The True Alpha of Lupine (Seraphina and Ronan) novel Chapter 255

**Chapter 255: Last Stand**

Silas felt the tension in his jaw tighten, a simmering anger boiling just beneath the surface. His voice came out in a low, dangerous growl, “Since when did you fucking accept defeat so easily?”

Aran’s frown deepened, irritation flashing in his eyes like a spark igniting dry kindling. “Don’t act like you know me,” he shot back, his tone sharp and defensive.

“Then why the hell are you here in my ruins, hunting for me?” Silas retorted, his gaze narrowing with suspicion. “Surely, it’s not to admire the Blood Petal, right?”

A sly smirk crept across Aran’s lips as he raised his hand with a flourish. In an instant, the white gown that Seraphina had carelessly left behind flew into his grasp, floating through the air like a ghostly apparition. “I’m just here to retrieve something for someone who’s gone feral over this mess between Seraphina and Asher,” he replied, his voice casual, as if discussing the weather instead of the chaos surrounding them.

Silas recoiled slightly, his mind racing with implications. “Did you meet with the Dread Lord?” The disbelief in his voice was palpable. “He should be in the Lycan Kingdom, so how—”

Aran shot him a sidelong glance, an inscrutable expression flitting across his face. “What do you think?”

Silas’s eyes widened in sudden realization, a wave of dread washing over him. “Don’t tell me… the Dread Lord never returned to his kingdom?” He waved his hand through the air, conjuring a mental map of the Lycan Kingdom’s borders. The situation should have been chaotic, with werewolves prowling and preparing for war, but now—

“What the actual fuck?” Silas muttered under his breath, his eyes fixating on an unexpected sight. The entire border lay completely clear. No werewolves, no warriors, no signs of conflict. “Don’t tell me,” his voice trailed off, disbelief settling heavily in his gut as he clenched his fists in frustration. “Alpha Asher tricked me.”

“I told you before, the one who tried to make a deal is the one cursed,” Aran groaned, exasperation creeping into his tone. “He just wanted Seraphina all to himself without Ronan interrupting.”

Silas’s mind raced to catch up with the implications. “So the Dread Lord knew all along what Alpha Asher was planning? And Asher was using his curse to create the illusion that the werewolves had declared war?” His voice tightened, a mix of anger and realization coursing through him.

“Best friends know each other quite well, Silas,” Aran replied, his gaze sharp, as if the answer should have been glaringly obvious.

Silas felt frustration twist his features. “Then knowing what his best friend was up to, the Dread Lord still let his soulmate go off to face Alpha Asher? What kind of love is that?”

“It’s called respect,” Aran growled, turning away as he began to walk, his posture rigid with unresolved tension. “Respect for her choices, her decisions.”

Silas glared at Aran’s retreating back, fury bubbling in his chest. “And now he suddenly doesn’t respect her?” His eyes burned into the gown Aran held, the fabric seeming to mock him with its very presence.

Aran glanced back over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. “I don’t fucking know, Silas. I’m just here cleaning up the mess you’ve made with your obsession to protect the Blood Petal in all the wrong ways. I’m repaying the debt I owe you. After this, I’m done. But you better brace yourself because when she finds out about your deal with Asher and your little games, do you really think she’ll trust you?”

Aran’s words struck Silas like a physical blow, leaving him momentarily speechless. The weight of guilt constricted around his chest, suffocating him. As Aran resumed his walk toward the exit, Silas felt the urgency of the moment pressing in on him.

“You better make your choice,” Aran called back, his voice cold and final. “Before the situation fucks up even more.”

Silas stood there, fists clenched, his chest heaving with a mixture of anger and frustration. Suddenly, the ground beneath him split open like a gaping maw, and he glanced down into the depths of the Blackpine Forest, panic gripping him. Both the Blood Petal and the Curse were now hunting each other’s lives. One of them had to die to end this catastrophe. “I might make my choice, but can he choose between his soulmate and his best friend?”

Meanwhile, in a hidden chamber at the Lupine Academy, Austin stared intently at the unknown figure before him, sensing the powerful aura that unmistakably did not belong to a werewolf.

“Who are you?” he demanded, his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of tension.

Instead of offering an answer, Mace shifted aside, allowing Ronan to step forward, his presence commanding and ominous.

“Elder Milton, we finally meet,” Ronan said, his voice smooth yet dripping with menace.

Austin froze, his gaze darting to Elder Milton, whose eyes were wide with dread.

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