Chapter 71 Saved For You

SERAPHINA

My heart skipped a beat when his lips brushed slightly against mine.

I didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to move, when Ronan slid his fingers–slow, deliberate- even deeper into my rain–soaked bhair/b, my knees balmost /bgave out.

The strands clung to his hand like they belonged there. His touch wasn’t rough or aggressive. It was reverent. Worshipful.. Like he was touching something sacred, forbidden, and holy all at once.

Then there were his eyes. Those beautiful violet eyes watched me like I was a myth unraveling before him.

He was breathless.

So was I.

His gaze dipped to my lips, then lower, dragging over every inch of skin the rain had revealed. It bwasn’t /blust alone. It was something dangerous, like he wanted to consume me. Not just my body. Me.

When was thest time a man touched me like this? Never. I never gave a man permission to get this close to me in the past. I was an untouchable fire that no one dared to y with. Except Ronanb…/bhe was not only touching my body but reaching a forbidden part of myself that I had locked away.

I should’ve pped him.

Should’ve cursed him, pushed him, screamed until he bled for the way he ripped the disguise I’d built around myself bwith /bsuch care.

But all I could do was pull baway/bb. /b

Not as quickly as I wanted. Not as harshly as I intended. It came out soft, like the hesitant touch between lovers, and that only made my heart race faster.

My face burnt bwith /ba heat I could not exin, my heart mmed against my ribs like it was trying to escape my chest, like it didn’t know whose side it was on anymore. I couldn’t meet his gaze. I didn’t dare. Because if I looked into his eyes again, I was afraid I’d forget every reason I had to hate bhim/b.

Phina, my wolf, was no better. She bwasn’t /bbgrowling /bor resisting him. She was still. Watching. Almost…drawn to him. To hist wolf who bwas /bstill watching us.

1 turned baround/bb, /bchest heaving, arms crossed to hide what little modesty I still had. The rain drenched me, heavy and relentless, like the sky itself was trying to peel away everything I’d hidden. The binding around my chest soaked and slipped.

I had to get out. I had to

Even if I didn’t know the way. bEven /bif this forest bwas /bkeeping me from leaving, I’d rather be alone bthan /bstand here half bnaked/b. I started walking without looking bback /bat him.

“Seraphina,” bhis /bbvoice /bwas blow /bbehind me, like bvelvet /bband /bsmoke. And then I heard his footsteps.

“Lion‘.” Thissed, voice cracking as I kept walking. “Don’t be /bnear me”

But he bdid /b

Before I could take another step, his hand curled around my bwrist/b. “The forest is dangerous.”

Ispun around and bsnapped/b. “bLet /bme go!”

ine

He didn’t. His grip was firm but not cruel. He nkly stared into my eyes while his band bkept /bholding the like a chain curled around my wrist

“I said it bgu/b” I tried yanking free, fire band /bhumiliation rising in my throat like bile: “Are you not satisfied yet? What more do you want it me?” I screamed, the sound ripping through the trees like a wounded animal.

b11.53 /bA

Chapter 71 Saved For You

He didn’t speak.

Not at first.

+8 Pearls

But his eyes, still so damn possessive, still devouring me like he couldn’t get enough–stared down at me with something that should’ve made me p him again. Instead, it made the panic thrum harder in my

chest.

Why wouldn’t he speak? Why did he blook /blike he bwas /babout to pounce on me?

Then suddenly-

BOOM!

A red light shot into the sky, burning through the dark canopy.

1 flinched and looked up in the evening sky. “What the hell was that?”

Another red re lit the sky, equally loud, its tail trailing crimson sparks before vanishing into the clouds.

Ronan’s face changed.

He cursed under his breath. “Shit.” Then without warning, he grabbed my hand again, tighter bthis /btime, and took off running. “We have to run

I gasped, finding myself unknowingly matching his pace. “What’s going on?! Where are you taking me?!”

His expression was stern and deadly serious, “Deep into the woods,” he said, yanking me behind him, rain pping our faces as we ran through the thick brush. “We don’t have time.

“For bwhat/b?”

He nced bback /bat me, eyes zing. “This is the trial.”

“A trial!”

My feet faltered “A trial?”

“The Survival Trial,” he said. “An overnight survival trial in this forest. No teams. No guides. One night in the bforest/b. With a hunter after you.”

My blood went cold. “A hunter? A real werewolf hunter?”

“Not sure,” he murmured, dodging a low branch and pulling me along with him. “The only information given is that one trained assassin is sent into the forest. Their aim is to hunt down the Alpha. And your job? Survive.

“And those red lights? I could not help but ask.

“They give away the locations. Two res. The first one reveals where the hunter is. Second one..” He paused. “It breveals /bthe hunt’s location.”

My stomach dropped.

“Which means now the hunter knows our location,” he said.

He exined the trial in the short. However, it made me brealize /bsomething else.

“Why the hell are you making me brun/b? bl’im /bnot

ot even i

part of this bdanm /btrial-

“It doesn’t matter, he cut in sharply, his voice like steel. “You’re bwith /bme now.”

I stared at him, disbelief flooding bmy /bchest. “With you?” bI /bsnapped, trying to byank /bmy hand free. “Let bgo /bof me. I can walk out

this forest unharmed. You can by /bthis ridiculous game alone”

He abruptly stopped. His eyes locked with mine, piercing, bunreadable/b.

“You really have the heart rave bme /bbehind

sharp,tterugh 11 you want the truth. I’ve go

throw you to the hunter myself

b11:53 /bAM

Chapter 71 Saved For You

His jaw twitched as he stepped closer. “So you don’t care about me at all?”

+8 Pearls

My breath caught. Where was this conversation going? I forced my voice to steady even as my pulse thrashed. “Why would I care about you?” I muttered, frowning as I backed away.

“Stop lying. His hand shot out, grabbing my arm and pulling me against his chest.

My heart jumped violently as I met the bheat /bbin /bbhis /bgaze. “Lie? bWhat /bare you-

Before I could finish, he suddenly lifted me off the ground and flung me over his shoulder.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Rouan!” I hissed, btoo /bafraid to raise my voice in case the hunter heard us. I pounded my fists against his back, wing at him. “Let me down! Where bare /byou taking me?!”

But he said nothing.

He didn’t flinch..

He moved like a man possessed, cutting through the bwoods /bwith terrifying purpose. His aura was sharp, seething, like barely caged fury.

Eventually, he entered a cave–like opening hidden beneath a thick curtain of vines. The air bwas /bbdamp/b, the stone cold. He dropped me down without warning and before I could push him awayb, /bhis entire body pressed into mine, caging me between the wall and his heat.

“What the hell are you doing, Ronan?” I snapped, but something cold slithered down my spine. A strange fear crept in, one I bhadn’t /bfelt before. We were alone. He was strong. No one could hear me scream out here.

He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear.

“I’m hard,” Ronan whispered.

My breath hitched violently. My heart crashed inside my ribs.

“bYou/b–You bbastard/b,” I stammered. “If you try anything, I swear to the Goddess, I’ll kill you.”

I meant it.

Mostly.

But when his bface /bdipped lower and bcame /bso bclose/b, I bsqueezed /bmy eyes shut on instinct, bracing for something–banything/b.

“Seraphina,” he whispered bagain/b.

bSomething /bin his tone made me slowly open my eyes. Our gazes locked, and the storm in his beyes /bstilled. “I want to tell you something,” he said softly. “Something no one else knows.”

My bthroat /bdried. Despite everything, I asked, “What?”

He bexhaled /bdeeply, then bgently /bbtook /bmy bhand /bin bhis /bband /bguided it to his chest. His heart was racing under my palm,

“I’m a virgin,” he said.

I wentpletely still.

What?

This Alphat The arrogant, domineering wolf who haunted every inch of my sanity!

Id always imagined he was the kind of man who devoured bhearts /bblike /bcandy, not the kind who’d bsaved /bhis own.

I forgot to breathe. bMy /bbmund /bnked, struggling to process it

Why I blurted bout /bbefore I could stop myself.

11:53 AM PP

Chapter 71 Saved For You

He held my hand tighter to bhis /bheart. His violet eyes burned into mine.

“Because I was saving myself… for you.”

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