Chapter 93 Rage, Reined In By Her

RONAN

I climbed back up the jagged cliff edge, boots soaking, hair dripping, muscles aching from the violent current: but all of it dulled under the weight of the voices I overheard near the fire.

A group of Alphas, soaked and defeated, were grumbling amongst themselves, their shirts half–dried as they huddled for

warmth.

“bCan /byou believe Ryker? one of them scoffed.

“Yeah, the guy just appeared with that damn pearl ring. Gave it to Grace like it was nothing”

“And then that Seth guy? He just dragged her off. Like he owned her or something.”

My steps slowed.

Seraphina took Grace baway/b?

My brows drew together as I stared into the firelight, the unease in my chest rising sharply. She would never have shown. much binterest /bbin /bGrace like other bmale /bwolves here.

I rubbed a hand down my wet jaw, droplets flicking off. Something wasn’t right.

I turned, intending to head toward the path away from the cliffs, where the trees thickened and the crowds thinned when I saw her.

Grace.

She was walking slowlyb, /bher dress slightly ruffled, heels dragging more than clicking. The brightness in her usually luminous. eyes bhad /bdimmed to something quieter. More guarded.

But when her gaze found mine, her bsmile /binstantly bloomed. Perfectly practiced.

I stepped forward.

“Why are youing from there?” I asked, but my eyes bflicked /btoward the trail behind her, searching.

For bSeraphina/b. Had not both gone that way together?

Grace snapped her fingers in front of my face, a yful smirk btugging /bat her lips. “I’m here,” bshe /bdrawled, “and waiting. bShould /bI feel offended that you’re more interested in the shadows than bme/b?”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I reached into the pocket of my drenched bpants /bband /bpulled out ba /bsmall, broken string of white bpearls/bb, /bba /bbdelicate /banklet, a piece of it I’d found lodged in a rock crevice deep below the waves.

Her eyes widened, lighting up with bgenuine /bemotion for the first btime since /bshe barrived /b

“bMy /bbanklet/b.” she sighed, stepping closer. “bYou /bfound it?”

I wordlessly held it out to her even though it seemed broken to me. She btook /bit gently, her fingers brushing mine as if it were made of ss

“This means a lot to me,” she whispered, cradling the broken pearls in both hands. “It returned to me again.” Her voice Trailed off but the paused before she would say something that she did not want me to hear. She blooked /bup with something bsoft /bbin /bher eyes. “Thank you”

Iremained silent and bjust /bnodded

Then abe tilted her bhead/b, soulingg bagain/b, this tune with muschief. “Sauce you already have a lover, I won’t be bold enough to ask you to tie this around my ankle bshe /bteased, “but you bstill /bbwent /bdiving into the sea to find it. Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly fallen for me. Alpha Roman I mught just swODEL”

+8 Pearls

Chapter 93 Rage, Reined In By Her

I chuckled faintly, the corner of my mouth twitching. “Don’t tter yourself.

Herughter rang out, rich band /bbamused/b. “So then?” she asked, arching a brow. “If you didn’t do it for love, bwhat /bdo you want?

Direct. Confident. She didn’t beat around the bush.

I respected that.

“I want information,” I said simply

Grace blinked, btaken /baback for the briefest second before curiosity flickered in her gaze. “Information?”

I nodded. “Earlier, you said something about Ryker. That you’ve seen him before.”

A shadow passed through her expression. The amusement faded. “Right…”

I stepped closer. “bWhere/b?b” /b

“I’m not sure.” she admitted after a beat. “It wasn’t personal, I would’ve remembered. But bthat /bface she clicked her tongue. “Too unforgettable to ignore. He has bthe /bbkind /bof handsomeness bthat /bbites.”

Her fingers curled tighter around the pearls.

“Nevermind bthat /baura,” she added. “He’s not just strong, he’s got dangerous blood. The kind that makes even proud Alphas stand a little straighter when he enters the broom /b

“You’ve met him at one of the ceremonies?”

Grace shook her head. “Not directly, but I’ve attended dozens of Luna ceremonies, Alpha balls, and council events with my mother since I was thirteen. If he was there, even once…I’d recognize the aura, if not the name.”

I frowned. “But no personal introduction?”

“No” she paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “Which means he’s either bvery /bbsecretive/b…or very protected. His pack must be one of the ancient ones hidden, richb, /band powerful enough to avoid gossip.”

That tracked Everything about Ryker screamed secrecy, dominance, and danger.

But Grace wasn’t finished.

b“/bbYou /bwant to bknow /bwho he is,” she said slowly, piecing it together. “Because you don’t trust him.”

I didn’t deny it

Slur studied me carefully. “Is it because of Seth?”

Istilled Behind that yful tone…this girl was sharp. Sharper than anyone gave her bcredit /bfor.

“Seth has bnothing /bto bdo /bwith it,” I muttered and stepped past her.

“Oh, really?” she casually said “Then I suggest you don’t go blooking /bfor bhim/bb. /bYou might interrupt something.”

Her words made my steps bhalt/b.

I turned to face her gaze cold. “Interrupt?”

Star only smiled and walked baway /bpearls clutched tightly in her hand.

That struir My woll bristled beneath my skin, unsettled

My woll was deeply unestled by that stude of hers My head snapped back towards the woods. The next thing I knew was 1

cling for Seraphina since she had pertuine un 1 voi

her presence

air you into mend Asher a voice encred

never pick up her scent, this time was no diferent bbut /bsull but she was not alone.

11:15 AM P

Chapter 93 Rage, Reined in By Her

– Pearls

My feet froze in bce /bat seeing Asher and Seraphina together and so close. My mind went nk. What were they doing: For how long? Why? My bwolf /bgrowled aggressively and furiously, fighting for control over my sanity that was close to snapping

But then…

Seraphina’s amber eyes locked on mine.

At that moment, the storm inside me stopped.

“I bam /bnot binto /bmen. Alpha Asher” she softly replied. She pulled slightly away from Asher, her voice steady. “But I’m definitely into the bwild/b, but restrained kind.”

She walked past Asher, every step measured, and bas /bshe passed me she looked up.

“Possessive, but thoughtful she added, her gaze unwavering. “Crazy band /bjealous..but respectful enough to trust me.”

The jealousy bin /bbmy /bchest turned to smoke. bMy /bfingers brushed against hers as she moved by bme/b–light as air, but enough to ground me.

A small smule curved my lips.

Send Gifts

When The Moon Hides Her Crown

48 Pearts

Chapter 94 The Fifth Task

SERAPHINA

The clearing echoed with thunderous shouts and hollers, voices rolling like waves through the thick twilight air. Alpha energy pulsed all around, sweat, ego, and adrenaline. The fourth task bhad /bjust ended, and the Alphas bwere /baze with anticipation for what they had been witnessing with their own eyes. Something that they considered pure luck if they could achieve it themselves. Their eyes burned with one goal, Grace.

She sat elegantly–no, provocatively–on thep of one of the winning bAlphas /bfrom thest task, giggling as she plucked fruit from a designer bowl and fed it to him like he was some spoiled prince. That bAlpha /bwas so proud to be treated this way by her and to have bthe /bothers jealous gaze focused on him that he was in nine clouds. Grace’s crimson dress bunched dangerously high along her thighs, the silky slit revealing far more than any respectable she–wolf would dare in front of a pack of Alphas. But Grace? She looked entirely at ease. bNo /bhesitation. No shame.

She tilted her bhead /bas she offered him another bite, her fingers brushing his lips, and the Alpha grinned like he’d conquered bthe /bbworld/bb. /b

It was the fourth time today she had rewarded someone like this.

Everyone here was fighting for it.

I stayed back, partly concealed by the trunk of a wide tree, letting the shadows cover my stare. judgement but confusion.

v muscles tensed, not from

Because the truth was…I didn’t understand her. The Grace that was in front of me was very different when we first talked, then she was different when she snapped at me over Ryker and now she was ba /bpletely different bperson/b.

After the pearl task, bwhen /bRyker returned her ring band /bRonan gave her the anklet, I thought I had some vague idea of what kind of woman Grace was.

Obviously, I was wrong. I did not understand this woman at all.

The winner of the second task had been called to the center of the clearing, only for Grace to saunter forward and brand his bare chest, leaving a bold red lipstick mark like a trophy. He wore it with pride, howling like a pup as the others jeered and cheered.

Then, the third btask/b. I remembered how she leaned in,ughing as she looped her arms around the victor’s neck band /bkissed his bthroat/b, slowly, deliberately, leaving a vivid hickey. He looked like he was babout /bto copse from the honor of it.

A pole dance in the first task.

A lipstick brand in the second.

A luckey bin /bthe third.

And now, feeding grapes bwhile /bsitting on bhis /bp like a she–wolf in bheat/b?

My eyes flicked btowards /bGrace again. Sheughed as the Alpha whispered something into her car, bthe /bkind of bugh /bbthat /bwould’ve made bany /bman believe he was the center of her universe.

But I noticed lier eyes kept flickering toward somewhere else. It bwas /bnot the first time I noticed it. It has bhappened /bmany times already. Who was she looking at?

My gaze followed her line of sight but there bwere /bbmany /bAlphas. Was I reading into it too much?

when I noticed Roman. He sat quietly near the bedge /bof the clearing, barms /bresting over his bbent /bbknees/b, watching the up like a king above a chessboard. His wet clothes had dried into something ruggedly tousled, his bhair /bwindblown and wild. The sea had leit salt on his jawline bhis /bsharp features cast in twilight shadow.

After what happened back in the woods I had been once again abiding looking at him. Asher’s doubtful question had bcaught /bme of guard, that could actually expase may disguse it he would bhave /bthought deeper and then Ronan witnessed us together. I did out want any argument or fight between friends because of some nonsense misunderstanding so I said all of that. I actually still could not believe I say such words. And then when he brushest our fingers. This memory still made my

i

11:56 AM P bP /b

Chapter 94 The Fifth Task

+8 Pearls

I studied my breathing, forcing myself to not think about it and focus back on Grace. Who was now back to sitting between Finn band /bAsher. They bhadn’t /bparticipated in thest few btasks/b. They didn’t need tob. /bGrace had already dered them hers. They were hers bwith /bjust a touch, a nce, a secretugh in the shadows. Even Ryker bhad /bstoppedpeting after the pearl bring/b. bAs /bfor Ronan he hadn’t moved since giving her the anklet.

So why bwas /bshe still ying this game?

Why was she tempting more and more men?

bWas /bthis her version of power?

Was this fun for her?

But why bhad /bI been feeling that there was something about Grace no one was able to see?

“Fifth and final task for the day!” Grace’s voice rang across the clearing like a bell, drawing every Alpha to stillness. She stood now, a little bflushed/b, hair a touch messy but still breathtaking. “This one,” she smiled, “is my personal favorite.”

The crowd bleaned /bin.

“The Blindfold Battle,” she announced.

A chorus of excitement swept

through the crowd.

“That already sounds bfucking /bexciting!!” one of the Alpha yelled.

Grace listened to all of them andughed, ‘Of course it is,” she smirked, “The rules are simple,” she exined. “bEach /bparticipant will be blindfolded and ced inside the arena with an opponent of my choosing. You can tap out, byou /bcan be eliminated if you fall on the ground for more than five seconds, and of course this fight will continue with no time limit. An Alpha will fight only the person chosen by me until the end. Thest one standing wins!”

Several Alphas exchanged gleaming looks. A test of instinct. Of raw, primal strength. No scent. No vision. Just pure wolf and

will.

“Also the Alpha who wins this task will make his way to

he nk bscroll /blike more bthan /beighty percent!!” she announced

bI /bpursed my lips. These games only sounded simple but they were not a piece of cake. She seemed toe up with her own. No wonder bshe /bwas Alpha Gideon’s daughter.

The Alphas started stepping forward bto /bparticipate enthusiastically. I even saw Ryker stepping in this time. No wonder, he waned that scroll. That power. But Ronan also stepping in to participate bshocked /bme. He had not bbeen /bactive in thest three tasks but bnow /bhe was there and had already confirmed his participation with Grace’s bOmega/b.

Phina whispered in my bmind/b, “Could he be bparticipating /bbecause he bwanted /bto win the scroll for us?”

I froze listening to her. Something curled in my chest bthat /bI feared to bname/b, realizing bhis /bmotivation to bparticipate/b. Suddenly he locked eyes with me band /bI found myself unable to blook /baway from him.

Then bGrace /bheld up her hand, silencing the murmurs.

“Seeing the excitement of the Alphas band /bbhow /bhard they are working. I bhave /ba special reward for bthe /bwinner of this blind battle task,” she paused for effect Thenb, /bbsoftly/b, seductively, she bsaid/b. “A bkiss /bfrom me.” she touched her pink lips.

A collective gasp appled through the clearing. One Alpha actually stumbled to his feet like he bcouldn’t /bbelieve his luck. The uproar that her kiss as a reward was louder bthan /bany other rewards so far.

My stomach flipped and bmy /beyes immediately bwent /bto Ronan

No our could beat him. Not in a bblindfolded /bbattle. Not when it came down to instincts, strength, band /bcontrol.

It means he would win Not only bthe /bbtask /bbut balso/bb. /bGrace’s kiss?