When The Moon Hides Her Crown - Chapter 32: Chapter 32

SERAPHINA
Yesterday, the dorm assistant had pointed out that I was in a prohibited area and I had not seen other Alphas here. That meant I was in a prohibited area. According to rules we were not allowed to be in prohibited or forbidden places within the Academy or the only punishment was expulsion.
I wanted to stay away from Ronan so how had I ended up wandering into his bedroom? How had things turned out like this? Moreover, how had I gotten caught as well?
“I did not know it was your room. I got lost,” I instinctively stepped back, my spine brushing the edge of the desk as Ronan moved in like shadow and storm clouds.
“Really?” the corner of his lips curled up into a smile that screamed he did not believe me.
“Yes, I came to this area to drop off my mattress and took a wrong turn. That’s all.”
“Then you just happened to end up in my bedchamber. How convenient,” he smirked.
I glared at him, “What do you mean by that?”
He smirked again, his eyes going to the book that I dropped, “You even looked into the book?”
“It was open! I didn't mean to look,” I snapped, but my ears burned with embarrassment. Moreover, he looked more handsome even if he had that irritating smile on his face, “The door was half-open. I didn’t know it was your room. All the hallways look the same,” I explained.
He chuckled, it was low, rich, and thoroughly amused.
“No one ever ends up here…unless they’re…” he paused, decreasing the distance between us and added, “...looking for me.”
My cheeks blushed and I snapped, “I was not looking for you.”
This Alpha…had such a wild imagination!
“Shame,” he murmured. “Because I’ve been thinking about you.”
My breath caught over the way his gaze lingered on my features before locking with my eyes. He had been thinking about me? My heart started drumming in my chest with the feeling that I never experienced before. What was it? It felt similar to what had caused me to go into heat.
No, this was dangerous. This was exactly the kind of trap I should be avoiding, not getting tangled up with him. The only Alpha who seemed to affect my wolf and my heart.
I took another step back. My shoulder bumped the wall. “Okay. Well, I’m going to leave now." I tore my gaze from him quickly, not knowing exactly how I should be reacting to his crazy statement about thinking about me. “Sorry for infiltrating your room.”
I tried to move past him toward the door, but he stepped sideways, blocking me with the ease of someone toying with a smaller animal. “Let me go.”
He suddenly towered over me, his eyes on my face intensely, “You looked tired,” he said softly, voice a thread of silk and danger. “Rough night?”
My breath hitched. How could he… “What would be rough about it? Move out of my way," I stated confidently.
He didn’t.
Instead, he tilted his head, eyes scanning my face, too intently. “You smell different today,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Not bad. Just…like the storm passed.”
My heart dropped in my stomach. My heat was gone…but was there a smell left? No, right? The perfume was working. So how…
I clenched my fist in panic. I had to get out. Before I made a mistake. Before he saw something. Found something. “Nonsense, let me go…” I started, attempting to slide past Ronan, but I barely made it two steps when a knock sounded and the dorm door creaked open before either of us could respond.
“Morning drop-off!” chirped a familiar voice.
My blood ran cold.
The dorm assistant.
No.
He couldn’t see me here. He must not see me here. If I were to be found in his room it would mean immediate expulsion. A violation of the highest rule.
“What should I do?!” My heart stuttered in panic. I froze mid-step. I looked around searching for a window. I did not know what lay outside that window but I could care less. I turned to jump out of it but Ronan moved faster than I thought possible.
In one fluid motion, he turned and stepped into me, his broad chest blocking my view of the open door right away. His body became a shield, warm, firm, immovable.
“Why are you…” I gasped, trapped between him and the cold wall. His arm came around me with silent precision, holding me steady but not forcefully, his other hand lifting to wave casually at the assistant.
“Just leave it on the table,” he said, his voice cool, unbothered. Not a tremor of tension gave anything away.
The assistant did not take another step further in. “Yes.”
I kept holding my breath and hid my aura as he moved to the table. The problem was that I could not hide my heartbeat that kept increasing with Ronan’s violet eyes staring down into mine without blinking. Both of our bodies were so close that I didn't even want to think how close we were.
A moment later, the door clicked shut again.
But I was still pinned.
So close.
Too close.
His masculine scent wrapped around me like smoke. My chest rose and fell in rhythm with his, our breaths mingling in the tight space. I couldn’t meet his eyes, I knew he was watching me, but I couldn’t look away.
My palms trembled where they pressed against the wall behind me.
I’d never been this close to a man before.
Not like this.
Not sharing the same breath.
Not with my body reacting like it had a mind of its own.
I was overheating again, not from heat, not from shame. Something else. Something worse.
“Can’t put my reputation on line…” he murmured lowly, voice brushing over my skin like velvet as he replied to my earlier question.
The moment the words left him, I shoved gently at his chest, not with force, but enough to create distance. Of course, I knew he hid me because of his reputation. Not because he wanted to help me.
“That’s good. I don’t want to be seen with you either,” I slipped away and fled from his room without looking back, the tips of my ears and the back of my neck burning crimson. My pulse was still thundering by the time I shut the door behind me.
I didn’t stop until I was halfway down the hall.
Only then did I allow myself to breathe.
Then again, how could that be Ronan’s room? On top of that, he even gets breakfast delivered over there? Come to think of it, I never saw him having any meal among the others in the cafeteria. What was going on?