Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 350: As for this, reject it

The pack sat eerily quiet when Voren finally made it back, the kind of deep silence that wraps everything just before dawn breaks through.

Only the patrol teams moved like shadows along the stone pathways carved into the mountain, while everyone else stayed lost in sleep under the last scraps of fading darkness.

A sharp, cold breeze carried the familiar scents of pine, damp earth, and wolf that always meant home.

Most of the pack wouldn’t stir for hours, but Voren wasn’t about to waste any time. His long strides carried him straight toward the shaman’s dwelling, his face set tight as his mind raced ahead to everything that still needed handling.

She lived in a smaller stone home tucked right beneath the massive rock formation that housed most of the pack. From the outside it looked modest, almost easy to miss compared to the towering structure above it.

Inside, though, it opened up into a surprisingly spacious setup. Years ago Voren had ordered it built exactly to her specifications, every room, every passage, every detail designed to support her deep work and connection to the spirit world.

He pushed the heavy leather curtain aside and stepped in without knocking. The shaman couldn’t stand interruptions, and the whole pack honored that.

His timing couldn’t have been worse. The moment he saw her, disappointment hit him hard.

She sat perfectly still in the center of the room, legs crossed, hands hovering with palms up, eyes closed like she’d slipped away to somewhere far beyond this world. Deep in meditation, reaching for the spirits.

let out a slow breath. No point waiting around. Once she fell into one of those trances, she could be gone for an

crossed to a nearby table, grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote a quick, firm note: ’Call me

left it where she’d spot it immediately,

morning air greeted him again, but he barely registered it before coming

respectfully. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "So it’s

Kael fell in beside him. "Luna Oriana talked to Marigold on the phone. She didn’t sound

purpose to keep things quiet, but word had still slipped through to Oriana somehow.

his voice firm and final. "It’s Esperanza now,

a simple name change. Voren was making

Voren continued toward the pack house. Kael hurried to keep

stopped Voren in his tracks. His shoulders tightened, and silence stretched between them for several long seconds. "I’ll talk to Mom and Dad," he finally answered, his tone flat.

his parents were probably upstairs loaded with questions that could

think she could help those

from that day flooded back. The blood, the injuries, the wreckage he’d left behind. Seraphine’s abilities might be the only real chance those men

he said. It wasn’t a firm promise, but it lit a

needing your approval," Kael continued. "Reports from the northern border, supply requests, and

the stack of responsibilities. Kael pretended not to notice and added, "And there’s an invitation

is hosting a dinner gathering. His daughter just