Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

More children stood nearby, each one holding a single rose carefully in their hands while they waited for their turn, and even though every face carried a different story, there was one thing all of them shared.

Gratitude sat so clearly in their eyes that it was impossible to miss.

Some of them looked nervous, like they still were not sure whether this was all real or whether they would wake up back in that nightmare again.

Some looked shy, holding their flowers tightly against their chests while they glanced at her from beneath lowered lashes, and some still carried that haunted look that came from surviving something no child should ever have had to endure, but every single one of them looked at Seraphine like she had given them their lives back.

A little boy stepped forward next, older than some of the others, the one whose sister had been shot in front of Seraphine, and although he was trying hard to look composed, there was still too much pain in his eyes for someone so young.

”Because of you, my sister’s gonna be okay,” he said softly, his voice struggling to stay steady. ”And we get to see our mom again.”

That was all it took for Seraphine to completely fall apart.

The tears that had already been sitting in her eyes spilled over so fast she could not stop them, and as the children came toward her one after another, each one offering her a flower along with soft, heartfelt words, she felt every single one land straight in the middle of her chest.

”Thank you.”

”You saved us.”

”My brother’s alive because of you.”

”My mom’s coming for me.”

”I am not scared anymore.”

Every word hit harder than the last, and Seraphine accepted each flower carefully, holding them close against her chest like they were priceless treasures because, to her, they truly were.

Then some of the older survivors came forward too, and the first woman Seraphine had seen earlier slowly walked toward her with trembling hands and tear-filled eyes, looking like she was trying so hard to speak but could barely hold herself together enough to get the words out.

”I... I do not even know how to thank you,” she whispered before her voice broke completely.

Seraphine did not let her struggle through it alone.

She stepped forward right away and wrapped her arms around the woman, holding her close while tears continued slipping down her own face.

”You do not have to thank me,” Seraphine whispered gently. ”You are okay now, and that is all that matters.”

What made it even harder for Seraphine to hold herself together was when some of them started offering her the tiny things they had been given after the rescue, little snacks and treats from the volunteers, like they needed to give her something back no matter how small it was.

One handed her a candy bar.

Another offered her a pack of cookies.

Someone else gave her a juice box.

A little girl held out a bag of chips with both hands like it was something precious.

They were tiny things, things that should not have mattered nearly as much as they did, but the fact that they were offering her the only things they had made it impossible for her not to feel overwhelmed.

It hit her so deeply that for a second, it felt like her chest was too full to hold everything she was feeling.

Unable to carry all that attention by herself, she turned toward Corvine and Voren, tears still shining in her eyes as she looked at them.

”They helped too, okay?” she said softly, wanting everyone to know that she had not done any of this alone.

That earned a soft wave of laughter from the group, light and genuine enough to ease some of the pressure that had been sitting on her chest all morning.

Eventually, the children were guided back toward their temporary shelters, their voices fading little by little until the hallway became quiet again, but the warmth they left behind stayed with Seraphine long after they were gone.

Corvine stepped closer then, watching her carefully for a moment before he finally spoke.

”You ready to go home now?” He took the gifts from her for safe keeping, seeing how she cherished them.

That was when Seraphine truly realized how exhausted she was because now that everything had calmed down and the adrenaline had finally worn off, every ache in her body came crashing down on her all at once.

Her eyes burned from crying, her head throbbed, and er shoulders ached.

Her entire body felt so heavy that it almost seemed impossible to keep standing.

There was no point pretending she had anything left in her, so she gave a small nod.