Voren went completely still, every muscle locking up as the words hit him. An old man. The phrase alone sent a cold spike of fury racing under his skin, and he had to fight hard to keep it from spilling into his voice.

If Esperanza called someone an old man, she meant someone around the same age as the elders back in the pack, someone like Voren’s father, the ones who carried decades of weight and secrets in their bones. That possibility made his blood run hotter than it should have.

He had hoped to face someone around the same age as him, not an elder but Voren did not mind sending one to an early grave if his suspicions were true.

“Grandpa should know him. They talked like friends,” Esperanza reported, trusting her father to know the rest and handle it amicably.

Indeed, hearing that only tightened the knot in Voren’s chest. He reached down and scooped her up into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

Just having her close was enough to settle the restless rage inside him and quiet the low growl that had been building. The simple weight of her against him pulled him back from the edge.

“Okay, sweetheart. Thank you for telling me, and yeah, we’re headed home.”

Esperanza’s whole face lit up. She beamed so hard her eyes almost disappeared, then wrapped both arms tight around his neck like she never planned on letting go. The pure trust in that hug hit Voren square in the chest.

Seraphine stood a few feet away carrying Bryan, and the sight of them together made Voren’s heart drop hard. He wanted nothing more than to bring up the pregnancy right then, to talk about the life growing inside her, but this was the worst possible moment.

Too many people hovered nearby, and that conversation belonged to the two of them alone. He refused to risk anyone else catching even a single word of it.

“Jasmine, let Kael know to meet us at the hotel once he gets the Grimroot pack members settled back in their places.”

Jasmine gave a quick nod and left to do as told. At the same time Voren’s eyes landed on the person he’d been scanning the crowd for.

“Dad, can you get our team organized? Everybody meets at the hotel, and we’ll have a serious talk after a few hours of sleep.”

The middle-aged man understood exactly what “team” meant. Everyone who had come with them from the start. Voren wasn’t about to start digging into who had tried to take Esperanza while a whole group stood around listening. First priority was getting Seraphine and Esperanza somewhere safe.

The second Seraphine slid into the car with Bryan, Voren carefully set Esperanza down right beside her. Seraphine pulled their daughter into a fierce hug right away, burying her face in the soft hair and breathing her in like she’d been starving for it.

“I missed you so damn much.”

“I missed you too, Mommy,” Esperanza said excitedly, glad to have her mother back. “Aunt Jasmine told me not to make it obvious that you’re my mother, so I acted like I didn’t even know you. Do you forgive me?”

Tears welled up fast in Seraphine’s eyes until they threatened to spill. Her little girl was apologizing for something that had never been her fault in the first place, and the unfairness of it twisted something deep in Seraphine’s chest.

“Oh, sweetheart.” She cradled Esperanza’s face between both hands, thumbs brushing over the soft cheeks before pulling her close again.

“You don’t have a single thing to apologize for. None of this was ever on you. But from now on you can call me your mother anywhere you want, anytime you want. No more hiding.”

A bright squeal burst out of Esperanza, pure joy exploding across her face. If the seatbelts hadn’t already locked them in place, Seraphine knew without a doubt the kid would’ve been bouncing all over the backseat in pure excitement.

From the other side of the seat Bryan’s voice cut in, curious and a little confused. “Mom, how is she your daughter?”

For as long as he knew, he has always been Seraphine’s only child and though he always liked Esperanza because their parents were friends, the confusion did not leave his little mind.

Seraphine drew in a slow breath, steadying herself while Voren kept his eyes on the road, though his ears took in everything that was being said from the back seat.

“Espe, you remember those babies you told me about once?” Seraphine did not answer Bryan directly, knowing that Espe had the same question on her mind.

The explanation had to start from somewhere, and from Esperanza it did.

Esperanza nodded right away, eyes wide as Seraphine explained it to them in the way she expected them to understand it.

“That baby is Bryan. He’s the one I raised all these years because I never knew what had really happened. Your father and I already decided we’re adopting him, so he’s part of our family for good now.”

Esperanza’s forehead wrinkled a little. “Mom, won’t Uncle Ravyn be upset?” She’d met Bryan before, but pieces of the whole picture still didn’t quite line up for her.

“He’s already aware,” Seraphine answered, her voice soft but sure. Then she turned toward Bryan, making sure he was looking at her.

“Esperanza is my daughter, which means you’ve got a sister now.”

Bryan’s mouth curved into a small smile, yet something else kept tugging at him, refusing to let go. “Mom, why do we have different last names?”

Seraphine’s expression stayed warm and open. “You’re actually the only one carrying a different last name. I don’t know if you’d even want to change it or not.”

Before Bryan could answer, another question slipped out of him, quieter this time and heavier. “Mom, does that mean I’ll never get to see Dad again?”

The silence that dropped over the car was thick enough to feel. Everybody inside knew exactly who he meant. Ravyn.