Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever-Chapter 15 — It’s Seraphine’s doing

The doctor was not ignorant of the risks involved in giving Daisy human blood. He had known from the beginning, long before her wound ever reached his operating table.

But now that he finally saw her for who she truly was, he wasn’t going to give her the space to twist the truth or bury herself in excuses. Not when she was meant to honor the duties of a Luna.

Fortunately, the blood he had drained from her earlier hadn’t been discarded. It had been preserved, sealed, catalogued. Still, telling the Alpha exactly what had transpired would be dangerous. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The fact that Callum had not told him from the onset, playing along with Daisy until things got out of hand would automatically make him her accomplice.

Banishment would be his punishment and that was not an idle threat in centenary pack. It was a sentence that erased a life. With Ravyn’s influence extending across the city, he would not be able to work anywhere.

So Callum chose his words carefully. "I found some of Luna Seraphine’s blood in the blood bank," he said evenly. "From a previous reserve."

Daisy’s expression hardened almost imperceptibly, her eyes flashing with something sharp and warning. Callum ignored it. With Alpha Ravyn present, she couldn’t act openly, or so he thought.

"Ravyn," Daisy said smoothly, turning toward him with practiced gentleness. "You can go now. I’m sure you have more important matters to attend to."

Ravyn nodded, already half-turned toward the door. Corvine was no longer part of his pack, and the responsibility of appointing a new beta weighed heavily on him. It wasn’t as simple as it once had been.

Modern times had complicated everything. Every eligible candidate was established in the human world now, careers, families, lives rooted deep in the city.

Bringing them back to pack territory meant sacrifice. It meant asking someone to give up everything.

"You’re right..." Ravyn began.

"Actually, Alpha," Callum interrupted, his voice polite but firm, "I’d appreciate it if you stayed to witness the process."

Daisy opened her mouth to object, but Callum continued before she could speak.

"Besides," he added calmly, "I wanted to discuss something with you. I’ve been considering leaving the pack. I’d like to gain more experience in the city."

Daisy’s jaw tightened, her teeth grinding together. Of course. He wanted out, wanted to escape her reach. And worse, Ravyn would see nothing wrong with it.

Still, Callum wasn’t entirely safe. He had agreed to Daisy’s plan without informing the Alpha in advance. That single fact tied his hands. He couldn’t accuse her outright without condemning himself alongside her.

Ravyn frowned. He didn’t like this at all. First Corvine and now Callum, one of his best doctors.

There should be a way to make him stay. "What would it take for you to stay?" Ravyn asked, his tone unexpectedly gentle.

Before Callum could answer, Daisy cut in sharply. "Ravyn, I need the blood transfusion first." She needed the interruption to think of a way to get out of the pit she dug for herself.

"I’ll arrange it," Callum said quickly.

He returned with the preserved blood, the very same blood he had drained from Daisy days earlier. As the transfusion began, Ravyn watched closely, a crease forming between his brows.

"You said this was Seraphine’s blood," he said slowly. "Why does the label have Daisy’s name on it?"

The color drained from Daisy’s face, and Callum’s stomach dropped. He had forgotten to change the label, never expecting Alpha Ravyn to be so observant, and meticulous.

He cleared his throat and quickly thought about a laudable excuse. "Everyone knew Luna Seraphine’s blood was meant for Daisy," he explained. "We labeled it that way to prevent it from being used on anyone else by mistake."

The explanation was reasonable, even logical, so Ravyn studied the bag for a moment longer, then nodded, letting the matter rest.

Daisy, however, understood immediately. Callum hadn’t discarded the blood he drained from her. He had given it back to her.

For a fleeting moment, she didn’t know how to feel. What she wanted was Seraphine’s blood which was out of reach and the human blood would have given her more time away from pack responsibilities.

Now she had to find a way of fitting into Seraphine’s big shoes. Everyone, except Ravyn knew about how Seraphine carried the pack on her shoulders.

Daisy had always portrayed herself as the hardworking one, portraying Seraphine as the lazy Luna who only focused on their son, Bryan.

That was the why Ravyn had to force Seraphine to transfer Bryan’s upkeep to Daisy, telling her to focus on pack responsibilities.

Irritation etched on Daisy’s chest. Why did Seraphine choose to leave instead of staying in the pack and watching Daisy shine? Exhaustion soon claimed her, and she drifted into sleep.

That was when Callum spoke again.

"Must you really leave?" Ravyn asked quietly. "What would it take to make you stay?"

His voice was low but Daisy seemed to hear every word. A faint smile touched Callum’s lips, sad, and conflicted. He desperately wanted to tell Ravyn the truth, but what guarantee did he have that Ravyn would believe him?

Still, he tried. "Alpha," he said slowly, "Daisy is not who you think she is."

Ravyn’s expression changed instantly, and the air thickened. "What are you talking about?" His voice raised an octave high but Callum swallowed, his throat felt tight. "She’s fake," he said. "She didn’t lose blood. She ordered me to drain it."

Ravyn snapped. His eyes turned lethal, sharp as drawn blades. "How dare you?" he growled. "I was there when Seraphine stabbed her. She was bleeding when I brought her in—"

He stopped abruptly, something flickering across his face, then his voice hardened again. "Who put you up to this?"

At that exact moment, Daisy stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, instantly alert despite the weakness she feigned. "Rav," she asked softly, innocence perfected, "what’s the matter?"

"Callum says you faked the blood loss," Ravyn replied, his gaze locked on the doctor.

Callum smiled bitterly, regretting trusting Ravyn with the truth. "I’m sorry, Alpha. I knew you wouldn’t believe me." He straightened. "I’ll send in my resignation letter since Beta Corvine isn’t here to receive it."

Such matters were Corvine’s to handle but Ravyn stiffened, clearly torn. Daisy noticed it and didn’t give him time to think.

"Rav," she said urgently, gripping his arm, "this is Seraphine’s doing. She’s trying to turn your people against you, forcing your best staff to resign one by one."