Chapter 796 - Dad, is he dead?

Chapter 796: Chapter 796 - Dad, is he dead?

After witnessing the battle, the outlanders feared Voren even more than before. If there was one lesson they had learned from everything they had seen, it was a simple one. Never mess with the Alpha King unless you were prepared to face the consequences.

"He managed to get here without using the portal, so does that mean that entrance is still open?" the leader of the outlanders asked, his expression troubled as he considered the implications. "And what about the Alphas working with him? Is there a way to stop them from gathering and plotting?"

Voren frowned, his brow furrowing as his mind immediately began working through the possibilities. The leader had raised a valid concern, one they couldn’t afford to overlook now that Battal had escaped.

Defeating the Lycan King was one thing, but preventing his followers from regrouping and launching another attack was an entirely different challenge.

Oriana answered the first part of the question, her voice calm and authoritative, her ancient eyes reflecting the depth of her knowledge.

"As far as the portals are concerned, only the one here has been closed. However, after the Lycans disappeared, I was able to block the practice of black magic across all pack lands. The moment any of them attempt to use their powers, those powers will become completely useless."

The outlanders stared at her in disbelief, several of them exchanging astonished looks as they struggled to comprehend what she had just revealed.

"You have that level of power?" one of them asked, unable to hide his amazement.

Oriana merely smiled before explaining what had happened in terms they could understand, taking her time to make sure they grasped the significance of her achievement.

"While the battle was still going on, black magic hadn’t been completely neutralized. Battal wasn’t the only one using it, because the magic surrounding the battlefield was still active, providing protection in the air and making my work much more difficult. However, when the Lycans finally used the disappearing spell, they were in such a hurry to escape that they forgot to leave fragments of their souls behind."

Her expression remained composed as she continued.

"That mistake gave me the opportunity I needed. Without those fragments anchoring their magic, I was able to seal every portal connected to them and prevent the use of their spells across the pack lands. They may have escaped with their lives, but they won’t find it so easy to return and attack us with their magic again."

The outlanders were left speechless for a moment before their leader straightened and offered her a respectful salute.

"You truly are a one-of-a-kind shaman," he acknowledged, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "But there’s still one problem we haven’t dealt with. What about the Alphas who are working with the Lycan King? Even if Battal can’t use his magic, those Alphas could still cause trouble for us."

Voren took over the conversation, his expression growing serious as he considered the most effective way to handle the remaining threat.

"Don’t worry about the packs. Once I unite them, those Alphas won’t have the opportunity to give Battal another chance to attack us." His gaze swept across the outlanders before he asked, "Did any of you happen to record what happened here today?"

He already knew his own team probably hadn’t bothered recording anything. They had been too busy fighting for their lives, protecting one another, and trying to survive the battle to think about getting their phones from the car.

But the outlanders’ leader didn’t disappoint him. A small, satisfied smile appeared on his face as he reached for his phone.

"Of course I did."

"Good. Send it to me. My wife will make sure every pack sees it."

Voren didn’t need to explain his intentions any further. Once the footage reached the Alphas, there would be no room for rumors, excuses, or attempts to twist the truth.

They would see exactly what had happened to the army they had trusted to protect them, and they would understand the consequences of standing against the Alpha King.

For the first time since the battle ended, Corvine smiled. The expression looked almost unfamiliar on his face after everything they had endured, but the satisfaction behind it was unmistakable. All those Alphas who had been counting on Battal to save them would finally have to face reality.

Their supposed savior had lost an arm, a leg, an eye, and even after suffering such devastating injuries, he had escaped rather than face Voren to the end.

The message couldn’t have been clearer. Battal was not invincible, and the Lycans were not as untouchable as they had always believed.

"Sent," the leader of the outlanders confirmed after tapping a few things on his phone.

His respect for Voren had grown considerably since the battle, but so had his understanding of the man he served.

The Alpha King wasn’t simply powerful. He knew how to turn a victory on the battlefield into an advantage that could protect his people long after the fighting ended.

Once they settled into the truck they had arrived in, Quinn lowered her gaze and began twisting her hands together in her lap, guilt weighing on her as she finally found the courage to address what had happened during the fight.

"I’m sorry for draining you during the battle. I honestly had no idea what I was doing."

Neither Voren nor Seraphine had blamed her for what happened. They had recognized that black magic was at work, and knowing that Quinn had been under its influence made them even more relieved that she had eventually broken free.

She hadn’t acted out of a desire to betray them, and they had no intention of making her feel responsible for something she hadn’t understood or controlled.

"Don’t worry, Quinn. We know you would never betray us," Seraphine reassured her, patting her shoulder with a warm smile. "Besides, you still managed to drain their energy and send some of it to us. That extra strength helped us, too."

"Yeah, Quinn. You did well," Voren added from the driver’s side, his voice carrying genuine approval rather than the slightest hint of blame.

Quinn let out a long breath, the tension in her shoulders easing as relief replaced some of the guilt she had been carrying. Beside her, Oriana smiled, her ancient eyes filled with renewed appreciation for the young woman.

"I honestly had no idea the Love Wolf was that powerful," the shaman admitted. "Without her, we might not have been able to bring Quinn out of the darkness so easily, especially without the help of her mate."

Seraphine wasn’t surprised by the revelation. She had always believed in the Love Wolf’s abilities, and nothing that had happened during the battle had given her a reason to doubt that belief.

"Well, I already knew that no one could turn evil in her presence," she replied confidently. "With all the gifted wolves we have now, our pack will always be safe, even when Voren and I aren’t there to protect it ourselves."

Voren nodded in agreement, a thoughtful smile forming on his face as he considered the strength of the people around them.

"Indeed. The Moon Goddess knows what she’s doing. We have powerful leaders and some incredibly strong she-wolves." His smile widened as he glanced at Seraphine. "What more could we ask for?"

For the remainder of the journey, their conversation gradually faded, allowing everyone to relax after the exhausting battle. The immediate threat had passed, Battal had been forced to retreat, and Oriana had taken measures to prevent the Lycans from using their black magic against the packs again. For the first time in what felt like forever, they could breathe without constantly anticipating another attack.

However, the quiet didn’t last long after they arrived at the Grimroot pack.

The moment Voren brought the truck to a stop, he sensed a familiar presence nearby. His instincts immediately sharpened, and he glanced toward the entrance, his attention caught by something he couldn’t quite explain.

"Kael, take the wheel. Corvine, come with me."

He climbed out of the truck with Corvine, leaving Kael to take over the driver’s seat. But before Kael could drive through the garage entrance, the main doors flew open, and two small figures came racing toward them.

Esperanza and Bryan.

"Daddy!" Esperanza shouted excitedly, her little arms stretched toward him as she ran, her face glowing with the kind of happiness that could make even the most exhausting day feel worthwhile.

Voren’s expression softened at the sight of his daughter, but before he could bend down to welcome her, Bryan came to a sudden stop in front of him.

Unlike Esperanza, Bryan wasn’t smiling. His little brows were drawn together, and his eyes burned with a determination that seemed far too intense for a child his age.

"Dad, is he dead?"

Voren’s smile disappeared. He didn’t need to ask who Bryan was talking about. After everything that had happened, there was only one person his son could mean.

Battal.

And as Voren stared into Bryan’s serious eyes, he realized that whatever answer he gave his son might not be enough to satisfy him.