chapter 80 Seraphina's shocking baby
Dorian's POV
When Seraphina walked into the office carrying that silver-haired baby, I watched Lyra's face turn white as paper. Her body began trembling, eyes wide with shock, as if she were seeing something impossible.
"No," she whispered. "This can't be."
Then she collapsed.
I watched her fall to the floor, a surge of complex emotions rising in my chest. Pain, anger, and something else I refused to acknowledge. But I forced myself to remain cold, letting hatred cover all other feelings.
The first time she had ever begged me for anything, and it was for another man's child. How could she love that child so much? She had never fought so desperately for our relationship, never knelt so humbly for me. But for Eric's bastard, she was willing to abandon all dignity.
"Throw her out," I said coldly to the guards outside. "Make sure she leaves this building."
As they dragged Lyra's unconscious body away, I turned to face Seraphina.
"Dorian," she said softly, "are you alright?"
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, my thoughts drifted back to months ago, to the crucial moment when I had decided on the rejection.
Before my fight with Eric at the hospital, I had sent him an official warning letter. The message clearly demanded that he not interfere in any affairs concerning my pack's former Luna, that he cease his so-called "academic support" of Lyra.
Eric's reply had been infuriatingly defiant. He wrote that he would absolutely not abandon his support for Lyra, claiming she was an excellent healer who deserved better treatment. Worse still, he had personally gone to the hospital to bring her flowers, completely ignoring my warning.
That was why I had ultimately decided on the rejection ceremony. Not just because of the blood magic results, but because I couldn't tolerate another Alpha so brazenly challenging my authority.
Now, seeing both Caleb and Eric so devotedly loyal to Lyra, I couldn't help but suspect she possessed some ability to manipulate hearts. Perhaps her relationships with these men went far beyond mere friendship.
I wanted her to suffer the same pain I had endured. I wanted her to experience the desperation of losing something important.
"Dorian?" Seraphina's voice pulled me back to reality. "Why haven't you been answering my calls? You didn't even come to the airport to pick me up when I returned from Shadow pack territory."
Her accusation made my emotions explode instantly. "I've been overwhelmed! I have a thousand things to deal with, no time to consider your travel arrangements!"
Seraphina stepped back, clearly startled by my anger. "Dorian, what's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" I laughed coldly. "My life has been completely destroyed, my mate betrayed me, I was forced to reject her, and now the entire pack is gossiping about it. How do you think I should be?"
"Is it because you love Lyra?" Seraphina asked quietly. "Is it because you love her that you can't accept her betrayal?"
"No!" I denied vehemently. "I don't love her. I never loved her. That was just a contract marriage, a convenient arrangement."
Seraphina approached me, the baby in her arms making small gurgling sounds. "Look at her, Dorian," she said softly. "Look at her carefully."
I looked down at the baby, truly noticing her features for the first time. She was indeed three or four months old, far healthier than the sickly infant Lyra had given birth to. Her hair was the distinctive Blackthorne silver-white, her eyes bright amber.
My amber eyes.
"This is our child, Dorian," Seraphina said through tears.
I felt a chill rise from the base of my spine. "Impossible. We never..."
"A year ago," Seraphina interrupted. "After your alpha succession ceremony. Your Eclipse Curse attacked, remember? I took care of you for an entire week."
Memories began to surface hazily. The succession ceremony. The transformation run. Then terrible pain.
"One night, you took strong pain medication," Seraphina continued. "Your consciousness became foggy. Everything happened then."
I stared at her, trying to recall details from that period. But most of the memories were blank, obscured by pain and medication.
"When I discovered I was pregnant, I didn't know what to do," Seraphina continued. "Then I heard that Lyra was pregnant too. I knew if I told you the truth, it would only complicate things. So I chose to return to Shadow pack territory and give birth to this child alone."
She held the baby tightly, her eyes filled with protectiveness. "You know the status of illegitimate children in pack tradition, Dorian. They're viewed as lesser, often marginalized. I didn't want our daughter to suffer that pain."
In werewolf society, illegitimate children did face complex social status issues. While not as severe as in human history, children born without formal mating ceremonies were still considered lower status, rarely able to inherit important pack roles.
I didn't want to believe her words. Didn't want to accept this possibility. "I don't believe you."
"Dorian," Seraphina said tearfully. "Look at her eyes. Look at her hair. She's your bloodline."
I recalled that succession ceremony. It had indeed been the most severe Eclipse Curse attack in five years. Vampires had been frequently harassing the borders then, forcing me to transform repeatedly to deal with threats. The succession ceremony itself included transformation runs, further adding to my burden.
Worse still, because the elders and Owen were present watching the ceremony, I couldn't immediately treat the curse that attacked after transformation. I had to endure the entire ceremony, maintaining the dignity of the Alpha heir.
When the ceremony finally ended, I was in such agony I could barely function. The memories of the week that followed were almost entirely gone, completely obscured by pain and various medications.
Looking at the baby's face, those amber eyes and silver-white hair, I felt a deep chill.
If what Seraphina was saying was true...
"Marcus!" I called out loudly.
My assistant appeared immediately at the door. "Yes, Alpha?"
"Find Melissa," I commanded. "Immediately. I need her to perform a bloodline test."
Marcus nodded and quickly left to carry out the order.
I looked again at the baby in Seraphina's arms, my heart filled with confusion and fear. If this child was truly mine, then everything I had done to Lyra...
No. I shook my head. This couldn't change anything. Lyra had still betrayed me. Her child was still not mine.
But why was there a voice deep in my heart whispering that I might have made a terrible mistake?