Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 319: Chapter 319 – Voren’s apology and offer

Voren let out a tired sigh as he walked deeper into the room. ”Corvine.”

The seriousness in his tone immediately caught Corvine’s attention, and the teasing smile faded fast.

There was something different about Voren’s expression tonight, more subdued, more thoughtful than usual. ”I owe you an apology.”

That was definitely not what Corvine had been expecting to hear. His eyebrows shot up, and now he was genuinely intrigued. Instead of responding right away, he gestured toward the sitting area. ”Tea or coffee?”

Voren glanced over at the sofa. Corvine dropped into one of the chairs and pointed to the seat across from him. ”The maids are all asleep, but I can make either one myself.” A mischievous glint lit up his eyes. ”Probably the same way I make it for Sera.”

Voren groaned immediately. ”Must you keep rubbing that in my face?”

Corvine laughed, the sound filling up the whole room. ”Absolutely.” He didn’t even try to hide how satisfied he felt. ”Do you know how rare it is for me to actually win against you? I’ve been enjoying this victory way too much.”

Voren shook his head. For once, he couldn’t even push back. The truth was that Corvine had won.

While Voren had spent years unknowingly pushing Seraphine away because of that curse, Corvine had stayed right by her side through some of the darkest times in her life. That wasn’t something he could deny, and honestly, it wasn’t something he wanted to deny either.

”Fine,” Voren said as he settled onto the sofa. ”You win.”

Corvine looked entirely too pleased with that admission. ”Good.”

A few minutes later, he disappeared into the kitchen and came back carrying two steaming mugs of coffee. The rich aroma spread through the room right away. Voren accepted one cup while Corvine got comfortable in his seat again.

For a while, neither of them said anything. The silence wasn’t awkward at all. It felt more like they both knew a serious conversation was coming and were just giving it the space it needed.

Eventually, Voren set his coffee down on the table and started talking. For the first time, he told Corvine everything. He went through his entire history with Seraphine, their first meeting, how their relationship had developed, the real feelings they’d had for each other, and all the painful misunderstandings that followed.

Most importantly, he explained the spell in full detail. He didn’t hide anything, and he didn’t soften any of the rough parts either.

By the time he finished, nearly an hour had gone by. Corvine sat there quietly, taking it all in. The shock had shown up early in the story and never really left his face. Now it was mixed with a growing sense of understanding.

”No wonder,” he said slowly, a thoughtful look settling over his features. ”I always felt like there was something strange between you two. The chemistry was obvious, but so was all that hostility.” He leaned back against the sofa with a small laugh. ”You guys looked like you either wanted to kiss each other or kill each other depending on the day.”

That actually made Voren smile. The description wasn’t too far off.

Corvine’s amusement faded as his expression turned more serious. ”Before you ask, I honestly didn’t know any of this. I wasn’t particularly close to Sera back then. Everything changed after Ravyn became Alpha and made me Beta. That’s when I started working more closely with her.”

Voren nodded. That lined up with everything he already knew. ”I believe you.”

The answer came easily because he genuinely did.

For a moment, another comfortable silence settled between them. Then Voren surprised him again. ”Thank you.”

Corvine blinked. ”For what?”

”For everything you’ve done for her.” Voren’s gaze stayed steady, with no jealousy or resentment in it, only real gratitude. ”You stayed beside her when she needed someone. You protected her. You supported her.” His voice softened. ”And she loves you for it.”

The words carried no misunderstanding. It wasn’t romantic love. It was the deep kind of family love built on years of trust, loyalty, and standing together through tough times. A small smile appeared on Voren’s face. ”You deserve that.”

For once, Corvine didn’t have a joke ready. The sincerity behind the compliment left him strangely touched. He cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee.

Unfortunately for him, Voren wasn’t done yet. ”I need another favor.”

The suspicious look returned to Corvine’s face immediately. ”There it is.” He pointed dramatically. ”I knew there was a catch.”

Voren chuckled, and the atmosphere lightened just a bit. ”When Sera and I eventually return to the pack permanently, the companies here will still need strong leadership. I want you to help train more people, reliable humans who can manage operations without constant supervision and keep everything we’ve built running smoothly.”

Corvine nodded slowly. ”That sounds reasonable.”

”It isn’t the main reason I’m here.” Suspicion came right back, but Voren ignored it and continued. ”I want you to become my Assistant Alpha.”

The room went completely quiet. Corvine just stared at him. Then kept staring. Several long seconds passed before he finally blinked. ”I’m sorry. Did you just say Assistant Alpha?”

Voren nodded.

Corvine looked genuinely confused. ”I don’t think that’s even a real position.”

”It is now,” Voren answered without missing a beat.

Corvine burst out laughing. ”You can’t just invent titles like that.”

”Watch me.”

The pure confidence in Voren’s voice only made him laugh harder. Eventually, Voren explained further. ”I already have a Beta, and I’m not removing him. I also can’t make you Gamma. You are higher than that. So I’m creating a position that puts you among the people I trust most.”

The sincerity behind those words gradually wiped away Corvine’s amusement. His smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. Because now he understood completely.

This wasn’t really about titles or hierarchy. This was about trust. Voren was offering him a permanent place beside both him and Seraphine, a place where he could keep helping her, where his opinion would truly matter, and where his loyalty was being formally recognized.

The realization hit him harder than he expected. ”That’s...” For once, he struggled to find the right words. A soft laugh escaped him. ”Honestly, I love pack life more than city life anyway.”

The confession surprised even himself. The city had opportunities, money, business, and all the modern conveniences, but the pack offered something deeper, belonging, family, and real purpose.

Still, a problem surfaced right away. ”Voren.” Corvine’s expression grew serious. ”I’m not a member of your pack. Even if I joined, there are protocols and rules. Years of pack traditions exist for a reason. This position would put me really close to power, and people will definitely talk.”

Corvine sighed. ”The last thing I want is to create unnecessary problems, especially for Seraphine.”