Ex-Alpha's Regret: Siren's Comeback novel Chapter 94

POV: Seraphina

His offer hung in the air, a stunning, completely unexpected gesture of profound generosity. He was offering me the one thing I craved more than anything else in the world: a sliver of hope for my father. He was offering a miracle, gift-wrapped in sincerity and backed by the resources of an ancient, powerful pack. The logical, strategic part of my mind, the part that had embraced the name ‘Siren', knew this was an opportunity I could not afford to refuse. It was the best, perhaps the only, chance my father had.

But my answer, when it came, was not from the strategist. It was from the wounded, raw, and deeply scarred soul that lay beneath.

"No."

The word was sharp, cold, and absolute. It surprised me as much as it did him. It was an instinctive, visceral reaction, a recoiling as involuntary as pulling my hand from a fire.

"Thank you for the generous offer, Mr. Vance," I said, my voice a mask of icy, formal politeness that belied the turmoil raging within me. "But my father's care is a matter for the Thorne family. We will handle it ourselves."

A look of genuine, profound confusion crossed Killian's face. He glanced at Jax, as if for an explanation, but my brother's expression was as unreadable as my own. Killian turned back to me, his brow furrowed. "Forgive me, Siren, but I don't understand. This is not about charity. This is about efficacy. My team possesses knowledge and techniques that are simply not available on this continent. To refuse their help… from a purely logical standpoint, it is detrimental to your father's chances of recovery. Why would you choose a lesser option out of… pride?"

Damian had taught me a brutal lesson. He had taught me that the help of a powerful Alpha is never free. It is a chain, a leash, a debt that will one day be called in. He had used his power, his protection, his very love, as a tool of control and a weapon of punishment. The idea of placing myself, and my father's life, in the hands of another Alpha, of owing another such profound and unpayable debt, was a terror my newly freed soul could not bear.

My inner wolf, the creature born of hatred and betrayal, was pacing the cage of my mind, her hackles raised, a low, suspicious growl rumbling in her chest. She trusted no one. Especially not another handsome, powerful, and dangerously charming Alpha who offered his help with a sincere smile.

My refusal was not a choice. It was a scar. A reflex born of a trauma so deep I hadn't even realized it was there until this very moment.