When The Moon Hides Her Crown (Seraphina) by Pooja novel Chapter 253

**He Promised to Give Me the World, Yet the Price Was My Soul by Caden Blake**

**Chapter 25: A Deal**

Alpha King Charles.

Despite being the father of Asher, I had never had the opportunity to meet him face to face. There was an entirely different narrative woven around that fact, a story I had yet to unravel. What truly perplexed me was how he had managed to secure a place for Ryker at the Lupine Academy. It was a puzzle that made no sense at all.

How could Ryker possibly be acquainted with him? What was the thread that linked these two?

A whirlwind of questions surged through my mind, each clamoring for attention. Yet, if I set aside my thoughts about Charles for just a moment, one undeniable truth emerged: Ryker had been drawn to the academy because of Seraphina. But Dante was already there. And then, after Dante’s untimely death, Ryker appeared, bearing a new identity, a new visage…

Images flashed in my mind—Dante, in a fit of rage, pursuing Seraphina while clawing at his own face, and then Ryker mirroring that very scene on the Academy’s balcony. Their similarities were striking; though their personalities diverged, they shared a core essence. I began to connect the dots between Dante and Ryker, piecing together every fragment of their stories until a realization struck me like lightning. My thoughts were abruptly interrupted.

“Wait… could it be that Dante is Ryker’s…”

Mace’s voice cut through my musings, impatient and urgent. “What is it, Alpha? What’s Dante’s connection to Ryker?” A dark smile crept onto my lips, the thrill of discovery igniting a spark within me. “Dante is Ryker’s wolf.”

Mace gasped, his disbelief palpable. “Ryker’s wolf?!”

I covered my face with my hand, letting out a low, dark chuckle. “How could I have missed this before? Dante was a cannibal at heart. His nature was raw and aggressive, fueled by emotions he couldn’t control—especially hatred. He acted impulsively, without thought. In contrast, Ryker was the strategist, every move he made calculated, each action deliberate. His human side overshadowed the wolf within him. If I’m correct, Ryker’s wolf can even adopt a human form. And when it does, Ryker’s human side is eclipsed. So Dante, in his wolf’s human guise, must have come to the Lupine Academy for a singular purpose: the Blood Petal. Once he confirmed Seraphina’s identity, Dante’s role faded away, and then Ryker came after her. After the Blood Petal…”

I halted mid-sentence, my thoughts spiraling as I felt my lycan surge within me, eager to take control. “That son of a bitch is tied to the Blood Petal in a way I hadn’t considered. And with King Charles possessing the Blood Petal before Seraphina was even born, and his involvement in getting Ryker into the Academy… it all converges with Seraphina approaching her twenty-first birthday.” I shot a sideways glance at Silas. “Am I right, Silas?”

Silas responded with a bitter smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I didn’t expect you to connect the dots so seamlessly, Dread Lord.”

“Your performance of ignorance regarding Ryker and your disdain for Asher yesterday was quite convincing. But you might want to refine your expressions,” I remarked, turning to face him fully, noting the subtle crack in his mask. He was hiding something, that much was clear. “I already suspected you weren’t being entirely forthright about the Blood Petal. You didn’t lie outright—your aura would have betrayed you—but you’ve been keeping a great deal from us.”

He straightened, a newfound resolve in his posture. “To protect the Blood Petal, I would go to any lengths, Dread Lord. I will not allow you to take Seraphina.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the facade of bravery he wore so adeptly. “She’ll be here any moment, and then we’re leaving these ruins. What do you plan to do to stop us? Fight? Use magic?” My grin widened as my lycan took control of my eyes, freezing him in place with dread. “So tell me, Silas, what will you do?”

He shivered, fists clenched tightly. “Not a fight. Not magic. A deal.”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A deal?”

Just then, an urgent mind-link from Mace jolted me.

“ALPHA, OUR LYCAN KINGDOM IS SURROUNDED BY THE WEREWOLVES!”

I froze, disbelief washing over me. “What?”

“YES! ALPHA ASHER HAS DECLARED WAR AGAINST THE LYCANS. YOUR FATHER IS FURIOUS BECAUSE THE WEREWOLVES ARE NOT ALONE. THEY HAVE AN ARMY OF STRANGE, HUMAN-LOOKING BEINGS WITH POWERS THAT HAVE ALREADY THREATENED THE KINGDOM’S BORDERS! YOUR FATHER DEMANDS YOUR IMMEDIATE RETURN. THE WAR IS ABOUT TO BEGIN, AND THE KINGDOM NEEDS YOU!”

My gaze snapped back to Silas. He had sent his army, his people, to Asher, empowering the werewolves to stand against the Lycans in this impending conflict.

“What kind of deal did you strike with Asher?” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

“To keep you from claiming the Blood Petal,” Silas replied, taking a step back, his expression hardening. “In exchange… I offered him my people for a time, to use as he wished,” he paused, delivering his next words with a chilling finality. “You cannot have Seraphina, Dread Lord. Anyone but you,” and with that, he dissipated into thin air, vanishing with an unsettling silence.

Mace’s voice echoed in my mind, persistent and urgent.

“ALPHA, YOUR FATHER IS CALLING YOU. YOU NEED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY, YOU—”

But his voice faded into the background as I sensed it—a presence emerging from the ruins.

**SERAPHINA**

**SOMETIME AGO**

“Where is everyone?” I whispered, confusion thickening my voice. Something felt wrong, an unsettling feeling gnawing at my insides. Stepping out of the room, I realized I was nowhere near the broken fountain I had intended to reach. Instead, I found myself in an entirely different section of the ruins. The air felt eerily vacant; there was no sign of Silas or his people. It was as if I were the only living soul amidst the crumbling stones. I couldn’t even feel Ronan’s presence or catch his scent.

“Let’s go find Ronan,” Phina suggested, her tone quiet yet resolute.

Without hesitation, I began my search, navigating the endless corridors of the ruins. No matter which direction I took, I ended up in unfamiliar territory. “What the hell is going on?” I growled, frustration bubbling within me.

Then, out of nowhere, a familiar scent wafted through the air, halting me in my tracks.

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