Chapter 733 She easily falls in love

Voren looked at Kael with understanding, his expression softening. He was glad that Kael no longer had to leave the Grimroot pack, that the tangled mess of his mate bond had been unraveled enough for him to stay. But what was he asking? Voren shook his head, a slow, deliberate movement that carried the weight of refusal.

“I am sorry, Kael. You both need to heal. And if it is the Moon Goddess’s will for you both to be together, there will be a way.”

“What if she falls in love with somebody else?” Kael’s voice cracked, desperation bleeding through every word. He was grasping at straws, trying to justify his insecurity, to find some anchor in the storm of his emotions. “She rejected Alpha Jasper, so I do not think the Moon Goddess will be so kind to pair us up.”

“Well,” Voren smiled, though it was gentle, not mocking. “Alpha Jasper is happy now with his new mate, so I believe Jasmine is free from that. For now, give her the space to follow her passion.”

Kael was shaking his head in refusal, his jaw tight, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “You know Jasmine. She easily falls in love. Please, Voren. Do this for me.”

Voren was almost tempted to agree. The plea in Kael’s voice, the raw vulnerability in his eyes, it pulled at something deep within him. But upon second thought, he refused. He had to. For both Kael and Jasmine’s sake.

“You need to trust her, Kael. If there is no trust, then whatever you feel for her is useless.”

Kael agreed in agreement this time, but he was still disturbed, still restless, still drowning in the uncertainty of it all. “But can you let her know that I am still waiting for her?”

Voren pursed his lips and stared at him, his gaze steady and unwavering. “That would ruin her reason for leaving. Allow her to get over you if she must. But I believe that if you both love each other so much, then neither of you will be able to get over each other.” He paused, letting the words sink in. “And my advice? If you are really hoping to be paired with her, then do not leave room for chances. You must close your heart to any other she-wolf. Second chance or not.”

Kael was in tears, the moisture spilling down his cheeks, cutting tracks through the dust and exhaustion on his face. But he knew Voren was right. He had seen how broken Voren was when Seraphine married Ravyn.

He had witnessed the devastation, the near destruction, how even Bloodfang had almost killed Voren in his rage of celibacy. But Voren had refused to mate with anyone who was not Seraphine. He had waited, endured, and kept his heart closed to all others.

There was a lot to learn from this man. A lifetime of lessons wrapped in the quiet strength of a king who had loved and lost and loved again.

“You are right. Thank you, Voren.”

His countenance was so saddening, so utterly broken, that Voren pulled him into his arms and held him. The embrace was firm, grounding, the kind of hold that said without words: I have you. You are not alone.

“Trust me, Kael. I know it hurts. But everything will be fine. You are a strong leader, but you still lack emotional strength. Love is not a bed of roses. Loving someone, and even being loved back, does not mean everything will be perfect. It is all about deciding in your heart to give your partner your best without expecting anything in return.”

Kael cried even more when he heard Voren’s genuine words, the truth of them cutting through the walls he had built around himself.

Had he not been so petty because Jasmine had fallen for Corvine instead of him, he would not have lost her. Had he been honest with his heart, with her, with himself, everything might have been different. The regret was a living thing, clawing at him from the inside.

“I will wait for her, no matter how long it takes.”

“Good. And you must also be prepared to not fall out of love with her, even if she falls in love with somebody else again. Do you understand?”

This side hurts a lot. It was a wound that would never fully heal, a possibility that would haunt him in the quiet hours of the night. But Kael nodded, his jaw set with determination.

“I understand.”

***

At the pack hospital, Luna Cassandra had already regained consciousness by the time Seraphine reached there. The corridors were quiet, the sterile smell of antiseptic hanging heavy in the air. Doctor Finn puts Seraphine halfway, his expression serious.

“Queen Sera, I know you are here to see the Luna of the Western Tribe. She regained consciousness but has refused to speak with anyone.”

Seraphine forced a smile, though her heart was heavy. “It is alright. I will take care of it.”

She knocked on the door to Cassandra’s ward and after a moment of hesitation, stepped in. The room was dim, the curtains drawn, the only light coming from a small lamp on the bedside table. Luna Cassandra immediately turned her face to the side, hiding from view, hiding from the world.

“I don’t know how to face anyone.” Her voice was hollow, scraped clean of emotion. “Did you come to shame me? Do you think I am stupid or dumb? I am still wondering why I never noticed it. Was it wrong to trust him and give him his needed privacy? What did I do wrong?”

It was one question after another, each one a dagger she was plunging into her own heart. Seraphine sat on a chair beside the bed, her movements quiet and unhurried.

She examined Luna Cassandra, ensuring that her pulse, blood pressure, and everything else was stable before speaking. The monitor beeps continuously, a rhythmic reminder that life continues even when everything else falls apart.

“You cannot blame yourself for the sins of others. And for someone like me who has faced firsthand betrayal, my advice is simple. The best revenge is to not allow yourself to break. You must stay strong, Luna Cassandra. They are not worth the mental and emotional torture you are going through right now.”

The middle-aged woman looked at Seraphine in a daze, her eyes wide with something that looked like wonder. Who would have thought that someone so young would be queen and have the wisdom to go with it? Who would have thought that this girl, this woman who had risen from her own ashes, could speak with such clarity and strength?

“You are a remarkable woman, Queen Sera.”

“I rose from the ashes, and the pain that was meant to destroy me.” Seraphine continued to speak, her voice steady, her gaze unwavering.

“If you need someone to cry with you, then I am sorry. I am not that person. But if you need someone to help you stay strong for your pack and pass judgment on your good-for-nothing husband and ungrateful daughter, then I will be your guide.” She leaned forward, her eyes locking onto Cassandra’s. “Luna Cass, choose carefully.”