Chapter 315 My name isn’t Marigold

Marigold’s dreams had stopped being just cute kid stuff a long time ago. Too many of them came true, and the details matched reality way too closely. The shamans still couldn’t fully explain it.

Instead of answering right away, Marigold tilted her head back so she could look at him. Her eyes sparkled under the soft bedroom light. “When are we going to the pack?” she asked. “I want to attend the academy. I don’t want human school anymore.”

That caught him off guard. Voren leaned back slightly, frowning. “I thought we already talked about this. You need human education too.”

Marigold let out a dramatic groan that made him fight back a smile. “Tell me the truth,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Has your tutor done something?”

She shook her head quickly. “No.” The answer came so fast he believed her immediately. “Then what’s the problem?”

The little girl sighed heavily, the sound so exaggerated it almost made him laugh. “It’s boring. Because I already know everything before she even teaches it.”

The confidence in her voice was total, not arrogant, just completely matter-of-fact, like she genuinely couldn’t understand why that wasn’t obvious to everyone.

Voren stared at her. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard something like that. His shaman had spent years telling him that Marigold had unusual gifts, that her mind worked differently from other kids.

The problem was that the middle-aged woman had also insisted she needed her mother. Back then, Voren had shut that idea down immediately. There was no universe where Coco would ever be allowed back into their lives.

He would’ve fought every Alpha on the continent before letting that happen. But the decision had come with consequences.

Marigold’s seizures had started not long after, and even now, remembering those episodes made something painful twist inside his chest. Some happened during the day, others while she slept, most once or twice a day, or even more. Nothing had ever terrified him more than hearing his daughter cry out and not being able to stop her suffering.

It was part of why he’d been so furious when Jasmine sent Marigold to the hospital without talking to him first. At least, that’s how he’d felt at the time. Looking back now, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

Because if Jasmine hadn’t done that, Seraphine might never have come into their lives. And strangely enough, ever since Seraphine showed up, the seizures had completely stopped. Not once. Not a single episode. The realization still blew his mind.

Maybe the shaman had been wrong about her needing Coco. Maybe she hadn’t needed her biological mother at all. Maybe she’d just needed the right mother.

Marigold tugged on his sleeve, pulling him back to the present. “Daddy.”

“Hmm?”

“You stopped listening,” she said, crossing her arms. “I was making important points.”

That finally earned a chuckle from him. “Alright, let’s hear your important points.”

She sat up straighter. “If I already know everything they’re teaching, why do I still have to go?”

Voren couldn’t immediately argue with that logic. After a few moments, he nodded. “Fine. I’ll test you. A real test. If you actually know everything you’re claiming, then we can talk about skipping human school.”

Excitement lit up her whole face. “Really?”

“Really.” He held up a finger. “But moving permanently to the pack will take some time. Your Mommy Sera and I have a lot of responsibilities here right now.”

The mention of Seraphine immediately perked her up again, and a mischievous little smile spread across her face, one that looked way too familiar. Voren already knew he probably wasn’t going to love what came next.

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to marry Mommy?”

He laughed, no hesitation at all. “Of course.”

That seemed to satisfy her, but he still needed her to understand something. His expression softened. “Mari, Mommy Sera isn’t your biological mother. But she’s agreed to become your legal mother.”

Marigold stared at him for a few seconds, then frowned. Not an angry frown, but the kind kids make when adults say something obviously wrong. “Daddy,” she said in that tone she used when she thought he was being ridiculous. “Mommy Sera is my mother.”

Voren couldn’t help smiling. At this point, arguing felt pointless. “Alright. Whatever you say.”

Satisfied with her victory, Marigold settled back against him. Voren brushed a hand gently through her hair. “You should get some sleep.”

She groaned immediately. “Daddy…”

“No arguments.” He tried to look stern, but it only lasted about two seconds, especially when she gave him those big blue eyes. “I’ll prepare questions for your quiz tomorrow.”

“Good,” she said, pointing at him. “And don’t make them easy.”

Voren laughed softly. “I’ll do my best.”

He carefully lowered her back onto the bed and tucked the blankets around her. Marigold yawned, her eyes already starting to droop. Then a thought from his earlier conversation with Seraphine popped back into his head, and his expression turned thoughtful.

“Mari?”

She peeked out from under the blanket. “Yeah?”

“Would you like to change your name?”

The exhaustion disappeared in a flash. Marigold sat up straight, eyes wide with excitement. “Yes!” The answer came so fast it nearly made him laugh. But then her excitement changed into frustration. “As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

Voren frowned. “What do you mean?”

She looked at him like he should already know. “My name isn’t Marigold.”

The room suddenly felt very still. Voren’s smile slowly faded as the certainty in her voice hit him. It felt way too familiar.

“My name is Esperanza.”

Everything inside him froze. For several long seconds, he just stared at her while goosebumps broke out across his skin and his pulse hammered in his chest.

The same name. The exact same name Seraphine had suggested only hours earlier. A name Marigold had apparently already written in her drawings long before anyone had talked about it.

A name that neither of them should have connected to the other. The coincidence felt impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Slowly, Voren sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes never leaving his daughter. For the first time that night, real unease crept into his chest. “Mari,” he said, his voice quieter now, careful and measured. “Please be honest with me. Who has been putting all these things in your head?”