Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Seraphine turned toward the sound, her gaze meeting Voren’s through the glass as Corvine lowered the window, and almost immediately, something felt off.

He looked different from the day before.

Not just in appearance, but in the way he carried himself, the coldness in his eyes sharper, heavier, like something had changed overnight.

The difference between yesterday and today was impossible to ignore, and Seraphine noticed it the second her eyes settled on Voren.

The day before, he had been dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, carrying himself with that polished, controlled presence that made him look every bit like a man who belonged behind a desk making powerful decisions, but today, everything about him felt stripped down and raw, from the fitted jeans to the sleeveless shirt that exposed the strength in his arms, down to the boots that made him look like he had just stepped out of the training grounds instead of an office.

It reminded her of the pack, of how things used to be.

And just from the way he looked, she could already tell he hadn’t been anywhere near his office that morning.

Before she could say anything, Kael’s voice drifted over as he spoke to Corvine, clearly explaining something that Seraphine quickly realized was meant to justify Voren’s mood.

"Alpha has been here since early this morning because he has something important to handle," Kael said, his tone steady but carrying a subtle warning. "You arrived and stayed in the car for fifteen minutes, doing something I honestly can’t explain."

Seraphine felt a flicker of guilt settle in her chest as Corvine immediately stepped in to smooth things over.

"Sorry about that," Corvine said, his voice sincere. "Seraphine has been dealing with a lot, and she barely slept last night."

That explanation seemed to reach Voren, because although he didn’t say much at first, something in his expression eased just slightly before he turned and said, "Follow me."

His pace was fast, almost demanding, forcing Seraphine to move quickly just to keep up with him, her steps turning into a light jog before she finally caught up at his side.

"I heard you’re good with knives," he said once she was close enough, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.

Seraphine raised a brow, caught off guard by the statement. "And how exactly would you know that?"

He glanced at her briefly, something almost amused flickering in his gaze. "Did you forget who your ex-husband is to me?"

That made her pause for a fraction of a second before she let out a quiet breath.

"Right," she muttered, already knowing where this was going.

It wasn’t surprising that men talked, but the idea that Ravyn had been discussing her like that still did not feel okay with her, and the moment Voren continued, that irritation sharpened instantly.

"He said you’re skilled enough with combat and knives that you use it to intimidate people," Voren added, his tone unreadable. "Especially Daisy."

Seraphine didn’t respond, not because she didn’t have anything to say, but because the anger that rose in her chest wasn’t something she trusted herself to put into words without making a mess of things.

By the time they reached the training room, her attention was pulled away completely.

This time, it wasn’t the sound of gunfire filling the space.

It was knives.

Blades slicing through the air in rapid succession, hitting their targets with sharp, controlled impact, the rhythm almost hypnotic as multiple people trained at once.

For a moment, she just stood there, taking it all in.

Then she noticed something else. The knives. They weren’t what she was used to.

"I had special ones delivered," Voren said, as if reading her thoughts. "They’re lighter than standard throwing knives, so you’ll need to adjust your control if you want your accuracy to stay consistent."

Seraphine frowned slightly as she picked one up, turning it in her hand as she tested the weight.

It felt different, too light. "Why can’t I just use regular throwing knives?" she asked, clearly unconvinced.

Voren let out a quiet breath, his patience thinning just a little. "Because you’re going on a date," he said, his tone edged with mild frustration. "And I don’t expect you to walk around carrying visible weapons."

That reminder hit her harder than she expected.

She had been so caught up in everything else that something that basic had completely slipped her mind, and as much as she hated to admit it, he was right.

Smaller blades were easier to conceal.

Before she could say anything else, Voren’s gaze drifted slightly as he asked, "What vitamins are you taking right now?"

That question caught her off guard completely, and the confusion showed clearly on her face as she frowned at him.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out the answer. "So you’re not taking any," he concluded, his tone flattening as a hint of disapproval slipped through. "If you’re not staying within the pack, you need them, and as a doctor, you should already know better than anyone that you’re supposed to take care of yourself too."

He stepped a little closer, his voice lowering just enough to make the words feel more pointed. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"From what I’ve seen, doctors are usually the worst at that, because they take care of everyone else and ignore themselves completely."

Before she could even process that, he had already stepped back, putting distance between them again as if that moment of concern hadn’t happened at all.

"Everyone, stop."

His voice cut clean through the room, strong and commanding, and instantly, the sound of knives hitting targets came to a halt as everyone stepped aside, clearing space for Seraphine without question.

All eyes turned to her.

She swallowed, the sudden attention pressing against her, but she didn’t hesitate for long.

Reaching for one of the knives, she stepped forward toward the wooden target, her focus narrowing as everything else faded into the background.

Voren moved closer, his presence steady as he adjusted her grip with careful precision.

"Feel the weight," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Let the motion flow through your arm instead of forcing it."

She nodded, taking a slow breath as she let his words settle before moving.

Her arm came up, her wrist snapping forward as the knife left her hand, cutting cleanly through the air before striking the edge of the target with a dull, solid sound.

Voren’s brow lifted slightly, a mix of approval and challenge in his expression.

"One more," he said.

This time, Seraphine didn’t hesitate.

Her body moved with more control, more confidence, her wrist snapping with sharper precision as the blade flew forward and buried itself right in the center of the target.

She lowered her arm slowly, a faint smile forming on her lips as the result settled in.

A low chuckle escaped Voren as he watched, a hint of pride showing through as the others around them stared at her with clear admiration.

"You only needed one adjustment," he said, and a few of the trainers began clapping, their respect obvious.

After spending more time refining her skills with the guns again, Seraphine felt a sense of readiness settle in, like she had finally caught up to where she needed to be.

At least, that was what she thought.

Until Voren spoke again.

"There’s one more thing you need to learn," he said, his tone carrying that same authority, but there was something else beneath it, something she couldn’t quite place.

Her brows lifted slightly as she looked at him, waiting.

"You should take off that jacket first," he added, his voice steady, but the intention behind it not entirely clear.