Chapter 675 – Why is he calling?

Chapter 675: Chapter 675 – Why is he calling?

"Shoot," Ravyn urged from the end of the line.

Voren’s voice came through steady and measured. "Let the Lycan King know you aren’t to be held responsible if anything happens to those witches. Promise him you’ll send a video of everything that transpires concerning them."

Ravyn went still. His grip on the phone tightened, knuckles bleaching white. "I’m allowed to do that? Have you informed your Alpha?"

"Thanks for reminding me." A hint of dry amusement colored Voren’s tone. "I shall inform Corvine and my shamans accordingly. But don’t expect a smooth entry, if you know what I mean."

A ghost of a smile tugged at Ravyn’s lips despite the tension coiling in his gut. "Of course. And when do I get to see my daughter?"

Voren exhaled slowly, the sound crackling through the speaker. "The first day is only for welcoming guests and making them comfortable. We should do it during that time because the second day is the coronation."

"That means the blood moon festival will be happening on the third day?"

"According to the shaman, that’s when the Blood Moon will be visible. Though at midnight." There was a beat of silence before Voren asked from the blue. "Are you bringing Daisy along?"

The question hung between them, heavy with implication. Voren needed to be prepared for the worst. For as long as Daisy wasn’t dead, she could attend, though she’d be waiting for judgment.

"I’ll leave her to my parents." Ravyn’s voice came out flat, devoid of emotion. "Thanks for everything."

Voren was about to end the call when something flickered in his memory. "Keep an eye on those witches. I’ll have my shaman fortify your pack first when it’s all over."

"Thanks once again."

The words carried genuine warmth, and something in Ravyn’s chest loosened. It felt good to be in Voren’s good graces again.

---

After ending the call, Ravyn made his way to meet the two witches personally.

The sight of them stopped him cold.

They looked nothing like the twisted, gnarled creatures he’d imagined. No warts, no crooked noses, no ancient, knowing eyes gleaming with malice.

Instead, they stood before him like something ripped from the pages of a fashion magazine, tall, impossibly beautiful, their presence commanding attention without a single word spoken.

One of them moved toward him, her hips swaying with predatory grace. Before he could react, her arms wrapped around him in a hug so familiar it made his skin crawl.

Her body pressed close, warmth seeping through his clothes. Then her lips brushed his ear, her whisper barely audible. "You can call me Candy James."

She pulled away, her smile bright and disarming. She gestured to the woman beside her. "This is my friend, Jane."

Ravyn forced a smile, his hand finding the small of Candy’s back. His fingers pressed against the fabric of her dress, hiding the revulsion curling in his stomach. "It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Jane’s gaze swept across the pack lands, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. "Your pack is very beautiful."

They began to walk, and Ravyn felt the weight of a hundred stares boring into his back. Pack members stopped in their tracks, eyes wide, whispers already spreading like wildfire.

Before he could reach the pack house, a mindlink had already traveled to his parents. They were waiting for him in the living room.

The moment Ravyn stepped inside, he froze. His father, Humphrey, stood rigid near the fireplace, face pale as ash. His mother, Kylie, was planted in the center of the room, arms crossed, eyes blazing with fury.

"Ravyn." Kylie’s voice cracked through the air like a whip. "What is the meaning of this?"

Ravyn’s smile felt brittle on his face. This was the flaw in his plan. He’d completely forgotten to inform his parents about the arrangement. And now it was too late. They would just have to find out later that nothing was as it seemed.

"Mom." He kept his voice light, casual. "Ain’t I allowed to have a girlfriend?"

"What?" Humphrey clutched his chest, something close to a heart attack settling into his features. "Your child’s mother hasn’t even faced her punishment yet, and you’ve already brought us another trouble?" His voice rose, cracking with disbelief. "Which pack are they from? Send them back."

Ravyn took a deep breath. Then his expression hardened, his voice dropping to something cold and callous. "You refused when I told you to send Daisy away. So why should I listen to you now?"

He turned to the two witches, his posture dismissing his parents entirely. "Come. I’ll show you to your room. We’ll talk later."

Just as they reached the stairs, a door creaked open.

Daisy stepped out from the small room where she’d been kept, drawn by the commotion. She was allowed one hour out of her room for fresh air, and she’d seized the opportunity.

The sight of the two women stopped her heart.

They were stunning, effortlessly beautiful. The kind of women who turned heads without trying, and they were with Ravyn.

When Ravyn had no woman in his life, Daisy had held onto hope. She’d told herself that if she behaved, if she won the favor of her in-laws by the time she gave birth, there might still be a chance. A bright future, or a perfect family.

Now, watching him walk with those women, his hand on one of their backs, that hope shattered into a thousand pieces.

Ravyn didn’t spare her a glance.

The pain that seared through Daisy’s chest was beyond words. It was a physical thing, a blade twisting between her ribs, stealing the breath from her lungs.

But then, a memory surfaced.

She remembered clearly who used to be in her shoes. Seraphine. The woman she’d betrayed, the woman whose life she’d destroyed.

Now, she was facing the same thing, and it hurt like hell.

---

At the Grimroot pack, Voren walked his wife toward their new office, his hand protectively wrapped around her like a egg. The morning sun painted golden streaks across the corridor, warming the stone walls.

Then his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and frowned deeply. Unease settled into his gut like a stone dropped into still water.

"Why is he calling?"