"Well," Seraphine began, her tone calm and measured as she continued working without looking up, her hands steady as she guided the process with practiced ease, "after I run it through a full set of tests to confirm its effectiveness, I’ll treat the patients currently admitted and leave a supply for the pharmacy."

Her voice remained even, almost detached, as though she were discussing something routine rather than something they all depended on. "Once that runs out, you’ll pay me for additional production, but for now, everything comes to fifty thousand, and whatever you choose to spend on my accommodation is entirely up to you."

Ravyn exhaled before he even realized he had been holding his breath, relief settling over him as the number registered, because compared to what he had expected, especially after the earlier figure she had thrown at him, it felt almost surprisingly reasonable.

"So cheap?" he asked, unable to keep the faint disbelief out of his voice, his gaze lingering on her as though trying to understand how she had arrived at that price.

Seraphine’s focus still locked on her work as she answered, her voice carrying a quiet depth that made it clear this wasn’t a careless decision. "I’m a doctor and a chemist, but during my time in medical school in the city, I also learned from pharmaceuticals," she said, her words flowing smoothly, each one layered with quiet confidence.

"And because I refused to let my mind sit idle, I picked up cyber skills as a way of keeping away anything that kept me thinking, choosing to do anything that allowed me to grow."

There was a subtle change in her tone then, something more personal slipping through. "Some of the things I know now, I taught myself. Others came through learning and experience. Now, those skills bring in more than enough for me to choose what I charge and what I don’t."

Only then did she pause slightly, though she still didn’t look at him.

"I won’t overcharge for a cure," she continued, her voice firm but not raised, carrying a sense of principle that didn’t need to be emphasized. "But if you want access to my expertise, that’s my decision to make."

’I love the she-wolf you’ve become,’ Marsha said, her voice bright with approval, almost proud in a way that made Seraphine’s chest feel lighter.

Seraphine let out a quiet, inward laugh. ’They thought they could break me when they made this place unbearable,’ she replied, her thoughts steady, unshaken. ’Instead, I learned things that would take them decades to grasp, and I grew into someone they never saw coming.’

’That explains why your maturity feels like you’re forty when you’re only twenty-eight,’ Marsha teased lightly.

Seraphine didn’t answer that, though the faint amusement lingered.

Across the room, Damon watched her with open admiration, something in his expression awed as her words settled in, because the clarity in her reasoning, the strength behind her choices, made it impossible not to respect her, and for a brief moment, he found himself envying Corvine, imagining what it must be like to spend that much time around her, to learn directly from her, to witness that brilliance up close.

"Thank you," Ravyn said after a moment, his tone more measured now, though there was still something uncertain beneath it. "But I don’t think we can afford to have you train the medical team."

"Exactly what I expected," Seraphine replied without hesitation, her attention never straying from her work, but this time, something about her indifference struck a nerve.

Ravyn frowned slightly, irritation creeping in. "Would it kill you to at least look at me when you’re speaking?"

That made her pause.

Slowly, she turned her head, her gaze landing on him briefly before she let out a soft, exaggerated yawn, as though the effort itself had been unnecessary.

"I just did," she said, her voice calm but cutting in its honesty. "There’s nothing interesting about you that makes me want to keep looking."

For a second, silence held, and then Damon lost it.

A laugh slipped out before he could stop himself, breaking through the tension so abruptly that he immediately tried to recover. "Sorry," he said quickly, though the grin tugging at his lips betrayed him. "I didn’t realize she could be this sharp-tongued."

Whatever response Ravyn had prepared never made it out.

Instead, he turned away, choosing to leave before the moment stretched any further, his expression tight as he made his way back to Raymond, who was already waiting with clear expectation written all over his face.

The moment their eyes met, though, it was obvious things hadn’t gone the way he had hoped.

"Her price for training is too high," Ravyn said plainly. "We can’t afford it right now."

Raymond didn’t back down.

"Alpha, you can deduct it from my salary," he said quickly, his voice carrying urgency, determination lighting up his eyes. "I don’t mind. The knowledge matters more."

Ravyn studied him for a moment, something warm flickering in his chest at the man’s dedication, because there was no denying it. Raymond genuinely wanted to learn, but even that didn’t change the reality of what they were dealing with.

"She’s asking for ten billion," he said at last. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

That ended it.

Raymond’s eyes widened instantly, whatever argument he had prepared dying before it could form. "I... I understand, Alpha," he said, his voice faltering slightly. "I’ll just try to replicate whatever she produces."

That made something click in Ravyn’s mind, a memory surfacing.

"When Daisy recreated Bryan’s serum, you were present, weren’t you?" he asked, his gaze sharpening slightly.

Raymond nodded quickly, relief flickering through him at the mention of Daisy taking responsibility back then, because even if her intentions hadn’t been pure, it had shielded him from the consequences he might have faced.

"And you saw how that turned out," Ravyn continued, his tone growing heavier, more pointed.

Discomfort settled over Raymond almost immediately, his shoulders tightening as he lowered his gaze. "There were... missing components," he admitted quietly. "We couldn’t find everything we needed."

"Exactly," Ravyn said, his voice firm now, leaving no room for argument. "Which is why you won’t attempt that again." He held his gaze for a moment longer before adding, his words carrying a weight that lingered, "You almost killed my son."

There was nothing left to say after that.

The conversation ended where it stood, leaving Raymond with no choice but to retreat, his thoughts heavy as he made his way back to his office, the earlier determination replaced by something far less certain.

But it didn’t take long for that uncertainty to turn into something else.

The moment he was alone, he reached out through the mindlink, his voice low, edged with unease.

’Co-Luna... I think Luna Sera is here for revenge.’