Chapter 76 The Warmth Before The Storm

SERAPHINA

Warmth.

bThat /bwas bthe /bfirst thing I felt–pureb, /bforting warmth wrapping around me like a protective cocoon. For a moment, I didn’t move. My bbreathing /bwas slow, unhurried. My body, usually stiff from tension and exhaustion, felt…rested.

Too rested. Too rxed.

My eyes blinked open to the soft amber of early dawn painting the cave walls. My heart skipped.

bDawn/b?!

My eyes flew open.

How bhad /bfallen asleep?

Thest thing I remembered was…talking to Ronan, chewing on guava, asking questions- then…being pulled inte was that possible! That guava was there something in it…

But I bbrushed /bit aside and hurried, I tried to sit up–but froze mid–motion

My eyes subconsciously went to the figure sleeping beside me that I had somehow failed to see in panic.

My breath hitched. Ronan?

He was sleeping beside me.

Close. Too close.

sleep. How

Our faces were turned toward one another, barely an binch /bapart. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek, soft and steady. His darkshes rested against his skin, his jaw rxed in sleep. His hair had fallen slightly over his forehead, and for the first time, he didn’t look sharp or cocky–just peaceful.

How did we end up like this?

Panic rose in my chest.

Did something happen between usst bnight/bb? /b

I carefully pulled back scanning myself in haste. I was still in his shirt. I didn’t feel any difort, no signs of disturbance between my legs or any body part, no evidence that he had..done anything.

He didn’t touch me.

My heartbeat slowed, shame creeping in for having even bfeared /bit. bBut /bstill why was he sleeping beside me?

But then, the weight of everything hit me all at once.

The hunter. The trial. Alpha Hugo The deadline.

I reached out to wake bhun /bup but then I remembered that I was bnaked /bunder his shirt

1 had to change

I shot up with the speed of lightning, stripping off Ronan’s bshirt /bin bone /bswift move. My pants, now dry from hanging bnear /bthe fire were hastly pulled on. I bturned /bmy back to Roman band /btied my chest biddings quickly on, breath heaving with burgency /bat?d turned bslowly /baround applying the perfume to hide bmy /bseem and huair

1 whirled around, eyes wide

Bojan was already awake, sitting up wals one barm /brestingzily over his bent kure, watching me. His bgaze /bwas unreadable, but there was a flicker of amusement of interest My face flushed hot

11:54 AM PP

Chapter 76 The Warmth Before The Storm

How long had he been watching me?

Did he see-? I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and disappear if he saw me naked.

-When did you wake up?” I could not help but ask.

+8 Pearls

“Just now, bwhen /byou were applying the perfume,” he replied casually but why did I have the feeling he actually saw more than

that!

He grabbed his shirt from the ground and wrapped it around my shoulders. “Wear it.”

My heartbeat took a sudden race at our proximity. I could not go back to the Academy without the shirt so I slowly slid my arms into the sleeves. However, just as I finished buttoning, the current situation hit me.

“Let’s go,” bmy /bvoice was sharp as I grabbed his hand. Thankfully it was no longer raining and had stopped long ago.

“Where he blinked.

“It’s already dawn and the hunter will be still out there. But the trial is about to end. We have to bleave /bthe forest!”

“The hunter won’t find bus /bnow. I took care of themst night,” before he could finish. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the cave, into the morning light. He matched my speed bas /bbwe /bran out into the forest.

Honestly. bI /bwas shocked by what he said about the hunter. He dealt with the hunter while I bwas /bsleeping? How deeply had I slept

I nced at him band /bstated, “It’s good that there is not a hunter but we have to bleave /bthe forest before morning. I’m taking you to Alpha Hugo. He gave me only until morning. If we don’t make it back before bsunrise/b…it’ll all be over.”

We ran across the damp forest bfloor/b, leaves.crunching under our feet and breath puffing in the cool air.

This was myst chance. Ronan’s testimony was going to fix this messed up situation bfor /bme. bI /bcould not let it go. I was so lost in those thoughts that I did not know Ronan had his eyes on our hands still sped together.

Suddenly I felt him slip his fingers into mine, intertwining them. I nced at him again, finding our hands still held together but this time he bwas /bholding me.

My heart skipped, then raced.

No oned ever held my

hand like that. Not in affection. Not imunity. Not while running beside me like we were something more than bjust /bwolves in bthe /btrial.

The moment bour /beyes met, my heart skipped another beat. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I quickly looked baway/b. Ronan didn’t say a word. bBut /bI saw the faint bsmirk /bpulling at the corners of his lips as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

We were close–so close–to the edge of the forest, where I had once felt ban /bbinvisible /bbarrier, ba /bwall that kept me from crossing My pulse quickened.

“We are balmost /bthere,” my chest filled with happiness.

But then-

A guttural growl split the air with the loud sound of shooting in the air.

My heart shook at the danger that I felt in the air with the presence of someone extremely powerfully. The growl reverberated bthrough /bthe trees blike /ba warning

That was when I saw a figure running towards bus /bfrom the corner of my eye.

“Move!”

Ronan’s voice roared bjust /bas the figure tharged from the trees, a blur of ck band /bbone white bws /bcutting through the mist like a style. The air whistled around bme /bas I was shoved to the side by Ronan, falling hard into the underbrush.

I barely caught bmy /bbreath as I scrambled back out my bhands /band knees.

Chapter 76 The Warmth Before The Storm

+8 Pearls

“bWhat /bis going on?” I quickly looked ahead to bfind /ba masked btall /bperson now standing before Ronan, not cloaked or hiding. but visible and monstrous. His face was obscured by a bone–white mask etched with runes. his form bcrouched /blike a beast about to pounce again.

Ronan stood tall, blocking bthe /bhunter’s path. His muscles coiled, eyes glowing fiercely as he bared his teeth.

They shed, Alpha and predator.

No…

Theld my bbreath /bbwhen /bI realised bwho /bthe predator was.

The hunter.