Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Seraphine wasn’t sure when it started happening, or if it had been building gradually without her noticing, but lately, Corvine had begun to think almost exactly the way she did.

It was subtle at first, just small moments where he would voice something she hadn’t said yet, but had already formed in her mind. Now it was becoming harder to ignore, like he was catching up to her pace faster than she expected.

And honestly, she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or something that would eventually complicate everything.

Her attention snapped back when Voren suddenly grabbed Corvine and pulled him aside without warning. The movement was sharp, controlled, and carried a level of tension that immediately made her wary.

Voren’s expression darkened in a way that wasn’t easy to read, but it definitely wasn’t friendly.

Seraphine stayed where she was, her posture relaxed on the surface, but every sense sharpened as she tried to pick up even a fragment of what they were saying. No matter how closely she listened, though, their voices stayed just out of reach, low and guarded. She could not hear a thing.

"What makes you think I’m afraid of her?" Voren’s voice came through faintly, cold and edged with irritation. "I gave you a direct order. You were supposed to come alone, and you still managed to ignore that."

Corvine calmly adjusted his shirt where Voren had grabbed it, showing no sign of intimidation even though the tension between them was obvious. His tone stayed respectful, but there was no mistaking the firmness underneath it.

"Your instruction was clear," he said, "but if you truly wanted this handled privately, you would have contacted me in a way that guaranteed that outcome."

Voren paused, clearly recognizing the logic in that, even if he didn’t like it. The truth was, he hadn’t expected Seraphine to push her way into this situation so directly. She wasn’t supposed to be here, and that alone erased the balance of whatever he had planned. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A flicker of concern crossed his mind, one he didn’t voice. If Ravyn showed up unexpectedly, things could spiral fast, and not in a way anyone would be ready to handle.

"She’s the one who approached me for help, and you’re standing at her side like—" Voren started, only for Corvine to cut in before he could finish.

"I get it," Corvine said, his voice steady but carrying a strange edge to it. "It’s not easy to understand her at first, and even harder to get close, but once you do..."

Voren’s expression changed, a hint of amusement creeping in as he studied him more closely. "You’re in love with her," he said plainly, like he had just solved something obvious. Then his gaze sharpened with curiosity. "Does she know?"

Corvine let out a quiet breath, something almost self-aware in the way he responded. "If she did, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. She would have cut me off without hesitation." His lips curved slightly, though there was no humor behind it. "Go ahead and laugh if you want, but spend enough time around her and you’ll understand exactly what I mean."

Voren lifted both hands in a dismissive gesture, clearly unconvinced. "You don’t know me as well as you think," he replied coolly. "Even if she were the Moon Goddess herself, I wouldn’t fall for her. That’s not something I’m interested in, and definitely not with my best friend’s ex-wife."

For the first time, Corvine didn’t believe him, not completely.

He had seen how unpredictable emotions could be, how quickly they could turn everything upside down without warning. He used to be one of the people who disliked Seraphine the most, someone who judged her without ever trying to understand her. Yet somewhere along the line, without realizing when it happened, he had fallen hard enough that there was no going back.

If not for the guilt he carried, especially over what happened to her daughter, he knew he wouldn’t have held himself back this long.

He also knew something else.

Ravyn never truly saw her. Not the real version of her. He never gave himself the time to understand who she was beneath the surface. If he had, there was no way he would have let her walk away so easily.

From the outside, people saw strength, control, and a level of coldness that kept everyone at a distance. They saw the fierce Luna who never backed down, the woman who could stand her ground against anyone.

What they didn’t see was what lay underneath all of that, a kind of quiet kindness that she kept hidden, not because it wasn’t there, but because she knew exactly how easily people could take advantage of it if she let them.

"I’ll remind you of this conversation when the time comes," Corvine said, his tone carrying a quiet confidence that made Voren narrow his eyes slightly.

Voren tilted his head, considering him for a moment before asking, "She’s single now, so what exactly is stopping you from telling her how you feel?"

Corvine’s gaze drifted briefly in Seraphine’s direction, his expression softening for just a second before he looked away again. Everything inside of him wanted to take the chance.

What if his mother was right? Would Seraphine see him differently if he told her how he felt or would she resent him. "I’m not what she’s looking for," he said honestly. "I know that much. So for now, I’m focusing on becoming someone she might actually consider one day."

Voren didn’t react much to that, his face settling back into that usual indifferent mask. "Well, good luck with that," he said flatly.

Corvine let that pass, then circled back to the issue that still didn’t sit right with him. "Since you’re so confident you won’t fall for her," he said, his tone sharpening just a little, "why not train her yourself?"

This time, the question lingered in the air, pressing directly against whatever Voren had been avoiding from the start.