The True Alpha of Lupine (Seraphina and Ronan) novel Chapter 254

**Chapter 254: Barren**

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

“It’s all worthless,” Alpha Darious rasped, his voice barely more than a whisper, as he knelt on the cold, unforgiving ground. His hands were bound tightly behind his back with chains of silver, the metal biting into his skin, leaving it raw and inflamed. He could feel the heat radiating from his wrists, a constant reminder of his current predicament. He cast his gaze downward, unable to meet the eyes of the world around him, the weight of his choices pressing heavily on his shoulders. “I disowned her. We’re no longer related,” he muttered, the words tasting bitter on his tongue as he lifted his eyes to meet Spencer’s, who stood a short distance away, a figure of cold authority. “She’s not coming for us. She has no reason to.”

Behind him, a she-wolf crumpled to the ground, her face half-shadowed by the dark, malevolent curse that had taken hold of her. The sight twisted Darious’s stomach, guilt coiling within him like a serpent. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling the tremors of pain and regret coursing through his body. “We are no longer related,” he repeated under his breath, as though the mantra could somehow absolve him of his sins.

Spencer’s expression remained impassive, his cold eyes shifting toward Asher, who stood in the clearing’s center, seemingly unfazed by the chaos surrounding them. “Alpha, it’s been nearly fifteen minutes,” he spoke quietly, his voice laced with concern. “I don’t think she’s coming—”

His words were abruptly cut off as the atmosphere around the Blackpine Forest shifted dramatically. The wind changed direction, carrying with it a palpable pressure that made the very earth tremble beneath them. The shadows between the trees deepened, swallowing the last vestiges of sunlight, creating an oppressive darkness that seemed to pulse with an ominous energy.

“What the—” Spencer began, unease creeping into his tone as he turned back to his Alpha. But Asher remained motionless, his gaze locked onto the treeline, a cigarette dangling from his lips, smoke curling into the air.

Spencer followed Asher’s gaze, his breath hitching in his throat as he froze. From the depths of the forest, a solitary figure emerged, cutting through the shadows like a knife.

Darious’s eyes widened in disbelief, a wave of shock crashing over him, rendering him momentarily speechless. Seraphina strode into the clearing, her boots striking the cold ground with a resonant echo. She walked with purpose, her focus unwavering, not sparing a glance toward her father or the fallen pack members. Her eyes were sharp, cold, and filled with a determination that struck fear into his heart. They were fixed solely on Asher.

Spencer quickly moved to stand beside Darious and the others, his muscles coiling with tension, bracing for the inevitable confrontation.

Seraphina halted a few paces away from Asher, their eyes locking in a silent battle of wills. A tempest raged between them, an unspoken history simmering just beneath the surface.

“I didn’t expect you to pull such a cliché move,” Seraphina remarked, her voice flat yet cutting, each word laced with disdain.

Asher dropped his cigarette, crushing it beneath his boot with a casual flick of his wrist. “Cliché,” he replied, a smirk playing on his lips, “But it always works. Don’t you agree?”

Seraphina tilted her head slightly, her expression inscrutable. “No, I don’t.”

“But you’re here,” he countered, amusement flickering in his eyes, a dangerous glint that sent shivers down Darious’s spine.

She blinked slowly, her expression unreadable. “Do you think I came here to save these people or something?”

Asher’s smirk widened, a glimmer of something dark dancing in his eyes. “Then you’re here for the throne?” He chuckled softly, the sound sending a chill through the air. “Now that’s the Seraphina I know. Always setting her fangs on the target and never stopping until she claims it. That kind of beauty, ruthless and determined, was what first drew me to you.”

His smile faded, replaced by a chilling calm that wrapped around them like a shroud. The atmosphere thickened with menace as his eyes narrowed, locking onto the glowing mark between her brows. “But,” he said, his voice dropping to a low growl, “What’s that disgusting smell coming from you?”

Seraphina’s heart raced as his gaze pierced through her, the ash-gray aura surrounding him swirling dangerously. “The scent of evil,” he concluded, his tone dripping with disdain.

A thunderclap split the sky, dark clouds rolling in to blot out the sun, and an unnatural flurry of soft snow began to fall, eerie and unsettling. The clearing darkened, enveloped in a strange, otherworldly atmosphere that sent dread coursing through Darious and the others.

“So this is the scent of evil?” Seraphina murmured, glancing down at her hand as realization dawned upon her. Since becoming the Blood Petal, even her scent had transformed. Her gaze slowly lifted to meet his. “Then why do I smell it on you too, Asher?”

“That’s because I’m evil as well,” he replied, his voice low and inhuman as his wolf began to assert control. “Ever met another evil, Blood Petal?”

“Stop calling me that,” she growled, a surge of anger rising within her as she sensed something dark and provocatively dangerous in him, a sensation that sent her instincts into overdrive.

Asher’s lips curled into a predatory grin. “Looks like I found a trigger,” he said softly, then his voice dropped, rough with malice. “You want to act like some saint wrapped in white?”

“If I’m not a saint, then I’m not evil either!” Seraphina shot back, stepping forward, her voice rising with defiance. “I know you’re furious because of what happened to your mother, Asher. But I don’t know anything about that. I don’t understand how or why it happened…”

“How dare you?” Asher roared, his eyes blazing with fury. “HOW DARE YOU talk about my mother so casually?!” In an instant, his ash-gray aura flared, igniting the forest behind him in a blaze of fire.

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