’Train with her,’ Bloodfang purred in Voren’s mind, and he was already settled on it, already past the discussion stage entirely.

’No.’ Voren held that line. He knew Seraphine’s strength and had already broken his personal rule to train with her during the Santiago mission.

However, he was not going to do that in front of a pack. That was a whole different ball game and he was most certain that pairing with Seraphine would take the attention of the warriors from what they had been assigned to do.

’You are supposed to be her friend. Your best friend maneuvered her into coming here, and now he’s making everything worse, and her wolf is genuinely upset about it — Marsha told me herself. If you actually want to make any of this right, you get her out from under what he’s doing,’ Bloodfang revealed and that was when it clicked.

Voren agreed to swim in Ravyn’s mess and now, he had to clean it up to smoothen whatever anger Seraphine now held towards him.

’That’s going behind Ravyn’s back,’ he pointed out, caring more about his friendship and their Alpha code but Bloodfang only cared about his comfort.

’Is it?’ Bloodfang asked, with the patient ease of something very old and entirely unbothered by the back-and-forth. ’Or is it just inconvenient for him?’

Voren turned that over and could not find an answer that fully held up under examination.

And underneath all of it, sitting there quietly, was the practical truth he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since this morning: last night, he had actually slept.

Not for long, and not for any length of time that would impress anyone, but peacefully. Without Bloodfang pressing against every wall inside him, without that relentless, grinding pressure that had become so familiar he’d almost stopped noticing it.

He’d gotten two hours of something that felt genuinely like rest, and he wanted that again with an intensity that made it hard to pretend he didn’t. "I’d actually like to try that," Bloodfang pushed him to say before he could have a change of mind.

"Voren." Ravyn’s voice had developed an edge now, not raised, just pointed in a very specific direction. The voice of a man who had expected his closest friend to hold the line alongside him and is watching that expectation not pan out. "What exactly are you doing?"

"I’m keeping you from arguing with her until the remaining few minutes runs out," Voren said smoothly, his tone entirely steady. "Which is precisely what she’s steering you toward right now, and you are walking directly into it. Look at her."

Ravyn looked between them for one long moment, reading the room, reading Voren’s entirely too relaxed expression, reading Seraphine’s complete indifference to how any of this was landing on him and made his decision quickly and without ceremony.

If she wasn’t going to train with him, then Voren wasn’t getting that either. Simple as that. Her being here was supposed to work in his favor. That had been the whole point of getting her through the door this morning, and it was not going to become an opportunity for Voren to spend the remaining minutes in arm’s reach of her while Ravyn watched from across the room.

"Alright," he said, his voice dropping the discussion entirely, even if it made him sound like he was jealous. "Time is far spent. Sera, go take care of the cure."

He’d thought he’d won something by saying it, thought the redirect would land cleanly, put things back where he needed them. But that was not how things were done. Not with her.

Seraphine had already turned away from him completely. She looked at Damon with the easy, unhurried certainty of someone who had never once been waiting on Ravyn’s permission.

"What are you waiting for?"

It had all been arranged already. Damon must be at her side no matter what, Ravyn’s own agreement functioning as the ironclad guarantee. "I’m coming too, mommy," Bryan announced from the bench, already pushing himself off it.

"Ravyn," Seraphine said, without turning around, "please bring everything Bryan needs to the lab."

Ravyn watched her walk away. A smile moved across his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes. It was rather embarrassing for a man of his capacity, an Alpha to be precise, to be ordered around like a nanny.

He had come into this morning with every intention of moving things in his direction, but he was leaving it as an errand boy.

Behind Seraphine, Voren’s voice followed. "Hold on. I’m coming too."

Ravyn took one step to follow them, and then the full weight of everything settled back onto his shoulders. He was an Alpha, and therefore, shouldering the pack and everyone in it was his responsibility.

He’d get to that lab eventually. Bryan’s things gave him the needed perfect excuse.

For now, he’d train. And think. And figure out what he was actually dealing with, and what it was going to take to deal with it properly.

Out in the parking lot, Damon looked over at Seraphine. "I’m sorry, I didn’t bring the car. It’s going to be a bit of a walk."

"You can all ride with me," Voren offered.

Seraphine rolled her eyes with complete commitment. "I don’t need a ride. I could actually use the walk."

"In that case," Voren said, with the absolute, unhurried calm of a man who is about to close an argument before the other person realizes it’s over, "you’re more than welcome to join the others who are already getting their exercise and you might need your bag in my car too."

He tilted his head toward the far side of the pack grounds.

Seraphine followed his gaze and the sound he had been ignoring hit him. Those under punishment were mentioning her name with every ran just as Bryan had instructed but Daisy.

At the sight of her, Seraphine did not know whether to laugh or cry...