RONAN

    Later, the academy wolves came to clean the mess in the clearing. Alpha Jude left without ceremony, not wanting to disturb the party, while Healer Aran lingered, barking orders and imposing the work on the wolves under him. His assistants carried Reed away in silence.

    The party resumed, though the air was different now, muted. Some of the Alphas had gone quiet, their earlier arrogance tamed. Cassius had slunk away, humiliated, his pride stripped in front of everyone.

    I sat back, wine in hand, but my attention never left her.

    Across the clearing, Seraphina stood beside Grace, who seemed determined to chatter her ear off. Seraphina responded with controlled grace, offering augh here, a polite tilt of her head there. The way she stood shoulders straight, chin lifted, radiated a masculine aura. What caught me most off guard was thatugh. Rare, unguarded, real. For months I hadn’t seen her speak

    O freely, let alone smile like that.

    My wolf stirred, pushing forward, its eyes wanting to merge with mine just to catch a glimpse of her truest self. A self no disguise could ever strip from her.

    I had been looking for a chance to talk to her but Grace was with her almost the entire time.

    “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Asher’s voice came low from beside me. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed where mine were.

    I didn’t respond. I only drank.

    “More than Gracei,/ii” /ihe added.

    I blinked once, slowly, and lifted the ss again. His gaze burned on the side of my face, waiting for something, anything.

    A momentter, he chuckled dryly, reaching for a cigarette. “At least pretend to be surprised, so I don’t feel like a fool for realizing it thiste.” A faint irritation undercut his words.

    “I wasn’t surprised even when I first learned,” I said tly, my eyes still on her. “From the beginning I suspected, and eventually the truth confirmed itself. No point in faking surprise for your sake.”

    His tone dropped, low and edged. “Then why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

    Chapter 140 What The Actual Fuck

    I lowered the ss, finally meeting his eyes. “Why should I? It’s her disguise. Her secret.”

    His breathing shifted, growing heavier. “We’ve shared everything since childhood. Since when do you decide what’s too much to share with me?”

    I tilted my head, studying him. “What’s with you all of a sudden?” My voice hardened. “Why does this bother you so much? Her secret, her presence has nothing to do with our friendship. Are you truly mad that I didn’t tell you, or is there another reason?”

    His eyes flickered, a shift I caught instantly, the one I had suspected.

    I exhaled through my nose, gaze sliding back ito /iher. “Yes, we shared everything once. However, therees a point where isome /ithings stay unspoken because they don’t concern a third person. They only belong to two.”

    He frowned, confused. “What do you mean by that?”

    I turned fully towards him, my voice firm and certain. “I mean that I love her,” I revealed without blinking.

    He went rigid. I continued, unflinching. “She is my desire. My need. My everything. She is mine to im in every way. I will never let another man take her from me, even if it costs me my life.”

    The wordsnded heavy between us, silencing himpletely. Around us, Grace’s ivoice /icut through the air, announcing the start of the final task for the scroll. Excitement rippled through the clearing, but none of it touched the space between Asher and I.

    A few momentster, he dropped his cigarette and stood. Without a word, without looking at me, he walked away leaving the party.

    I leaned back, eyes on the task beginning across the clearing, but my mind was not on thepetition.

    It was on Asher.

    And the reaction that had just confirmed the suspicion I loathed to admit.

    The howls and cheers pulled my attention back to the clearing. The Alphas had formed arge circle, inside it fifteen of them fought tooth and nail. It didn’t take me long to understand the rules, this was a Last Man Standing.

    Chapter 140 What The Actual Fuck

    Anyone forced out of the circle was eliminated.

    In the blink of an eye, three bodies went flying across the dirt. Shock rippled through the clearing, but my eyes narrowed at the one responsible. Ryker.

    He stood in the middle as if he owned it, cigarette still perched between his lips, his blue eyes burning with cold amusement. Alphas came at him like moths to a me, and one by one, he swatted them aside. He didn’t chase. He didn’t need to. They came to him, stupidly, arrogantly, only to be left broken.

    Five were gone before they even realized what hit them. The rest tried teaming up, desperation making them bold. But within seconds, the ground was littered with groaning bodies.

    Thirty seconds that was all it took.

    Crossing my arms, I leaned back against the chair, watching the so–called warriors humiliated. The strongest, most prideful Alphas of their packs, scattered like children, while Ryker stood tall, unbothered, smoke curlingzily from his cigarette.

    He didn’t even break a sweat.

    “He won the scroll,” Verkas rumbled inside my head.

    I exhaled slowly, fingers brushing against the cigarette at the edge of the table. I had no interest in that damned scroll from the beginning. My only reason for stepping into these tasks was Seraphina. After refusing the task on the day of the freak storm, I was disqualified frompeting for the prize

    anyway.

    I stood, ready to leave, when something struck me mid–step.

    Seraphina.

    Why wasn’t she in the circle? She had been part of the waterfall task. She should’ve been here.

    My brows furrowed. I turned, searching for her among the crowd. That was when Grace’s voice rang out, slicing through the noise:

    “Since Alpha Ryker has won the bLast /bMan Standing, the final task for the scroll will be fought between Alpha Ryker and Alpha Seth Darven!”

    I froze.

    Chapter 140 What The Actual Fuck

    What?

    My eyes darted back to Grace, reying her words in my head. This wasn’t the final task. This was just the qualifier. The winner wasn’t crowned yet. No, the winner had to face…her.

    My gaze shot toward Ryker, who was smiling handsomely across the clearing, eyes glinting like a predator.

    Then, faster than thought, I turned.

    There she was.

    Seraphina. Standing under the shadow of a tree, her posture rigid, eyes intensely locked with Ryker.

    My jaw locked so tight my teeth ached.

    “The final task between them will be,” Grace stepped forward and revealed, “arm wrestling,”

    The clearing dropped into dead silence and my mind also went nk. An arm wrestling between Ryker and Seraphina?!

    Verkas snarled in my head, ws raking against the walls of my mind.

    “What the actual fuck did she just say?”

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