Chapter 41 Decision

THIRD PERSON POV

Behind the closed doors of the Alpha Instructors‘ office, silence reigned. The air was heavy with unspoken thoughts until Alpha Hugo leaned back in his bchair /bwith ba /bweary groan.

“None of them are innocent.”

Alpha Jude snorted coldly. “Like we didn’t already fucking know that from the beginning. Let’s not pretend. We’ve all known for a while, no Alpha in this Academy is pure. They’re beasts when we’re not looking.”

Hugo nodded grimly. “But this time, it’s gone btoo /bfar. This isn’t just bullying, posturing, or the usual in–fighting we bmight /boverlook. This is something darker–deliberate tampering, provoked ruts, violence that nearly escted beyond control… and all of it buried beneath ba /bbweb /bof lies btoo /btangled to unravel without concrete proof or willing witnesses.”

Jude’s jaw clenched. “This all bhas /bbe difficult due to Ronan and Dante. I can clearly sense that Dante is the one who brought the berry into the mix but Ronan is not clean at all. He should have brought bthis /bmatter to the instructors otherwise this situation would not have reached this point. Not to forget he actually sat in that building band /bwatched the in–fighting Jinstead of stopping it. Even without violence his crime is no less than Dante’s. And I don’t even want to fuicking start with

Reed and Casisus, he furiously growled, crushing the note in his palm.

Both Hugo and Jude turned to bAlpha /bGideon, who had remained stoically silent. Their voices dropped low with gravity.

“What do we do now, Gideon? This isn’t something that can be cleaned up with the expulsion of one bAlpha/b. Seven are involved. Seven, Jude emphasized. b“/bAnd every one of them is from an influential bloodline. Two are direct heirs. While we can sense who the real victim is, we don’t have the solid evidence to punish the true instigators.”

Hugo added, “And if we don’t resolve bthis /bquickly and quietly, this scandal will spread beyond these walls. The Council bwill /bhear of it. And if it breaches /bthe Alpha King…”

He trailed off, bbut /bthe implication lingered in the air like a storm cloud.

“To be bfrank/b,” Hugo continued, “if that cologne tampering had seeded, it wouldn’t just be a petty matter. Alpha Seth Darven’s bname /bwas on the bline/b. His background, his pack–they carry enormous weight. And the other bAlpha /bwho was almost dragged into this? Ronan. I don’t need to tell either of you what it means to bprovoke /bsomeone from that bloodline. And then Dante’s bloodline…”

Alpha Gideon exhaled heavily, his jaw tightening. b“/bbThis /bis a unique case. One bwhere /bchoosing ba /bsideb–/bany side–risks. btoppling /bthe Academy’s breputation/b. If we act with justice, it could be interpreted as bias. If we bremain /bneutral, we fail our duties. bAnd /bif this reaches the wrong ears…”

He didn’t bfinish/b. He didn’t have to.

Silence descended again, thick band /bbsuffocating/b.

Finally, bAlpha /bHugo broke it. “Then bwhat /bbdo /bwe do, Gideon? We can’t deliver bproper /bbjustice/b. But we also can’t ignore what’s happened.”

bAlphia /bGideon’s beyes /bwere steely as he slowly brose /bfrom bhis /bseat, shoulders squared bbeneath /bthe bweight /bof authority band /bconsequence. His voice was bsharp/b, resolute.

I have already made my decision.”

SERAPHINA

The bhallway /bfelt suffocating

No one spoke, though many looked like they bwanted /bto. bAn /bbassistant /bAlpha instructor stood nearby, ensuring silence reigned. But that didn’t bstop /bbReed /band bCassius /bfrom ring daggers at me. I refused to even bnce /bin bDante’s /bbdirection/b, though the uppressive weight of his furious baura /bfilled the air like a thunderstorm waiting to bbreak/b.

I didn’t care about anyone’s hatred or hostility. My future was dangling by a thread, and the panic pounding bin /bmy chest threatened to bchoke /bme. I didn’t notice that across from me, Ronan had been leaning against the wall, his eyes locked on the entire time. He had noticed, my nails scratching at my own skin so relentlessly that blood had started to drip down my fingers. I bhadn’t /beven felt it. bNo /bbpain/b. No sting. Just numbness.

11:49 AM p p

Chapter 41 Decision

+8 Pearls

Sometimeter, when the doors finally opened, the tension in the hallway spiked. Every Alpha standing outside straightened. instinctively bracing as the instructors stepped out–grim–faced, their silence more punishing than any spoken word. My heart started drumming in my chest.

Alpha Gideon’s gaze bswept /bacross on us like a de.

“What happened has tarnished the name of Lupine Academy. This isn’t some brawl or juvenile mischief. bThis /bwas a calcted attempt to destroy the reputation of a fellow bAlpha /bthrough illegal substances, maniption, and force.”

No one moved.

Reed had gone pale. Cassius looked like he wanted to disappear. Even Dante’s confident stance had a crack in it now–his arms crossed too tightly, his jaw clenched in silent rage.

“We have no concrete evidence to bpursue /bba /bfull tribunal,” Alpha Gideon continued. “No official witnesses willing to testify to every act. But we do have enough to deliver judgment.”

He then set his eyes on Reed band /bCassius.

“Reed and Cassius, for your role in inciting violence, manipting fellow Alphas, and contributing to a bullying band /bviolence through intimidation, not to mention the sinful act of provoking nut from the other Alphas, your punishments are as follows:”

Reed and Cassius held their breaths as Alpha Jude announced. “You are hereby stripped of your dorm privileges. Effective immediately, you will be removed from your rooms and relocated to isted quarters on opposite ends of the Academy. You are forbidden from interacting with each other for as long as you attend the Lupine Academy or even be seen bin /bthe bsame /bvicinity unless under instructor supervision. No warning will be given if the orders are not followed. It bwill /bjust lead to a direct expulsion.”

“What?” Cassius’s face drained of color.

Reed’s jaw dropped in shock and he looked like he had been paralyzed.

Alpha Jude added darkly, “And as a personal reminder: every instructor will have eyes on you both. One misstep–bjust /bone-

and you’re out.”

“Your families will be notified. And let’s see bhow /bproud they feel now.

The wordsnded like stones for them.

“Alpha Ronan and bAlpha /bDante,” Alpha Gideon turned to bthem/b, gaze hard.

“Alpha Dante your involvement is still under investigation due to insufficient direct proof, but byour /bindirect influence and presence in this scandal are undeniable.”

bDante’s /bface remained still, but his eyes bdarkened /blike storm clouds,

“And Alpha bRonan/b, your actions of keeping bsilent /bbactually /bmade the bspark /binto fire. And this scandal bgot /bto such an ugly bstage/bb./bb” /b

bRonan’s /bexpression hardened.

Alpha Gideon paused and looked between the btwo /bof them as he bannounced/b, “yos, btwo /bare stripped of your hierarchy ranks!”

Dante’s beyes /bbwidened /bwhile bRonan /bwas indifferent. Both of them stared bat /bthe Alpha instructor as if they were about bto /bshed blood

bAlpha /bHugo added grily. “Now you two are like other wolves, that means byou /bare also stripped of the bfacilities /bthe hierarclues are given. Moreover, if either of byou /bbare /binvolved in any other scandal or fight in the future, byou /bwill face the

bconsequences /bbeyond banything /bbthat /byou bcould /bbhave /bbnever /bimagined.”

The words boomed like a curse in the hallway bleaving /beveryone, even me, shocked and speechless to no end. My heart froze as I looked bat /bDante Hisposure was fracturing. bRage /bdanced behind his eyes like wildfire, but he held it bback/b–barely ben looked at Ronan I didn’t know if it was fate or coincidence, bbut /bhe looked at me at the same moment There was anger in his eyes. No hatred just something hollow, unreadable–and for some reason, it struck me harder than any punishment.

11:49 AM

Chapter 41 Decision

“As for Alpha Seth Alpha Gideon started. I tore my eyes from Ronan and looked at him.

+8 Pearts

Everyone’s eyes focused on me bas /bI met the three Alphas gazes without blinking. I had said I would ept even expulsion if they allowed the hearing. And now I was ready for my consequences.

The three instructors exchanged looks once before Alpha Gideon started. “You defended yourself with force, but under extreme provocation. Still you used violence and bwere /binvolved with in–fighting. Your punishment stands as monitored probation. bYou /bbwill /bbe assigned to an instructor for behavioral guidance andbat discipline. Since it was an act of defense. I btake /bback my decision of your expulsion from the Academy.”

I forgot to breathe. What bdid /bI just hear? My bexpulsion/bb…/bthey stopped it.

Unknown to me Ronan had been looking at me the whole time, his lips curling when my face regained color and I breathed again.

“Everyone go bback /bto your training. bAlpha /bJude ordered.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor as the crowd dispersed, but I couldn’t move. The three instructors were still bstaring /bat

Alpha Gideon stepped forward. He stopped just a bhand’s /bbreadth away and looked me in the eyeb. /b

“As a man. I’ll admit–if I were in your ce, I would have torn those btwo /binto a thousand pieces.”

He held my gaze for a long moment. Then he turned and walked away, Hugo and bJude /bfollowing behind.

The hallway was empty now.

I stood alone, motionless, eyes slowly drifting bshut/b. My body had gone cold, weighed down by everything I had endured.

I had done it

I had stopped the expulsion.

My hands trembled at my sides. And the next thing I knew, my head spun.

The world tilted sharply.

! blost /bmy bnce.

But bdidn’t /bhit the floor.

trong and firm baround /bmy waist.

An arm caught bme /bmid–fall, strong

Gaping, I slowly opened my eyes, bvision /bblurry with bexhaustion/b, emotions, and confusion. Someone was holding meb. /bL forced

bmy /b

bvision /bto clear but could not see.

“What are you…” I whispered under my breath bbefore /bI was slowly pulled into the darkness unable to hear what he whispered

in bmy /bears

“You can stand btall /bin front of beveryone/b.. bbut /bwhen you fall, you bfall /bbinto /bme.”

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