"Daisy!" The second Daisy hit the floor, Ravyn rushed to her side without a second thought. Worry flooded his face as he dropped to one knee and carefully reached for her shoulders. "Daisy... Daisy!"
Around them, whispers rippled through the gym. Some guests looked genuinely concerned while others exchanged doubtful glances. Seraphine quietly watched the whole scene play out, then slowly shook her head. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Athaliah caught that tiny reaction right away. She knew Seraphine was a doctor. If anyone could tell whether Daisy had actually fainted, it was her. Athaliah leaned in a little closer. "Is she faking it?" she whispered.
Seraphine gave the smallest nod, and that was all Athaliah needed. A mischievous smile slowly spread across her face as a perfect idea formed in her mind.
She folded her arms and looked straight at Ravyn. "Alpha Ravyn." Her voice instantly pulled everyone’s attention back to her. "You walked away before receiving my forgiveness. So I’ll assume you’ve decided to cut ties with the Silver Moon Pack."
Ravyn froze. His hands stopped halfway as he held Daisy. For the first time that night, real panic flashed across his face, not because of Daisy, but because of Athaliah’s words.
Seraphine nearly laughed out loud. She had to bite the inside of her cheek hard to stop herself. Instead, she lowered her eyes and hid her smile.
It felt surprisingly refreshing not to be the one putting Ravyn in an impossible position for once. Athaliah was handling it beautifully all on her own.
Ravyn slowly looked up. "Princess..." His voice carried clear frustration. "Your fellow woman just fainted." He gestured toward Daisy. "I think this calls for a little empathy."
Athaliah didn’t even blink. "I would," she answered immediately. "If she were being honest." Her eyes flicked to Daisy for only a second before returning to Ravyn. "From where I’m standing... she looks like she’s pretending."
A ripple of doubt spread through the crowd. People quietly glanced at Daisy again, and some were already starting to question the dramatic collapse.
Before Ravyn could argue, Athaliah continued. "How about we test it?" A playful smile appeared on her face. "If she’s truly unconscious, then I’ll apologize." She tilted her head slightly. "But if she’s pretending... then you’ve chosen her little performance over the alliance between our packs."
The words struck Ravyn like lightning. His expression stiffened as his thoughts flew back to another recent incident.
Not long ago, Daisy had also pretended to collapse after Seraphine announced a punishment for her. He had believed her then, only to realize later that it had all been an act. His jaw tightened. He didn’t want history repeating itself.
Slowly, he leaned close enough that only Daisy could hear him. His voice turned cold. "You’ve embarrassed me enough." His fingers tightened slightly around her arm. "Get up. I know you’re awake."
Several long seconds passed. Then, exactly as he expected, Daisy slowly opened one eye.
Seeing that Ravyn wasn’t falling for her act, she reluctantly sat up and climbed to her feet. Embarrassment burned across her face as she forced an awkward smile. "I’m sorry," she said, lowering her head. "I was only trying to protect you."
Ravyn didn’t answer right away. His fists clenched slowly at his sides. Once again, Daisy had disappointed him. Instead of helping, she had only made everything so much worse.
Taking a deep breath, he turned toward Seraphine. His pride had taken enough hits tonight, and there was no point pretending anymore. "Sera..." His voice softened. "I hope you won’t bring our past into this."
Several eyes immediately turned toward Seraphine. Everyone waited for her response.
Seraphine stayed quiet for a moment. Honestly, part of her wanted to say yes.
She wanted Ravyn to feel the same humiliation he had once put her through. But another thought quickly replaced that urge.
The gossip from earlier had completely stopped. Before tonight, many had believed Athaliah and Voren might end up together. Now that rumor had died completely.
After all, the princess herself had openly encouraged Voren and Seraphine to become a couple. Who would keep spreading the old story after hearing that?
Still, some believed Alpha Voren would ever break the Alpha Code, not for anyone.
The icy wind hit Voren and Seraphine hard the moment the doors closed behind them. Snow had covered everything in thick white layers. Without saying a word, Voren bent down and swept Seraphine into his arms.
She blinked in surprise before instinctively looking around. "What if someone sees us?" A helpless smile crossed her face.
The snowstorm had already buried the roads beneath several inches of snow. Vehicles couldn’t move until the paths were cleared. Voren’s eyes drifted toward the endless blanket of white.
For a brief second, he considered letting his wolf take over so they could travel faster.
Just then, both of them noticed four figures standing not far away. The atmosphere around them was tense.
It was obvious they were in the middle of a heated confrontation. The moment Seraphine recognized a few familiar faces, she quickly slipped out of Voren’s arms.
At the same time, Voren reached out through the mind link. "Dad, I thought we agreed you wouldn’t have this confrontation without us."

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