Voren left the office a lot earlier than usual that day. Before heading out, he spent nearly half an hour with Pete going over reports, signing documents, and giving detailed instructions on several projects that couldn’t wait.
Normally he would’ve stuck around longer, but today was different. There were still too many loose ends he wanted wrapped up before he and Seraphine left for the pack.
Most importantly, he wanted real answers. The discoveries about Esperanza had changed everything, and for the first time in years, it finally felt like the truth was close enough to reach out and grab.
As he drove through the city, another thought crossed his mind—Corvine. A small smile tugged at his lips. He still couldn’t believe the Beta had agreed to move into the mansion instead of going back to Stone Manor.
The arrangement made life easier for everyone, but more than that, it had given Voren something he never expected: family. Not by blood and not by pack law, but family all the same.
The more time he spent around Corvine, the more he understood why Seraphine trusted him so completely. The man was loyal to a fault, reliable, protective, and surprisingly funny when he wasn’t busy trying to look daunting.
Voren chuckled to himself. Honestly, having Corvine around felt like suddenly having the brother he never knew he needed. Men like that were rare, and Voren had every intention of keeping him close.
Traffic wasn’t bad, so he reached the hospital sooner than expected. The building was its usual hive of activity—doctors rushing down hallways, nurses moving between rooms, and patients filling up the waiting areas.
The organized chaos reminded him exactly why Seraphine loved working here so much.
As he stepped into one of the main hallways, his eyes quickly landed on the person he was looking for.
Leon stood with two nurses, reviewing patient files. Even from a distance, the doctor looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and a wrinkled white coat that suggested a long shift.
Leon happened to glance up, and surprise flashed across his face the moment their eyes met. He excused himself from the nurses right away and walked over. "Mr. Ashkael?" His eyebrows lifted. "Are you sick?"
The genuine concern in his voice almost made Voren scoff. Apparently, nobody expected to see him in a hospital unless something was wrong. "Do you have a few minutes?" Voren asked, his gaze flicking briefly toward the nearby nurses.
Leon followed his line of sight, then glanced down at the reports in his hands and let out a weary sigh. "Sure. Just give me five minutes." He handed the files off to one of the nurses. "I’ll be right behind you."
Voren thanked him with a nod and made his way to the office. True to his word, Leon walked in less than five minutes later.
The doctor closed the door behind him and dropped heavily into his chair, exhaustion written all over his face. He loosened his tie a little. "My shift officially ended ten minutes ago," he said with a tired smile. "So what do I owe this visit?"
Voren stayed standing for a moment before taking the seat across from him. "It’s about Seraphine."
That immediately got Leon’s full attention. His eyebrows rose, and a teasing smile appeared. "What happened? She finally decide she doesn’t believe you saved her at Bohemian Grove?"
Voren shook his head. "Not even close." The smile faded from Leon’s face the second he caught the serious look in Voren’s eyes. This clearly wasn’t a casual conversation. Voren leaned forward slightly. "What we’re about to discuss stays between us."
The firmness in his voice made Leon adjust himself uncomfortably, not because he felt threatened, but because he could already tell things were about to get complicated.
He glanced quickly toward the quiet hallway outside. "Luckily there aren’t any staff around right now."
Voren nodded. "Good." Then he got straight to the point. "I’m marrying Seraphine next week."
Silence filled the room. Leon blinked once, then twice, as the words slowly sank in. "You... you’re marrying Seraphine?" The color drained from his face as the reality hit him. Suddenly dozens of little things started making sense—the strange tension, the constant arguments, the way Voren always seemed to show up whenever Seraphine was involved, how he’d reacted to the proposal, and how Seraphine acted every time Voren entered a room.
Leon slowly leaned back in his chair, disbelief written all over his face. "You two were constantly at each other’s throats. What kind of love story is that?"


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