The middle-aged man rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head slowly, looking worn out. "I explained the spell to her. More than once." His gaze flicked toward his wife before settling back on Voren. "She just refuses to accept it."
Oriana folded her arms tight across her chest, her face set in that stubborn way that made it crystal clear she wasn’t planning to budge an inch.
"Voren, Jasmine saved my life, and I already made a promise—"
A humorless laugh burst out of Voren, sharp and cutting through the tension in the room. "So if another she-wolf saves your life next year, am I supposed to marry her too?"
His words landed like a blade. Oriana blinked hard, caught off guard. Voren took a few deliberate steps forward, locking eyes with her, his voice low and intense. "Mom, I don’t rember being raised as paynt for debts."
The whole suite grew thick with tension right away. His father’s face darkened like a storm rolling in. "Voren." The forr Alpha’s voice bood through the space, heavy with authority. "You owe your mother an apology."
Silence hung between them for a beat. Then Voren gave a short nod. "I’m sorry." The words ca out easily enough, but there wasn’t a trace of real regret on his face or in his eyes.
Without wasting another second, he turned toward the door, done with the whole conversation. But his father wasn’t letting him off that easy. "If you won’t marry Jasmine, then fine."
Voren froze, his hand gripping the door handle so tight his knuckles stood out. Sothing in his father’s tone put him instantly on edge. He turned around slowly, his expression already guarded.
His father’s eyes lit up with fresh determination. "There is a better option." The second those words hit the air, Voren’s face darkened, his instincts screaming that he wasn’t going to like whatever ca next.
"Athaliah Spencer." His father leaned forward a little. "The Alpha King’s only daughter has returned."
Voren’s jaw clenched hard. "I’ve already received the invitation."
"Then you know exactly what this ans." His father sounded almost excited now. "The Alpha King is proposing an arranged marriage. If this works out, our pack stands to gain so much."
Irritation burned hot in Voren’s chest, nearly boiling over. His first instinct was to shut the whole idea down right there and tell them exactly how he felt about arranged marriages and playing political gas.
But then a heavier thought stopped him cold—the wedding. He needed his parents there when he married Seraphine. Starting a full-blown family war right now wouldn’t do anyone any good.
He took a slow, steadying breath, swallowed down the frustration, and walked back into the room. His parents exchanged surprised glances as he dropped onto the nearest sofa. Just that simple action seed to spark so hope in them.
Voren leaned back comfortably, crossing one ankle over the other. "Mom. Dad." His voice ca out calm, too calm, like the quiet before sothing bigger. "This pack was built without outside help."
Neither of them said a word. He kept going, laying out the facts. "When you handed leadership over to , there were barely five million dollars left in the pack’s coffers. The reconstruction projects, the housing upgrades, the businesses, the education programs, the dical facilities, the training centers..." His gaze moved between them. "I funded all of it myself."
Oriana lowered her gaze, the reminder clearly hitting hard. Voren continued, his tone steady but firm. "The improvents in our mbers’ lives didn’t co from alliances or political marriages. They ca from years of hard work and my own personal investnt."
The room grew even more uncomfortable. "Now you’re telling that marrying the Alpha King’s daughter will sohow benefit this pack." A faint, almost tired smile stretched his lips. "I’m honestly confused."
Sha flickered across both their faces because they knew he was right. When Voren had co back from New York years ago, the pack had been in rough shape, resources running low, infrastructure outdated, money lost through years of bad managent.
It had taken him a long ti to rebuild everything from the ground up, which was exactly why he’d never fully handed financial control back to them, keeping strict limits on spending and budgets instead.
His father cleared his throat, the admission sounding painful. "You have a point. But you’re looking at this the wrong way."
Voren raised an eyebrow. His father leaned in. "The Alpha King has stayed quiet for years. His eldest son is being prepped to lead the Silver Moon Pack, but he can’t inherit the title of Alpha King. If you marry Athaliah, that title could beco yours."
The room went dead silent for several long seconds. Then Voren just shrugged. "Then I don’t want it."
His father’s eyes widened in shock. "What?"
"I don’t want it," Voren repeated, his tone calm, almost bored. "That title sounds impressive, but it doesn’t co with much real authority. Most Alphas run their territories on their own. It’s mostly symbolic."
His father looked horrified. His mother looked equally stunned, like they couldn’t wrap their heads around anyone turning down that kind of prestige.
"Voren—" Oriana jumped back in quickly. "You aren’t considering the bigger picture. Your best friend is struggling right now. The Silver Moon Pack has beco the second-richest pack in the werewolf community. This marriage would strengthen our influence and boost our wealth." Her eyes brightened with the thought. "They’re worth hundreds of billions."
For a mont, Voren genuinely didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. That number clearly blew his parents away, but to him it ant almost nothing. He leaned back into the sofa again. "Billions?" A low chuckle escaped him. "Okay."
His parents frowned, clearly not appreciating the amusent in his voice. "Seraphine tripled my investnts through her company. The stocks alone have generated more money than most packs see in several generations." He folded his arms. "Then there are the gas her company developed."
The confusion on their faces only deepened. Voren almost felt sorry for them. Almost. "Even if I retired tomorrow, even if I shut down every company I own and never worked another day in my life..." A faint smile crossed his face. "My descendants would still struggle to spend all the money we already have."
The room fell completely quiet. Oriana blinked a few tis, her expression drifting from confusion to pure disbelief. "Wait." She sat up straighter. "What are you talking about?" His mother stared at him. "I thought she was just a doctor."
Voren let out a genuine laugh this ti. His parents really had no clue. They only knew pieces of Seraphine, not the full woman or the empire she’d built quietly behind the scenes.
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "There’s a lot you don’t know about Sera."
The warmth that filled his eyes didn’t go unnoticed by either parent. For the first ti in the whole conversation, real emotion showed on his face. His voice softened. "And she has always been the only woman in my heart."
The confession hung heavy in the air. Oriana exchanged a quick glance with her husband. They didn’t look surprised, just resigned. "We understand," she said, her tone softening for a mont. Then she ruined it. "But look at it another way."
Voren’s expression turned cautious right away. Oriana smiled. "If she’s truly that valuable, then make her your second wife."
The room went very quiet. "Mom..."
"The Alpha Code allows it." She rushed on before he could cut her off. "And let’s be realistic. No pack is going to accept another Alpha’s ex-wife as their Luna." Every word made Voren’s face grow darker, but Oriana seed completely unaware. "Think about it."
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