Chapter 79 Snap

SERAPHINA

The Next bDay/b:

Thete morning sun filtered through the high academy windows, bgilding /bthe halls with light. My arms ache slightly under the weight of the box I held against my chest, but I didn’t care.

I was bfree/bb. /b

After so many days that actually felt like forever, I bwasn’t /bunder suspicion, wasn’t locked away in that prison–like suffocating room. Though it had an attached bathroom band /bbeven /bba /bwindow, it felt more blike /ba gilded cage than any bsort /bof living space.

But now…now I was allowed back into my room.

My dorm room.

I pushed the door open with my shoulder band /bstepped inside, the familiar scent of clean linen and pine–scented soap Jinstantly grounding me. My bed was exactly the way I’d left it–neatly made, the darkforter folded at the foot.

1 inhaled deeply and smiled bfaintly/b. Home. Or at least, the closest thing to it.

Setting the box down on the bed, I moved around the room, returning everything to its ce–myb, the bcracked /bmug I kept for tea, my worn training pants, and the old photo of my mother that I always kept safely in the drawer.

However, looking at her, the dream I had with her and Dante the other bday /bonce bagain /bappeared in my mind.

In breality /bI still could not believe that Dante was deadb. /bHe was like a ghost living inside my mind, chasing me andughing as he shouted at me to b‘/bRunb. /b

The bmost /bterrifying fact about the bwhole /bexchange was that he knew my real name. My chest tightened. How could he know

my name?

No matter how clear my name was, nothing about his death sat right with me. He had been a monster in the end….but who killed him?

I shook my head, pushing the thoughts down bas /bI walked to the mirror. With a sigh, I peeled off my uniform shirt, then the rest of my clothes, until 1 stood in front of the bmirror /bin nothing but the binding around my chest and my ck cotton

underwearb. /b

That’s when it hit me.

I had no injuries.

Not a scratch. No bruises, no bloodied knucklesb, /bor twisted bjoints/b. For bthe /bbfirst /bbtime /bbsince /bbentering /bbthis /bAcademy, I’d returned from ba /btrialpletely unharmed. Because of him.

Konan

My breathing bslowed /bbat /bthe thought of bhim/b. I bslowly /bbran /bbmy /bbfingertips /bbalong /bthe smooin skin of bmy /bbwaist/b, remembering his arm around me band /bhis bhand /bpossessively holding mine as we bran /bthrough the brain/b, his fingers gripping mine like they’d never let go

His bvoice /byed in my head–low, rough, bteasing/b. “Give me ba /bbkiss/b.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and curled up bon /bthe bed, heart thudding so wildly I could feel the pulse in my throat. Why bdid his /bvoice linger in my bears /blike a song I couldn’t shake?

“Why the hell am I thinking about hun?” I bit my lips band /bclutched my chest.

F’dineant to rest for only a moment, bbut /bsleep dragged me under fast, cradled in the bwarmth /bof memories I couldn’t boutrun/b.

The loud ng of the lunch bell jolted me awake.

I shot upright, eyes wide. “Shut”

Chapter 79 Snap

+8 Pearls

It was in the afternoon.

Throwing off the nket, I scrambled into bmy /buniform, brushing out my hair with bquick /bfingers. My stomach growled like it bhad /ba grudge. If I got therete again, those assholes would eat everythingb. /bAnd I wasn’t about to bmiss /banother meal

I rushed out into the bhall /band bweaved /bbthrough /ba corridor buzzing withte stragglers. But then-

A chill swept across my skin like a drop of ice bdown /bmy spine.

My wolf went rigid inside me, balert/b. Danger. High–level danger.

My body paused mid–stride, heart thudding, bbreath /bstilled.

Someone had just passed me.

A tall man in the Academy uniform, walking confidently down the corridor. His back was straight, his steps calcted band /bcold. The auraing off him was like knives in the air–sharp, deadly, and powerful enough to bring even ban /bAlpha to his knees.

Who?

Iturned, but the moment I caught sight of bhim /bagain…he was gone.

Someone bumped my shoulder hard, breaking the moment. “Watch it,” the man grumbled. I blinked, then shook my bhead/b. trying to chase off the lingering chill crawling down my spine. There was no one there.

“Did I imagine?” I asked myself.

I exhaled and moved toward the cafeteria, brushing the incident off.

The cafeteria was loud, as usual. Conversations dulled as I entered, but I kept my chin high, ignoring the eyes bthat /bburned holes into my back and the low, using murmurs trailing bbehind /bme like ghosts.

I sat alone at a table by the window, focusing on the tray in front of me. Food. Just eat.

“Looks so delicious,” I stabbed at my roasted meat and potatoes, enjoying it fully and also noticing Finn had yet toe. Asher was also not there and Ronan either.

“Wait, bwhy /bwas I looking bfor /bhim?” I clenched the fork harder, scolding myself..

Focusing bback /binto bthe /bfood bas /bI was halfway through, shadows fell across my table.

My hand froze. Not bagain/b.

Cassius and Reed.

With them, the rest of their venomous little entourage. They moved like snakes–slow, slithering, and smiling far too sweetly bto /bmean anything bgood/bb. /b

Reed bsat /bacross bfrom /bme with bCassius /bband /bleaned in, barms /bfolded. “So, Seth,” he sneered, “what strings bdid /byou pull to bweasel /bout of a murder charges?”

As expected they could bnot /bbdigest /bthe fact that I was bnot /bthe murderer and bwas /bstill in the Academy. I ignored them band /bcontinued caling

Cassius scoffed. “bMust’ve /bgiven the investigator a really good time”

They allughed.

“His ass must be worn out then someone said loudly bto /bmake everyoneugh.

I didn’t stop chewing. Didn’t look up I calmly reached for my cup

Too proud to answer now just because you escaped this btime/b, you little bfucker/b? Reed pushed, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. “Or do you think you are some kind of big shot because you bmade /bit back aftermitting a murder? Should I bbe /bscared of you now?” heughed loudly with othe

11:54 AM PP

Chapter 79 Snap

+8 Pearls

But no matter how low theirments became they could not get a response from me. Suddenly Cassius reached over and dipped his fingers into my food, scooping up a bite and shoving it into his mouth with exaggerated delight.

My fork froze in my bfood /bas I slowly lifted my gaze and met his re, “Hey Tiny, how dare you give us the silent treatment? I bwill /bfucking smash that pretty face of yours and pull your gut out.”

Reed purred, “Cassius, don’t smash this pretty face…” he put his finger under my bchin /band grinned. “…Until I get a good fuck out of his little bass /btoday.”

Everyoneughed and one of them said. “Geez, you are so horny that you are willing to do it with a dude?”

“Dude? All I see is a eunuch?”

?” Cassius sneered, “But as long as there is a hole, it does matter to me either.”

Reed bmet /bmy bgaze/b, “See, now Cassius also wants to bhave /ba piece of your ass, What do you say, Seth? bTiny /btools like yours are as useless as your existence here, how about pleasuring us through your.”

Snap

“AHHHHHHH… Reed’s scream startled everyone in the cafe.

As ban /buproar broke out, “HE BROKE REED’S WRIST!”