Chapter 25 Victory Breakfast

SERAPHINA

b“/bAlpha Seth.”

A deep,manding voice cut through the moment Ronan and I bshared/b.

Still crouched high in the trees, we both turned our gazes downward. The bisons had dispersed, and bstanding /bbin /btheir ce. staring up at us bwith /bcold intensity, was bAlpha /bGideon.

I immediately understood the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, I leapt down from the tree,nding just a breath away from Alpha Gideon’s towering frame.

“What was that, Alpha Seth?” he asked, raising a single brow. It bwas /bthe first time he had ever directly spoken to

There was a saying in the Lupine Academy that you would want to meet death rather than Alpha Gideon. The wolf lived for rules band /bregtionb, /bhating weak offenders. A man whose attention meant your banishment from the Academy, it was better to pack your bags band /bwalk 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 bthat /bbarely any Alphas could handle. And right bnow /bI earned bthat /bbeastly Alpha’s attention.

bI /bmet his eyes squarely. “The bisons or the fire, Alphab?/b”

His eyes narrowed. “The fire,” bhe /bsaid. “You started a ze bin /bbthe /bforest to drive the bison here, but how exactly do you n to take responsibility for the damage? Does your victorye 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, brealization /bdawning as he met my gazeb. /b

bgave /bba /bsingle nod. “The fire was a tool, not a weapon. It was never meant to destroy, only to provoke the bison. No forest, nó creature, bwas /bbever /bbin /bdanger.”

Alpha Gideon looked past me band /baddressed the figure behind me. “What do you say, Alpha Ronan?”

I froze.

Ronan was still behind me? bWas /bhe 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 bcalmly/b. “He used the rules to bhis /badvantage and found a loophole. Nows were broken. The fire was controlled, band /bthe goal was achieved. I see no issueb, /bbAlpha/bb./b”

I tilted my head slightly, eyes ncing at himb. /bI bhadn’t /bexpected Ronan to defend me.

A bsmall /bsmile curved bAlpha /bGideon’s lips. “Interesting,” he said, looking between bus/bb, /bThen he turned and bgave /ba simplemand: “Join the others.”

1 exhaled quietly. Thank the Goddess he hadn’t turned it into a bigger bissue/b. But before I could walk away, I remembered Ronan was still there. Too quiet. Too bclose/b.

I could feel his bgaze /blingering on my neck. His breath ghosted across my bhair/b, warm and bintentional/b.

Panic coiled in my chest,

Without another thought, I lifted my legs and strode off in long, purposeful steps, refusing to look bback/b.

What was that?

Why was he bso /bbclose/b?

Chapter 25 Victory Breakfast

+8 Pearls

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,den with steaming tters bof /broasted game, fresh fruit, and pitchers of bjuice /band wine. The air was bthick /bwith the scent of meat and pine.

They called it a Victory Breakfast.

Alpha Gideon stepped forward band /braised his wine ss.

“This meal marks your triumph. Let it remind you that every victory is hard–earned–and every bite, a testament to byour /bworth as Alphas.”

Around the clearing, packs of freshly washed bAlphas /bhowled in btriumph /band clinked their tankards together. Private bshower /bstalls 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 ck set, snug, sterile, band /bfar btoo /bclean to feel like mine.

The Alpha Instructors mingled bamong /bthemselves, leaving us to our celebration. The atmosphere was lively, loud with Jaughter band /badrenaline–but my bmind /bwas stuck on Ronan’s whispered words.

“I saw a white she–wolf in bthe /bwoods. Did you see it too?”

My breath caught

Why would he bring that up!

He hadn’t reacted at all when I was bin /bmy wolf form, didn’t so much as flinch. But now, when I was standing here bas /bbSeth/bb, /bhe 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 bmachine/b.

“Hm?” I blinked up at him, still dazed.

“You were about to burn yourself,” he said with a teasing grin. “Where’s your bhead /bat, champion?”

I brolled /bmy eyes. “Don’t call me that

Finn chuckled. “But you are the champion. Look around–byou’ll /bsee what I mean.”

I did, and he was right.

Eyes were on me.

Some stared with open surprise. Others whispered behind tankards, their nces sharp and spective. A few those who hated what they couldn’t predict, red with something darker.

bBecause /bI had returned.

And I had won.

“No one expected you to storm in just before bsunrise/b,” bFinn /bsaid, grinning. “Not with a hundred bison thundering behind you, while the rest of us dragged in thest of our catches. You were bloodied but victorious. Every jaw dropped.”

bI /bsmirked, reaching for a te of sizzling steaks the bcook /bhad just set out. “I wasn’t trying to bprove /bbanything /bto them. I was just focused on bfinishing /bbthe /btrial. They judged me for my size–but I don’t give ba /bdamn what they think. Anyone who bgets /bbin /bmy bway/b” My eyes flicked toward a cluster of bAlphas /bwatching me coldly. “I’ll tear them down.”

Finn’s smile faded slightly, bsensing /bthe btension/b. “Careful,” he bmurmured/b. “the Alpha bInstructors /bare still watching/

“I need water,

Without banother /bword, I walked away.

I grabbed a bottle, then headed toward the opposite

beneath a tree and sat down alone with my food. The wind rustled gently through the leaves. Peaceful, just what I needed.

But the peace didn’tst.

A presence. I felt it.

I turned my head, and nearly choked on my own bspit/b.

Ronan

Leaning against another tree just bacross /bfrom me, smoking casually. His gaze locked on mine, unflinching.

Had he been watching me this whole time?

And then, he said the bmost /babsurd thing I’d ever heard.

“Are you following me?”

“What?!” I choked..