fingers linked tight while they cut through the cool water together. The waterfall thundered nearby, moonlight glittering across the surface like magic.
For those precious minutes, the world felt perfectly peaceful, no enemies, no secrets, no ghosts from the past. Just the two of them, alive and in love.
When they finally came up for air again, both of them were breathing hard, chests heaving from the swim. Seraphine pushed more wet hair from her face and laughed. "V, this is so much fun."
Then she caught the change in his expression. The playfulness had vanished, replaced by something deeper and heavier.
It was time.
