Seraphine wrinkled her nose as the thick, heavy stench of alcohol drifted through the air around the bonfire, making her stomach twist and churn uncomfortably.

Her pregnancy hormones had cranked up her sense of smell to an insane level, and now every single cup of liquor floating around felt like it was shoved right under her nose.

She pressed her lips together tight, fighting back another strong wave of nausea that threatened to hit her.

Voren noticed her discomfort right away. He quickly fired off a message to Kael through mindlink before looking around for a favorable place to speak with Ravyn. ’Get Sera to the car. You and Corvine.’

Kael replied to the mindlink. ’Noted,’ and gave Corvine a nudge. "Let’s get Sera out of here."

Corvine nodded and started heading toward Seraphine, but before he could reach her, Prince Jasper strolled over with that smooth, easy smile of his.

"Luna Sera," he said warmly, his kind eyes settling on her. "Can we talk?"

A few feet away, Voren had just started walking with Ravyn when he heard that familiar voice. He stopped dead in his tracks, his shoulders tensing up as his gaze snapped right back toward Seraphine.

She gave Prince Jasper a small, apologetic smile. "Not tonight. I’m completely exhausted and I really need some sleep."

Pure relief washed over Voren’s face when Prince Jasper didn’t force it. "Tomorrow, then," Prince Jasper replied gently, his eyes lingering on her for another moment before he stepped aside.

Seraphine dipped her head in thanks, but she didn’t say anything else. Just as she turned to leave, though, something started nagging at her.

Marsha had been way too quiet. ’Marsha... are you there?’

For several long seconds, there was nothing but silence. Then her wolf’s sleepy, tired voice finally echoed inside her head.

’Who do you think has been giving you enough strength to keep moving after you’ve barely eaten once a day?’

Seraphine blinked in confusion. ’What do you mean?’ She thought her energy was only from the soup but remembered that because she ate late, she wasn’t hungry anymore.

’The dangerous pup you’re carrying keeps draining my strength.’

Her heart skipped a hard beat. ’Dangerous?’

She stopped walking for a split second, completely thrown off. ’Why do you keep calling our pup that?’

Marsha let out a heavy, exhausted sigh in Seraphine’s mind. ’Because I’m not the only one giving him strength. Bloodfang is doing the same.’

Seraphine’s brows pulled together in worry. ’What you’re carrying is...."

Marsha’s voice suddenly cut off completely. ’Marsha?’ Seraphine called out but was only met with silence.

The unsettling feeling settled deep and heavy in Seraphine’s chest. Something about her unborn pup definitely wasn’t normal, and it was starting to scare her more than she wanted to admit.

Before she could spiral any further, Corvine walked over and gently slipped an arm around her shoulders as he addressed Athaliah. "Liah, we should get going."

Athaliah looked up at him in surprise. "How did you call me?"

Corvine scratched the back of his neck, looking unexpectedly nervous. "Liah," he repeated with a sheepish grin. "It’s shorter than Athaliah. I thought it sounded nice, but if you don’t like it—"

"It’s okay." Athaliah waved her hand dismissively before a warm smile slowly spread across her face. "I actually really like it."

Relief flooded Corvine’s expression. "I’m glad."

Athaliah naturally slipped her hand into his, and the two of them started walking toward the parking area with Seraphine at Corvine’s other side, feeling a little lighter despite everything.

They had barely made it out of the main crowd when another figure suddenly stepped right in front of them. Killian reached out and wrapped his fingers around Athaliah’s wrist.

"Athaliah," he said, his expression tightening. "We need to talk."

She slowly turned to face him, forcing her hand holding Corvine’s to loosen. "There isn’t anything for us to talk about, Alpha Killian."

"There is," he insisted, his voice softening into something almost pleading. "Come with me. Let’s walk back to the pack house."

Athaliah gently pulled against his grip. "I’m not staying at the pack house." She glanced toward the waiting vehicles. "If I don’t leave now, the car will go without me."

A deep frown settled across Killian’s face. "Then where are you staying?" Concern flashed through his eyes. "I’ll take you."

Athaliah looked him straight in the eyes, refusing to look away. "Killian..." She chose her words carefully, not wanting to give him any false hope. "I don’t know why, but... I just don’t like you."

The honest truth hit him harder than any insult ever could have. His hand slowly loosened around her wrist. For a long moment, he just stood there, stunned and unable to react.

Athaliah gently slipped free and immediately tightened her grip on Corvine’s hand as they continued toward the car. Killian stayed rooted to the spot, watching them walk away together with a heavy heart.

By the time Voren finally caught up with the others, the delays had already dragged on longer than he wanted.

The second Seraphine looked at him, she noticed the dark storm clouding his face. His expression had turned completely unreadable, his jaw locked tight, and his eyes carried a deep anger he wasn’t even trying to hide.

She wanted to ask what Ravyn had said, but the timing just wasn’t right—not with everyone still around them.

The ride back to the hotel passed in total silence. Even after they got to their suite, Voren barely spoke a word. They showered together, but the quiet between them only grew heavier with every passing minute.

Only after they had climbed into bed did Seraphine finally turn toward him. She rested her head on his chest and searched his face. "What happened with Ravyn?" Her voice stayed soft. "Why do you look so angry?"

Voren slowly rolled onto his side until he was facing her. He reached for her hand and held it gently. His eyes softened a little, but the frustration still burned bright inside them.

"Sera..." He took a slow, deep breath. "Can you let go of your revenge?" His thumb brushed lightly across her fingers. "I want to announce our marriage."