Chapter 184 – A Slap
Stanley had zero idea that Voren’s strength wasn’t something he just happened to have, but something built over years of brutal pack training, or that Voren wasn’t even entirely human the way he was.
Werewolves moved through human spaces like they belonged there, blending into crowds so naturally that nobody ever questioned it, but for them, picking out a human took no effort at all since they swore humans carried a distinct scent that stood out no matter where they were.
Voren let out a low, rough laugh, the sound dragging through clenched teeth as pain tore across his body with every step he forced himself to take, and even though he tried to keep his posture steady, the faint limp he couldn’t fully hide made it obvious he was pushing himself harder than he should have.
"You couldn’t afford me," he said, his voice calm despite everything weighing on him. "Unless you’re ready to drop at least ten billion a month, I’ll be in your office first thing tomorrow morning."
Stanley laughed at that, but he still nodded, even if there was a hint of disappointment in his face, because he knew Voren’s value went way beyond that number, and the fact that Voren had even lowered his usual expectations for him was underserving.
"One day, when I make director, I’ll make sure you get everything you deserve and bring you in the right way, because someone like you isn’t just useful, you’re rare," Stanley said, and for a brief moment, they both laughed, the tension easing just enough to let them breathe before reality came rushing right back in.
"So... did you get the evidence?" Stanley asked, and the moment the words left his mouth, Seraphine filled Voren’s thoughts, though he trusted Corvine to handle whatever needed handling on that side without messing it up.
He had already done his part, taken down Santiago, and secured everything that mattered to him, and now there was nothing standing between him and Seraphine anymore, except for the fact that she owed him.
He wasn’t even sure yet how he would call in that favor, or what he would ask for when the time came, but something told him there might come a point where he would need her badly enough to collect on it.
"She made it out safe, so we’ll have to find her to get it," Voren said, and the two of them headed toward the hospital zone, where the aftermath still clung to everything around them.
Emergency crews rushed between ambulances, voices overlapping as they called for equipment, checked injuries, and directed survivors toward safer areas, while those who had made it out of the fortress sat scattered nearby, some wrapped in blankets, some crying under their breath, and others so completely drained they just stared ahead without reacting to anything.
None of it really registered with Voren, though, because his attention kept circling back to one person.
Seraphine.
She had been unconscious when Corvine carried her out, and now every second that passed stretched his patience thinner, his thoughts running through one possibility after another, wondering if she had already been taken inside and placed in a hospital bed, or if she was still out here somewhere, sitting in the back of an ambulance waiting to be treated.
Then Stanley’s voice broke through his thoughts. "So where is she?"
Voren glanced around, scanning the chaos, figuring that if Seraphine was alright, she might already be helping with patients, and with how massive the hospital area was, there was no telling where she could be.
His phone was still in the car he had arrived in with Corvine, and realizing he didn’t even have Corvine or Seraphine’s numbers memorized made him feel more irritated than he expected.
"We’re going to have to look for her. She could be anywhere," Voren said, frustration creeping into his tone as he took in the crowd. "We should find Corvine. Wherever he is, she’ll be close."
He felt sure about that, although the thought of how Corvine had been quietly holding back his feelings for Seraphine made Voren raise an eyebrow slightly.
"There," Stanley said, pointing ahead, though all Voren could see at first was a sea of people moving around.
"I don’t see anyone," Voren admitted, but Stanley had already started heading in that direction, pointing again but one of his agents approached him. "Sir, we heard that Santiago has been brought in. Do you know where he is?"
"Check the emergency ward. He was badly injured," Stanley said to the officer, his attention on Corvine from the distance. "Isn’t that Corvine?"
Voren turned his head, and everything inside him locked up at once. Seraphine was walking straight toward them, right beside Corvine, draped in his jacket.
Relief crashed into him so hard it almost knocked the breath out of his lungs, the tension that had been wound tight in his chest finally snapping as he took in the sight of her standing there, completely unharmed and steady on her own feet.
A small smile began to form before he could stop it.
Then she reached him, and without the slightest warning, she sprang forward and drove her fist straight into his face hard. The punch landed with precision.
"You know nothing about team work," she snapped, her voice sharp and heated, her eyes burning with anger as they locked onto his for a brief second.
And then she walked right past him. No pause, no second glance.
Voren stayed right where he was, completely frozen, the sting spreading across his face for an entirely different reason now, the shock hitting him even harder than the punch itself.
Beside him, Stanley looked just as stunned, his gaze bouncing between Voren and Seraphine like he was trying to figure out what he had just witnessed.
It wasn’t until Corvine stepped in and explained everything, that guilt sank deep into Voren’s chest, pressing down heavier than the pain running through his body. What can he do to appease her?