THE ALPHA’S DAUGHTER 85_When The Moon Hides Her Crown

Chapter 85 The Moment He Said It

 Seraphina

 “I have a thing for him, Ronan said.

 My eyes widened, and my heartbeat stumbled before it took off in a wild, uneven rhythm.

 What did he just say!

 My wolf stirred at the sound of his voice, touched by his, pulled in by him. Completely drawn to him. My chest tightened as hear surged through me, not the kind born of embarrassment or anger…but something far more dangerous.

 Desire.

 It coiled low in my stomach and raced up my spine like a wildfire I couldn’t contain. I felt myself slipping, just a little, losing control over something I couldn’t name.

 My breath caught in my lungs.

 What did I just hear?

 Until a shadow at the door pulled me harshly back to reality.

 Asher.

 And just beyond him, standing outside in the hallway-

 Finn.

 My heart plummeted into my stomach. No..this could not be happening.

 How long had they been there? How much had they heard?

 Panic exploded in my chest. I was disguised as a man. As Seth. So being held like that by another Alpha, having Ronan dere he had feelings for me in front of all the other men? It was a disaster. Aplete unraveling of the careful mask I wore.

 No! I could not let this happen!

 I instinctively yanked myself away from Ronan, like I had just stepped on burning coals.

 Before anyone could speak, I forced a light chuckle past the tightness in my chest.

 “I asked for someone to pick up Alpha Ryker’s tour from here, Alpha Ronan said smoothly, a faint, casual smile curling my lips despite the suffocating silence in the room. “Not for you to barge in and give everyone a heart attack with your dramatics”

 Ronan’s face became unreadable. Ryker’s gaze was cold and t. Asher and Finn? nk–faced. Guarded.

 I turned toward the door, shing a polite smile at both of them. “Are you two here to help Alpha Ryker with the rest of his tour? Perfect timing. I’m grateful. Please apany him, I’m going to grab some evering tea.

 With that. I stepped out of the room with practiced calm. 

 1

 But the moment I turned the corner and the others were out of sight, the smile dropped from my face.

 My legs moved faster. My hands trembled at my sides.

 The panic. I’d buried in the musk room surged violently in my chest, tightening around my ribs. I could barely breathe

 I needed air. I needed space. I needed ou

 I tied the academy building, my mind screaming, my heart mming against my ribs. I wanted to shift–to let my wolf take Control, tear through the trees and outpace this storm building inside me–but I couldn’t risk it. Not now, Not here.

 11:55 AM P P

 Chapter 85 The Moment He Said It

 +8 Pearls

 As fast and far as I could, into the woods. My thoughts chased me. Images resurfaced over and over: Ronan’s voice, Ryker’s hands, the locked door, Asher’s eyes, Finn’s silence.

 Above all, Ronan’s words. 

 “I have a thing for him”

 The deeper I ran, the angrier 1 became. Anger at the confusion he caused. At the power he held over me without even trying. At myself, for letting any of it affect me.

 Ipushed harder, faster.

 Until

 Arge shadow appeared in front of me.

 I skidded to a halt, breath catching, but not fast enough. I collided straight into a solid chest.

 Strong arms caught me before I could stumble back. I gasped and looked up

 Violet eyes

 My own widened in shock. “Ronan…”

 He looked down at me, voice low and quiet–almost like he wasn’t speaking to me at all, but thinking out loud. “Seraphina.”

 I stared at him, breathless. Had he followed me?

 How had he even gotten ahead of me?

 How fast had he run to match me, to outpace me?

 “Why did you </be here?” he asked.

 That single question cracked something inside me. The anger, buried beneathyers of panic and confusion, exploded.

 “You’re asking me why?!” I yelled, shoving at his chest. He barely moved. I yanked myself back, seething. “What the hell was that back there?! What did you just say?!”

 He tilted his head slightly, unfazed. “You ran all the way out here just from hearing that once. Are you sure you want me to say again

 His calmness, his smug normalcy, only enraged me further.

 “Lo you think this is a joke, Ronan?!”

 “No”

 “You do?” I sipped, fury boiling over. “Everything’s fun for you, isn’t it? Or why else would you say something that ridiculous 

 Trout of Hyker?! Asher and Finn were there! I don’t even know if they heard what you sad but if they did, if they even suspect, my entire faire a rued!”

 That wouldn’i have happened.” be said tly

 His inditierener pour oil gasoline on my fe

 “His dar you jake my future slugtuly1usand, my your quivering “They saw you bug me. You dered somethingpleach mane Do you think the world is dont they wouldn’t notice something’s off they start suspecting me!) I

 That y du an dugu will be exposed to expellent. My way will be erased, my purpose destroyed. And you? You’ll just kong strutting and douwing your joint arend like a bug without cosepwe

 a wa Taigh Alpha

 1155 AM P P ·

 Chapter 85 The Moment He Said it

 +8 Pearls

 “What do you really know about me, huh? What right do you think you have to treat me this way? Honestly. I trusted you. When you discovered my secret and didn’t expose me, I was grateful. I believed you were different.”

 My voice trembled.

 “But I was wrong, Just like the others, you’re selfish. Arrogant. You think because you know the truth, you can pull my strings. toy with me, make me dance however you wish.”

 His eyes darkened. That’s enough.”

 “No, it’s not,” I snapped, stepping forward, ring at him with everything I had. “What’s the endgame, Ronan? Flirting with me, touching me, making me spend nights alone with you–what is it that you really want? Huh? You’re trying to trap me, aren’t you? Make me desperate, make me need you, so that when I have no one else, I’ll have to give myself to you. You’re waiting for the day I fall so you can-”

 “ENOUGH!”

 His voice thundered through the forest as he yanked me forward, locking me against his chest with a ferocity that made my

 breath halt.

 Don’t you dare say things like that about me,” he growled, violet eyes burning. “You think I’m like them? That all I want is to sleep with you? That I’d corner you just to take advantage of you?”

 My voice was quiet, but sharp. “Am I wrong?”

 He didn’t flinch.

 “You follow

 Ronan?” <ol><li>me. You watch me. You flirt. You touch. You ask me to stay the night. If it’s not lust driving you, then what is it. </li></ol>

 His grip tightened. His voice dropped.

 “It’s love.”

 The world stopped.

 I froze in his arms, the anger bleeding out of me like smoke from a broken me. My heart thudded in my ears.

 “What?” I whispered.

 He didn’t back away.

 “I stalk you,” he said, voice trembling with truth, “because I can’t stand having you out of my sight. I flirt with you because I Leed to know if you feel even half of what I feel. I watch you because I’m terrified someone else will take you away.” 

 His hand moved up from my waist to the curve of my neck, slipping into my hair.

 “I keep you close at night because…”

 He leaned in slowly, his breath fanning my lips before he crushed his lips one mine, “…because I love you.”

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THE ALPHA’S DAUGHTER 85