Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 361: Why do you hate me so much?

Flashback (Sixteen Years Ago)

"Sera, wake up. Come on, let’s go watch the warriors train," Daisy’s excited voice sliced right through Seraphine’s dreamy haze as a hand shook her shoulder.

Seraphine just burrowed deeper into her pillow, clutching it tight like it could shield her from the morning. "V, will you take me to see the goldfish again?" she murmured, still half-lost in sleep. A soft, sleepy smile curved her lips. "Can I pick more this time? You think your parents would get mad?"

The second those words slipped out, the gentle nudging stopped cold. The whole room went eerily quiet. Then came another shove, way harder than before.

Seraphine’s eyes snapped open. "Daisy, leave me alone already," she grumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a big yawn.

Daisy stood right beside the bed, staring down at her with narrowed eyes. "You keep talking about this V guy. Who even is that?"

"What are you doing in my room?" Seraphine shot back, still groggy and annoyed. "I just wanna sleep."

Daisy shrugged and flopped down on the edge of the bed like she owned the place. "Your mom said I could come over anytime I wanted. She even told me I could sleep over whenever."

Her gaze drifted around the room before landing on the little glass jar up on the shelf. "Your room’s pretty nice, but I like that golden fish way better."

Sleep vanished from Seraphine’s body in an instant. She shot upright so fast her blanket tumbled into her lap. "Don’t touch the goldfish," she said, her voice coming out sharper than she meant. "That belongs to me and V."

she was too late. Daisy had already snatched the jar off the shelf and was holding it up, watching the tiny golden fish

play with it for a bit and put

off the bed, panic flooding her chest as her small hands balled into tight fists. "You can have anything else in here, just not that one. I promised V I’d keep it safe

ugly. "Is V that Voren kid?" The question came out ice-cold. "Did you sneak

chin defiantly.

him," Daisy snapped, hugging the jar tighter to her

Seraphine demanded, irritation flaring hot in her

Daisy’s eyes

expected. She frowned hard. "Well, Voren likes

expression darkened, anger pouring off her in waves. Even though they were just kids, Seraphine could feel the heavy tension crackling in the air between them. For a long moment,

a sly gleam that made Seraphine’s stomach twist with unease. "I’ve got something you might like even better," she said, flashing a smile that didn’t

her free hand into her pocket. A second

thorns. A terrified

badly, and hot tears flooded her eyes. "What is that thing? Please,

sound only making Seraphine’s fear spike higher, twisting like a knife in her gut. "I’ve got a friend you really

not even a little bit. "Daisy, don’t," she begged, her breathing

never lies. Do you have any idea what he’ll

firm and mean. "You can have Ravyn instead. I’ll make him like you." She crossed her arms, lips curving in

so hard her hair flew around.

movement by the doorway caught Seraphine’s