The Luna He Rejected: An Alpha's Regret

CHAPTER 23

Seraphine’s POV

We returned to the packhouse in silence. The drive back from the eastern safe house felt longer than it should have. No one spoke. The only sound was the low hum of the engine and the occasional crackle from Marcus’s radio as he coordinated with the perimeter guards. Caden’s hands were tight on the steering wheel. I sat beside him, staring out at the dark trees rushing past, my mind moving too fast to settle on any single thought.

By the time we reached the main packhouse, the children had been moved to a secure room on the second floor under heavy guard. Dani had stayed with them. The rest of us gathered in the large kitchen that connected to the war room. It was the only place that felt even slightly normal at this hour. The long wooden table was still covered with papers from earlier. The air felt thick, almost suffocating.

Amara Walsh was already waiting for us. She had her laptop open and several legal documents spread out in front of her. She looked up the moment we walked in.

“I can file the official paternity claim tonight,” she said without preamble. “I have everything prepared. But there’s a problem.”

Caden didn’t sit. He stood at the head of the table, arms crossed. “What kind of problem?”

“The filing requires a witness signature from a registered pack elder,” Amara explained. “It’s a legal requirement for any bloodline or paternity claim involving minors. Without it, the document won’t be accepted by the tribunal.”

Marcus frowned. “Brennan is the only Ironmoor elder currently in pack territory.”

Amara nodded. “And Brennan is missing. Even if we could find him, we all know whose side he’s on.”

The room went quiet for a moment.

Dani, who had come downstairs after settling the children, leaned against the counter. “So what are our options? There has to be someone else.”

Amara hesitated, then glanced at me. “There is one other registered elder affiliate whose status is still valid. Kofi Voss.”

Of course, my dad.

I hadn’t spoken to him properly in months, except before the hearing yesterday. Not since everything had fallen apart years ago, and certainly not since he signed that petition. The thought of calling him now, of asking for his help after everything, made something tight and uncomfortable twist in my chest.

Caden looked at me. His voice was careful. “Sera?”

I swallowed. “Call him,” I said to Marcus. My voice came out steadier than I felt. “Marcus, call my father.”

Marcus didn’t argue. He pulled out his phone and dialed. The room was so quiet I could hear the faint ringing on the other end.

Kofi answered on the third ring.

“Marcus?” His voice sounded surprised, a little rough from sleep. “It’s late. What’s going on?”

Marcus put the phone on speaker. “It’s not just me. Seraphine is here too.”

There was a long pause on the line.

“Seraphine?” my father said. His voice had changed to a softer tone. “Is everything all right?”

I stepped closer to the table. “Father… we need your help.”

Another stretch of silence. I could almost picture him sitting up in whatever bed he was in, rubbing his face.

“What kind of help?” he asked.

Amara leaned forward. “We need an elder to witness and sign a formal paternity claim for the twins. Tonight. It’s urgent.”

Kofi was quiet for so long I thought the call might have dropped. When he finally spoke again, his voice was low.

“I’m not in Ironmoor right now.”

The words hit the room like a stone dropped into water.

Caden straightened. “Where are you?”

“I’m in Millhaven,” Kofi said. “I arrived this afternoon.”

A cold dread settled over the kitchen. Marcus and Caden exchanged a look. Dani’s hand tightened around the edge of the counter.

Caden’s voice was controlled, but I could hear the tension underneath it. “Who knew you were coming?”

No one answered him.

Because none of us had known.

I stepped closer to the phone. “Father… who told you to come to Millhaven?”

The silence on the other end stretched so long it became uncomfortable. I could hear him breathing.

Finally, he spoke.

“Brennan contacted me,” Kofi said quietly. “He called me yesterday. He said you were in trouble. That you needed help and that I should come to Millhaven immediately. He made it sound urgent.”

The room felt like it was shrinking.

I closed my eyes for a second, the pieces sliding into place with horrible clarity.

Brennan had lured my father out of Ironmoor. He had isolated the one person who could legally witness the paternity filing. While we were scrambling to file the claim, Brennan had made sure the only elder available was hundreds of miles away in Millhaven.

And if Brennan was involved, Isolde was involved.

She had stolen the birth certificates.

She had made sure we couldn’t easily file the counter-claim.

And she had positioned Brennan to keep my father out of reach exactly when we needed him most.

I opened my eyes and looked at Caden. He was already watching me, his expression dark with the same realization.

“Father,” I said into the phone, my voice tight. “Listen to me carefully. Lock your door. Do not open it for anyone. Not for Brennan. Not for anyone claiming to be from Ironmoor. Stay inside and stay quiet. We’ll send people to you as soon as we can.”

“Seraphine—”

“Please,” I said. “Just do it.”

There was another pause. Then a quiet, “All right.”

I ended the call.

I looked around at the faces in the room, Caden, Marcus, Amara, Dani. They were all watching me.

My voice came out low and steady, even though my hands were shaking.

“The certificates were stolen to give Isolde proof. The paternity claim needs an elder’s signature to be valid. And Brennan made sure the only elder who could sign it was conveniently pulled out of Ironmoor and isolated in Millhaven.” I took a slow breath. “Brennan is there to make sure we can’t file. He’s there to stop us from getting ahead of them.”

No one spoke for several long seconds.

Caden finally broke the silence, his voice rough.

“They’re trying to trap us.”

I met his eyes across the table.

“They already have,” I said. “Unless we find another way. Fast.”

The weight of the realization settled over all of us like a heavy blanket. We were running out of time, and Isolde had been three steps ahead of us the entire night.