’This is the absolute last time I’m asking you anything about outfits.’ Seraphine said to Marsha as she smoothed the front of her clothing one final time.
Marsha barely stirred. ’I’m going into a deep sleep anyway.’ A long, slow yawn rolled through her, the kind that stretched all the way to the bones. ’But for the record, it wasn’t just me making that call. His wolf asked what you were wearing, and I told him what I told you to put on. You both look good.’
Another beat of uncomfortable silence took over her mind before Marsha released another timebomb. ’And the next time you come back, make sure you’re carrying his pup.’
Seraphine moved to refute it but it was too late. Marsha had already blocked her.
Seraphine stood there for a second, blinking, equal parts annoyed and flustered, then grabbed her bag and moved.
She made it maybe four steps down the hallway before Voren caught the handle of her luggage right out of her grip.
"Leave it." No negotiation in his voice. Just quiet certainty.
She didn’t fight him on it. She let go and walked faster, eyes forward, scanning the lobby for any sign of Corvine’s arrival. The front doors opened and the outside air hit her, cool, carrying that particular scent of rain.
"Sera." Voren’s footsteps were right behind her. "Wait."
She kept moving but the car park was still empty and Corvine’s car wasn’t there yet, which meant she had nowhere to actually go. She slowed, stopped, and kept her eyes on the street.
Voren came around beside her, setting the bags down near his feet. "I wanted to apologize to you last night." His voice was different out here, less guarded. "But you were already out."
"For what exactly?" Her eyes stayed on the line of cars along the curb.
The wind came through then, blowing her hair sideways across her face in dark ribbons. She reached up to push it back but his hand was already there, no hesitation, no asking, his fingers brushing the strands gently away from her face and tucking them back.
She went completely still, taking a step back.
He noticed, respecting the fact that everything was too much for her. They needed a proper talk and he just could not say if this was the right place for it.
His eyes moved over her face with that focused, unhurried attention that made her feel like she was standing under a light she hadn’t agreed to stand under.
"Take off the sunglasses."
It wasn’t quite a request.
He pulled his own off first and when their eyes met, the air left her lungs in a quiet rush. His eyes had gone red. Not the soft kind of red that came with emotion.
It was a deep, saturated red that meant something was happening internally that he wasn’t saying out loud.
Her mouth opened.
Then she caught the flash of a familiar car turning into the lot and the moment broke apart.
Voren saw where her attention had gone and his jaw set, his fingers closed at his sides, slowly, like he was concentrating on keeping them still.
Corvine pulled up clean and easy, and before the engine had even fully cut out his door was open. He crossed the distance in three strides and pulled Seraphine into his arms the way someone does when they’ve been counting the hours.
"Sera." His voice was low, genuine, warm in all the ways that came naturally to him. "I missed you so much."

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