Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 774: Chapter 774 – Save Aunt Jasmine

When Jasmine told Kael to meet her that evening, she did not mean it, guilt twisting in her stomach like a knot she couldn’t untie, heavy and relentless.

’Kael, I’m sorry, but I’m with the pups. I’m helping Espe and Bryan with painting.’

Kael was disappointed, the weight of it settling in his chest like a stone that made every breath ache.

He didn’t want all he had planned to go to waste, the candles, the flowers, the words he had rehearsed a hundred times in his head, each one carrying the hope he barely dared to feel. So he informed her, his voice carrying through the mindlink with quiet determination that refused to let the moment slip away.

’It’s alright. I’m coming over.’

’To Aunt Madi’s suite?’ Jasmine asked through the mindlink, indirectly avoiding him, creating distance with her words that still carried a tremor of uncertainty.

It felt familiar, like when Kael was trying to avoid Jasmine during all those times, the roles reversed, the pain of rejection now his to bear, sharp and unrelenting.

Now he felt the need to tell her, to lay everything bare, the truth burning on his tongue.

’Jasmine, if you are avoiding me because of Cleo, then you shouldn’t. We aren’t together anymore.’

Jasmine froze from the end of the line, her body going still, her mind struggling to process his words as a mix of shock and something dangerously close to hope flared inside her.

She wasn’t expecting that, and she wondered why nobody had mentioned it. Then again, Kael could not lie to her about something like that.

’I’m sorry. Can I ask what happened?’

’That’s what I want to tell you, and please don’t go snooping around about the details. I want to tell you everything myself.’

Jasmine sighed from the end of the line, the sound heavy with something that might have been relief or might have been sadness, both emotions tangled too tightly to separate.

’In that case, let’s talk tomorrow night. I already arranged to take the pups outdoors for their physical training during the day.’

Kael was about to say something through the link when she added, her voice softer now, ’And this time, I won’t stand you up, I promise.’

Kael exhaled finally, the breath leaving his lungs in a long, slow rush of cautious hope.

’Alright, Jasmine. It’s a date tomorrow.’

’A what?’ Jasmine asked, but Kael had already ended the link, leaving her question hanging in the silence, her heart beating a little faster than before.

Maybe he was saying it wrong. Did she hear him say a date? Jasmine did not dwell on it, her attention returning to the painting she was helping Espe and Bryan with, the colors blending beneath their brushes as a quiet warmth settled in her chest.

After training the next day, all leaders waited behind with the few warriors Corvine had gathered together, ten in all, their bodies strong, their minds sharp with focus.

Quinn seemed even more energetic, a sign that Damon had been doing a good job in the bedroom deparment, a fact that made her cheeks flush every time someone looked at her too long.

She was able to drain the energy of all ten warriors at the same time, their powers flowing into her like rivers into an ocean, and even transferred their powers to Damon for a while before transferring it back to them, the process leaving her humming with quiet strength.

Voren was impressed, his eyes sharp with calculation and a flicker of pride, and Seraphine recorded every observation, her notes detailed and precise, her mind already racing with possibilities. What mattered was for Quinn to expand her scope of draining.

In a case when Voren was not around during a Lycan attack, it would be easy for the warriors to stand with Corvine with Quinn’s powers, and the thought of that protection settled warm and steady in Seraphine’s chest.

All these said, they all retired to other duties, the weight of preparation hanging quietly over them.

Kael reminded Jasmine of their date, and she was more receptive than the previous day, her smile warmer, her eyes brighter with a cautious openness that made his pulse skip.

”Sure, I’m taking the kids out of the pack, so I promise to see you after.”

Kael smiled, sensing that she wasn’t running anymore, that the walls she had built around herself were slowly coming down, and the realization filled him with a fierce, careful hope.

”Please remember to look your best for me tonight.”

Jasmine froze, her brow furrowing as a mix of curiosity and warning stirred inside her. ”Kael, what are you up to? The mate bond has been restored, so no one is searching for love anymore.”

She knew how much Kael respected the mate bond. Unlike her, who rejected her fated mate because her heart didn’t feel right, Kael had always believed in the sacredness of the bond, the destiny written in the stars, and the thought of him stepping outside that belief left her unsettled.

”Are you sure about that?” Kael asked, his voice low, teasing, yet carrying an intensity that made her breath catch.

Jasmine could feel her cheeks blushing, the heat creeping up her neck until her ears burned, and she hastened out of the gym, her footsteps quick with flustered energy.

”We shall talk later.”

***

Voren and Seraphine went to take care of a few things at the office before returning to the suite when Seraphine complained of fatigue, her body heavy, her eyelids drooping with genuine exhaustion.

Voren ensured that she rested, but he was wearing one of the boxers she bought for him, and she could not resist, her eyes tracing the lines of his body, the way the fabric clung to his hips, a slow heat building low in her stomach.

Well, Voren had been using only the things she bought ever since he saw them, but most times, he’d have dressed up before she saw him in it, and during the nights, he’d sometimes go to bed naked. The deliberate choice now sent a flush of desire through her.

This time, he was flaunting it in front of her, and her cheeks turned crimson, the blush spreading from her neck to her ears as longing stirred hard and fast.

”V, can you lay beside me for a while?”

Voren smirked, feeling through the bond exactly what she wanted, the desire humming between them like a live wire that made his own pulse quicken.

”Of course.”

He went over and pulled her into his arms, their lips meeting at the same time a mindlink pierced his mind, sharp and desperate, slicing through the moment like a blade.

’Voren, please help!’

It was Jasmine. Voren quickly broke out of the kiss, his body tensing, his eyes sharpening with alarm that flooded every nerve.

’Where are you?’

He didn’t get a response, but Seraphine could feel something wrong through the bond, a cold dread that settled in her chest and made her blood run cold. Voren was nervous, his movements quick as he began to dress up, every muscle coiled with readiness.

”V, what’s going on?”

”Jasmine is in some kind of trouble. I’ll be back.”

Seraphine rose from the bed, her fatigue forgotten, replaced by a sharp, electric adrenaline that left her fully awake and focused.

From the balcony at the back, they would be able to see what was going on outside the pack, and in front, they could see from the front whatever was going on inside the pack.

”Voren, the pups are running back inside like someone’s chasing them!” she yelled, her voice sharp with fear that cut straight through him.

They both rushed out of the suite, their footsteps echoing in the hallway, hearts pounding in unison. As soon as they got out of the elevator, they saw Esperanza drenched from head to toe, wailing, her small body shaking with sobs that tore at their hearts.

”Daddy, they got Aunt Jasmine!”

Bryan appeared behind her, his face pale, his eyes wide with terror that made his voice tremble.

”Save Aunt Jasmine.”