Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Kylie couldn’t stop thinking about it, the question lingering quietly in the back of her mind. How had Seraphine not known something like this? It didn’t make sense at first, not when it was something so deeply tied to her own bloodline.

But the more she thought about it, the clearer the answer became, settling into her chest with a bitter kind of understanding.

Chuck and Noelle Dion.

Seraphine’s biological parents had been so wrapped up in their favoritism, so blinded by their affection for Daisy, that they had neglected their own daughter in ways that ran far deeper than anyone could see on the surface.

Important things that should have been passed down with care and pride, had simply been ignored.

Left unsaid. Left unknown.

And Seraphine had been the one to pay the price for that silence.

Still, none of that mattered right now, not when she finally had something real to hold onto.

Even as she prepared to return to the pack for a few days, her mind was already racing ahead, clinging tightly to this new piece of information like it was the first solid ground she’d found in years. For the first time, her search for her child didn’t feel completely hopeless.

"I was there the day you were born," Kylie began softly, her voice carrying both memory and certainty as everyone at the table turned toward her. "I saw it with my own eyes... the mark you inherited from your mother."

Seraphine stilled, her attention locking completely onto her.

"Your mother told me it came from her own mother," Kylie continued, her tone steady but filled with quiet emphasis, "and that it had been passed down again from your grandmother’s mother before her."

Seraphine’s brows pulled together, her thoughts catching up all at once. "You mean... my birthmark isn’t just random?" she asked slowly, her voice laced with disbelief. "It’s something inherited?"

Kylie nodded without hesitation. "Exactly. It runs through your maternal line. Anyone who carries that mark is connected to your mother’s bloodline."

The words landed heavily, but not in a crushing way. Instead, they spread through Seraphine like warmth, like light breaking through something that had been dark for far too long.

Relief washed over her so suddenly it almost made her dizzy.

She had considered this before, briefly, but doubt had crept in and pushed the thought away, convincing her it wasn’t reliable enough to follow. Now, hearing it confirmed, feeling the certainty in Kylie’s voice, everything inside her locked into place.

"Thank you," she said, her voice softer now, filled with emotion she didn’t try to hide. "Thank you so much for telling me."

Kylie’s expression didn’t soften the way Seraphine expected. If anything, there was a quiet firmness in her gaze. "You would have known sooner if you hadn’t kept the truth from us," she replied. "And knowing this doesn’t change what Ravyn tried to do. What matters is that he intended to kill her."

The warmth in the room dimmed slightly at the mention of his name.

Humphrey let out a slow breath, his expression hardening as he leaned back in his chair. "I still can’t understand how he became that heartless," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else, before his gaze turned toward Corvine.

There was something different in his eyes now. Respect, deep and unwavering.

"My son," he said, his voice steady but heavy with meaning, "thank you for choosing to disobey your Alpha when he was wrong. As an Alpha myself, I know exactly what kind of consequences you risked by doing that. If Ravyn had found out..." He didn’t finish the sentence, but the weight of it lingered.

Corvine’s lips curved into a faint smile, but it didn’t carry pride. If anything, it felt restrained, almost reluctant.

"Alpha Humphrey—"

"Call me Dad," Humphrey cut in immediately, his tone leaving no room for argument.

That earned a small, genuine smile from Corvine this time. "Dad," he corrected himself, though the word came with a quiet pause, like he was still getting used to it. Then his gaze dropped slightly, his expression turning more serious. "I’d be lying if I took credit for something noble."

The honesty in his voice pulled everyone’s attention toward him.

"I hated Sera back then," he admitted, the words blunt but not cruel, just real. "All I wanted was for that child to be gone."

Seraphine’s fingers tightened slightly on the table, but she didn’t interrupt him.

"It wasn’t some moral awakening that stopped me," he continued, his voice lowering. "It was the baby’s cries. That’s all. That’s what made me hesitate."

His jaw tightened faintly. "So no... I’m not any better than Ravyn. I’m just as guilty for even considering it."

Before the silence could settle too deeply, Seraphine reached out, her hand finding his without hesitation, her fingers wrapping around his in a firm, grounding hold.

"No," she said quietly, but with certainty. "You’re not."

He looked up at her.

"You didn’t go through with it," she continued, her voice steady, her eyes holding his. "That matters. That says everything about your heart."

Kylie nodded in agreement almost immediately. "I’m with Sera on this," she added, her tone firm but warm again. Then, almost as if the thought had been sitting there waiting to be spoken, she added, "You should be our son-in-law."

Nessa smiled, clearly pleased with the idea. "We wouldn’t ask for anything better." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But the moment those words settled in the air, something changed.

Seraphine’s expression.

It wasn’t dramatic, but it was enough. Just a small hesitation, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face that made the entire table fall silent.

Humphrey noticed it instantly. "Sera?" he asked gently, studying her. "Don’t you like Corvine? You two get along so well."

His gaze darted between them before settling back on her. "Corvine, don’t you love her?" he pressed, his voice softer now, but filled with quiet hope. "Just promise me you won’t ever treat her the way Ravyn did."

Corvine smiled again, but this time, it didn’t reach his eyes at all. "I..." he began, his voice low, uncertain for once.

"Dad, it’s not like that," Seraphine cut in quickly, the words rushing out before he could finish. "Corvine doesn’t feel that way about me. He just sees me as a little sist—"

"What if I do?" His voice cut straight through hers, clean, firm and impossible to ignore.