Chapter 456 - You won’t turn down an offer like this… will you?
Chapter 456: Chapter 456 - You won’t turn down an offer like this... will you?
A satisfied grin spread across Jaron’s face. "Let me finish this out." To anyone else, he looked exactly like the noble, respected ruler every pack looked up to. But to Voren, the whole conversation was already turning into this exhausting, draining ordeal that grated on his nerves.
"I have no plans to carry the title of Alpha King with me to my grave," Jaron went on, picking up his glass again and swirling that dark red wine slowly, almost dramatically. "You know the title wasn’t something I inherited. It was given to me out of pure respect from all the packs."
His eyes locked onto Voren’s. "When it comes to wealth and business, you’re already miles ahead of me." The compliment rolled off his tongue easy and natural. "But authority... the real authority that comes with being Alpha King blows everything else out of the water."
Voren stayed completely silent, because honestly, titles and crowns had never meant jack to him. Power wasn’t something he chased after like some desperate prize.
King Jaron must’ve taken that silence as a sign of interest, because he kept rolling. "My son Jasper claims to have already found a she-wolf who’s completely stolen his heart."
The corners of his mouth lifted in this proud-dad kind of way. "If he really decides to settle down with her, I won’t even wait for the Blood Moon Festival to name him the next Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack."
He took another sip of wine and set the glass down, letting the room get even quieter, the tension building thick in the air.
"However..." His eyes bored right into Voren’s, full of purpose. "The title of Alpha King won’t be going to Jasper."
For the first time since they’d started talking, a flicker of real curiosity crossed Voren’s face. Up until now, Jaron had been holding both titles at once. He was the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack and the Alpha King that every other pack answered to.
Now he wanted to split them apart. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why. As much as he loved his son, he wasn’t about to leave his daughter Athaliah with nothing.
"As a father..." Jaron continued, his voice full of that quiet, rock-solid confidence, "I’m sure you get exactly where I’m coming from." His fingers rested lightly on the sofa arm. "I’ve got to keep the power balanced inside my own family."
His eyes never wavered from Voren. "If I handed both titles over to Jasper, what would that leave for Athaliah?"
The answer hung there, obvious and heavy. Nothing.
A slow, calculated smile spread across Jaron’s face. "So I’ve already made up my mind on this." He straightened up proudly, chest out like he was making the biggest announcement of the year. "The man who marries Athaliah will be the one who inherits the title of Alpha King."
Pure confidence poured out of every single word he said. It was the ultimate prize any Alpha could ever dream of grabbing, the kind of power that could change everything. At least, that’s what Jaron clearly believed with all his heart.
His smile widened even more as he studied Voren’s unreadable expression, searching for any crack. "You won’t turn down an offer like this... will you?"
A faint smile curved across Voren’s lips, but that icy coldness in his eyes stayed locked in place, not warming up even a fraction.
"The second I turned down your invitation to that dinner party," he answered, his voice steady and even, "you should’ve figured out right then and there that I’ve got zero interest in your daughter, or that fancy title you’re dangling in front of me like some kind of golden carrot."
The words hit hard, no hesitation, no sugarcoating, just straight-up truth that cut through the air.
King Jaron frowned deeply, his face twisting with frustration.
"But you’re more than worthy of that title," he pushed back.
Voren let out a quiet, tired breath, looking way more exhausted by this whole thing than impressed. "Maybe I am," he said with a careless shrug of his broad shoulders. "But with all those strings attached to it, I’m perfectly happy sticking with what I’ve already built for myself."
The room dropped back into that heavy silence again, thick enough to choke on.
King Jaron studied the young Alpha across from him, his brows pulling together tighter and tighter. He’d heard endless stories about Voren over the years, and every single one painted the same picture: ambitious as hell, fearless to the core, the kind of man who never backed down from power or opportunity.
Yet here he was, casually turning down the greatest position any Alpha could ever dream of grabbing. It made zero sense, and it was driving Jaron crazy.
His fingers tightened around his wineglass, knuckles going a little white. "You haven’t even met my daughter yet."
His eyes drifted away for a second, going unfocused as he mind-linked someone real quick. When he snapped back to Voren, that confident look had slammed right back onto his face. "Trust me on this. The moment you lay eyes on Athaliah, you’ll change your tune completely."
Voren shook his head slowly, totally unmoved. "No."
His answer came so fast it almost knocked Jaron off balance. "You’re wrong about that." His gaze stayed calm and rock-solid. "I have zero desire to marry your daughter. Seeing her face isn’t gonna flip some switch and make me suddenly interested."
Not even the tiniest flicker of emotion crossed Voren’s face as he said it.
King Jaron flat-out refused to believe what he was hearing. A confident smile crept back onto his lips anyway.
His daughter wasn’t just any she-wolf, she was stunningly beautiful, sharp as a whip, and carried herself with the kind of royal grace that came from being raised among the strongest Alphas.
There wasn’t a single unmated Alpha at dinner party who hadn’t snuck at least one long glance her way. Even those powerful human billionaires had tried everything to win her heart over the years, and she’d shot every last one of them down.
Not because they weren’t good enough, but because none of them were the man she’d already set her sights on. From the very first time she’d laid eyes on Voren years ago, she had made up her mind that he was the one.
Almost like fate itself was listening in, soft footsteps suddenly echoed down the hallway outside. The door swung open, and Athaliah stepped into the living room with this effortless, flowing grace.
That elegant outfit hugged her figure and swayed beautifully with every step, and the confident way she held herself screamed princess raised in a world of powerful Alphas.
Her eyes found her father first. Then they landed straight on Voren. A genuine, bright smile lit up her whole face as she walked over without rushing and settled into the single sofa closest to him, close enough that the tension in the room ratcheted up even higher.
"Alpha Voren," she said, her voice warm and genuinely pleasant, full of that polished charm. "It’s such an honor to finally meet you."