Chapter 438 - 439 - Is Mommy gonna be okay?
Chapter 438: Chapter 439 - Is Mommy gonna be okay?
The pilots flying those helicopters weren’t your average human pilots. They were battle-hardened warriors from the Grimroot Pack, specially trained for high-stakes missions like this one, which meant the whole trip felt lightning-fast and way safer than it had any right to be.
They touched down right at the luxury hotel Voren had booked for the whole crew.
Seraphine slept like the dead through every single second of the journey. She didn’t stir once, not even a little twitch.
When the helicopter finally landed in the Outlands and the blades started winding down, Esperanza unbuckled herself in a hurry and pressed her little face right up against the window, eyes sparkling with pure excitement. "Mommy, we’re here! We made it to the Outlands!"
She waited, practically bouncing, for Seraphine to smile back or say something. But nothing happened. Seraphine stayed completely still, lost in that deep, unnatural sleep.
Voren’s brows pulled together tight with worry. Without wasting another second, he scooped Seraphine up carefully into his strong arms and stepped out into the crisp air.
Esperanza scrambled after him, clutching the straps of her little backpack for dear life. She kept glancing between her mom’s peaceful but too-still face and Voren’s deeply concerned expression.
"Daddy..." Her tiny voice shook with fear. "Is Mommy gonna be okay? Please tell me she’s gonna be okay."
Voren forced a reassuring smile onto his face, even though his heart was pounding like crazy inside his chest. "She’ll be fine, sweetheart. I promise."
But his words sounded way calmer than he actually felt. Deep down, something felt seriously off.
The Seraphine he knew never slept this hard or this long. Normally she’d be wide awake the second they landed, taking everything in with those bright blue eyes of hers.
He caught Jasmine’s gaze across the way, and she understood instantly what he was silently begging for. Without a word, she reached out gently and took Esperanza into her arms. "Come here, Espe."
Esperanza went reluctantly, but the chilly Outlands wind was already biting at their faces.
Winter here wasn’t as brutal as back in Grimroot territory, but it was cold enough that everyone started pulling their coats tighter, huddling against the dropping temperature.
Jasmine rubbed soothing circles on the little girl’s back to keep her warm. "Let’s get to our room, okay? Uncle Corvine made sure there’s warm food waiting for us."
Esperanza’s face brightened just a bit. Jasmine kept going, her voice soft and comforting. "After we eat, we’ll take a nice, long, warm shower to chase away this cold. Then I’ll take you over to the Centenary Pack House so you can run around and play with all the other pups. How does that sound?"
Esperanza nodded, but then Jasmine’s expression turned super serious. "There’s one thing you gotta remember, though. You can’t tell the other pups your mommy’s real name, alright?"
The girl got it right away and gave a firm nod. "I won’t. I promise." A sad little shadow crossed her face. "If it’ll help Mommy feel better and get stronger, I won’t say a word to anyone."
Jasmine’s heart melted completely. She pulled Esperanza into an even tighter hug, wrapping her up in warmth and love.
"Your mommy is going to be just fine, baby girl. You don’t have to worry about a thing when your daddy’s right there taking care of her like he always does."
That seemed to finally ease some of the tension in Esperanza’s little body. She rested her head on Jasmine’s shoulder with a soft sigh. All around them, the temperature kept dropping as evening crept in closer, painting the sky in deep colors.
Most of the folks who’d arrived earlier had already switched into lighter training clothes. Even with the cold nipping at them, they were gearing up to let their wolves out for a good run before settling in for the night. It was like they couldn’t wait to feel free again.
Corvine watched Voren carrying Seraphine toward his room, his face full of heavy concern. "I’ll go bring Nicole and Callum right now."
Voren gave him a quick nod. "Please."
Corvine rushed ahead without another word and held the entrance door wide open so Voren could get Seraphine inside safely. Their luxury suite was already perfectly set up and waiting.
A familiar voice suddenly drifted out from one of the nearby rooms, sounding completely drained. "Please, Vlad... You’ve tortured me enough already." Olivia’s normally bright and cheerful tone had gone all hoarse, like she’d been crying for hours on end.
Right then, Vladimir stepped out of his room. The second he saw Corvine, pure relief washed over his face. "You wouldn’t happen to have any duct tape, would you?"
Corvine blinked in surprise. "Yeah, I do. Give me a minute, it’s in my room."
As Corvine headed off, Vladimir turned and knocked firmly on Voren’s door. Voren, thinking it was Corvine coming back with help, gently laid Seraphine down on the bed before opening it. But it was his dad standing there instead.
"Dad." Voren immediately picked up on the deep concern in Vladimir’s eyes. "Is everything okay?"
Vladimir looked past him into the room, his voice dropping soft and gentle. "I saw you carrying your wife inside. Is she alright?"
Voren tried his best to keep it together, but the worry was written all over him anyway. "She’s unconscious. I already asked Corvine to bring Nicole and Callum to check her out."
Vladimir smiled softly, almost knowingly. "There’s no need for that."
Voren frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
His father’s smile grew just a little wider, warm with understanding. "She’s pregnant."
The whole world seemed to freeze around Voren in that moment. His heart slammed hard in his chest, skipping a beat.
He’d suspected it, hell, the thought had crossed his mind more than once, but hearing it said out loud warmed his heart. It suddenly felt so real, so overwhelming.
He stared at his father, stunned. "How do you know?"
Vladimir leaned casually against the doorway, his expression turning nostalgic. "When your mother was pregnant with you, she was exhausted all the time. She could sleep through near anything."
He glanced over at Seraphine with a thoughtful look. "I honestly figured it might be different for your wife, but you two just got back from the human world. Now that she’s on pack lands again, her wolf should bounce back to help her."
Voren’s face grew serious as he caught on to what his dad was really saying. "Are you telling me her human body can’t handle the pregnancy by itself?"
Vladimir nodded firmly. "Exactly. Your mother’s wolf wasn’t the strongest because she wasn’t from Alpha or beta blood. I married her because I loved her, so all she had was her warrior wolf."
Voren nodded slowly, everything clicking into place with a rush of understanding. If Seraphine needed her wolf’s strength to carry this pregnancy safely, she’d have to spend way more time deep in pack territory. Otherwise, her body might just keep getting weaker and weaker.
"Thank you, Dad," Voren said, his voice thick with gratitude.
Vladimir gave him one last faint, reassuring smile. "I’ll wait for Corvine back in my room."
Voren nodded and quietly shut the door. He walked back over to the bed, his chest aching as he looked down at Seraphine’s unusually pale face. Just as he reached her side, her eyelashes started to flutter.
A second later, those beautiful blue eyes opened slowly, blinking in confusion.
"What’s going on?" she murmured, trying to sit up.
Voren slipped an arm behind her back right away, supporting her gently. "Take it easy, love. How are you feeling?"
Before she could even answer, Marsha’s voice burst into her mind, laughing so loud and wild. ’Hahaha! You’re finally dealing with all that sperm you took from him!’
Seraphine froze completely. For a long moment, she honestly didn’t know whether laugh or cry.