Chapter 693 I like to play fair. And I hate the stink of poverty on you
Ravyn lifted his head, his red-rimmed eyes searching Voren’s face. The tears had dried on his cheeks, leaving salt trails that caught the dim light. His expression was raw, unguarded, stripped of every mask he had ever worn.
“I know it’s not that simple.” His voice came out hoarse, scraped clean by hours of sobbing. “There’s a catch. What exactly do you want?”
What Voren was requesting of him was too little. Ravyn had benefited greatly from Voren’s generosity over the years, had taken and taken and given nothing in return. He knew better than to believe in gifts without strings. Nothing in this world came free, least of all from a king.
Voren smiled. It was a small thing, barely a curve of his lips, but it held the weight of absolute certainty.
“You’re right. But honestly, the catch is simple.”
He leaned forward, his gaze locking onto Ravyn’s with an intensity that made the other man’s breath catch.
“For as long as you don’t look at my wife, or try to get close to my daughter, I’ll make sure your pack rises, becomes stronger, and better.” He was not doing it for Ravyn but for the future. Every pack that stood with him had to be stronger than the ones against him.
Ravyn smiled bitterly, the expression twisting his features into something broken and beautiful. Of course. It was always about Sera. Everything Voren did, every move he made, every alliance he forged, it all circled back to her.
“I told you before. It’s not as if she’ll ever want me.” His voice cracked, just barely. “And my daughter doesn’t either.”
He swallowed hard, forcing the words past the lump in his throat.
“Just give me the chance to watch her from the shadows. I’ll never get close to her. I promise.”
“We live in different packs.” Voren’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his features. “How can you do that?”
Ravyn’s smile softened, something almost like hope flickering in his eyes.
“During your out-of-pack training for pups and young leaders, just let me know. I’ll watch her from the shadows. I won’t get close. I promise she’ll never see me.”
Voren studied him for a long moment. The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy, charged with unspoken calculations. He needed Ravyn as an ally more than he needed him as an enemy. The Lycans were closing in. Every pack that stood against them was a fortress. Every pack that fell was a weapon in their hands. “Alright.”
Ravyn exhaled, relief flooding through him like water through a broken dam.
“The Lycans rule the mafia.” Voren’s voice hardened, businesslike. “I heard they produce the best guns. I need a gun that can kill their beast. And you’re going to make them produce it exclusively for you.”
Ravyn’s eyes widened.
“When it’s ready, let me know. I’ll stage an attack, steal the guns, and seize half of your pack. You’ll send that news across, and I’ll use the opportunity to develop the first half of your pack.”
Voren paused, letting the plan sink in. “The starting price for this deal is a hundred billion. Are you in?”
Ravyn gasped. His chest constricted, his heart stuttering. He had only gotten information about the Lycans producing guns a few weeks ago from Battal. He hadn’t told anyone. He hadn’t even breathed a word of it.
But Voren already knew. “How are you sure they can produce a gun strong enough to kill their own beasts?”
Voren smiled. It was a dangerous thing, sharp and knowing. “Did you forget who my wife is?”
The words landed like a physical blow. Seraphine. The hacker. The genius. The woman who had brought entire corporations to their knees with nothing but a keyboard and a vendetta.
“And since we’re going to work together, I want you to know this.” Voren’s voice dropped, intimate and serious. “She’s pregnant.”
Ravyn went still.
“The pups have been draining both our wolves. Should a war arise, I won’t endanger either of our wolves. That’s why I need those guns. And I need them fast.”
Ravyn was numb.
The news of Seraphine’s pregnancy hit him like a wave, crashing over him and pulling him under. It was clear now. Nothing would ever make her his again. Not even a mate bond. Not even fate itself.
Every resistance inside him dropped completely. Every hope he had clung to, every fantasy he had nurtured in the dark corners of his heart, shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Alright.” His voice was steady, resigned. “I’ll talk to Battal after the Blood Moon Festival. But you can’t send me the money from your pack or from your personal account.”
Voren nodded, already anticipating the concern. “I already know that. The transaction will be done through your parents. The funds will move from my wife’s account to that of your parents, and from your parents’ personal account to that of the pack. You can take care of the rest.”
Ravyn smiled. A genuine smile, warm and nostalgic. Voren hadn’t changed. Beneath the crown and the power and the ruthless efficiency, he was still the same man who had stood beside Ravyn through childhood, through battles, through everything.
“The money you’re sending is too much for what you’re requesting.” Ravyn’s voice carried a hint of teasing. “Are you dashing the rest to me?”
It wasn’t the first time Voren had given him free money. But now, it felt different. Now, it felt like Voren was paying him off to stay away from Sera and Espe.
Voren did not play diplomacy. “I like to play fair. And I hate the stink of poverty on you.”
Ravyn laughed. The sound was rusty, unpracticed, but genuine. It was the first time he had laughed since everything fell apart.
“That’s Voren.” He shook his head, something like affection flickering in his eyes. “I don’t deserve your friendship. But I’m glad to call you my friend again. Even if we can’t be so publicly.”
He rose from the sofa, his movements steadier now, his posture straighter.
“I’ll go handle the witches. Just inform Corvine about the accommodation arrangement.” He paused at the door, glancing back over his shoulder. “And yeah. He’s doing a very good job.”
—
Voren sent a mindlink to Corvine the moment Ravyn left.
’Check Ravyn and the two witches into a two-bedroom suite in the guest quarters. He’ll keep watch over them for now.’
’Noted.’
Voren went for Bryan, and together, they returned to his suite.
The room was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains. Seraphine and Esperanza were already asleep, curled together like two halves of a whole. Seraphine’s arms were wrapped protectively around her daughter, her chin resting on the top of Esperanza’s head.
It was clear the girl had cried herself to sleep. Her cheeks were still stained with dried tears, her small fingers clutching a fistful of Seraphine’s nightgown.
Voren’s heart ached.
He and Bryan joined them after a quick shower, slipping beneath the covers with careful, quiet movements. Bryan nestled against his father’s side, already half-asleep, his small body warm and trusting.
—
Voren woke to a small weight on his chest.
A certain small person was plastering kisses all over his face, her lips pressing against his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, his eyelids. Her giggles filled the room like music, bright and infectious.
His eyes opened to that familiar bright blue gaze, sparkling with mischief.
“Espe, what are you doing?”
Esperanza giggled, her small hands pressing against his cheeks.
“Daddy, come and help me choose a dress for the coronation!”
She bounced on his chest, her excitement palpable. “Uncle Corvine and Aunt Liah said Bryan and I will be beside them for good favor!”
Voren’s heart warmed. It was as if last night had never happened. As if the tears and the fear and the heartbreak had been washed away by the simple magic of a child’s resilience.
His daughter was back to her usual bubbly self, and that was enough for him. “Where’s your mom? And Bryan?” He looked around curiously eager to catch a glimpse of his beautiful wife but his daugther did not make it easy.
She looked around with mischief dancing in her eyes.
“Daddy, we can’t be late for the coronation! And you’re dressing me up!” She scrambled off his chest, her small hands grabbing his arm and tugging with surprising strength. “Up, up! Let’s go get ready!”