Chapter 26 Emotional Distress.

SERAPHINA

“bWhat/b?” I snapped, stunned into disbelief. “You think I’m following you?”

Ronan didn’t blink. He leaned back against the tree trunk, ankle over knee, fingerszily flicking ash off his cigarette. “I don’t think. I observeb. /bAndtely, you’ve been showing up in bces /bI don’t recall inviting you.”

My mind went nk for a moment and bthe /bimagines of him and his wolf chasing me in the forest, hunting me instead of his assigned prey and poking his nose in my business in every possible point shed in my mind. I locked eyes with him, barely holding the bfrustration/b. “Are you high or something?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s you who is always following me. You bare /bthe stalker band /bbully here. Please, I didn’t even see you here. You’re not bthat /bhard to ignore.”

His mouth curved around the cigarette, bslow /bband /bbdevilish/b. “Mm, that’s bnot /bwhat it looked like when you nearly dropped byour/b, te after spotting me.

I gritted my teeth, heat crawling up my bneck/b. Was bthis /bman for real? “That’s because I didn’t expect to find a parasite parked under bmy /btree.

I did not care if he got offended or worse at this bpoint/b. I just wanted to shut bthis /bAlpha’s mouth and wipe that arrogant smirk on his face that screamed that he bwas /ba celebrity chased by a fan girl.

He chuckled, low and husky. Then he pushed off the tree withzy grace, flicking the cigarette away like he was done with it- and everything else. Except me.

He closed the distance in slow, deliberate strides towards me.

“Careful,” he said, his voice lower now, like gravel dragged across velvet. “Parasites tend to get under your skin,” he paused for a moment, his eyes brushing over my lips for a moment before continuing. “Next thing you bknow/b, you’re itching to find them again.”

My bhand /bshook slightly at his meaningful words, “You really think highly of yourself, don’t you?”

His smile didn’t reach his beyes/bb. /b“No, I just know the effect I have on arrogant little Alphas who talk too much and look too blong/bb” /b

My heart gave a violent lurch, but I didn’t bblink/b.

“I wasn’t looking.” I said btly/b.

“Mmb./b” he bmused/b, sliding more closer. His gaze dipped to my lips again like it bdidn’t /bcare whether I noticedb. /b“That’s why your pupils dted the second byou /bsaw me.”

Something inside me snapped, “I bwas /bsurprised. You’re like a rash–showing up where you’re least wanted.” I growled.

He grinned, devilish band /bmaddening. “And yet… here byou /bare. Still talking to the rash.”

I clenched bmy /bfists, “Yeah, I should have walked baway /bthe bmoment /bI bcaught /bbsight /bof you instead of wasting my btime /bhaving bthis /bunpleasant chat. My stupidity. I bstayed /bto spoil my mood band /bappetite. Now it’s time to fix bthe /bmistake,” saying that. 1 reached out to grab my te of food. Then, without asking, without even looking to get my permission, his hand reached. over and bstole /bthergest bpiece /bof bsteak /boff my te.

1 stared at lum, stunned. “Are you serious right now?”

He bit into it slowly, jaw working with the kind of deliberate care that made it feel obscene. His tongue bflicked /bto his bottom. lip, licking the Juice “Hom, medium rare. Bold choice for a champion”

My eyes narrowed to sluts “Touch bmy /bfood again and I’ll break your fingers”

He swallowed unbothered. Didn’t know Alphas bcried /bover a stolen bsteak/bb. /bGuess your appetite is bigger than your bite.”

I met his challenging gaze. “I don’t bite bwithout /bpurpose. But when I do. I draw blood”

His gaze snapped to mine, the bsmirk /bvanishing reced by something quieter Sharper “That supposed to scare me?”

L16PM · P ·

Chapter 26 Emotional Distress

“No.” I said, voice cold as bfrost/b. “It’s a warning: Never touch or steal my food.”

+8 Pearls

He leaned in, licking his bottom lip as he swallowed. “You owed me a meal. For the emotional distress of being called a parasite.”

My fists clenched at bmy /bsides. “You’ll get a punch in bthe /bface, that’s what you’ll get.”

“Promises, promisesb” /b

Silence hung between us. Not empty, electric.

For a moment, neither of us moved. The wind whispered between the trees. The distant voices of Alphasughing around the banquet bfaded /blike background noise.

Then he said. “Funny thing about you, Seth. You walk like a ghost, fight like a wolf, but talk with a confidence babout /beverything like someone who’s been hiding something.”

Thatnded like a punch to the gut. Because it bwas /btoo close to the truth.

I bswallowed /bthe burn in my bthroat /bband /bshifted my weight. “And you talk like a man who needs to be heard, but bhas /bnothing

new to say

He gave ba /bshortugh, inched so close that our faces came dangerously close. He stared down at me, unreadable, the fire between us ring brighter with every heartbeat

“Careful,” he murmured, his voice a dangerous purr. “Keep talking like that and I might start enjoying our little chats.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and gave him a tight smile. “And that would be your first mistake.”

Then I turned on my heel, grabbed my te–minus the steak–and walked away without another bword/b.

But even as I crossed the clearing. I could feel his gaze like heat on my back.

Still watching. Still dangerous.

And worse… still intriguing

That’s when something else caught my eye. My bspine /b

stiffened.

A little ways off, on therge dining table, I spotted Reed band /bCassius sitting around Finn with their friends. Laughter echoed from btheir /blittle circle of followers, but it wasn’t the blight/b, easy bkind/b. Nob, /bit was sharper. A little too loud. A little too pointed. I think I heard my name too.

bAnd /bin the middle of it, hunched and trying to smile was bFinn/b.

His shoulders were curled in, eyes bdarting /bbas /bCassius bpped /ba bheavy /barm around him. Reed leaned in, grinning as he whispered something in Finn’s car that made Finn’s smile disappear.

Not teasing. Not harmless.

Bullying, masked in brotherhood. Since the Alpha instructors were gone, no one was watching us. Reed’s evil smile and

dus dirty teasing brought the memory of them intending to bviolet /bme in the forest. bMy /bblood bheated /bup at that memory just bas /bI was a little distracted by my emotions, I ended up colliding chest–hrst into another body

Hard

I looked up and nearly cursed myself.

It was Alpha Asher