Chapter 820 – A difficult conversation

Chapter 820: Chapter 820 – A difficult conversation

Voren had never imagined that Ravyn’s past actions would eventually lead to something like this. After everything that happened during the Blood Moon Festival, he had believed the matter was finally settled, that the past had been put to rest and the wounds left behind had finally begun to heal.

Who could have imagined that the Moon Goddess would bring everything back with such a cruel demand, insisting that blood be answered with blood and one life repaid with another?

"It’s too much to ask, Mom. Ravyn and I have finally repaired our relationship, so how am I supposed to make such a demand of him?"

Oriana fell silent for a moment, her ancient eyes growing distant as she considered the situation and the different ways they could have handled it.

"We could have carried out the sacrifice without his knowledge when Sera went into labor. After all, he never told Sera what he had done until she wanted to claim Bryan." She looked at her son, her expression softening slightly.

"But as you said, things have changed. Daisy’s crimes have been exposed, and she’s already awaiting judgment. Besides, those pups mean a great deal to Humphrey and Kylie, who are eagerly looking forward to their arrival. That’s why Ravyn must be informed. He needs to understand what’s happening and be the one to break the news to them."

Voren could handle almost anything life threw at him. He had faced enemies, fought wars, and watched death claim lives without allowing fear to get the better of him. But this was different.

He had never imagined being placed in a position where saving his own children meant asking another man to surrender his unborn pups, especially when that man had only recently become someone he could call a friend again.

His arms tightened around Seraphine, and he looked down at her with a painful expression, knowing there was no decision he could make without someone suffering.

"This is going to be extremely difficult for me, but I’ll always choose my wife."

Oriana smiled gently, her expression reflecting her understanding of the difficult position her son was in.

"In that case, I’ll go prepare the herbs for her. One thing you must remember, though, is that even after her strength returns, she needs to get enough rest. A little fresh air and a gentle walk around the pack are all she should be doing."

"I’ll make sure of that," Voren assured her.

Seraphine had never been the type to sit around doing nothing, and resting for extended periods had always been difficult for her. She preferred staying active, keeping herself occupied, and finding something useful to do, but this time, she had no choice but to accept that her health and the safety of her unborn pups had to come first.

She wasn’t strong enough to argue anyway, so she remained comfortably in Voren’s arms until Oriana returned a few hours later with several herbal concoctions.

The taste of the mixtures had never appealed to Seraphine, and she had always struggled to get them down without making a face. Still, she endured the unpleasant taste, reminding herself that her comfort was far less important than the lives growing inside her.

Thankfully, she had Voren beside her throughout the ordeal, and knowing she didn’t have to face everything alone made the experience a little easier.

She fell asleep almost immediately after finishing the strange mixture, and by the following morning, she woke up feeling considerably better. Her appetite had returned with a vengeance, her complexion had regained its usual color, and she finally had enough strength to get out of bed without assistance.

Voren was relieved to see the improvement, but even as he watched his wife regain her strength, he couldn’t get the Moon Goddess’s demand out of his mind.

He had spent hours thinking about how to approach Ravyn, but no matter how he considered it, he couldn’t find a gentle way to deliver such devastating news. There was simply no way to tell a man that his unborn children had to die without tearing his entire world apart.

During their walk around the pack, Seraphine eventually brought up the matter, her voice gentle as she rested one hand on his arm.

"I don’t mind making the sacrifice if Daisy were the only one involved, but Ravyn has been helpful to you, hasn’t he?"

Voren couldn’t disagree with her. Ravyn had done a great deal for him, and their relationship had only recently begun to recover from everything that had happened between them. The last thing he wanted was to put their friendship through another painful test.

"Indeed, he has, but we don’t have much time. Your delivery is getting closer."

His eyes dropped to her enormous baby bump, and he gently rested his hand against it, feeling the weight of everything they had been through and everything they still had to face before their twins arrived.

"Honestly, I don’t think we should try having any more pups after this," he admitted, keeping his voice steady even though the thought of losing her frightened him more than he cared to show.

He couldn’t imagine going through another pregnancy scare like this, and he certainly couldn’t risk losing the woman he loved. Once their twins arrived safely, he wanted to make sure there would never be another pregnancy to put her through such suffering.

Seraphine smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"I was thinking the same thing. We already have two, with two more in my belly, and all the other pups in the pack are ours to look after anyway. I’ll make sure we take the necessary precautions so this doesn’t happen again."

Her response made Voren feel a little guilty, especially because he knew how much he would have loved to have more children with her. Still, his fear of losing her outweighed every other desire.

"I really would love for us to have more pups, but I can’t stand watching you go through this kind of suffering. I don’t think I could handle putting you through it again."

Seraphine laughed softly, appreciating the love behind his concern even though she shared his reservations.

"I understand, and honestly, I don’t like being in this position either. It makes me think about what could happen if we ever had to deal with another war. I wouldn’t want to be pregnant and unable to defend myself or help anyone when my pack needed me."

Voren was relieved that they understood each other. He didn’t want her feeling deprived of anything, but he also knew that protecting her was more important than satisfying his desire to have a bigger family.

"I love you," he whispered, drawing her closer and wrapping his arms around her shoulders before pressing a tender kiss against her hair.

Seraphine burst into another fit of laughter, her happiness evident as she leaned comfortably against him.

"I love you too."

The following day, Ravyn arrived at the Grimroot Pack, and the moment Voren caught sight of him, his expression fell. His stomach tightened as he realized he could no longer postpone the conversation, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to approach the man with the devastating news waiting between them.

"Ravyn, let’s have a conversation in my office."

Ravyn glanced toward Mary and her mother, who were happily engrossed in a conversation with Quinn, before turning back to Voren with a relaxed smile. He had no idea what awaited him, and there was nothing in his expression to suggest he suspected the reason for the sudden invitation.

"Of course."

Once they arrived at Voren’s office and the door was closed, Voren let out a long breath, struggling to find the right words. He had faced countless difficult situations as King, but none had prepared him for having to deliver such news to someone he considered a friend.

"Ravyn, this is going to be very difficult for me to explain, but because of what you and Daisy did to Espe when she was born, the Moon Goddess is demanding the lives of Daisy’s unborn pups in exchange for the lives of our twins."