Voren hesitated for a long beat, the thought of calling Ravyn, of telling him exactly where to meet Seraphine, tugging at the edge of his mind, almost tempting him to drag Ravyn along.
But every instinct he had screamed that it would be a disaster. Ravyn’s presence would only muddy the waters, throw everything into chaos, and ruin the fragile, delicate chance Voren had to confront Seraphine on his own terms, cleanly, without anyone complicating the stakes.
After all, it had been Ravyn who’d lit the fire under her, the reason her wrath had turned toward Ashkael Holdings in the first place, and Voren wasn’t about to let history repeat itself because of some misjudged loyalty.
With a deep, almost imperceptible exhale, he slipped his phone back into his pocket, the decision settling like stone in his gut, and caught up to Pete, who was already parked and waiting patiently in the restaurant’s lot.
The car gleamed under the late afternoon sun, a sleek black silhouette against the concrete, and Voren’s eyes flicked to it without hesitation.
"What’s the situation?" Voren asked, voice calm but taut, like a string stretched to its limit.
Pete’s response was measured, precise, almost unnervingly serene. "I saw them go in," he said, the words falling softly into the tense air between them.
Voren nodded once, almost imperceptibly, his mind already spinning ahead. "Okay. We’ll just act like we’re here to eat. I’ll handle the rest."
"Handle the rest?" Pete’s jaw tightened. He couldn’t trust Voren with Seraphine after he’d seen what happened last time, witnessed the chaos firsthand, and this time, he refused to let pride get in the way of sense.
"Sir... do you mind if I handle it? She might not want to see you," he ventured, voice low, careful, almost pleading.
Voren’s gaze snapped to him, dark and cold enough to make the hair on the back of Pete’s neck stand on end. "Do you think you know her better than I do?"
There was a weight in that question, an unspoken history, a depth Pete could never hope to understand without crossing a line that could reveal truths better left buried. Voren knew Pete meant well, that he was only trying to be careful, but the fire in his eyes left no room for negotiation.
Pete exhaled, frustration rolling off him in waves, heavy enough to make the car feel like it was closing in on them. "I’m sorry," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "but... can you at least try not to upset her?"
His eyes darted around the car park, desperate to make sure no one could see the tense, unsteady alliance playing out between him and his boss.
Voren, even in moments like these, commanded respect. Pete knew it, everyone knew it, but right now, that respect was a fragile thing, hanging by a thread, dependent on Voren not letting his ego ruin everything.
Voren let out a low, deliberate sigh, like a storm contained behind his ribs. "Don’t worry. I want the server restored just as much as you do. I’ll... try to be polite." There was a hardness to that word, polite, that made Pete swallow and hope it was enough.
As they pushed open the restaurant doors, the warm, scented air of expensive wood, simmering sauces, and faint perfume wrapped around them, Voren’s eyes immediately found their targets.
Seraphine’s gaze flicked suspiciously toward Nicole, tight and sharp, her instincts still razor-sharp despite being outside the protective walls of her pack.

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