Seth, covered in dirt and ash, raced from the forest with terrifying speed. But he wasn’t alone.
Behind him…
A stampede.
A hundred wild bison thundered through the trees in his wake.
“What kind of lunatic is he?!” an Alpha cried in horror. “He was supposed to bring one, not a damn army!”
Technically, the rules never said the prey had to be dead”MOVE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!” someone screamed.
Chaos broke out.
Alphas scattered like panicked ants.
But l…
I stood there frozen, my heart taking a sudden race.
Seth’s eyes were locked on mine.
He ran straight for me, like I was the only thing he could see.
The next second, his hand seized mine, and he pulled me hard. “Run!”
Together, we bolted.
“Climb!” he yelled, pointing to a massive tree just ahead.
We scaled it in seconds, a breath away from being trampled.
The clearing shook beneath us, thunder rolling from hooves and dust choking the air. The world blurred in panic and sound.
Clinging to the thick branch, I turned.
Seth sat beside me, breath heaving, his amber eyes catching the light.
I stared into them.
“Seth Darven,” I whispered, inching closer.
He tensed. “What?”
My gaze dropped briefly to his blood-streaked lips before rising again to meet his eyes. I leaned in, just inches between us.
“I saw a white she-wolf in the woods,” I murmured, voice low. “Did you see it too?
SERAPHINA
“Alpha Seth.”
A deep, commanding voice cut through the moment Ronan and I shared.
Still crouched high in the trees, we both turned our gazes downward The bisons had dispersed, and standing in their place, staring up at us with cold intensity, was Alpha Gideon.
I immediately understood the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, I leapt down from the tree, landing just a breath away from Alpha Gideon’s towering frame.
“What was that, Alpha Seth?” he asked, raising a single brow. It was the first time he had ever directly spoken to me.
There was a saying in the Lupine Academy that you would want to meet death rather than Alpha Gideon. The wolf lived for rules and regulation, hating weak offenders. A man whose attention meant your banishment from the Academy, it was better to pack your bags and walk out of the Academy on your own two feet when he started interrogating you. That was due to the fact that his interrogation ended with a physical punishment that barely any Alphas could handle. And right now I earned that beastly Alpha’s attention.
I met his eyes squarely. “The bisons or the fire, Alpha?”
His eyes narrowed. “The fire,” he said. “You started a blaze in the forest to drive the bison here, but how exactly do you plan to take responsibility for the damage? Does your victory come at the cost of the forest-and the lives within it?”
I straightened my spine. “No lives were lost, Alpha. The fire extinguished itself.”The group of Alphas shifted slightly, intrigued. Alpha Gideon’s gaze flicked to the spot where the smoke had risen moments ago, now there was nothing but mist. “You set the fire along natural firebreaks?” he murmured, realization dawning as he met my gaze.
I gave a single nod. “The fire was a tool, not a weapon. It was never meant to destroy, only to provoke the bison. No forest, no creature, was ever in danger.”
Alpha Gideon looked past me and addressed the figure behind me.”.
What do you say, Alpha Ronan?”
I froze.
Ronan was still behind me? Was he there the entire time?
He stepped closer, his chest brushing against mine. My fingers curled at my sides, trying to ignore the heat from our proximity that lit in my veins.
Ronan spoke calmly, “He used the rules to his advantage and found a loophole. No laws were broken. The fire was controlled, and the goal was achieved. I see no issue, Alpha.”
I tilted my head slightly, eyes glancing at him. I hadn’t expected Ronan to defend me.
A small smile curved Alpha Gideon’s lips. “Interesting,” he said, looking between us. Then he turned and gave a simple command: “Join the others.”
I exhaled quietly. Thank the Goddess he hadn’t turned it into a bigger issue. But before I could walk away, I remembered Ronan was still there. Too quiet. Too close.
I could feel his gaze lingering on my neck. His breath ghosted across my hair, warm and intentional.Panic coiled in my chest.
Without another thought, I lifted my legs and strode off in long, purposeful steps, refusing to look back.
What was that?
Why was he so close?
***
The outer clearing buzzed with life as dawn spilled golden light over the treetops. Rows of tents stood in perfect lines, canvas fluttering with the morning breeze. A long banquet table stretched beside a massive fire pit, laden with steaming platters of roasted game, fresh fruit, and pitchers of juice and wine. The air was thick with the scent of meat and pine.
They called it a Victory Breakfast.
Alpha Gideon stepped forward and raised his wine glass.
“This meal marks your triumph. Let it remind you that every victory is hard-earned-and every bite, a testament to your worth as Alphas.”
Around the clearing, packs of freshly washed Alphas howled in triumph and clinked their tankards together. Private shower stalls. hidden behind the trees had been a blessing, especially for me.
I had cleaned up too, at least enough to not smell like swamp water and smoke. The Academy had provided a spare uniform: a simple black set, snug, sterile, and far too clean to feel like mine.
The Alpha Instructors mingled among themselves, leaving us to our celebration. The atmosphere was lively, loud with laughter and adrenaline-but my mind was stuck on Ronan’s whispered words.
“I saw a white she-wolf in the woods. Did you see it too?”My breath caught.
Why would he bring that up?
He hadn’t reacted at all when I was in my wolf form, didn’t so much as flinch. But now, when I was standing here as Seth, he was asking about her?
My fingers clenched around the coffee mug. And those eyes of his…
“Careful.” Finn’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts as he moved my hand away from the scalding machine.
“Hm?” I blinked up at him, still dazed.
“You were about to burn yourself,” he said with a teasing grin. “Where’s your head at, champion?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t call me that.”
Finn chuckled. “But you are the champion. Look around-you’ll see what I mean.”
I did, and he was right.
Eyes were on me.
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