Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 134 – Heartless

Seraphine had never really understood what people meant when they talked about dating, like it was some kind of shared language everyone else spoke fluently while she stood on the outside, watching, trying to piece together rules that never made sense to her.

All her life, her world had revolved around one man, her attention fixed so completely on him that she never once stopped to consider the feelings of anyone else, never once cared about the hearts quietly breaking in the background, even when the one she loved gave her nothing in return.

Now that it was over in a way that left no room for illusion, something inside her had shut down, locked itself away behind walls she had no intention of lowering anytime soon.

Still, she wasn’t blind to what it felt like to love alone, to pour everything into someone who would never give the same back, and that understanding stirred a quiet, reluctant sympathy in her chest when she looked at Augustine.

But sympathy wasn’t enough, and she knew it never would be.

If anything, her own experience had taught her that dragging out something one-sided only made the eventual collapse worse, that it was kinder to end things before they even had the chance to grow into something fragile and false, which would only shatter under the weight of reality later on.

A faint, nervous smile curled her lips as she gently slipped her hand out of his, the warmth of his touch lingering for just a second longer than she wanted it to. She reached for her napkin, dabbing the corner of her lips more as a way to steady herself than anything else.

"August," she said softly, her tone careful but unyielding, "my answer hasn’t changed, and I need you to believe me when I say it’s not about you. I just don’t want to go down that road again."

Her words were calm, respectful, wrapped in a softness that didn’t take away from their finality, and she watched the change in his expression as something dimmed behind his eyes, like a light slowly being turned off.

"What is it about Alpha Ravyn?" he asked, his voice tightening despite his effort to keep it steady, frustration bleeding through in ways he couldn’t fully hide. "I could understand if it was Alpha Voren, at least that would make sense, but Ravyn?"

if even saying the

an intensity that made it hard to look away. "I’ve loved you for years, Sera,

felt different, thinner, like something held together out of habit

quietly, her eyes steady on

honesty, the kind that didn’t soften itself to spare

say yes?" she went on, her tone turning more serious, grounded. "What if we switch places, and I end up

moment, letting that sink in before continuing, her

reason I’m standing against him now has nothing

she saw the immediate change in Augustine, the confusion, the tension, the way his brows pulled together as he tried to make sense of

his voice edged with disbelief. "I don’t

deeper flickered beneath it. "He switched my child and made me raise Bryan as

rush the next part, didn’t soften it, didn’t try

only telling you this because I trust you as a friend. Corvine didn’t go through with it, he let her live, but no

than anything that had come before

impossible to hide, the weight of her words hitting him all at once, leaving him staring at her like he was

he said quietly, the earlier frustration gone completely, replaced by something softer.

before adding, his voice gentler now, "I’ll wait for you, Sera. However long it

her face, quick but unmistakable, and she shook her head slightly,

room for misunderstanding. "Don’t wait for me, because I know who I