Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 386: Chapter 386 - There’s something happening. I need you

Voren raised an eyebrow, completely thrown for a loop. Of all the things Kael could’ve dropped on him right now, Jasmine was the absolute last name he ever expected to hear.

After the whirlwind of emotions, his mind hadn’t even come close to drifting in that direction. He leaned back in his chair, arms folding tight across his chest as a storm of surprise and disbelief churned inside him. "What about her?"

Kael suddenly looked nothing like the bold, battle-ready Beta who’d fearlessly charge into hell without hesitation.

He rubbed the back of his neck, awkward as hell, and the confession burst out of him in a rush, like it had been burning in his chest for years. "Alpha, I’ve wanted to pursue her for so long. But I never acted on it."

Voren stared at him, utterly stunned, his mind reeling from the shock.

Kael exhaled shakily, the words pouring out faster. "Your mother brought her here for you. Everybody knew it. I didn’t think it would be right to step in. But now that I see where your heart truly lies, I had to come ask for your permission."

Voren stayed silent for a beat, then a sharp flicker of amusement cut through the surprise on his face. If anyone had asked him to picture Kael’s type, Jasmine would’ve been buried at the very bottom, not even on the list.

His Beta was loud, reckless, addicted to adrenaline and wild excitement, while Jasmine was all tradition, quiet strength, and a deep craving for stability. The pairing felt wildly unexpected, almost ridiculous, but in their screwed-up world, stranger things had definitely happened.

"I think you’re asking the wrong person," Voren said, his voice steady but laced with dry humor.

Kael blinked hard, caught off guard. Voren held his gaze, calm on the surface. "If you’re really interested in Jasmine, then go talk to her yourself."

A tiny, hopeful smile flashed across Kael’s lips before it vanished under fresh nerves. "I know, Alpha. But she’s so close to your mother, so..."

The instant his mother’s name came up, Voren’s patience snapped shut like a trap. He cut Kael off sharply, his tone flat and cold with finality. "Then talk to my mother. As far as I’m concerned, Jasmine is nothing but Esperanza’s nanny."

Kael’s whole body sagged with visible relief, the crushing tension melting from his shoulders as a grateful smile broke across his face. "Thank you, Alpha." But the relief didn’t last. It drained away fast, replaced by a fresh wave of anxious guilt that Voren spotted immediately.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "There’s something else."

It wasn’t a question. Kael swallowed hard, balancing his weight from foot to foot like the words were choking him. "Yeah... I need to tell you I did something I probably shouldn’t have."

Voren let out a heavy sigh, his patience fraying at the edges. "Spit it out, Kael. Now."

Kael winced, fully aware he was testing his Alpha’s limits. "Alpha, I know it was wrong. I saw Luna Oriana heading straight for the Shaman’s cave. I warned her the Shaman was deep in meditation, but she blew right past me and went inside anyway."

Voren’s spine snapped straight, every muscle tensing as fierce curiosity and alarm surged through him. "And?"

Kael looked utterly guilty, his face twisted with regret. "Well... I stayed behind. I listened in."

Voren’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, raw warning flashing hot in his glare. "Kael."

The Beta threw both hands up defensively. "Alpha, please just let me finish. I swear what I heard could actually help you." He leaned in closer, voice dropping to a tense whisper. "Luna Oriana wasn’t there for any advice. She was desperate for the Shaman’s help to get rid of... you already know who."

The unspoken name, ’Seraphine,’ hit Voren like a gut punch. His expression hardened into pure stone, dark fury igniting deep in his chest and spreading like wildfire. "Keep talking," he growled.

Kael nodded fast, sweat practically beading on his skin from the nerves. "The Shaman was furious she’d interrupted her meditation. She threatened to expose your mother’s darkest secrets. I couldn’t make out exactly what they were, though." He pushed forward. "Then Luna Oriana started begging on her knees. She wanted the Shaman to use her magic to rip you and Luna Sera apart."

Voren’s jaw locked tight, a vicious chill flooding the room as rage boiled hotter in his veins. Kael wisely edged back a step, heart hammering.

"The Shaman refused," Kael said quickly, relief flickering in his own eyes. "She said Luna Sera’s presence fulfills some kind of ancient mystery. And without her... your excess power would eventually destroy you from the inside out."

A crushing silence settled over the office. Voren’s brows knotted together, that same deep, gnawing frustration roaring back to life with even more fury.

The Shaman knew critical truths, huge ones, but she kept twisting them into maddening riddles that only sparked a hundred more agonizing questions. Why the hell couldn’t she just say it straight?

"Did you hear anything else?" Voren demanded, voice low and strained.

Kael nodded eagerly. "This next part is why I’m praying you’ll forgive me for eavesdropping." He drew a shaky breath. "The Shaman told her that only Luna Sera can calm your wolf right now. But your mother wouldn’t let it go. She kept pushing like a woman possessed. She demanded the Shaman force a bond between you and Athaliah during the Blood Moon Festival."

The words detonated inside Voren. Dark, explosive energy tore through the room like a storm. His wolf thrashed violently beneath his skin, howling with raw, protective rage that made his blood burn.

The air turned thick, suffocating, heavy with lethal power. Kael stumbled backward toward the door, terror flashing in his eyes in case Bloodfang broke loose and tore everything apart.

Voren’s eyes darkened to near-black, his voice dropping to a freezing, deadly whisper. "What did the Shaman say?"

Kael swallowed against the overwhelming pressure crushing down on him. "She refused flat out. Told Luna Oriana she had no power against true love, that it’s the strongest force in existence."

A faint, awed smile curled Kael’s lips. "And she said if even the Moon Goddess herself couldn’t separate you and Luna Sera, then there was nothing your mother could ever do about it either."

That final blow shattered the fragile calm Voren had clawed back. Confusion and searing anger twisted violently inside him. Nothing the Moon Goddess had done lately pointed to separation.

She had fiercely protected Esperanza, gently guided her straight into his arms, and started stitching their broken family back together. So what the hell had the Shaman truly meant?

Before he could unravel the tormenting thought, Kael spoke again, his face etched with deadly seriousness. "Alpha... I can’t shake this. I’ve got this gut-deep feeling that Luna Sera ending up in Alpha Ravyn’s bed that night wasn’t some cruel coincidence. What if the Moon Goddess herself orchestrated it?"

The question struck Voren like a blade to the heart. His chest tightened painfully, breath catching as old wounds ripped open.

For the first time, he truly wondered if some greater, hidden reason lay behind all the agony Seraphine had endured for years. If there was... how could any divine plan possibly justify the unbearable pain she’d suffered?

The devastating thought had barely sunk in when a familiar voice suddenly crashed through his mind, urgent, raw, and trembling with fear.

’V...’

Everything else vanished in a heartbeat. Voren shot upright, heart pounding wildly.

’There’s something happening. I need you.’