When The Moon Hides Her Crown (Seraphina) by Pooja novel Chapter 230

**He Promised to Give Me the World, Yet the Price Was My Soul by Caden Blake**
**Chapter 230: The Old Dog**

**FINN**

As I made my way down the bustling corridor of the Academy, the air was thick with murmurs and hushed conversations. Students and faculty alike exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued by my presence. Austin followed closely behind, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor.

“Alpha, your father is on the line. He’s likely been briefed about the King’s bride,” Austin informed me, extending the phone toward me, his expression a mix of concern and urgency.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I dismissed his words with a wave of my hand. “Get my clothes ready,” I commanded, my eyes fixed on the door leading to the exclusive room ahead. I pushed it open, stepping inside with an air of authority.

After washing away the remnants of blood and sweat from my earlier skirmish, I emerged from the shower, the steam clinging to my skin like a second layer. I slipped into the tailored black suit, its fabric cool and crisp against my body. Austin, ever diligent, began updating me on the latest developments. “Alpha Darius Nightbane has finally arrived. The Elders have summoned him for an urgent meeting. It’s bound to be lengthy. Meanwhile, Seraphina Nightbane will be confined in a private room, heavily guarded.”

“Remove those guards,” I instructed, sinking into the plush chair behind my desk, the weight of the situation settling over me like a heavy cloak.

“But Alpha, what if she manages to escape…” Austin’s voice trailed off, uncertainty creeping into his tone.

“She won’t,” I replied coolly, lighting a cigarette, the flickering flame momentarily illuminating my face.

Austin hesitated, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “Because she desires the supreme Alpha throne?”

I opened my eyes just enough to cast a sidelong glance at him, the corners of my mouth twitching slightly. “There’s someone else she prioritizes, alongside that throne.”

“Who?” he asked, his curiosity evident, eyes widening with intrigue.

I exhaled a cloud of smoke, the memory of Ronan’s fierce gaze when Seraphina was revealed still vivid in my mind. “A beast that she has ensnared with her charm.”

“A beast?” Austin blinked, surprise etching his features. “I’ve never heard you speak so highly of anyone, Alpha.”

Of course, I refrained from uttering his name. Those eyes—those fierce, violent eyes—were anything but ordinary. I had noticed them from the very beginning. And let’s not even begin to discuss the unsettling red aura that surrounded him; it was something else entirely.

“Alpha, our wolves have just confirmed that Alpha Ryker and Alpha Asher are both missing from the Academy,” Austin said, his tone shifting to one of alarm.

I looked up sharply, my interest piqued. “Since when?”

“Alpha Ryker was spotted leaving the borders after the trial with an unidentified man. As for Alpha Asher, it seems he has vanished completely. There’s no record of him departing the Academy or the territory. Even the border wolves haven’t caught sight of him. It’s as if he disappeared into thin air.”

I leaned back in my chair, my gaze glued to the CCTV footage of Ryker’s departure, then the clip of Asher entering his dorm—only to be met with a disconcerting gap in the recordings afterward. Something was amiss.

“Should we initiate a search for them?” Austin asked cautiously, his brow furrowing with concern.

“No need. The Council is here for Seraphina Nightbane, not for anyone else,” I declared, shutting the laptop with finality.

I tapped my fingers rhythmically on the desk, my expression impassive, before finally saying, “Alright, you are in charge of the King’s bride case.”

Austin shifted uncomfortably at my side while Elder Milton rose, a sly smile creeping onto his face. “Thank you, Alpha. I assure you, I won’t let you down.”

As soon as the door clicked shut behind Elder Milton, Austin turned to me, tension radiating from him. “Alpha, you knew he was up to something yet you allowed him to handle the King’s bride’s case. From the onset, Seraphina Nightbane’s escape has disturbed the King’s Council in some twisted manner. It was merely a marriage arrangement that could have been canceled when she fled. After all, why would the royal family want a she-wolf who clearly doesn’t wish to marry?”

He stepped closer, his frown deepening with concern. “Her reputation has taken a hit because of her escape and being found in an all-boys academy, yet the Council and the King still desire her! Something feels incredibly wrong, Alpha, especially considering your father’s involvement and the Elders’ pleas for you to seek out Seraphina three months ago.” He growled low, frustration seeping into his voice. “Believe it or not, Alpha, but I have a gut feeling that Seraphina Nightbane isn’t who she appears to be. Her escape sent the Elders into a frenzy, and now they’re acting obsessively. The Council is after her. The King is fixated on her. That day, I noticed how Alpha Ronan’s aura became more menacing when she and I were in close proximity. He’s after her too. This woman is trouble wrapped in beauty. And now that desperate, toxic old dog has taken the case. Something about all of this feels fundamentally wrong.”

I crossed my legs slowly, my gaze unwavering as I absorbed Austin’s words. Finally, I spoke, my tone calm and deliberate. “That’s precisely why I’m allowing him to handle the case.”

Austin blinked, confusion flickering across his features. “What do you mean, Alpha?”

I traced my fingers around the rim of my glass, my thoughts drifting to the secret records of experiments conducted decades ago at Lupine Academy on the female Alphas of that time, particularly a project involving something ominously referred to as ‘Blood Petal’—a subject the Elders seemed determined to locate and simultaneously conceal from the world. I took a moment to gather my thoughts, a small smile creeping onto my lips. “Ever heard of using someone else’s hands to do the dirty work, keeping your own clean?” I finished the last sip of wine, my gaze drifting into the shadows ahead. “I’ve just handed the knife to the old dog. But it will be I who decides when to strike,” my wolf echoed, its voice a low growl reverberating in the back of my mind.

Austin stilled, the seriousness of the moment settling over him as he slowly lowered his head.

I stood to leave, but before I could take a step, Austin called out urgently, “Alpha.”

I turned, meeting his gaze, and he completed the mind-link. “Seraphina Nightbane has caused trouble!”