Chapter 372: Chapter 372 - This is my life. And Seraphine is the woman I chose
Kael felt a deep wave of genuine gratitude toward his Alpha. The second Voren showed up, all that overwhelming work suddenly felt manageable.
Side by side with the warriors, they tackled the massive snowdrifts blocking the pack entrance and surrounding areas, carving out safe paths so everyone could move freely again.
They shoved aside huge piles of snow, reopened buried trails, and cleared enough space for wolves to shift and stretch without any trouble.
The storm had wrecked a lot, but seeing their Alpha right there in the thick of it, sleeves rolled up and working just as hard as everyone else, lifted the whole group’s spirits sky-high. The warriors couldn’t stop grinning.
Plenty of them came right up to Voren to thank him personally, their respect shining through every word and look.
Unlike a lot of Alphas who barked orders from somewhere safe and warm, Voren never hesitated to get his hands dirty when his pack needed him.
Once they finally wrapped everything up, Kael walked over, brushing snow off his own clothes.
"Alpha, when do you think we can ask Luna Seraphine for her help?" he asked.
Voren shook the last bits of snow from his sleeves and glanced at him. "I’ll talk to her as soon as she wakes up," he replied, his face softening with that warm, protective look he always got when her Seraphine’s name came up. "But I’m not forcing her into anything. My father already put her through enough hell."
Kael let out a heavy sigh, his gaze drifting toward the distant pack grounds. "I hate to say it, Alpha, but your parents are really set in their old traditional ways. You gotta handle this whole situation carefully. If they get pissed off enough, they might actually spill your secrets."
A bitter smile tugged at Voren’s lips. He already warned his parents to not mention the wedding to anyone. "They wouldn’t dare." The rock-solid confidence in his voice caught Kael off guard. Voren’s eyes hardened like steel. "I already made it crystal clear what would happen if they tried anything."
Kael raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"If they push it," Voren continued casually, like he was talking about the weather, "I’ll just build a whole new pack from the ground up."
It took Kael a second to fully process the words, but he knew well his Alpha wasn’t bluffing. Voren had the resources, the raw power, the unbreakable loyalty of his people, and above all, that fierce determination burning inside him.
Voren reached over and gave Kael a solid pat on the shoulder. "During the Full Moon Festival, I need you standing right there with Corvine and Damon. Our relationship is still a secret to most of the werewolf world. Only a handful of people know the truth. I know I can count on you."
Kael straightened up immediately. "You don’t have to worry about a thing, Alpha. I believed all those crazy rumors too... at least until I actually met Luna Seraphine in the city."
A sheepish grin spread across his face. "She wasn’t anything like the stories made her out to be. Honestly, she’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. And I gotta admit, she’s beautiful inside and out."
The sincere compliment brought a deeply satisfied smile to Voren’s face. He looked way too pleased, like Kael had just praised his woman right to his face which, yeah, he technically had.
"Get the disguise silicon mask ready," Voren said, already turning to walk away. "If she agrees to help, I’ll mind-link you when it’s time to bring it."
"Understood, Alpha."
Kael watched him go, staring thoughtfully as the distance grew. Something had definitely changed in Voren. The Alpha looked lighter, happier, like the heavy weight he’d carried for years had finally lifted. For the first time in a long time, Voren seemed completely whole.
Meanwhile, Voren was already making his way back toward the cabin, a nagging sense of trouble building in his gut.
His mother had never been great at respecting boundaries, and the closer he got, the stronger that uneasy feeling became. Unfortunately, his instincts were spot on.
The moment he stepped inside, he found Oriana right where he dreaded she’d be. His jaw clenched tight with instant anger.
"Voren, you have to listen to me," Oriana said, stepping forward desperately. "This woman is going to be the end of you."
Voren let out a slow, exhausted breath. The tiredness wasn’t from clearing snow. It was from this same damn conversation that kept circling back. "Then so be it, Mother," he said, his voice eerily calm. The steadiness of it clearly startled her.
"I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I know the sacrifices you made raising me." For a split second, Oriana’s eyes lit up with a flicker of hope. Then his expression turned to stone. "But this is my life. And Seraphine is the woman I chose."
Oriana’s eyes flooded with raw frustration. "You still don’t understand—"
"No," Voren cut in, shaking his head, his patience fraying fast. "You don’t understand." The cabin fell deathly quiet. "Unfortunately, I don’t have years to wait around for you to finally accept my decision. We’ve already been over this, and now my patience is running out."
His tone grew ice-cold, the warning clear and sharp. "If you ever confront Sera again without my knowledge or permission..." He let the silence stretch, heavier and more threatening than any words could be. Oriana’s heart hammered wildly in her chest. When he finally spoke again, his voice was terrifyingly calm. "You lose me forever. And that includes every single resource I control in this pack."
Oriana stared at him, completely stunned, the color draining from her face.
"Let’s see how well you hold your head high among your friends after that," he added, the words cutting deeper than any shout ever could.
Pain flashed across Oriana’s face, her eyes filling with tears. "I already lost face the moment you chose her," she said, her voice trembling with hurt and anger. "Blame the spell if you want, but the damage is done. Seraphine destroyed you."
Voren’s eyes darkened with a fury that seemed to suck all the warmth out of the room. Oriana either didn’t notice or didn’t care. "She married your best friend."
The second those words left her mouth, the entire atmosphere inside the cabin tensed. The temperature felt like it plummeted. The aura pouring off Voren was so intense that Oriana instinctively stepped back, fear gripping her chest tight.
For the first time in their argument, she realized something truly terrifying. Her son wasn’t just angry. He was absolutely furious. And the dangerous look in his eyes at the mention of his former best friend chilled her to the bone.
His response sucked the breath out of her.
