Chapter 800 - Be careful what you wish for

Chapter 800: Chapter 800 - Be careful what you wish for

For a brief moment, the woman said nothing, and Ravyn wondered whether she was considering his request or simply trying to decide how much information she could safely reveal.

When she finally responded, her voice had lost some of its earlier desperation, replaced by a guarded firmness that made it clear she had no intention of allowing a stranger to get close to Battal without his permission.

"I’m sorry, but that will have to wait until he wakes up and approves it."

Her response was polite enough, but there was an unmistakable determination behind it, as though she had already decided that protecting Battal’s privacy was more important than satisfying the curiosity of whoever had called.

Before Ravyn could ask another question, she began moving the phone away from her ear, apparently preparing to end the conversation.

However, Ravyn wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. "I don’t mean to pry, but are you his wife?"

The question escaped him before he could reconsider it, because the discovery of a woman who seemed so deeply concerned about Battal had raised more questions than he could ignore.

In all the time Ravyn had known about the Lycan King, he had never heard him mention a wife or any woman who might hold such an important place in his life, and the revelation was as surprising as it was intriguing.

Even Voren appeared interested in the answer, watching Ravyn closely as they waited to hear what the woman would say.

"Only Battal can tell you what I am to him."

She offered no explanation and made no attempt to satisfy their curiosity, ending the call before Ravyn could ask anything else. The abrupt disconnection left him staring at his phone in disbelief, while Voren’s expression grew increasingly unreadable as he considered what they had just learned.

Ravyn immediately tried calling the number again, hoping the woman might reconsider and provide them with more information, but the call failed to connect because the phone had been switched off. He tried once more, only to receive the same result, and eventually lowered the device with a frustrated sigh.

Whatever the woman was to Battal, she clearly had no intention of revealing anything without his approval.

Voren clenched his jaw, irritated by how little they had managed to learn from the conversation, but his frustration soon gave way to a new idea. If Battal was hiding somewhere in the human world and had someone he cared about enough to seek out while severely injured, then that person might prove useful in tracking him down.

He turned toward Ravyn, his gaze sharpening as he considered the possibilities.

"Keep trying to reach him. The moment Battal answers, I want you to track his location."

Ravyn looked at him attentively, waiting for him to explain what he intended to do with the information.

"It seems Battal has someone he actually cares about, and I want to find out who she is and what she means to him. If he thinks he can hide from us while recovering in some secret location, he’s mistaken. I want him to understand what it feels like to fear for the people he loves, just as Jasmine suffered and just as my pack suffered because of him."

The cold determination in Voren’s voice left little doubt about his intentions, and Ravyn could see that the Alpha King had no intention of allowing Battal to recover in peace.

The injuries from their last encounter might have forced the Lycan King into hiding, but they hadn’t brought an end to the conflict between them.

Voren was no longer willing to wait for Battal to make the next move, because he knew that giving his enemy time to recover could eventually cost him everything he had fought so hard to protect.

Until Battal was dead, Voren intended to make sure that the man had nowhere to hide, no place where he could feel safe, and no opportunity to forget the suffering he had inflicted on others.

"Well noted," Ravyn replied, although his expression suggested that he wasn’t entirely pleased with the direction their conversation had taken.

Voren noticed the subtle change immediately, and his eyes narrowed as he studied his companion’s face. Ravyn had always been straightforward with him, even when their opinions differed, so the reluctance in his response was enough to make Voren suspect that something else was bothering him.

"Something seems to be bothering you. Let it out."

Ravyn managed a smile, but it failed to reach his eyes, and for a moment, his expression carried a strange mixture of longing and regret that Voren hadn’t expected to see. He looked as though he were remembering a part of his life that had once brought him satisfaction, something he had enjoyed so much that leaving it behind had become more difficult than he cared to admit.

"I just want to be part of the party next time."

His words made Voren study him more carefully, because he understood exactly what Ravyn meant even though the younger man hadn’t explained himself in detail.

There had been a time when the two of them had shared a particular taste for violence, when fighting their enemies side by side had been one of the few things that could bring them together without either of them needing to say much.

Ravyn had once taken pride in knowing that he could stand beside Voren when things turned ugly.

Now, however, Voren had become far more focused on protecting his family and preserving the peace he had fought so hard to establish, while Ravyn often found himself watching from the sidelines as the man he had once fought beside handled matters on his own.

Although he understood why things had changed, a part of him still missed those days when they had shared the same battlefield, when he hadn’t needed to ask for an opportunity to fight alongside his friend.

Voren’s lips curved into a faint smile, but there was little amusement in his expression as he prepared to remind Ravyn of something he seemed to have forgotten.

"Be careful what you wish for, Ravyn. I honestly don’t enjoy this anymore. All I want is peace, and unlike you, I have to shed blood to keep my family safe."

His words carried the weight of experience, and the seriousness in his voice made Ravyn reconsider his complaint. Voren wasn’t the same man he had been years ago, and neither was the life he now lived.

Every confrontation came with consequences that extended far beyond the battlefield, because the people he loved could become targets whenever his enemies decided to strike.

Ravyn finally understood what Voren meant, and the longing he had felt moments earlier began to fade as he considered how fortunate he was to have the opportunity to live without constantly worrying about the safety of his loved ones.

He had been so focused on missing the excitement of their past battles that he had overlooked the peace Voren was fighting so desperately to preserve.

"You’re right. I should appreciate the peace I have instead of wishing for the kind of trouble you’ve been dealing with. I’ll take my leave now."

He turned to go, determined to put the conversation behind him, but he had barely taken a step when his phone began buzzing repeatedly in his hand. The sudden flurry of notifications caught his attention, and he stopped to check what had caused the unusual activity.

Several new messages had appeared in the Alphas Group, the chat Killian had created for the Alphas, and Ravyn’s eyes widened as he opened the conversation.

His heart began pounding with excitement as he realized that someone had shared a video, and judging by the reactions flooding the group, it was something everyone needed to see.

The video showed the entire confrontation with Battal, capturing the Lycan King’s defeat in a way that left no room for anyone to question what had happened. It showed the full extent of his humiliation, the moment his overwhelming confidence crumbled, and the terrible outcome of the battle he had once seemed certain he would win.

Ravyn stared at the screen, unable to suppress the smile spreading across his face as he realized what this could mean for their enemies and for every Alpha who had lived under Battal’s shadow.

The footage was more than a record of a brutal fight. It was evidence that the supposedly invincible Lycan King could be defeated, and once the video circulated beyond the group, the consequences for his reputation could be enormous.

The comments accompanying the video was just interesting.

He turned back toward Voren, his expression brightening with an excitement that had been missing only moments earlier.

"Voren, I think you and Corvine should see this."