Chapter 706 – The blood moon festival starts now

Chapter 706: Chapter 706 – The blood moon festival starts now

Voren stepped inside the suite as Ravyn closed the door behind them. The quiet that settled between them carried more weight than either of them wanted to admit.

"I still have my doubts sometimes," Voren admitted, his voice low and steady. "But the fact that you’re willing to leave and stay close to them tells me you’re serious about this."

Ravyn forced a smile that did little to hide the tension in his eyes. "I get it. I’ve been a fool for a long time, and that should count for something. I’m heading back to my suite in the guest quarters. If I stay here any longer, I won’t be able to gather what we need. Are you still questioning where my loyalty sits?"

"I’m sorry," Voren answered, the apology genuine this time. "When they brought up Espe, I saw the way it hit you. I know the crown never meant much to you, but she does. That much has always been clear."

Ravyn drew in a slow breath, the sound of it heavy in the quiet room. "You’re right about Espe. I care more than I’ve ever let myself say out loud. But I also know she’s safer with you than she would be anywhere else. I wasn’t trying to push them away earlier. I needed them to lower their guard so I could learn what they’re planning. How else am I supposed to stay ahead of them?"

For the first time, real regret settled deep in Voren’s chest. "There’s nothing else we need to cover right now. I should go." He had almost reached the door when Ravyn’s voice stopped him once more.

"You’re afraid, Voren. What exactly are you afraid of?"

Voren turned and met his gaze, a faint, strained smile pulling at his mouth. "The mate bond can be stronger than anything else we know. I’m afraid she might end up tied to someone else."

Ravyn shook his head without hesitation. "She’s pregnant. I don’t believe the Moon Goddess would bind a pregnant, married she-wolf to another man. That would mean tearing apart a family she herself put together with care."

"You’re right," Voren replied, the tightness in his shoulders finally easing. A real smile stretched his lips. "I’ll get some rest."

Ravyn waited several long minutes after Voren left before making his way toward the guest quarters.

When Voren stepped into his own suite, the sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. Seraphine stood waiting in a set of sheer, barely-there lingerie that clung to every soft curve of her body.

The delicate fabric left almost nothing hidden, and the warm glow of the room made her skin look luminous. His heart swelled with sudden heat, desire rising fast and fierce.

He crossed the space in a few strides and pulled her close, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Sexy is when our desires match each other perfectly," he murmured, the words rough with want.

She turned in his arms, and their mouths met in a deep, lingering kiss that tasted of longing and relief. When they finally broke apart, Seraphine looked up at him with quiet concern still lingering in her eyes. "Is he still on our side?"

Voren nodded, his hands sliding down her back in a slow, possessive stroke. "He’s really changed, Sera. I hope more than anything that he finds real happiness one day."

"Same here," she answered softly. Then she sank to her knees in front of him, her fingers working the button and zipper of his pants with steady purpose.

She peeled both pants and boxers down together, freeing him. His manhood hardened the moment the cool air touched it, thick and already aching under her gaze. The open hunger in her eyes made her throat tighten with need.

The second her warm hand wrapped around him, Voren let out a low, rough groan. "Babe, we still need those herbs. I’m already close to losing every bit of control."

Seraphine pressed a soft, open-mouthed kiss to the flushed tip and smiled up at him from below. "She already brought them, and I’ve taken the right dosage. Trust me. It’s fine."

She took him into her mouth with slow, deliberate care, lips stretching around his thickness as she sucked and licked like he was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted.

Her tongue traced every ridge and vein while her hand stroked what she couldn’t fit, working him with patient, worshipful attention.

For the first time in longer than either of them could remember, she took her time, focusing entirely on his pleasure until his thighs tensed and he came hard, pulsing deep into her mouth.

She swallowed every drop without hesitation, then looked up at him with a satisfied, sensual smirk. "You always taste good."

Voren’s breathing stayed ragged for several heartbeats as he pulled her up into his arms. He carried her to the sofa, laid her down gently, and spread her legs wide. The sight of her already wet, swollen femininity made him harden again almost instantly. "My turn," he murmured, voice thick with hunger. He lowered his head and dragged his tongue slowly over her clit, flicking and circling before sealing his mouth around her and sucking with steady, relentless pressure.

He drank in every drop of her arousal while his fingers held her open, pushing her through one sharp, shaking release and then another until her thighs trembled around his head and soft, broken sounds spilled from her lips.

Only when she was a flushed, breathless mess did he rise, position himself, and thrust his hardened length deep inside her in one smooth, claiming stroke.

The rest of the night unfolded in a long, uninterrupted tangle of heat and quiet closeness, skin against skin, soft moans, and the steady rhythm of two people who knew exactly how to unravel each other.

Voren woke first the next day. The clock already showed midday, so he warmed food from the fridge for both of them before Seraphine stirred.

They showered together under the warm spray, trading slow touches and lingering kisses, then checked on the children through the mind link and found them safe and content.

From their balcony they watched the final preparations unfolding across the pack grounds. Everything had been draped in deep, rich red. A short time later a mind link from Oriana reached him.

’Voren, you have to completely move the transparent glass at the top of the pack. There must be direct blood-moon light,’ Oriana explained, her tone calm but firm.

’On it,’ Voren answered. He picked up the master control and entered the code. The heavy sound of glass parting filled the air as the roof panels slid cleanly to the sides, leaving the open sky above them.

A few light snowflakes had begun to fall, so Oriana sent out a general message telling everyone to dress warmly.

At exact sundown the pack alarms blared across the territory, and the shaman’s voice cut through the cold air like a ghostly announcement that reached every corner of the grounds. "The blood moon festival starts now."