Chapter 743 Jasmine storms the runway
Voren always woke up before Seraphine, but this time he woke up without her by his side.
The space next to him was empty, the sheets cold and rumpled where her body should have been, and for a long moment a flicker of unease stirred deep in his chest and refused to settle.
Knowing the island was private and safe, he told himself not to worry too much, yet the quiet absence still sat heavy on him as he stretched out a hand and picked up his phone from the nightstand.
The screen glowed soft in the dim morning light, a message from Elodie already waiting for him.
’Mr. Ashkael, you are already familiar with my boss now, but I still thought of informing you about the Paris Fashion Week. This happens two to three times a year, and Liah has approved the designs we should showcase. She will not be making an appearance, but your kids’ nanny is here.’
Voren knew Seraphine would want to see Jasmine the moment she heard the news, so he used the quiet stretch of time to make a call he did not want her to overhear just yet.
The phone pressed firm against his ear, he waited while his gaze drifted to the wide window where the ocean stretched out endlessly, a living canvas of deep blue and gold under the rising sun.
The sight usually calmed him, but today it only made the distance from home feel sharper.
The call was answered on the second ring, and Corvine’s voice came through thick with sleep and the last pieces of whatever dream he had been in. “Voren, are you coming back?”
Voren let out a long breath and asked in return, “Is the pack peaceful?”
“Yeah, most of it, except some two little beings are missing you two a lot. They have even spent a few days with us.”
Voren felt a wave of nostalgia hit him hard as he thought about Espe and Bryan, their small faces, the sound of their laughter, the way they filled every single room with light and chaos and pure joy.
His chest ached with missing them, a hollow space that only their presence could ever fill. Still, he wanted this time for his wife more than anything, because the next time they stepped into the human world would be after Seraphine delivered their pups. He needed to give her these days of freedom, this stretch of unburdened happiness, before everything changed again.
“I miss them too, but I need extra days. If—”
“Take as much time as you want, Voren. I honestly thought the two weeks was too little. Sera has suffered a lot. She deserves all the happiness in the world, and you are the only one who can give her that.”
“Thanks, bro.” Voren said at the end of the line, feeling the emotion rise up and catch in his throat like a stone he could not quite swallow. “I will inform you when we are ready to return.”
“Alright, I will go back to sleep now.” Corvine yawned, and in that same breath Voren felt a familiar presence move into the room behind him.
He instantly lowered the phone. “Babe, I have two more surprises for you.”
This time he took her all the way to Paris, and they arrived just in time to see Jasmine walking the runway. Seraphine stared as if she was seeing Jasmine for the very first time.
The lights, the cameras, the music, the way Jasmine moved with confidence and grace was breathtaking. The whole world seemed to pause, every eye fixed on the redhead who commanded the stage like she had been born for exactly this moment.
If not for her bright red hair, Seraphine might not have recognized her at all. It had been barely a month, and yet Jasmine had transformed completely.
The woman who had once been broken, who had knelt in the dirt and begged for Alpha Jasper to accept her rejection, who had cried until her body had nothing left to give, was now holding the full attention of the entire fashion world. She looked radiant, powerful, and free in a way that made Seraphine’s throat tighten with emotion.
Elodie came over to welcome them, his smile wide and genuine, his eyes bright with pride. “Jasmine is doing amazing. She did a magazine photoshoot after her first makeover, and god damn it, she rocked the fashion industry. I already signed her up for two more next week. She would have done it already if not for this runway show.”
Seraphine’s heart warmed all the way through, a soft glow spreading through her chest and filling her with something that felt like hope and pride mixed into one.
Jasmine had always carried that talent inside her; she just never knew it was there. It took Liah to help her discover that hidden gift, to pull it out of the darkness and set it under the brightest lights. “I am so happy to hear this,” Seraphine said before Voren could speak, then asked, “Can I see her?”
“Of course, Mrs. Ashkael. Though I am sure she will be signing autographs by now. She is a natural, and…” His voice lowered, becoming quiet and careful, his eyes darting around as though the walls themselves might be listening. “Some billionaires are already contacting me for private proposals, if you know what I mean.”
Voren understood exactly what Elodie was saying, but Seraphine did not. “I am lost.”
Elodie’s face colored with embarrassment, the heat rising up his neck, but Voren stepped in and saved him from having to explain further. He leaned close and whispered to Seraphine, “It is like them asking to meet her for personal interest. More like they want to have a relationship that could develop into marriage.”
Seraphine’s shoulders sagged under the sudden weight of those words. A tight pressure settled on her chest as she asked, “Has she met any of them?”
Elodie shook his head, his expression softening with something that looked a lot like concern. “She turned it all down, and rather works out a lot. Models work out, but hers is extreme, like she is using it to get something out of her system. I do not know what. She is a very good woman, but secretive about…”
He stopped talking the moment Jasmine walked up and immediately pulled Seraphine into a tight embrace, turning the full attention of the paparazzi onto them. Cameras flashed all around, capturing every second, but neither of them cared. The world could watch if it wanted. Let them.
“Sera, thank you for coming. I missed you so much.” Jasmine said, pulling back just enough to ask, “How is Espe and Bryan? How are the other pups at the academy?”
She began listing the names of the pups one after another while Seraphine kept nodding and answering, “They are all fine.”
Because of the loud music and how close they stood, only the two of them could hear each other’s words.
The noise of the event faded into the background, the flashing lights grew distant, and for a moment it felt like just the two of them again.
“Jasmine, can we talk privately?” Seraphine asked, looking around at the thick crowd of reporters and photographers pressing in on every side.
Jasmine took her by the arm, her grip warm and familiar, the touch of a friend who had never been forgotten. “Sure, I have a studio assigned to me. Let us go and talk there.”
When they reached the quiet room and the door clicked shut behind them, sealing out the noise and the lights and the endless eyes, Seraphine asked the question that had been sitting heavy on her heart. Her voice stayed soft but steady. “How are you, really? Have you gotten over Kael?”