Chapter 819 - The more powerful the wolf, the greater the sacrifice required

Chapter 819: Chapter 819 - The more powerful the wolf, the greater the sacrifice required

A few days earlier, everything had been perfectly fine with Seraphine. Nobody could have imagined that she would go to bed one night and wake up so weak that she could barely move, her body suddenly failing her in a way she had never experienced before.

Voren had made up his mind to spend as much time with her as possible throughout her third trimester, and he had been keeping that promise, especially on days when he had no urgent engagements that required his attention.

Ever since Jasmine returned from Paris, Damon and Kael had taken over his usual visits to external packs, making sure everything continued running smoothly while allowing Voren to focus on his pregnant wife.

Seraphine had never felt this weak in her entire life, and Voren sensed something was wrong the moment he woke up. Through their bond, he could feel her exhaustion, an unusual kind of weakness that seemed to spread through him as though her body was somehow transferring its suffering to his.

"Babe, are you alright?"

Seraphine slowly opened her eyes, looking groggy and barely able to focus on him. Even when she tried to speak, her voice came out so faint that he had to lean closer to hear her.

"V, I can’t move."

Voren immediately reached for her and carefully lifted her into his arms, helping her sit against his chest while he supported her with one arm. His expression grew increasingly worried as he felt how little strength she had left, and he held her closer, hoping his warmth and presence would offer her some comfort.

"Have you reached Marsha?"

Seraphine took a moment to gather enough strength to respond, her breathing shallow and her words coming out slowly.

"She told me some things last night, but I don’t want to believe any of it. Can you call your mom?"

Voren’s heart sank because Bloodfang had also said something that had left him deeply unsettled. He had been trying to dismiss it, hoping there was another explanation for what was happening, but seeing Seraphine in such a terrible condition made it impossible to keep pretending everything was fine.

Without wasting another second, he mindlinked his mother, his voice filled with urgency.

’Mom, Sera is extremely weak.’

It took a while before Oriana responded, and when she finally did, her voice carried a sadness that immediately made his stomach tighten.

’This is where it begins.’

For the first time in a very long while, Voren felt genuine panic take hold of him. His heart began racing, and the blood seemed to drain from his face as he struggled to understand what she meant.

’Mom, what are you talking about?’

Oriana responded almost immediately, although her voice remained heavy with sorrow.

’I’m coming to your suite.’

The mindlink ended, leaving Voren staring at Seraphine with growing fear. A few minutes later, Oriana arrived and knocked before entering their bedroom. The moment she saw her daughter-in-law lying helplessly in Voren’s arms, she hurried to her side, concern evident in her ancient eyes.

"I thought having a white wolf would make things better. Sera, Voren is the first black wolf of his kind, but there were white wolves before you, and none of them possessed the kind of power you have."

She gently reached for Seraphine’s pale hands and held them between hers before closing her eyes, as though trying to understand what was happening through the connection she shared with the supernatural forces.

"The more powerful the wolf, the greater the sacrifice required."

"What did you just say?" Voren demanded, frustration and fear mixing in his voice as he struggled to make sense of her words.

Oriana opened her eyes and looked directly at him, her expression serious.

"Seraphine’s blood is what keeps Daisy’s wolf bound, and this is the reaction that comes with it."

Seraphine’s face grew even paler, making her look almost as white as the sheets beneath her. She struggled to raise her head, but even that simple movement seemed beyond her strength.

"Marsha said something about a sacrifice being necessary, but she didn’t explain what it meant."

"Bloodfang said the same thing," Voren added, his voice unsteady as he looked between his mother and his wife.

Oriana closed her eyes briefly, gathering herself before revealing the truth she had been dreading.

"Daisy’s pups must be sacrificed for yours to survive."

"What?"

The question came simultaneously from Voren and Seraphine, both of them staring at Oriana as though they had misunderstood her.

"We can’t do that!" Voren protested immediately, his voice firm despite the fear threatening to overwhelm him. "Those pups belong to Ravyn!"

Seraphine agreed, although she barely had the strength to speak. Her fingers tightened around Voren’s hand, and the look in her eyes made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with such a sacrifice.

Oriana, however, remained unmoved by their reaction. She understood their horror, but she also knew what was at stake.

"I can prepare some herbs to help Sera regain her strength, but she won’t survive childbirth unless the sacrifice is made."

She allowed the words to sink in before continuing, her voice becoming quieter. "Besides, nobody would ever have to know."

Voren’s first instinct was to reject the suggestion outright, but instead of arguing, he forced himself to ask the question that had been troubling him.

"There must be a reason for this. Why is such a sacrifice necessary? You never had to demand another life when you gave birth to me, did you?"

Oriana looked at her son with an expression of deep sorrow, her ancient eyes reflecting a pain that seemed to stretch far beyond the present moment.

"I was the sacrifice for you, Voren. I gave my life so you could live, although the Moon Goddess had other plans for me."

She lowered her gaze briefly before looking at him again, her voice growing heavier as she explained the connection between the two situations.

"In Daisy’s case, she pushed Ravyn to kill Espe when she was born, and Ravyn agreed to it. That means the intention was recorded as murder, and the consequences of that decision cannot simply be ignored. What was taken then must be given back now. If you refuse to make the sacrifice, Sera will become the ultimate price."

Her voice cracked slightly as she watched the horror settle over her son’s face. "Do you really want that?"