Chapter 458 - Fight for your man!
Chapter 458: Chapter 458 - Fight for your man!
Chapter 458 - Fight for your man!
Those honest words settled something deep inside Voren. He searched her face hard, hunting for even the tiniest hint of deceit or manipulation, but there was none, just pure sincerity shining through.
’She’s harmless,’ Bloodfang’s deep voice rumbled inside his mind. ’Let her.’
After a brief moment, Voren finally loosened up his guard a little. Athaliah slowly raised her hand again, and this time he didn’t stop her.
Her palm rested lightly against the left side of his hard chest, right over his heart. She closed her eyes, and the whole room got so quiet you could hear every single breath they took.
A few seconds later, her eyes opened slowly. She pulled her hand back without saying a word and returned to the sofa she’d been sitting on earlier.
For the first time since she’d walked into the room, that unbreakable confidence she always carried had vanished. In its place was this quiet, genuine admiration that lit up her expression.
"How..." She stared at Voren with real amazement sparkling in her eyes. "How have you held onto feelings that strong for so many years? It’s almost impossible."
She shook her head slowly, still blown away. "I’ve never sensed anything like it before." Her eyes softened with warmth. "I honestly want to meet the woman who managed to capture the heart of someone as powerful as you."
There wasn’t even a drop of jealousy in her voice, just pure respect that felt real. "She must be truly extraordinary." Not even her love wolf could capture Voren’s heart and yet, some mysterious she-wolf did it so easily.
The tension that had been knotted up in Voren’s shoulders gradually eased off, and that irritation he’d been carrying since the conversation started quietly melted away.
Bloodfang had been right. Athaliah wasn’t some kind of threat. There was nothing wrong with loving someone deeply.
Feelings like that weren’t something anyone could just control.
The real problem would’ve been if she refused to accept it and kept pushing anyway. But she wasn’t doing that.
She saw the line clearly and had zero intention of crossing it.
A small, real smile finally broke across Voren’s face, not forced this time. Kael’s words from earlier suddenly popped back into his head. Athaliah slapping Daisy.
Back then he hadn’t cared enough to dig into it, but now it all made sense. She truly wasn’t anything like Daisy.
"You’ll meet her someday," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that had been missing the entire evening.
Athaliah’s eyes brightened up instantly with hope as Voren’s smile deepened just a touch. "That is... if you pay close enough attention."
She stared at him for a second before realization slowly spread across her face, followed by a knowing little smile. "So that’s your clue." She gave him a respectful nod. "Thank you, Alpha Voren."
There wasn’t even a trace of bitterness left in her expression. "And... I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time." She rose gracefully from her seat and turned toward the door.
Just as she started to leave, her father’s furious roar stopped her cold. "What kind of nonsense is this?" King Jaron’s deep exploded through the room like thunder.
Athaliah stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder. Her father was already on his feet, his face twisted dark with anger. "You’re giving up just like that?" Disbelief dripped from every word. "Fight for your man!"
Disappointment settled heavy across Athaliah’s face as she looked at the man who had raised her.
"You taught me better than this," she said, her words quiet but cutting deep. They didn’t need to be loud. Her calm strength spoke volumes. "I know my worth."
She stood tall, confidence radiating off her stronger than any anger ever could. "I’m smart. I’m beautiful. I’m intelligent."
She took another step toward the door, eyes locked on her father. "I don’t need anyone’s support to build my own life."
Her eyes softened with a quiet sadness. "But just like every other she-wolf... I want to be loved for real." Her voice grew firmer.
"I’m not going to lower myself by chasing after a man whose heart already belongs to someone else. I refuse to become some lovesick puppy begging for affection that isn’t mine to have."
Without waiting for another word from him, she walked out of the room with her head held high.
Almost at the same time, hurried footsteps pounded through the pack house. Warriors rushed past the doorway yelling. "Move!" someone shouted from outside. "A snow storm is coming! Everyone get to shelter right now!"
Voren and Jaron shot to their feet at the exact same moment. Voren’s first thought wasn’t the storm. It was Seraphine. He immediately headed for the door, heart already racing with worry.
’Where are you? Are you okay?’ Voren sent the frantic question shooting through their mind link, his chest squeezing tight with a heavy wave of worry that made his heart pound harder than usual.
Seraphine’s warm, reassuring voice flowed right back into his mind almost instantly. ’We’re on our way to the gym. Relax, everything’s totally fine.’
That tight knot of anxiety deep in his gut finally started to unwind, and he let out a long, shaky breath of relief.
Still, he couldn’t shake this overwhelming urge to stay right by her side every single second.
She was carrying their pup now, and the thought of anything happening to either of them sent his protective instincts into total overdrive, every tiny thing set off fresh waves of concern that he just couldn’t ignore.
’I’m coming over,’ he mind linked back without even a moment’s hesitation, the words filled with fierce determination. "I’ve gotta keep an eye on you myself. And seriously, babe, you need to eat more. That soup isn’t nearly enough. Our little one deserves way more nutrients than that, and so do you."
A soft, affectionate laugh rippled through the mind link, wrapping around his thoughts like a gentle hug before Seraphine’s tender voice returned.
’You’re right,’ she said, sounding both amused and understanding. "I don’t think we should stick around here much longer anyway. We really should get back to the hotel before this storm decides to trap us all over again. I’ll make sure to have a proper, filling meal once we’re safe and sound there.’
Voren couldn’t stop the memories from flooding back of that last brutal storm, the one that had locked them down at the pack house for what felt like forever.
’Sounds like a solid plan,’ he agreed. We’ll try to lock in a few good business partnerships while we’re still out here. If things don’t pan out, we’ll bail straight back to the hotel before the weather turns even nastier and causes more trouble.’
’Okay, but I gotta go,’ Seraphine mind linked back. ’Your dad is here.’
As soon as he ended the mind link, King Jaron quickly stepped right in front of him, blocking the way.
"Alpha Voren," he said, his tone turning dead serious again. "My daughter isn’t thinking clearly right now." His jaw tightened hard. "I’ll speak with your father about this."