Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Ravyn went quiet for a second after Daisy’s words, his jaw tightening as her accusation settled into his thoughts.

She wasn’t wrong entirely, but even then, something else rose to the surface, something Seraphine had said the day she walked away from the pack, her voice steady even though everything around her had been falling apart.

"Even as you killed my child, I gave life to yours. May the Moon Goddess judge between you and me."

The memory hit harder now than it had back then. She did not regret saving Bryan but was pained for what they did to hers. If she wanted revenge on Bryan, there were several ways she would have done it but she didn’t, instead, leaving it to the moon goddess.

Ravyn knew this might be the moon goddess’s revenge for what they did to that child.

"I killed her child," Ravyn said slowly, almost like he was convincing himself as much as he was responding to Daisy, "and that child... was mine too."

His voice hardened, a certain kind of resolve settling in. "Voren has ties with her. If nothing else, he’ll step in for Bryan’s sake."

And just like that, he turned and walked back into the ward, not giving Daisy another chance to argue.

Moments later, he came out carrying Bryan in his arms, holding him carefully but with purpose, like there was no room left for hesitation, and walked out of the hospital.

Damon followed quickly, catching up to him just as they stepped outside. His mind was already working, already piecing together the next move.

Timing mattered now, and he couldn’t fail Seraphine after all she’d done for him. Quickly he tore up a leave from a nearby tree before drawing closer to Ravyn. "Alpha," Damon called, stepping closer as if something had just caught his attention. "There’s something in your hair."

Ravyn paused slightly, more out of impatience than concern.

Damon reached up, his fingers brushing through Ravyn’s hair just long enough to pull out a strand without raising suspicion. "Yeah... a leaf," he said casually, holding it up like that had been his only goal.

Ravyn barely glanced at it. He didn’t think twice about the gesture, didn’t question it, and kept moving like nothing had happened.

But Damon already had what he needed. Bryan’s sample had been easy to get earlier. Now, he had Ravyn’s, everything was lining up.

When Daisy rushed past him, chasing after Ravyn in desperation, Damon didn’t follow.

Instead, he turned back, heading straight for Doctor Raymond, his expression serious in a way that left no room for misunderstanding.

"If there’s any integrity left in you," Damon said, his voice low but firm, "you’re going to run a DNA test."

Raymond hesitated, but only for a second. Damon held out the samples. "And you’re going to keep your mouth shut about it."

The weight of the moment pressed down on Raymond, but in the end, he nodded and took what was handed to him. "Match it against Bryan’s," Damon added, his gaze sharp.

Once that was set in motion, Damon stepped away, finding a quiet corner where no one would overhear him. He pulled out his phone, ready to call Seraphine, already rehearsing how to break everything down to her.

But before he could dial, his phone rang, and her name lit up the screen.

He answered immediately. "Sera, I was just about to call you. Ravyn’s back, and there’s a serious problem at the pack."

On the other end, Seraphine let out a soft yawn, her voice carrying that lazy edge that somehow made everything she said feel even more controlled. "There’s always something going on," she said. "Get to the point."

So, he did, told her everything from Bryan’s condition to Daisy’s lies, to Ravyn taking the boy and heading straight for her.

By the time he finished, there was a brief pause. Then, a quiet chuckle. "So why didn’t you tell me about MindNest? I would have invested too."

"Don’t worry," Seraphine said. "I already saved a spot for you."

Damon blinked slightly. "A spot?"

"Why are you surprised? Our partnership doesn’t require your permission to reserve a slot for you," she clarified. "Once the DNA results are ready, you can leave the pack. Pull out everything you invested in Walker’s Global Enterprise and move it to me."

Damon straightened slightly, his tone firm. "I can bring in more resources if needed. There’s no need pulling out from the Walkers Global Enterprise." It was all thanks to Seraphine, his stocks were rising again, and he had almost recovered the 50 billion he invested in the Walkers Group, but Seraphine cut that off immediately.

"No," she said, her voice sharper now. "No matter what happens, you need to pull out of Walker’s Global Enterprise."

There was intention behind that. Strategy. "I only let you invest there to keep him comfortable," she continued. "To make sure he came back to the pack without suspicion. Once we have the DNA results, that arrangement won’t be necessary anymore."

Damon let out a slow breath, understanding the layers behind her moves more clearly now.

Still, something came back to him, something she had mentioned before. "What about that night?" he asked. "You wanted proof that he forced himself on you."

On the other end, Seraphine groaned softly, frustration slipping through for the first time. "I completely forgot about that," she admitted.

Then her tone sharpened again.

"Fine. Pull funds from other places for now," she said. "But I need evidence, solid evidence."

Because as much as she wanted to tear everything Ravyn had built apart, she needed that one thing.

Proof of that night. Ravyn claimed it wasn’t him, that he hadn’t forced himself on her, but Seraphine knew better, or at least she believed she did.

And once she confirmed it, she wouldn’t just expose him but make sure he paid for it.

Years behind council bars wouldn’t even begin to balance what he had taken from her.

And after that, maybe Damon would step up. Maybe he would become Alpha of the Centenary pack.

And if that happened, it would make things easier for her. Easier to visit the pack as and when she needed to meet her wolf again. Goddess, she missed Marsha so much.

She was about to end the call when Damon spoke again, his voice pulling her back.

"But he’s bringing Bryan to you," he said. "What are you going to do about it?"