Chapter 96 The Price Of Withdrawal

RONAN

The moment Grace’s voice rang out, echoing across the training grounds, my lungs froze mid–breath.

“Seth Darven will fight Alpha Ryker.”

What the fuck bdid /bI just hear?

Ryker! And Seraphina?

My gaze darted to the center of the clearing just in time to see them stepping forward, both blindfolded, standing with lethal bgrace /band stillness. facing each other beneath the bwatchful /bbeyes /bof bhalf /bthe Academy..

My mind shattered. Exploded like bva /bbursting through fault lines.

If I had known, if anyone had fold me, that Seraphina would end up facing Ryker, I never bwould’ve /bbwithdrawn /bfrom the challenge. I would’ve stood there until my bones broke. I would’ve taken him on myself.

But now bit /bwas her.

And it was too fuckingte.

My fists clenched so tightly my knuckles bcracked/b. My wolf bmmed /bbagainst /bthe walls of my bmind/bb, /bbsnarling /band pacing.

“Stop this,” my wolf growled. “Get her out. Tear bhim /bapart

I took a sharp step forward, fury rippling beneath my skin, but just then the siren cut through the air like ba /bde.

The battle bhad /bbegun.

“Fuck.” I gritted my teeth, helpless.

All around the clearing. Alphas were already engaged, grunting, lunging, colliding. Some were cautiously circling, others bwild /band reckless. I didn’t see any of it.

I bonly /bsaw her.

She stood tall, back straight, head tilted slightly, listening. Her posture sharpened like a de being drawn.

She had heard Ryker’s name band /binstantly sensed the threat.

The change was binstant/b. Her bbody /bbnguage shifted /bbfrom /bdefensive to hunter level alertness, shoulders squared, knees flexed. Her bbreathing /bslowed. She stilled like a predator sensing movement in the bdark/b.

That was bwhen /bRyker blunged/b.

The crowd gasped, but Seraphina bwasn’t /bcaught off–bguard/b. She ducked low, btwisting /bher body bjust /benough to bevade /bbthe /bstrike, using the air discement and the bthud /bof bhis /bbootfall as markers. She didn’t react out of bpanic/bb, /bshe bread /bbhim/b.

Every movement she made was bcalcted/b.

She was busing /bher instincts, those damn sharp instincts. Her hearing tracked the subtle shift in Ryker’s weight. The subtle sound of a foot dragging bacross /bthe dry grass. The faint gust of wind brushing /btoward her when he swung.

She bmoved /blike–water: smooth, fluid, evasive

-She wasn’t attacking bblindly /blike most of the Alphas No. She was bwatching /bwith her other senses. Listening bhis /bsteps. Sinelling his scent to trace his position. Her bwolf /bbwas /bin bcontrol/b, guiding her without hesitation.

to the rhythm of

bShe /bstepped around him. Shid behind his left shoulder Tilted back just enough to dolge his elbow strike. Pivoted, bcircled/b. Again Again

like a dance.

1156 AM PP.

Chapter 96 The Price Of Withdrawal

Deadly. Beautiful. And it rubbed my nerves raw.

My bbrows /bfurrowed as I bwatched /bher fight. She wasn’t just good.

She was bexceptional/bb. /b

+8 Pearls

bHowever/b, Ryker wasn’t a simple opponent. He was a monster. Even blindfolded, he moved with terrifying confidence, calm. cold, and deliberate

That was the moment he bshowed /bthat he bhad /bjust been ying with her so far.

Without a sound of warning, Ryker twisted low and struck with a brutal sweep kick that should’ve knocked her t. Seraphina leapt over it, but his follow–up punch came with binhuman /bspeed. Aimed for her ribs.

bIt /bnded.

The impact made ba /bsickening thud. She stumbled back, breath catching.

My fists clenched and the veins in my neck popped out in fury at the sight of her being hurt.

From the start, he hadn’t fought to defeat. He fought to dominate. He had been toying with her, and made her aware of that. bIn /bthat way he wanted her to make mistakes.

Then, like clockwork, it happened. His handnded on her shoulder, not a strike, but a firm bgrasp/b. The type that made every hair on my arms rise.

She spun free, barely, but he’d touched herb. /b

Not just touched

He’d meant to.

My wolf’s fury broke through like ba /bcrack in a bdam/b. I felt the shift crawling beneath my skin, bones aching with the desire to transform, to leap into the fight and tear Ryker apart.

Before I realized, my legs raised to bwalk /bwhen bAlpha /bJude’s voice came from behind.

“The audience has to remain here, bAlpha /bRonan.”

My feet halted band /bI nced to the side where Alpha Jude came over, his eyes meaningfully meeting mine. He seemed to have sensed my intentions.

“It’s not a real trial, bAlpha /bbJude/b,” I reminded bhim/b.

He bchuckled /band forced his bsharp /beyes bback /bto the fight. “It depends on the bperson /bfighting in the battle ground and from what I see, this task is no less bthan /ba trial for the Alphas,” he stood with his arms behind his back bquietly /bobserving, but the bauthority /bbin /bbhis /bvoice struck like ba /bwhip. “And I bet byou /bbalso /bwant to enjoy bit /bbsince /byou have no reason to interruptb./b”

He took in my reaction from the corner of his beyes /bas he bspoke/b. I kept my expression bnk /bbas /bI watched the tight. Alpha Jude seemed to be observing more than necessary.

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