Chapter 19 A Smack

SERAPHINA

Thete afternoon sun cast elongated shadows across the academy field as I stepped out into the bunknown /barea where the Alpha instructor brought all of us. There was only greenery and trees in bthe /bsurrounding barea/b. The scent of freshly upturned earth mixed with the electric hum of anticipation. A buzz of eager chatter surrounded me, every Alpha assembled for the trial that had finally arrived after three relentless days of grueling physical training.

“Hey, are you alright?” Finn asked, falling into step beside me. “You’ve seemed out of it sincest night. bAnd /byou did not talk much the entire time we made our way here. Did something happen?”

My muscles instinctively tensed. Dante’s voice from the night before echoed in my mind-“You’re hiding something, aren’t byou/b?”

His suspicion had left me restless, gnawing at my thoughts all night band /bhaunting me through lunch. I’d been so careful. How did he end up suspecting me? He hadn’t uncovered the truth, not bexactly/b–bbut /bbstill/b…

“bEveryone /bgather up and stand on the line!” The Alpha instructor ordered.

I quickened my pace like the others until I felt it. A sudden, burning intensity prickling across my skin. I slowly turned my head, my instincts already screaming.

Dante.

He stood on the opposite end of the field, his gaze locked on me with the focus of a predator sighting prey. When our eyes met, he smirked–slow, deliberate, and far too knowing My blood surged with heat and warning. I forced my expression into indifference, tearing my gaze away as if he meant absolutely nothing.

What I didn’t see was how his smirk faltered, how his expression twisted the moment he caught the faintest scent lingering

on me.

His eyes snapped toward a familiar figure passing nearbyb, /band without hesitation, he reached bout /bband /bseized Reed by the

cor.

“D–Dante..” Reed’s face went pale, his thoughts clearly scrambling as he wondered what he’d done tond in Dante’s bloodthirsty grasp.

Dante’s deep blue eyes narrowed bas /bbhe /bgrowled blowly/b, “Why the hell does that Darven reek of Volkstane?”

“Seth?” Reed blinked, realization dawning as he connected the dots. And was pissed that because of bthe /bmost disliked person he was caught in Dante’s grasp. But still he replied, “I–I don’t know. But I heard Ronan gave bhim /bhis uniform…”

Every word was fuel to the fire. Dante’s jaw flexed, fury bleeding into every line of his face. “Volkstane gave him bhis /buniform? And he wore it?” His voice was razor–sharp, dangerous.

He shoved Reed away and turned his gaze to where bRoman /bbstood /bbacross /bthe field, casually bspeaking /bwith Alpha Asher. But Dante didn’t see ba /bbcasual /bconversation. He bsaw /ba challenge.

“Marking my prey with your scent like ba /bbim/b?” he snarled under his breath eyes flicking to follow Ronan’s gaze–straight to ollime. A furious smile curved his lips. “Uneptable.” /li/ol

He then looked at bReed/b, “You hate bthat /bDarven, right?”

Reed’s expression ttered at Dante’s next word, b“/bThen

From my ce at the end of the third row, I red bDante /bspeaking with Reed Confusion bloomed in my chest. Those two knew each other? And why did bDante /blook bso/b. tenseb? /b

Tarely had time to bprocess /bthat when ba /bbstrange /bsensation pulled at my awareness. I turned, almost instinctively–and froze.

Roman was sta

Boldly Intently. Like I was the only thing at.

worth look

My heart leapt painfully in my chest. How long bhas /bhe been watching me?”

Chapter 19 A Smack

My fingers twitched as I fidgeted with the hem of the uniform. His uniform. My face burned bwith /bthe realization.

Did he notice?

+8. Pearls

Goddess. It was mortifying–wearing his clothes, standing so close to him, pretending it meant nothing when it felt like everything.

Before bthings /bcould spiral further, the Alpha instructor’s voice boomed across the field, cutting through the tension like at whip

“Silence! All of you!”

The chatter died instantly.

Today’s trial will take ce in the ckmoon Forest, he dered, his tone grave.

A collective shiver moved through the crowd. Even the cockiest Alphas stiffened at the name. The ckmoon Forest was infamous–an untamed,wless stretch ofnd haunted by creatures not even elders could name. Every bwise /bbsoul /bknew better than to bwander /bnear it.

“When leading a bpack/b, your enemy is not always a wolf, vampire, or hunter,” the instructor continued. “Sometimes, you’re dragged into battles with beings whose existence you never imagined–creatures that crave your blood and flesh.. and might be far stronger than you.”

He raised arge ss jar, filled with tiny, folded chits. “Inside this are your targets. Each of you will draw one, and that will be your prey for tonight.”

Alphas exchanged nces, the air now thick with unease.

“You’ll have until sunrise to bring back your assigned prey. Only those who seed will advance to the next trial. Fail,” his eyes swept over us like a guillotine, “and you’ll be eliminated from the academy immediately.”

My

fists clenched at my sides. So that’s why thest three days were pure hell. But what kind of prey were we btalking /babout?

“Step forward one at a time. Pick a chit. The moment the horn sounds, the hunt begins,” the instructormanded, before turning on his heel and leaving.

bLast /btime the horn had red almost immediately. Everyone knew it. Panic took over as the Alphas surged forward like children scrambling for candy, only this candy could cost you your life.

Caught up in the chaos, I was shoved forward, boxed in by bodies thicker and taller bthan /bbmine/b. Even if I’d wanted to retreat, it was impossible. The crowd was a current and I was forced to swim with bit/bb. /b

Alphas who managed to grab their chits wore twisted expressions–some bitter, others downright horrified. Judging by their bfaces/b, none of us were about to be bchasing /brabbits.

“Shit, I got a leopard!” someone groaned in the bdistance/b.

My eyes snapped toward the voice. A leopard? Seriously?

If there were leopards in that forest, this would be bworse /bbthan /bI thought…

bI /bkept listening–trying to piece together what else might be lurking in that cursed bce/b–until bfinally/b, the Alphas ahead of me cleared. With the pressure behind me increasing, lunged forward and snatched a chit from the jar.

Just as I bwas /babout to unfold it. I felt a hand.

bNot /bjust a touch–a squeeze on my ass.

A vition.

My blood ran cold, beforeva surged through me, scorching bevery /bnerve. Phina broared awake /binside me like a storm

I bspun /bbaround /band smacked the bastard with beverything /bI had.

The bsmack /bechoed across the field like a gunshot

LISPU

Chapter 19 A Smack

+8 Pearls

Gasps exploded all around me as the crowd parted in stunned silence. The Alpha I’d just smacked straightened slowly, a red handprint blossoming across his face.

Alpha bAsher /b

“Holy fuck, the new guy hit Ronan’s friend!”

“He’s bdead/b. So fucking dead!”

You son of a bitch, Asher growled, his voice like a bcracking /bstone. “You’re dead today!”

He lunged, fist raised. I jumped back, bracing to bstrike /bbagain/b–but someone beat him to it.

Ronan stepped between us in a sh, his violet eyes aze with fury–but not at Asher.

At me

“How dare you bp /bhim?!” he snarled, stepping closer, his angerced with something darker.

I stood my ground, eyes zing. “Is he a god now?! He touched me! It’s a bmiracle /bI didn’t break his entire face.”

Ronan halted, just an inch from me. “He touched you?”

There was a flicker–just a flicker–of hesitation in his eyes.

But Asher immediately cut in from behind.

“He’s lying!” bhe /broared. “Why the fuck would I touch him?!”

Ronan’s hesitation snapped like a twig.

His jaw tightened. His hands balled into fists.

“You lied, huh?” he growled, grabbing bmy /barms with such force I swore something cracked. Pain shot through me, but I gritted my teeth.

“I didn’t!” I hissed, struggling in his grasp, rage boiling over. “Let bgo /bof me!”

Unseen in the crowd, Dante watched the unfolding chaos with a wicked grin, while Reed smirked with quiet satisfaction from

the shadows.

“Asher doesn’t lie!” Ronan shouted, his wolf wing at the surface. “He’s my friend–I trust bhim/bb!/b”

“Well, that’s your problem!” I barked. “bYour /bperverted friend touched me, and I gave him exactly what he deserved!”

bPhina’s /bvoiceyered over mine, her presence zing.

“You’re lying!” Asher spat.

“He knows what he did!” I cut in. “He’s bjust /btoo much of a coward to admit it.”

Before I could finish bRonan /bseized my jaw and leaned in close, voice dripping venom. “Watch your mouth, Seth Darven. bAnd /bapologize Now”

I gripped his bhand /band yanked it away. I stared into his eyes.

“Over My Dead Body”

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