Chapter 676 I can protect my wife
Seraphine’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering across her features. “Who is calling?”
Voren turned the screen toward her, his expression unreadable. “Stanley.”
“Pick it up.”
He hesitated, thumb hovering over the answer button. Something cold coiled in his gut, a warning sharp and insistent. “I sense something wrong.”
“The more reason you should answer it,” she insisted.
The call ended before Voren could decide. Then it rang again, immediate and demanding. This time, Voren pressed the button and lifted the phone to his ear. “Stanley.”
“My good friend.” Stanley’s voice boomed through the speaker, warm and familiar. Voren forced a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “How are you doing?”
“Not good.” Stanley’s tone hardened, the lightness draining away like water through cracked stone. “Santiago escaped from prison.”
The words hit Voren like a physical blow. His expression darkened, shadows pooling in his eyes, his jaw clenching so tight a muscle jumped beneath his skin. “What?”
“He had help from some mob bosses from the underworld.” Stanley’s voice carried the weight of exhaustion, each word dragged out like it cost him something. “I’m surprised you didn’t hear the news.”
Voren’s mind raced, thoughts colliding like storm waves. He couldn’t tell Stanley the truth, that he was far from the human world, buried in pack politics and ancient wars. “There’s a lot to do. I haven’t had time to check.”
“I was wondering if you could help us once again.”
It wasn’t the first time Voren had extended his hand to the FBI. He’d trained their recruits, sharpened their skills, pushed their bodies to the breaking point and beyond.
In return, he’d been granted access to their training facilities whenever he wanted. Those sessions had been a lifeline during the long, lonely years when Seraphine was nothing but a ghost haunting his memories.
They’d kept him sane. Kept him sharp. Kept him from losing himself entirely to the darkness.
But now? Now he had everything he’d ever wanted. And he never wanted to leave her side.
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.” His voice came out firm, apologetic. “My wife is pregnant.”
Silence stretched across the line, thick and heavy. Then Stanley’s voice erupted with genuine warmth. “Congratulations! Then you’re right to not get yourself involved.” A beat of hesitation followed, the kind that preceded bad news. “But can you spare us some time to train some of our men?”
“I’ll think about it.”
The words came out honest. Voren would need to discuss it with Seraphine, especially since Santiago was involved. With the Lycans lurking in the shadows, having Santiago locked away again felt like a necessity, not a favor. The man was a loose end, a threat that needed to be neutralized.
But Stanley wasn’t finished.
“Thank you, my friend. But I advise you to keep your wife safe.” His voice dropped, growing serious, the warmth bleeding away into something colder.
“When Santiago was being processed, he sent threats about escaping prison and coming after your wife. He wasn’t interested in you, the one who caused his broken bones.”
Voren’s fingers tightened around the phone until the plastic creaked in protest. His blood ran cold, ice flooding through his veins. His wolf stirred, claws scraping against his restraint, demanding blood, demanding violence.
“I didn’t tell you because we had him in prison. His threats were useless to me.” Stanley’s voice carried a note of regret, heavy and raw. “But now, to escape under the heavy security we put him under, I fear he’ll be worse than before.”
No matter how gentle the man’s tone, it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside Voren. His heart pounded against his ribs like a war drum, each beat a promise of violence.
“Don’t worry.” Voren’s voice came out low, dangerous, the kind of voice that made men take a step back. “I can protect my wife.”
He forced his shoulders to relax, injecting lightness into his tone. “Like I said, I’ll make time to help train your men. The offer still holds. Pay me a few billion and I’ll work for you.”
Both men laughed, the sound breaking the tension like sunlight through storm clouds. Stanley knew the FBI could never afford Voren. The best they could do was seek his help in times like this.
After ending the call, Seraphine exhaled slowly, the breath carrying the weight of a name she’d hoped to forget. “Santiago again.”
Voren turned to her, his gaze sharp and searching, probing for any sign of fear. “Are you afraid?”
She shook her head, dark hair swaying across her shoulders like a curtain of silk. “No. I only regret not befriending you sooner.” A wry smile tugged at her lips, curving them into something bittersweet. “I wouldn’t have gone through that hassle of looking for my daughter.”
Voren’s expression softened, but he shook his head, a gentle disagreement. “I disagree. Thanks to you, those innocent lives were saved.”
“Indeed.” Her smile deepened, something fierce flickering in her eyes like a blade catching firelight. “I’ll just have to stay away from the human world until our pups are born.”
Her voice dropped, cold and certain, the voice of a woman who had tasted vengeance and found it sweet. “After that, I won’t mind killing the bastard this time.”
Voren’s smile returned, warm and proud, his chest swelling with something that felt like admiration. “Now that’s my woman.”
They continued walking, the corridor stretching ahead of them, stone walls catching the golden light that streamed through narrow windows.
As they approached the new office, voices drifted through an open door, familiar and animated, tinged with the kind of intimacy that came from years of friendship.
Seraphine’s brow furrowed, her steps slowing. “That sounds like Jasmine and Kael.”
She drew closer, curiosity pulling her forward like a moth to flame. Voren reached out to stop her, his hand brushing her arm, but the words that floated through the doorway froze them both.
“Who knows? You might even be mated to an Alpha during the Blood Moon Festival. Just be patient.”