Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 256 - Am I that scary, Sera?

Damon’s knuckles went white around the strap of the bag.

For a long second, he just stood there, rain still dripping off his jacket, jaw working like he had something else to say. But an Alpha’s aura wasn’t something you pushed through, not when it was sitting that heavy in the air. His fingers slowly uncurled.

"Can we talk after?" His voice came out quieter than he probably intended.

"Sure." Voren took the bag without another word, already turning toward the stairs, his tone clipped enough to close the conversation completely.

He went up alone and knocked once. "Damon, is that you?" Seraphine’s voice came through the door warm and unhurried. "You can come in."

Voren pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Seraphine spun around from where she stood near the window, one hand flying up to the collar of the robe she’d wrapped around herself. Her wet hair hung loose past her shoulders, dark from the shower, and her blue eyes went wide for just a half second before she caught herself.

"I thought it was Damon." She said it evenly enough, but her fingers stayed curled at her collar.

Something moved behind Voren’s eyes, a flicker, and gone. "Damon could walk in and not me?" The words came out quiet, which somehow made them land harder. He wasn’t even sure why he’d said them out loud. They’d tasted strange on the way up, like something he should’ve kept to himself.

Seraphine crossed the room and took the bag from his hand, her eyes dropping away from his. "Thanks." She paused and lowered her head. "I used your towel and robe. I’ll replace them."

Voren’s brow pulled together. "Why would you do that?"

She turned back toward the vanity, setting the bag down and pulling the zipper. "It’s just the right thing to do."

of her head for a moment. Her hair was dripping slightly at the ends. Something about that detail sat in the back of his throat in a way he

like he’d been leaning against the

’She smells incredible.’

Voren could even form a response, the mental equivalent of someone dropping

dressed and come over," he said, his voice coming out more controlled than he felt. "I’ll

completely still with her hand

she turned around and looked at him like he’d just suggested something mildly offensive. "I’ve been doing my own hair since I was seven. I don’t

the door shut behind her, and Voren stood in the middle of the room,

her hair still damp and hanging loose, and something about being back in her own things seemed to settle her. Her shoulders dropped. The

almost

swinging it over her shoulder in one smooth motion. "I

didn’t look at him but Voren’s hand

completely if you weren’t paying attention. His grip stayed gentle but he didn’t let go, and his

him meaning it to, low and close. "Are you

eyes snapped up to his, and something flashed in

again, faster this time, fingers reaching for the knob, but his arm

up, one arm across her middle, lifting her clean off the ground like she

of it like she was something he didn’t want to break, and then stepped back and grabbed the hairdryer off the vanity like none of that had

through her teeth, low and furious. "What do

He plugged the dryer in, turned it on low, and looked at her

about arguing, standing up, walking past him, or opening

refused to examine,

her back was to him, pulled her hair over one shoulder, and sat there

air hit the back of her neck and she hated how good it