Chapter 79 Snap
SERAPHINA
The Next <b>Day</b>:
Thete morning sun filtered through the high academy windows, <b>gilding </b>the halls with light. My arms ache slightly under the weight of the box I held against my chest, but I didn’t care.
I was <b>free</b><b>. </b>
After so many days that actually felt like forever, I <b>wasn’t </b>under suspicion, wasn’t locked away in that prison–like suffocating room. Though it had an attached bathroom <b>and </b><b>even </b><b>a </b>window, it felt more <b>like </b>a gilded cage than any <b>sort </b>of living space.
But now…now I was allowed back into my room.
My dorm room.
I pushed the door open with my shoulder <b>and </b>stepped inside, the familiar scent of clean linen and pine–scented soap Jinstantly grounding me. My bed was exactly the way I’d left it–neatly made, the darkforter folded at the foot.
1 inhaled deeply and smiled <b>faintly</b>. Home. Or at least, the closest thing to it.
Setting the box down on the bed, I moved around the room, returning everything to its ce–myb, the <b>cracked </b>mug I kept for tea, my worn training pants, and the old photo of my mother that I always kept safely in the drawer.
However, looking at her, the dream I had with her and Dante the other <b>day </b>once <b>again </b>appeared in my mind.
In <b>reality </b>I still could not believe that Dante was dead<b>. </b>He was like a ghost living inside my mind, chasing me andughing as he shouted at me to <b>‘</b>Run<b>. </b>
The <b>most </b>terrifying fact about the <b>whole </b>exchange was that he knew my real name. My chest tightened. How could he know
my name?
No matter how clear my name was, nothing about his death sat right with me. He had been a monster in the end….but who killed him?
I shook my head, pushing the thoughts down <b>as </b>I walked to the mirror. With a sigh, I peeled off my uniform shirt, then the rest of my clothes, until 1 stood in front of the <b>mirror </b>in nothing but the binding around my chest and my ck cotton
underwear<b>. </b>
That’s when it hit me.
I had no injuries.
Not a scratch. No bruises, no bloodied knuckles<b>, </b>or twisted <b>joints</b>. For <b>the </b><b>first </b><b>time </b><b>since </b><b>entering </b><b>this </b>Academy, I’d returned from <b>a </b>trialpletely unharmed. Because of him.
Konan
My breathing <b>slowed </b><b>at </b>the thought of <b>him</b>. I <b>slowly </b><b>ran </b><b>my </b><b>fingertips </b><b>along </b>the smooin skin of <b>my </b><b>waist</b>, remembering his arm around me <b>and </b>his <b>hand </b>possessively holding mine as we <b>ran </b>through the <b>rain</b>, his fingers gripping mine like they’d never let go
His <b>voice </b>yed in my head–low, rough, <b>teasing</b>. “Give me <b>a </b><b>kiss</b>.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and curled up <b>on </b>the bed, heart thudding so wildly I could feel the pulse in my throat. Why <b>did his </b>voice linger in my <b>ears </b>like a song I couldn’t shake?
“Why the hell am I thinking about hun?” I bit my lips <b>and </b>clutched my chest.
F’dineant to rest for only a moment, <b>but </b>sleep dragged me under fast, cradled in the <b>warmth </b>of memories I couldn’t <b>outrun</b>.
The loud ng of the lunch bell jolted me awake.
I shot upright, eyes wide. “Shut”
Chapter 79 Snap
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It was in the afternoon.
Throwing off the nket, I scrambled into <b>my </b>uniform, brushing out my hair with <b>quick </b>fingers. My stomach growled like it <b>had </b>a grudge. If I got therete again, those assholes would eat everything<b>. </b>And I wasn’t about to <b>miss </b>another meal
I rushed out into the <b>hall </b>and <b>weaved </b><b>through </b>a corridor buzzing withte stragglers. But then-
A chill swept across my skin like a drop of ice <b>down </b>my spine.
My wolf went rigid inside me, <b>alert</b>. Danger. High–level danger.
My body paused mid–stride, heart thudding, <b>breath </b>stilled.
Someone had just passed me.
A tall man in the Academy uniform, walking confidently down the corridor. His back was straight, his steps calcted <b>and </b>cold. The auraing off him was like knives in the air–sharp, deadly, and powerful enough to bring even <b>an </b>Alpha to his knees.
Who?
Iturned, but the moment I caught sight of <b>him </b>again…he was gone.
Someone bumped my shoulder hard, breaking the moment. “Watch it,” the man grumbled. I blinked, then shook my <b>head</b>. trying to chase off the lingering chill crawling down my spine. There was no one there.
“Did I imagine?” I asked myself.
I exhaled and moved toward the cafeteria, brushing the incident off.
The cafeteria was loud, as usual. Conversations dulled as I entered, but I kept my chin high, ignoring the eyes <b>that </b>burned holes into my back and the low, using murmurs trailing <b>behind </b>me like ghosts.
I sat alone at a table by the window, focusing on the tray in front of me. Food. Just eat.
“Looks so delicious,” I stabbed at my roasted meat and potatoes, enjoying it fully and also noticing Finn had yet toe. Asher was also not there and Ronan either.
“Wait, <b>why </b>was I looking <b>for </b>him?” I clenched the fork harder, scolding myself..
Focusing <b>back </b>into <b>the </b>food <b>as </b>I was halfway through, shadows fell across my table.
My hand froze. Not <b>again</b>.
Cassius and Reed.
With them, the rest of their venomous little entourage. They moved like snakes–slow, slithering, and smiling far too sweetly <b>to </b>mean anything <b>good</b><b>. </b>
Reed <b>sat </b>across <b>from </b>me with <b>Cassius </b><b>and </b>leaned in, <b>arms </b>folded. “So, Seth,” he sneered, “what strings <b>did </b>you pull to <b>weasel </b>out of a murder charges?”
As expected they could <b>not </b><b>digest </b>the fact that I was <b>not </b>the murderer and <b>was </b>still in the Academy. I ignored them <b>and </b>continued caling
Cassius scoffed. “<b>Must’ve </b>given the investigator a really good time”
They allughed.
“His ass must be worn out then someone said loudly <b>to </b>make everyoneugh.
I didn’t stop chewing. Didn’t look up I calmly reached for my cup
Too proud to answer now just because you escaped this <b>time</b>, you little <b>fucker</b>? Reed pushed, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. “Or do you think you are some kind of big shot because you <b>made </b>it back aftermitting a murder? Should I <b>be </b>scared of you now?” heughed loudly with othe
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Chapter 79 Snap
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But no matter how low theirments became they could not get a response from me. Suddenly Cassius reached over and dipped his fingers into my food, scooping up a bite and shoving it into his mouth with exaggerated delight.
My fork froze in my <b>food </b>as I slowly lifted my gaze and met his re, “Hey Tiny, how dare you give us the silent treatment? I <b>will </b>fucking smash that pretty face of yours and pull your gut out.”
Reed purred, “Cassius, don’t smash this pretty face…” he put his finger under my <b>chin </b>and grinned. “…Until I get a good fuck out of his little <b>ass </b>today.”
Everyoneughed and one of them said. “Geez, you are so horny that you are willing to do it with a dude?”
“Dude? All I see is a eunuch?”
?” Cassius sneered, “But as long as there is a hole, it does matter to me either.”
Reed <b>met </b>my <b>gaze</b>, “See, now Cassius also wants to <b>have </b>a piece of your ass, What do you say, Seth? <b>Tiny </b>tools like yours are as useless as your existence here, how about pleasuring us through your.”
Snap
“AHHHHHHH… Reed’s scream startled everyone in the cafe.
As <b>an </b>uproar broke out, “HE BROKE REED’S WRIST!”