Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Daisy’s eyes flickered with something dangerously close to panic, her gaze moving quickly before settling on Damon as if silently begging him to step in, to say something, anything that would steer this conversation away from a direction she clearly wasn’t prepared to face.

And Damon understood immediately.

Not just the fear in her eyes, but the unspoken line he wasn’t supposed to cross.

Seraphine had made that clear.

Daisy wasn’t to be exposed now, not until Ravyn had experienced even a fraction of the pain Seraphine had gone through. So Damon moved spoke smoothly, naturally.

"Ravyn," he said, his tone calm, almost casual despite the tension lingering in the room, "Bryan is here."

That alone was enough to steer things slightly, but he didn’t stop there.

"And it’s obvious Daisy hasn’t been practicing for a while," he continued, his words measured, carefully neutral. "If anything, she’d need proper training before getting anywhere near a patient."

The implication was clear without being direct, and for a moment, it seemed like Ravyn might press further anyway but Damon didn’t give him the chance.

"I know it’s not really my place to ask this," he added, pivoting effortlessly, his tone carrying just enough curiosity to feel natural, "but I’ve been wondering... when are you planning to make her Luna?"

The question landed differently.

Ravyn stiffened almost immediately, the alteration in his posture subtle but unmistakable as the word Luna settled into the space between them.

Because that wasn’t a simple question. It wasn’t just about a title, but comparison, and whether he liked it or not, his mind went there instantly.

Was Daisy capable of replacing Seraphine?

In his heart, maybe, but in the eyes of the pack, there was a undeniable gap too wide, that couldn’t be ignored no matter how much he tried to justify things.

Seraphine had been everything. Efficient, composed, devoted, not just to the pack, but to him in a way that had once felt unshakable.

And yet, the moment she chose to walk away, it was as if that love had vanished completely, leaving behind no trace, no hesitation, nothing he could hold onto.

"There’s too much going on right now," Ravyn said at last, brushing the question aside, though the weight of it lingered beneath his tone. "Let’s focus on finding out who’s behind the chemical attack."

Damon didn’t let it go so easily. "I’m just wondering," he said slowly, his gaze sharpening slightly, "why you never looked into it before since this isn’t the first time something like this has happened."

That hit. Ravyn’s expression contoured into a frown, something like shame flickering across his face before he could fully mask it, his throat tightening slightly as he swallowed.

"There was too much going on back then," he replied, though the words didn’t sound as solid as he intended. "And the casualty was just one person."

Damon’s reaction was immediate, the restraint he had been maintaining slipping just enough to show. "You’re calling your Luna just one person?"

The question came out sharper than he meant it to, carrying emotion he hadn’t intended to reveal, but it was too late to take it back.

For a moment, silence hung heavy between them. "Look," Ravyn said, exhaling slowly, his tone loosening into something more controlled, "I’ve made mistakes. I know that."

There was a pause before he continued, his voice tightening slightly.

"But right now, we need her cooperation. Keep things stable. Do whatever you have to do to make sure she helps us get the cure."

His gaze hardened just a little. "And since she doesn’t want to stay in the pack house, arrange somewhere else for her."

Damon nodded, already thinking ahead. "A hotel nearby might be better," he suggested, though he already knew what the response would be.

"There are rogues around," Ravyn countered immediately, his tone firm, protective instinct kicking in despite everything.

Damon didn’t argue, but he also didn’t fully agree, because he understood something Ravyn either didn’t, or refused to acknowledge.

Seraphine wouldn’t want to be near the pack.

"Then we prepare both options," Damon said after a moment. "A house within the pack territory, and a hotel outside. Let her decide."

Before Ravyn could respond, Daisy’s voice slipped in, smooth on the surface but edged with something harder underneath.

"We could redecorate my former house for her," she suggested, her tone almost thoughtful, almost considerate.

But beneath that, was intention, a quiet, deliberate reminder, and a way of drawing a line Seraphine couldn’t ignore.

Ravyn hesitated for just a second, tempted by the idea in a way he didn’t fully examine but even he knew how that would end.

"She wouldn’t accept it," he said finally, his tone neutral. "The two of you aren’t exactly on good terms."

"Then the hotel works," Damon replied quickly, stepping in again before the conversation sped somewhere unnecessary. "I’ll stay there temporarily. It’ll be easier to manage her security that way."

Daisy’s expression tightened, the bitterness returning before she could hide it.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of protest. "Who’s going to handle pack matters if you’re occupied with her?"

Ravyn’s gaze snapped toward her, sharp and unimpressed. "Am I invisible to you, Daisy?" he asked flatly, the edge in his tone impossible to miss.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "No," she said softly, though there was a tremor beneath it. "It’s just that... the last time Seraphine was here, she stabbed me." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

She paused deliberately, letting the memory linger. "I’m just... afraid of being alone. Who knows, she might find and hurt me again." A lone tears slipped down her cheek but failed to move either of the men.

"That won’t be an issue," Ravyn replied without hesitation. "She won’t be anywhere close to the pack house."

His gaze hardened slightly as he added, "And as long as you stay out of her way, you’ll be fine."

Before Daisy could respond, Bryan’s voice cut through the tension, small but powerful enough to rearrange everything again.

"I want to see Mommy."

The room seemed to still for a moment, the weight of those words settling differently on each of them.

Ravyn exhaled quietly before answering, his tone softening just enough.

"You will," he said. "Uncle Damon will take you to see her when she arrives."

Daisy’s expression tightened immediately. "He’s my son, Rav," she said, unable to keep the edge out of her voice. "You’re forgetting that."

Ravyn glanced at her, his expression unreadable for a brief moment before his response came, calm but cutting, landing harder than anything else he had said. "Then start acting like a mother."

The words hung in the air long after they were spoken.

Two days later, just as preparations were falling into place and the tension surrounding Seraphine’s arrival continued to build, Ravyn’s phone rang.

Gray.

He answered without much thought, his tone neutral. "What is it?"

"Ravyn," Gray’s voice came through, sounding unusually animated, almost impressed, "is there really no way for you to get back together with your ex-wife?"

Ravyn frowned slightly, caught off guard by the question.

"You should see the launch," Gray continued, his voice carrying a mix of disbelief and admiration. "What she’s built... it’s not normal."