3. THE WOLF AMONG THE WOLVES

SERAPHINA

"Who are you?" demanded the last person I wanted to encounter at the Academy.

His voice was deep and commanding, much like his strikingly handsome face. Yet, his intense violet eyes spelled my doom, causing my heartbeat to race uncontrollably. Had something in my disguise betrayed me? I was confident the scent-masking potion was effective; otherwise, chaos would have already erupted. If everything was in place, why had he stopped me? It wasn't possible that he had ever met Seth Darven in person, right? I was a wolf among wolves. If he suspected anything or if I were exposed, I wouldn't just face expulsion—I would be hunted.

I couldn't let that happen. Retreating or walking away might arouse suspicion, so I responded in the deep, masculine voice I had practiced on my journey here, "Seth Darven."

His expression shifted slightly. Not wanting to engage with him further, I attempted to walk past, but he blocked my path again. "You don't smell like the rest of them," he murmured, leaning down to inhale a scent that wasn't there, thanks to my potion. "What are you hiding, Seth Darven?"

My heart plummeted into my stomach, not only because of his words but also his actions. I barely maintained a neutral expression. Why was he the only one who noticed? I took a step back before he could detect anything unusual about me.

"What does it have to do with you?" I demanded, frowning. He was unpredictable, dangerous—even more than he appeared. Unbeknownst to me, a pair of blue eyes had been watching from the balcony the entire time—someone whose aura had been subdued without my awareness.

The Alphas around us secretly gasped as I addressed the strongest Alpha in the Academy so brazenly, while my sharp eyes remained locked with Ronan's in displeasure. There was no way I could let him perceive anything unusual about me.

Suddenly, he tilted his head, and a small, mysterious smile crossed his lips. A chill ran down my spine. What did that mean? It felt like nothing but danger—more danger. Phina, my wolf, and I grew increasingly uncomfortable in his presence for some unknown reason.

Without a word, I walked past him, feeling his gaze follow my every move. I exited the hallway without looking back. Once I was finally alone, I placed a hand over my racing heart. Who was this Alpha? And why did he act this way? The way his eyes scrutinized me, the way he behaved—it was terrifying. Could it be because I hadn't succumbed to his aura? I clenched my fists at my sides. On the very first day, I had caught the attention of someone like him. And it meant nothing but trouble for me. I had to stay away from him from now on, no matter the cost. There should be no further encounters between us.

A voice called out from behind. "Seth Darven?"

I turned to find a middle-aged man approaching, his uniform marking him as a dormitory assistant. "Yes, that's me."

He looked me up and down in surprise, as if he hadn't expected me to make it to the Academy, then stated after a moment, "I'm here to show you to your room." He gestured for me to follow.

The dormitory was a sprawling building, its corridors echoing with the sounds of Alphas. The assistant led me to a room at the end of a long hallway.

"This will be your quarters," he said, opening the door.

I sucked in a relieved breath. Finally, I had made it to my room without any major problems. All I wanted was to shut myself in and take a long, deep breath, but as soon as I stepped in, my senses were overwhelmed by the unmistakable scent of males—musk, sweat, and a hint of something more primal. I froze in the middle of the room in shock. Three young men were already inside, their conversations halting as they turned to assess the newcomer.

Wait, this couldn't be what I thought it was, right?!

I turned around at lightning speed to the assistant. "I think I'm in the wrong room!"

He flipped through the list in his hand to double-check and replied, "This is the room that you will be sharing with other Alphas," as he walked away.

My mind went blank. What had he just said? I had to share a room with others? That's when I recalled that I was in a boys' dormitory, and that's how it worked. It had just hit me all of a sudden when I wasn't ready for it. Taking a deep breath, I turned to my roommates.

One of them, a blond with a cocky smirk, leaned against his bunk. "You're the new pup?" he drawled, his tone dripping with condescension.

I met his gaze, keeping my expression neutral. "Seth Darven," I introduced myself, my voice firm.

He chuckled, exchanging a glance with the others.

"Reed," he said, not bothering to extend a hand. "This is Cassius," he nodded toward a dark-haired Alpha with piercing blue eyes, who offered a curt nod. "And that's Finn." The third, a lanky boy with reddish-brown hair, gave a shy wave.​

I surveyed the room. It was really big with all the facilities. Three beds were already claimed, leaving one by the window. I moved toward it, but before I could place my bag down, Reed's smirk widened. He casually tossed his duffel onto the bed.

"That one's mine," he stated, his eyes brimming with challenge.​

A surge of irritation flared within me, but I suppressed it. I couldn't afford to draw unnecessary attention. Instead, I met his gaze evenly.

"Didn't see your name on it," I replied coolly.​

The room grew tense, the air thick with unspoken challenges. Cassius, sensing the brewing conflict, intervened.

"Relax, Reed. Let the newbie settle in. He won't last long anyway."​

Reed held my gaze for a moment longer before shrugging. "Whatever," he muttered, retrieving his bag and flopping onto his own bed but not before bumping into me intentionally.

My ID card dropped from my hand falling on the ground. Just as I bent down to grab it another hand came to pick it up for me.

“Here,” Finn softly stated, handing it over to me.

“Thanks,” I accepted , noticing he had been studying me closely.

“Heard you defeated Alpha Ronan’s aura. Is it true?” his voice was low.

I pursed my lips. It seems by now the whole academy had heard about it. It was really troublesome. “How could I possibly do such a thing? People are just making fun of me,” I lied smoothly.

“Really?” He looked a little doubtful, “I hope it is really a rumor because no one survived in this academy when that Reaper set eyes on someone,” he explained, my mind stopping at Ronan’s nickname .

“Reaper?” I held my breath, recalling the intense look and chilling smile on Ronan’s lips. It was neither evil nor godly, just a perfect mixture of both of them. Just like a Reaper.

Finn just nodded in response, “Be careful,” saying, he turned to his own bed.

I pursed my lips, Ronan’s whisperer echoing in my ears. I really had to be careful.

As I placed my belongings on the now-available bed, I took a moment to steady my breathing. My eyes scanned the room, noting the presence of a fifth bed—a king-size, untouchable-looking bed. Curiosity sparked within me. Who did it belong to? There was no name tag. And there was no stuff around it.

"Move," a deep voice commanded from right behind me.

Surprised, I turned around swiftly, only to find Ronan standing mere inches away.

"You!" My eyes widened in shock. "Why are you here?"

The other Alphas in the room grew tense at his presence, and realization dawned upon me. The fifth bed…

The corner of his lips curled up into a smirk as he leaned down closer to my face and whispered, "Welcome to my den, little wolf."