Chapter 14 Two Alphas
SERAPHINA
The academy gates loomed ahead, their iron <b>bars </b>silhouetted <b>against </b>the soft <b>hues </b>of approaching dawn. Every step I took felt heavier than thest. Not sure of exhaustion, but from the weight of <b>Ronan’s </b>unwavering gaze burning into my back.
I had honestly thought that if I told him to stop staring, he’d be ashamed, maybe even offended. Instead, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Ever since <b>then</b><b>, </b><b>his </b>gaze <b>had </b>be bolder, more deliberate.
I clenched my fists at my sides. If he kept <b>this </b>up, I was going to get exposed. Worse, his sudden silence <b>was </b>unsettling. It wasn’t the absence of sound; it was the presence of scrutiny. Quiet, calcted observation.
My mind kept reying the night’s events. The rogue’s attack. The ruins. That goddamn moment in the tree, the way his body had brushed against mine, his manhood pressing against my <b>butt</b>, the heat that had lingered long after. My face still burned at the memory, my heart pounding erratically in my chest.
<b>The </b>adrenaline had faded, but an unease clung to me like a second skin. Ronan’s growing suspicion made it impossible to
settle.
And why the hell was he still following me? Shouldn’t he have peeled off already, gone his own way?
As we slipped through the dormitory gates, Reed was there with three Alphas chatting until his gazended on me,
“Well, well Reed sneered, “Look what crawled out of the cursed woods.”
His friends snickered.
“Too bad. We had a bet you wouldn’t make it <b>out</b>, Tiny, one of them <b>grinned</b>.
“Did I make you lose your money?” I smiled, causing their smiles to disappear, “Next time, put your money on someone else.”
Reed’s sneer faltered for half a second before heughed. “Oh, we will” hisughter suddenly died down when he looked
behind me at Ronan.
All of their smiles and sheers were wiped off their faces. I did not stay there and walked past them with Ronan was still behind me! Why was this Alpha
<b>That’s </b>when I spotted Finn emerging from the shower building, hair damp and a towel slung over his shoulder. Relief bloomed in my chest. This <b>was </b>my chance.
I stered on a bright smile and strode over.
“Finn, you <b>crossed </b>the line<b>,</b>” I smiled, keeping my tone light and casual.
He blinked in surprise, then grinned<b>. </b>“Yeah, <b>and </b>you made it too! I was <b>looking </b>for you in the showers earlier.”
I shrugged, feigning nonchnce. “Oh, I was a little slow. But looks like I wasn’t thest one after all.”
Out of the corner <b>of </b>my eye, I saw <b>Ronan </b>pause. His gaze <b>lingered </b><b>on </b>me for a beat too long before he turned and headed toward the showers. Relief flooded my veins.
“You’re lucky you weren’t the <bst</b>,” Finn pointed out. “If you’d been deadst, the academy gates would’ve stayed shut for
you
I blinked. I honestly had no <b>idea </b>it worked like that.
Finn <b>gave </b>my mud–streaked appearance a–olice–over. “You should probably shower too. It’s already <b>past </b>two in the <b>morning</b>. There won’t be much time for sleep before the morning bells.”
I offered a small, grateful smile. “Yeah thanks.”
As Finn disappeared down the path, I <b>stared </b>at the <b>shower </b>building and deliberately turned <b>away</b>. I couldn’t risk going in until <b>the </b>ce was empty.
The hallway was dir, lit only by <b>flickering </b>sconces along the cold stone walls. Two Alphas <b>in </b>towels brushed <b>past </b>me
Chapter 14 Two Alphas
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That idiot Shin was thest one <b>across </b>the line,” one snorted. “Should be grateful he made it back in one piece, unlike those poor bastards who didn’t make it out of that cursed forest.”
Their words <b>made </b>my steps <b>slow</b>. Images of death and madness wed at my memory. The Alphas might’ve looked polished on the <b>outside</b>, but inside they were monsters. Predators. Killers.
And then there <b>was </b>Dante–feeding on his own friend,
The most horrifying thing I’d ever seen
I barely had time to brace myself when a <b>hand </b>shot out <b>of </b>the <b>shadows </b><b>and </b><b>mmed </b>me hard against the cold stone <b>wall</b>.
I hissed in pain, the impact rattling my bones. <b>My </b>gaze snapped up to furious blue eyes.
Dante.
“Where the hell were you?” he snarled, his fingers twisting in the fabric of my shirt, dangerously close to my chest.
I shoved at him, growling. “I don’t answer to you.”
But he mmed <b>me </b>back against the wall again, teeth bared. <b>“</b><b>You </b>saw something you shouldn’t have, and then you. disappeared like a damn ghost.” His face was close now, blue eyes gleaming with fury beneath thickshes. His grip tightened, his voice a low, guttural rasp meant for my ears alone, “Where the hell were you, Seth Darven?”
The rough scrape of his words made my skin crawl, but I refused to <b>flinch </b>
I scowled, shoving him hard <b>enough </b>to force a step between us before his hand could stray any closer. “I don’t owe you anything.”
The tension crackled like static between us. <b>His </b>jaw clenched so tightly a muscle twitched in his cheek. He crowded me against the wall again, his face so close I could feel the heat rolling off <b>him</b>.
“You do,” he ground out. “The moment you set foot in this academy. The moment you bumped into me. The moment you crossed line. His gaze sharpened. “Where did you go during the challenge?
<b>my </b>
I narrowed my <b>eyes</b><b>. </b>“Why the hell do you care?”
His eyes narrowed further, <b>his </b>voice dropping to a <b>dark</b>, dangerous whisper. “You were with Ronan, weren’t you?”
My heart stuttered in my chest. I stiffened…a fraction of a second, but it was enough.
Dante’s expression turned coldly triumphant. His hand mped down on my arm like a vice. “Stay away from him.”
I tried to wrench my arm free, ring. “Who the hell do you think you are…”
Before I could finish, a new presence rolled in behind us like a brewing storm
Heavy. Lethal.
The hairs on the <b>back </b>of my <b>neck </b>stood on end before I even turned.
It <b>was </b>Ronan
His steps
s were slow, deliberate, the kind of careful, coiled threat that didn’t need to <b>shout </b>to be heard. His dark gaze <bnded </b>on where Dante’s hand <b>had </b>been on me, and <b>his </b>expression darkened into something lethal. His irises glinted like molten obsidian, gleaming with a cold warning.
“If you’ve got something to <b>say</b><b>, </b><b>ckwood</b>,” Ronan said, his voice a low, <b>lethal </b><b>promise</b>, “say it.”
Dante didn’t back down. His hand still hovered by his side, itching for a <b>fight</b><b>. </b>“This doesn’t concern you.”
“And who the fuck decided that?” Ronan stepped in, close enough that their shoulders brushed. The hallway thickened with pure, suffocating dominance.
Chapter 14 Two Alphas
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Dante smirked darkly, his shoulder brushing mine possessively. “Of course I’m the who decides when ites to this wolf”
Then it happened.
Ronan shoved Dante’s hand off <b>me </b>with <b>a </b>sharp flick of <b>his </b>wrist. “<b>Touch </b><b>him </b><b>again</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>you’ll regret it.”
A <b>furious </b><b>smile </b>yed on Dante’s lips instantly. “If that is the case, I fucking want to regret it right now.”
Both of them raised their fists but before either of them could connect. I yelled.
“Enough!”
They froze. Not out of fear, but because they both knew if a fight broke out here, it would draw attention. And both had too much to lose.
Their eyes locked over my head the promise of violence postponed, not forgotten.
I swallowed hard
Two Alphas. Both dangerous. Both crazy in their own way. Both determined to keep me in their orbit.
Two
Neither knew the truth about me.
It wasn’t just my secret <b>at </b>risk anymore.
If I wasn’t careful…if I didn’t find a way to control this. something far <b>worse </b>than exposure was going toe crashing down around me.
And I <b>had no </b>idea which one of them would be the first to light the match.
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