Ravyn lingered at the entrance of the lab longer than he intended, the sound of Bryan’s laughter wrapping around him in a way that felt unfamiliar, almost unsettling, because it carried a kind of carefree joy he hadn’t heard from the boy in a very long time, if ever.

His gaze settled on Seraphine standing beside him, guiding him patiently, he couldn’t ignore the quiet realization forming in his chest that this version of Bryan, bright and unrestrained, existed so easily around her.

For a brief moment, he simply watched.

Then the laughter faded.

Not gradually, not naturally, but as if something unseen had pressed down on the moment and altered it, replacing that warmth with a low, vibrating growl that immediately tightened the air.

Ravyn’s attention snapped toward Voren, the change too obvious to ignore, his brows drawing together as concern edged into his expression. "Voren... are you alright?" he asked, his voice steady, though there was a clear note of caution beneath it.

Inside Voren’s mind, however, calm was nowhere to be found.

’I want her,’ Bloodfang’s voice rose, rough and insistent, carrying a pull that felt foreign even to Voren, something deeper than simple curiosity, something that pressed forward with unsettling certainty. ’She’s better than—’

’Enough,’ Voren cut in sharply, his jaw tightening as he forced control over his wolf. ’She’s not ours.’

’You’re wrong,’ Bloodfang pushed back without hesitation, his tone almost amused, as though he had already settled on something Voren hadn’t fully grasped yet. ’We have more in common than you think.’

That made Voren pause, if only for a second, the words settling uneasily in his mind.

’And you’re only noticing that now?’ Voren asked, his voice carrying a hint of mockery that Bloodfang found deeply irritating.

There was something wrong here.

Bloodfang had never reacted like this before, not to any she-wolf, not in all the years he had his wolf since he turned fifteen, and yet now, his attention was locked onto Seraphine’s wolf with an intensity that felt sudden and inexplicable, like a connection forming without permission.

This wasn’t the first time they met in a pack were both their wolves were active so exactly what changed?

’I don’t understand how this happened,’ Bloodfang continued, his voice lowering but not losing its insistence, ’but I want to run with her.’

’That won’t happen,’ Voren replied immediately, his tone leaving no room for argument, even as a flicker of unease settled deeper within him. This wasn’t a mate bond so what exactly was it?

"Voren."

Ravyn’s voice broke through again, louder this time, pulling him back from the storm inside his head.

"What?" Voren responded, blinking once as he refocused, though the tension hadn’t fully left his expression.

"Do you need to go for a run?" Ravyn asked, studying him more closely now, clearly noticing more than Voren would have liked. "Your wolf is growling."

For a split second, embarrassment flashed across Voren’s face before he masked it, smoothing his expression into something far more controlled, even if the discomfort still lingered beneath the surface. He hadn’t realized Bloodfang’s reaction had been that noticeable.

"I think I do," he admitted, exhaling lightly, though his thoughts were already turning inward again. ’Try that again and I’ll lock you up for a week,’ he warned sharply.

’I’ve been locked away most of my life already,’ Bloodfang shot back without hesitation, irritation threading through his voice as he added, ’you prefer your time in the city over letting me breathe.’

Voren chose not to respond to that, but his silence didn’t stop Bloodfang’s control, pushing his gaze toward Seraphine, and catching the faintest hint of color on her cheeks before it disappeared so quickly it almost seemed imagined.

’I hope you didn’t give her wolf any ideas,’ Voren muttered, suspicion creeping in despite himself.

’I made it clear to her already,’ Bloodfang replied, completely unapologetic. ’I like her.’

That was enough.

Whatever composure Voren had been holding onto slipped, and before anyone could question him, he turned toward the exit, his steps quicker than usual, his voice low but clear as he muttered, "I need some air," the words coming out more like an escape than a simple excuse.

The lab fell into a quiet tension once he was gone, the kind that lingered because no one fully understood what had just happened, even though they all felt it.

’I told you,’ Marsha’s voice echoed in Seraphine’s mind, filled with smug certainty, clearly pleased with herself. ’His wolf likes me. Too bad he’s best friends with that scum.’

Seraphine kept her expression composed, though her thoughts were anything but still. ’At least you’re aware of that,’ she replied evenly, refusing to give the situation more weight than necessary, even as something strange tugged at her mind.

Corvine’s words resurfaced, uninvited yet impossible to ignore.

Some Alphas are trying to bring back the mate bond.

If something as simple as a wolf’s interest could create such a strong reaction... then a true mate bond would be far more intense, far more binding, and far more complicated than anything she was willing to deal with.

No.

That wasn’t something she wanted anywhere near her life.

"Dad!"

Bryan’s excited voice broke through her thoughts, bright and full of life as he looked between them. "Mom is teaching me how to mix chemicals!"

Damon stood nearby, still processing what he had witnessed, because Voren’s reaction hadn’t been normal, not by any standard, and yet Seraphine stood there completely composed, as if nothing unusual had happened, her calmness only making the situation feel even more bizarre.

"That’s good," Ravyn said, stepping further into the lab, though his gaze lingered on Seraphine for just a moment longer than necessary before he turned back to Bryan. "I brought your food and snacks, and Damon will take you back to the pack house when you’re tired."

"Okay," Bryan replied, though his attention quickly drifted again as he looked at Seraphine with hopeful eyes. "But is mom coming too?"

Seraphine softened slightly under that gaze, the tension around her easing just a fraction as she answered gently, "No, I won’t be staying at the pack house," before adding, with a small, reassuring smile, "but we can keep working together tomorrow. Does that sound good?"

Bryan didn’t hesitate for even a second before throwing his arms around her, the step stool bringing him close enough to hug her properly as he beamed. "I’d love that. Thank you, mommy."

The word settled into the air, though Seraphine didn’t react beyond maintaining her soft expression, as if she had chosen not to dwell on it.

"I’ll leave these here," Ravyn said after a moment, placing the items on the counter, his movements slightly quicker now, as though he needed distance from something he couldn’t quite name.

Without waiting, he turned and walked out.

Outside, he found Voren pacing restlessly, his steps uneven, his expression tight with thoughts he clearly hadn’t sorted through yet, and as Ravyn approached him, his curiosity finally outweighed his restraint.

"What happened in there?" he asked, his voice steady, though the question carried more weight than it seemed.