Chapter 455 You haven’t even heard the best part yet
Kael’s eyes were rolled to the back, thoroughly entertained by the whole situation. ’I thought you’d want to know about it.’
For the first time since King Jaron had approached him, Voren actually hesitated.
Part of him really wanted to walk straight over there. What if Athaliah said something that ended up upsetting Seraphine? His protective instincts flared up strong and fierce. ’What’s she doing right now?’
His attention drifted briefly toward King Jaron before snapping back to the mind-link. ’The Alpha King wants to talk to me, but…’
Kael glanced over at the table again. Athaliah and Seraphine both looked completely relaxed, with no tension in sight. ’Relax, Alpha. She’s actually pretty nice.’ He chuckled quietly to himself. ’She even slapped Daisy right in front of Ravyn in front of the whole pack.’
He paused as if in deep thought. ’Honestly, I’m starting to like her a lot.’ Another thought popped into his head. ’Maybe I should’ve accepted that dinner invitation on your behalf.’ He laughed softly. ’But then again, who would’ve stayed behind to watch over the pack while you were all at the wedding?’
Voren let out a quiet sigh, and some of the worry in his voice eased up. ’Fine.’ His answer carried a little more calm than before. ’Keep an eye on things over there.’
A brief silence followed. ’If anything happens at all…’ His voice turned dead serious again. ’Let me know immediately.’
The mind-link ended, and Voren turned his full attention back to King Jaron. His expression settled back into its usual calm, indifferent mask. “This isn’t really the right place for a private conversation like this,” he said, gesturing toward the pack house. “Let’s talk over there instead.”
The second Alpha King Jaron and Voren walked into the pack house, a couple of warriors rushed right over with drinks in hand like they’d been waiting on pins and needles.
Omegas slipped around the room super quiet, dusting every little speck and making sure the whole place stayed spotless.
The second those two Alphas showed up, all the lively chatter in the living room died out instantly. One by one, everybody lowered their heads in total respect and snuck out, leaving just the two powerful Alphas alone in there.
The heavy wooden doors swung shut with a solid thud, and this thick, heavy silence dropped over everything.
Voren kicked back on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other real casual, his sharp eyes locked right on the man sitting across from him. He didn’t even glance at the drink they’d set down in front of him.
King Jaron, on the other hand, grabbed his glass with that smooth, practiced confidence, looking like he’d already scripted out this whole conversation in his head from start to finish and knew exactly how it was gonna go.
“I already talked this over with your parents,” he said, his voice staying calm and steady like nothing could rattle him. “My daughter Athaliah has come of age now, and we all think you’re the absolute perfect match for her.”
He took a slow sip from his glass before going on.
“I know you two haven’t even met yet, so I’m not pushing you for an answer right this second. Just spend tonight getting to know her, really talk and see how things feel. After that, you can make up your own mind.”
One of Voren’s eyebrows arched up slowly, and this faint little smile crept across his lips. But man, there wasn’t even a hint of real amusement in his eyes—just this cold, cutting edge that made the air feel heavier.
“I’m kinda surprised you went and had that whole chat with my parents before even bringing it up with me,” he said, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
“It almost makes me wonder…” His smile stretched a bit wider, sharp enough to sting. “Do you elders still look at me like I’m some clueless little pup who needs his hand held?”
King Jaron’s face tightened up for just a split second, that flash of annoyance showing through before he could hide it. He’d slipped up with his wording, and Voren had pounced on it right away.
Most people probably would’ve let it slide, but Voren wasn’t most people. He never let anything like that fly.
The Alpha King cleared his throat, pulling himself together and fixing his mistake with that same calm tone. “That’s not what I meant at all.”
He set his wineglass down on the table carefully, like he was buying himself a moment. “You’ve already proven yourself as the Alpha of the Grimroot Pack, and you’ve earned every bit of my respect. Nobody can deny all the incredible things you’ve done.”
His expression softened up a little. “But no matter how strong and capable you are, you’re still way younger than the rest of us. To those of us who’ve been around a lot longer, you’ll always feel like part of the younger generation. There are lessons that only real experience can teach, stuff pure strength can’t touch on its own.”
A gentle smile played on his face as he leaned in. “And trust me on this, we know what’s best for you, son.”
Voren sank deeper into the sofa, his face staying completely blank, like a mask carved out of ice.
“The only person who truly knows what’s best for me…” His cold gaze drilled straight into Jaron, intense and unyielding. “Is me.”
His voice still carried respect, but there wasn’t a single drop of hesitation or doubt in it. “With all due respect, Alpha King—” Voren was saying when Jaron’s voice dominated his.
“You haven’t even heard the best part yet,” he cut in smoothly, not letting him finish.
Voren’s eyebrow lifted again, his patience starting to wear super thin, though he kept that frustration locked down tight inside. Instead of snapping back, he just gestured toward the Alpha King out of respect. “Alright then, go ahead. I’m listening.”