Filed to story: When The Moon Hides Crown
I watched their retreating figures. Was it time for breakfast? Finn paused, meeting my confused gaze, and informed me, “It’s breakfast time, and the cafeteria is on the ground floor. If you don’t arrive on time, there won’t be any food left for you.” His voice was softer than the others’, almost gentlemanly.
I blinked. Did he just help me? “Thank you,” I replied.
He nodded and left the room. It seemed not all Alphas were mean-spirited; some, like Finn, appeared kind. A small smile formed on my lips, but I soon felt it again-an intense gaze boring into me.
I slowly glanced to the side, where Alpha Ronan sat on the king-size bed, legs crossed, back straight, his violet eyes unblinkingly staring at me. Why hadn’t he left with them? And why was he staring so intently? I looked away and resumed unpacking, hoping he would leave soon. I desired some time alone to arrange my personal belongings without an audience, but he showed no intention of leaving. With each passing second, my uneasiness grew as his stare intensified.
Unable to bear it any longer, I stopped unpacking and left the room without looking back. As I walked down the hallway, I glanced over my shoulder. What was his deal? He remained in the room, but now I had to head to the cafeteria, even though I wasn’t particularly hungry.
However, when I reached the ground floor, my wolf caught the delicious scent of food. Without needing directions, I found the cafeteria. Upon entering, I was surrounded by hundreds of Alphas in academy uniforms. I quietly made my way to the serving area and began filling my plate, but my small stature still attracted attention. Unbothered by their mockery, I served myself and searched for an empty seat, which seemed impossible to find. Everyone was seated in their own groups, and sitting with random Alphas could be risky in many ways. Newcomers were often unwelcome, especially when perceived as weak.
“Seth!” someone called.
I tilted my head to the right to find Cassius waving at me. “Come, sit with us,” he offered.
Reed and Finn were with him. I hesitated. They were still strangers, and our first encounter hadn’t been pleasant. So why was he inviting me over? I scanned the room for another option but found no empty seats.
“What are you waiting for? Come on. There’s an empty seat here,” Cassius called again.
Having no other option, I nodded and started toward their table, carefully holding my plate. But Finn’s gaze seemed to convey a warning. My steps slowed as I realized he was advising me not to join them. Something felt off-Reed’s smile, Cassius’ sudden kindness. Nothing came free in this world, and this felt suspicious. So, I decided not to approach them. Instead, I turned around, noting Reed’s subtle clenching of his teeth as his plan failed.
Just as I found an empty seat and was about to sit, thinking I had avoided unwanted trouble, someone bumped into me hard, causing me to stumble forward. In an attempt to save my food and myself, I didn’t notice someone was directly in front of me, and my entire plate spilled all over his uniform.
I gasped as the entire cafeteria fell into a dead silence. Holding the plate still in my hand, I felt the aura of the Alpha before me, mysterious and sharp as a blade, enveloping me in furious energy.
As I steadied myself and looked up, I was met with the imposing figure of a breathtakingly handsome Alpha. His dark, wavy hair framed a chiseled face marked by high cheekbones and a strong jawline. His piercing blue eyes were reminiscent of a stormy sea, locked onto mine with an intensity that froze me.
Whispers spread through the cafeteria like wildfire.
“He spoiled Dante’s uniform!”
“On the very first day, he messed with the wrong person!”
My hand tightened on the plate. Did I just hear them call this Alpha… Dante? Dante Blackwood?!
His tall, muscular build loomed over me, the academy uniform straining slightly over broad shoulders and a chest carved from stone. Every inch of him radiated power and precision, as if he’d been sculpted for battle. His face was all sharp angles and impossible beauty-high cheekbones, a square jaw dusted with stubble, and a mouth set in a dangerous, unreadable line. But it was his eyes that pinned me in place-icy blue, glinting with fury and something far more lethal. No wonder he was ranked second among the Alphas.
Shit. This was a disaster. He looked extremely pissed off.
Trying to avoid escalating things, I quickly decided to apologize. “I am sor-“
Before I could finish, he closed the distance between us, his presence overwhelming as he growled low in my face, “You little fucker, how dare you mess with me?”
I met his eyes with forced calm, though his aura pressed against me like a vise. “Someone bumped into me. It wasn’t intentional,” I clarified, voice steady.
“Is that so?” A cold grin spread on his lips. “Then let me be clear-whatever I do to you from now on will be very, very intentional.” His voice was a low, dangerous murmur, his eyes flicking over my face like he was memorizing it. “Watch your back.”
With that, he stalked past me.
The cafeteria slowly returned to its noisy rhythm, but I remained frozen, still clutching the plate.
First Ronan, now Dante.
On my very first day, I had managed to offend both of the top-ranked Alphas. Why them? Why me?
Cursing under my breath, I dumped the plate and left the cafeteria without a backward glance-unaware that from the far end, Ronan had seen everything. And he hadn’t looked away once from my back.
SERAPHINA
My first night at the Lupine Academy was anything but peaceful. I spent the entire night lying stiffly on the edge of my bed. Never in my life had I shared a room with anyone, let alone slept surrounded by people. Not just any just any group of people, Alpha males. My wolf’s ears perked up at the slightest sound: the shift of weight on mattresses, the scrape of fingernails, or even a muffled cough. Every little movement made my muscles tense, especially knowing Alpha Ronan was one of them.
He had returned to the room after lights out when I was already in bed. I pretended to be asleep, my back turned in his direction, but for some reason, I felt his gaze lingering on me in the darkness. I clenched my blanket tighter. Was I imagining it because he’d spent the entire day staring at me? I didn’t dare turn to confirm it. Better to leave it unanswered, knowing for sure would have robbed me of what little sleep I managed to snatch.
Morning came with the unmistakable sound of Reed and Cassius bickering, cursing, and throwing playful punches at each other. It was unnecessarily loud and obnoxious. Resigned, I sat up in bed, blinking my sleep-heavy eyes open – only to freeze as Ronan walked into the room, freshly bathed and wearing nothing but a towel slung low around his hips.
My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened, as I nearly toppled off the bed, completely caught off guard by the unexpected display of near-nudity. Why the hell was he roaming around like that? His eyes were already fixed on me, so I quickly schooled my expression, forcing my features into a mask of indifference as I stood up from the bed. But my heart was still racing like a wild stallion in my chest.
Of course, it was an all-male dormitory. Such casual nakedness was probably normal here. Reed was half-naked, and Cassius… well, his state of undress didn’t even bear describing. Yet none of them compared to Ronan. His body was lethal perfection – every inch of him was hard, honed muscle. While tying my shoes, I couldn’t stop my eyes from stealing a glance. Droplets of water rolled down his wet hair and slid over his eight-pack abs, trailing down toward the towel hanging dangerously low around his hips. His broad, intimidating 6’3″ frame seemed to command the room without effort.
Unlike the others, Ronan’s back wasn’t flawless. It was marred by scars – old, jagged things criss crossing his skin. Not the kind you earned from sparring matches or academy drills. No, those scars told a different story. A history of brutal battles. Real, bloody wars. Despite myself, I found my gaze lingering, drawn by a curiosity I couldn’t name.
Then, as if sensing my scrutiny, he casually hooked a finger under the edge of his towel, and my breath hitched as it loosened slightly. Instantly, I yanked my eyes away, my heart thudding wildly. s**t. I’d seen naked men before, plenty of times during training and on the battlefield. But for some reason, when it came to him, it rattled me.
Get a grip, Sera, I silently scolded myself and made my way to my cupboard.
The room gradually emptied as the other Alphas started getting ready in their uniforms, leaving me to gather a fresh uniform. I was just reaching for it when Ronan’s voice came from right behind me.
“You slept in your uniform?”
I froze, my hand tightening around the fabric. He was standing close, far too close. I hadn’t intended to sleep fully dressed. I wanted to change into something more comfortable, but every time I’d considered it, one of them would show up, making it impossible to undress without risking exposure. And I couldn’t let anyone see the bandages around my chest.
“I was too lazy to change,” I replied casually, forcing myself to turn and meet his gaze.
One dark brow arched. “Then what? Too lazy to shower, too?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Truth was, I’d been avoiding it. Afraid that the water might wash away the concealing scent of the perfume I used to mask my true identity. I’d planned to bathe once the room was empty, but why the hell was he so interested in my hygiene?
“I love being dirty,” I shot back, a wicked grin playing on my lips as his expression darkened. Across the room, Finn stiffened, clearly catching my comment. I kept going, just to see the look on Ronan’s face. “Sometimes I don’t bathe for weeks. Months, even.”
I was about to add something even more outrageous to hopefully creep him out for good when Cassius burst into the room, slinging an arm around my shoulders like we were old friends. My wolf tensed instantly at the unwanted, too-close contact. It took every ounce of restraint not to twist his arm and slam him to the floor.
“Seth! You haven’t washed up yet, have you?” he grinned, completely oblivious. “Let’s hit the showers before the bell rings.”
My stomach dropped. Communal showers? No private stalls? My pulse hammered against my ribs.
Before I could react, a deep, low growl rippled through the room. Everyone stilled.
Ronan’s sharp eyes locked on Cassius, his gaze flicking pointedly to the arm draped around my shoulders. “Don’t you see I’m talking to him?” His voice was a deadly, simmering threat. “Get out.”
SERAPHINA
Cassius instantly dropped his arm and, with a muttered apology, ducked out with the others.
I stared after him, then glanced back at Ronan, unsettled by the sudden aggression in his stance. What the hell was that about?