Chapter 107

you should lose an arm along with them
The two Alphas felt a wave of relief rush through them the moment Ravyn’s voice interrupted Voren, because the sword that had been seconds away from slicing through Gray’s arm remained frozen in the air, and for a brief moment it looked as though fate itself had stepped in to spare them from a punishment they had been powerless to stop.

Both men immediately looked toward Ravyn with silent gratitude burning in their eyes, convinced that his intervention would soften Voren’s resolve and allow them to walk away from the night with their bodies intact.

Ravyn himself believed the same thing.

For years he had relied on the strength of his friendship with Voren, trusting that no matter how complicated a situation became, that bond would ultimately shield him from the worst consequences.

However, the expression on Voren’s face soon made it painfully clear that Ravyn had misunderstood the situation entirely.

“For the sake of friendship,” Voren finally said after lowering the sword slightly so that his arm could rest for a moment, his voice carrying a calm cruelty that felt heavier than any shout, “you should lose an arm along with them.”

The words struck Ravyn like a sudden blow, and the disbelief that appeared on his face made it obvious that he had never expected such a response.

“Voren, Seraphine deserved everything she got,” Ravyn argued quickly, his voice rising with frustration as he tried to defend himself. “Before you arrived she kicked me in the groin hard enough to drop me to the floor, then she slapped me in front of everyone and told my father that I was the one bullying her. Have you already forgotten everything she did to Daisy? Why are you protecting her now, and how can you ignore everything she has done in the past?”

Ravyn had always understood that Voren could be ruthless when he decided to enforce his authority, yet he also knew that Voren carried certain weaknesses that could be reached through the right words.

Many times in the past Ravyn had managed to steer situations in his favor by reminding Voren of shared grudges and old conflicts.

This time, however, Voren did not react the way he used to.

“What she did in the past?” Voren repeated sharply, his voice rising with a sudden intensity that filled the room with tension. “What exactly did you expect her to do after you killed her child?”

The words echoed through the silence like a thunderclap. “Your blood,” Voren continued with anger burning behind every syllable as he pointed directly at Ravyn. “Do not confuse the fact that I stood beside you in front of her with approval of what happened, because supporting you in public did not mean I believed it was right.”

Ravyn’s expression changed instantly as disappointment spread across his face.

For a long time he had believed that Voren had been firmly on his side regarding everything that had happened between him and Seraphine, and hearing this admission now made him realize that the situation had never been as simple as he had assumed.

“I never thought you cared so much about her,” Ravyn said slowly, the bitterness in his voice impossible to hide.

Voren pressed his lips together tightly, and the look in his eyes carried the quiet disappointment of someone who had grown tired of watching the same mistakes repeat over and over again.

“Do you know what your greatest mistake is?” Voren asked suddenly.

Ravyn nodded without hesitation, clearly convinced that he already understood the answer.

“Yes,” he replied with a bitter laugh. “My greatest mistake was marrying Seraphine in the first place.”

Once again Voren’s disappointment deepened.

“No,” Voren corrected him firmly, shaking his head as though Ravyn’s response had only confirmed his worst suspicions. “Your greatest mistake was never taking the time to truly understand who your ex-wife actually is.”

Ravyn let out a loud laugh, because the idea sounded completely ridiculous to him.

“Who exactly do you think Seraphine is?” he asked mockingly. “She is nothing more than a nobody who got lucky for a while.”

“A nobody?” Voren repeated slowly, one eyebrow lifting as disbelief crept into his tone. “You are calling her a nobody even after she nearly pushed you into bankruptcy?”

The reminder made Ravyn’s jaw tighten.

“You have absolutely no idea what that woman is capable of,” Voren continued, his voice steady but filled with an unsettling certainty. “From everything I have watched her accomplish, she might actually be more dangerous than I am.”

Those words created an unexpected reaction among the three Alphas in the grove.

Gray and Riven exchanged uncertain glances, while Ravyn stared at Voren as though he had just heard something completely unbelievable.

In their minds there was only one explanation for such a statement.

They believed Voren was afraid.

Ravyn finally voiced the thought that had clearly formed in all their minds.

“At first I thought you might actually like her,” Ravyn said with a smirk that carried open disbelief, “but now it looks like something else entirely. What I see right now is fear. You are afraid of her, aren’t you?”

Voren did not hesitate. “Yes,” he answered plainly.

The honesty of that response caught everyone off guard. “Yes, I am afraid of her,” Voren repeated calmly before adding with a faint, humorless smile, “and do you know the reason behind that fear?”

Ravyn shook his head slowly, still trying to process the confession.

“Because I am not interested in losing any more money,” Voren replied.

Ravyn frowned at the answer, clearly thinking that the explanation sounded far too simple.

“I can guarantee that you will not lose any more money because of her,” Ravyn said confidently, trying to reassure him.

Voren immediately shook his head.

“You still do not understand the situation,” he replied. “Do you really believe Seraphine will quietly accept the fact that someone attempted to take her life tonight?”

Ravyn remained silent.

“She will hunt down every person involved,” Voren continued with certainty. “If I do not handle them my way first, then she will handle them her way, and I promise you that her method will be far worse than anything I might decide to do.”

His gaze slowly moved toward Gray and Riven as the weight of those words settled over them.

“They would never recover from what she is capable of doing.”

The statement landed heavily in the silence that followed.

For the first time since the confrontation had begun, the confidence that had fueled their earlier actions completely disappeared.

Regret began to settle into the atmosphere like a thick fog, and none of the men present could ignore the unsettling realization that they might have underestimated Seraphine far more than they were willing to admit.