Chapter 769 This is the time to show her love and care
Ravyn could only get Battal’s secrets by pretending to be loyal, a dangerous game that required a steady hand and an unreadable face. But this time, Battal played it smart, his voice carrying the careful measure of a man who had learned to guard his secrets well.
“Don’t worry, Alpha Ravyn. Everything is already in motion. I shall inform you when I need your help.”
Ravyn was losing his patience, the frustration coiling in his chest like a snake that refused to settle, but he remained calm, his voice carefully neutral. Battal was planning something, and this time, he refused to share. The silence on the other end of the line only made the tension thicker.
“Perhaps I might add some ideas if you tell me,” Ravyn tried to push, his tone light, almost casual, without making it obvious that every word was a probe.
But Battal only sighed, the sound heavy with something that might have been weariness or might have been suspicion. “Don’t worry. I’m still watching the Grimroot pack closely. When I decide, I’ll let you know.”
This wasn’t the way Battal usually relayed information, and Ravyn knew it. The change in pattern set every instinct on edge. So he used another method, a different angle, a new way in.
“Okay then.” His voice was smooth, understanding, though the frustration still burned beneath the surface. “I was just afraid that with the stolen weapons, someone might attack the Lycans with them. You mentioned that they were so powerful and could even kill your kind.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Alpha Ravyn.” Battal’s voice was dismissive, almost amused, carrying a quiet confidence that only deepened Ravyn’s unease.
“Those weapons can indeed kill our kind, but not our beasts. If we take our beast forms, not even silver can penetrate as it does to your kind.” He paused, letting the words sink in with a weight that felt intentional. “Also, we are protected by black magic, and I have increased the protection on the warriors I intend to use. Just remember to stay at your pack. The attack would happen when I get a loop.”
Ravyn did not know which loop Battal was talking about, but before he could ask more, Battal made an excuse and hung up.
“I have to prepare for a meeting in five minutes. Let’s continue this chat later.”
Ravyn quickly reached for his encrypted phone and dialed Voren’s number. He might not have the details, but he knew Voren could figure it out.
After explaining everything to Seraphine at the end of the line, she told him to hold on, her voice already carrying the sharp focus of someone ready to act.
“Let me tell Voren about it.”
After Seraphine explained everything, Voren spoke with Ravyn, his voice steady and reassuring, filled with the calm authority that always settled the people around him.
“It’s alright. If you push further and his plan backfires, he would begin to suspect you. Play it safe.”
“Alright,” Ravyn sighed with relief, the tension in his shoulders easing for the first time since the call began. He trusted that Voren would indeed handle it, and that trust was the only thing keeping the frustration from turning into something sharper.
“So what do we do with the weapons now?” Seraphine asked after Voren ended the call, her mind already turning over the possibilities.
Voren smiled, a slow, dangerous curve of his lips that made the air around him feel charged. “It can’t kill their beast, but he never said anything about their human form.”
He paused, his mind already working through the possibilities with the kind of precision that had kept the pack alive through worse threats.
“So far, only you, Corvine, Kael, and Damon can engage in a fight with the Lycans, but none of us have faced their beasts. With our heightened powers, I have no doubt Marsha and Bloodfang can do it, but I’m only worried about the timeline.” His voice hardened with resolve that left no room for argument. “I won’t let you fight in your third trimester.”
Seraphine couldn’t argue. She might need both her wolf and Voren’s to pull through during that time, but something important came to mind, a thought that carried a fragile thread of hope.
“What about the bond? Oriana didn’t have it when she carried you, so things might be different.”
Seraphine said it with hope, a fragile, flickering hope that Voren gently fanned into something brighter with the warmth in his eyes.
“Indeed. Yeah, the bond.” He nodded, his expression thoughtful, the protective instinct in him rising strong and steady. “For now, our warriors would have to make sure to only shoot the Lycans who are still in human form if they attack.”
“If they take beast form, we the capable ones can handle it.” Seraphine’s voice was steady, certain, filled with a quiet courage that matched his own.
“So what happened with Quinn?” Voren asked as he disappeared into the closet to put on clothes, the ordinary motion grounding the conversation after the weight of the previous threats.
Seraphine narrated everything, and he smiled, a warm, knowing smile that made her heart flutter with a sudden rush of affection.
“Why keep her away? Even if she’s a dangerous kind, she would not attack or draw powers from those she trusts.” His voice was gentle but firm, carrying a depth of understanding that always left her feeling seen. “This is the time to show her love and care. If her powers awaken, then she’ll know who to stand with.”
For the first time, Seraphine felt as if a part of her brain had lost its function, a fog lifting to reveal something she should have seen all along. The simplicity of the truth settled over her with a quiet force.
“Why didn’t I think of this before?”
Voren smiled and pulled her into his arms, his warmth enveloping her like a blanket that shut out every cold thought. “Babe, this is why I’m here. I’m no doctor, but I’ve been reading a lot about your condition.”
His voice softened, filled with awe and tenderness that reached straight into her chest. “Your body takes care of the physical needs of our pups, so technically, they are feeding on your brain cells too. I’m just happy they’ll come out smarter than both of us because you are the smartest.”
Seraphine felt he was only saying it to make her feel better, a sweet lie wrapped in kindness, yet the sincerity in his eyes made it hard to dismiss. “You always have a way of making me feel better.”
“No.” Voren refused, his expression serious, his eyes burning with sincerity that left no room for doubt. “Babe, I got you pregnant, but now, the evidence is only on you. My wolf helps yours, but that’s only about the spiritual aspect. The physical pressure is all on your body.”
He paused, his hand resting gently on her bump with a reverence that made her breath catch. “As a werewolf, no one would know that I got my wife pregnant unless I tell them. I understand that your body is working twenty four seven to bring not only one but two pups into the world, so please don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Seraphine took a deep breath and embraced him, her face pressed against his chest, her heart swelling with a love so deep it almost hurt. The steady beat of his heart against her cheek grounded her completely.
“I wish all men were like you.”
“There are good men like me, sweetheart, but only one of a kind woman like you.” He turned it back on her, a smile curving his lips with a warmth that reached his eyes.
Seraphine lost the battle to argue. She rather asked, “So how do we help Quinn?”
Voren pulled away and smiled at her, the expression filled with quiet certainty. “When did it start?”
The question was the answer, a revelation that made her eyes widen with sudden understanding.
“You mean they should mate again and again?”
Voren smiled, a slow, knowing curve of his lips that carried both affection and strategy. “Damon is her mate, and after they marked and mated, she slowly begins to awaken. I have a feeling that only he can help awaken his mate.” He paused, his gaze steady and sure. “Right now, Liah should introduce her and make her comfortable around the pack.”
Seraphine agreed and was about to say something when a mindlink jammed through her mind, urgent and bright with the force of new knowledge.
’Sera, please tell Damon to mate frequently with his mate. He’s the key to unlocking her abilities.’
’Voren said the same thing,’ Seraphine said with a smile before ending the mindlink, the perfect timing of it filling her with a soft wonder.
“You mother consulted the moon goddess before giving me the solution you so casually gave.” She shook her head in wonder, the pride in her voice clear. “You are a genius.”
Voren laughed, the sound warm and rich, rolling through the room like something alive. “I won’t take credit because I’m a black wolf, remember?”
Seraphine informed Liah about Quinn’s condition and had her take Quinn to Oriana for the pack ritual. After that, Liah introduced Quinn to the pack, and they instantly loved her because of her personality, her warmth, her quiet strength that seemed to draw people in without effort.
Voren informed Corvine to give Damon a week with his mate, and Damon was supposed to report every change the next morning. The plan settled into place with a quiet sense of purpose.
The next day, training was almost ending when cheers were heard from the children’s academy. It was so loud, it drew everyone’s attention, a wave of sound that crashed over the training grounds with a force that made the warriors stop mid motion.
Corvine mindlinked the warriors, his voice sharp with curiosity. ’What’s all the noise about?’
The response made him turn his attention to Kael, his expression changing with something that looked almost like concern mixed with a sudden, sharp interest.
’Alpha, Gamma Jasmine is back.’