Chapter 12 Guess SERAPHINA What was that shadow ? I half - shifted in an instant , pressing my back hard against the damp , crumbling stone , the coldness of it seeping into my skin . I didn't dare make a reckless move , not when the unknown lurked so close . A crawling prickle of unease worked its way up the back of my neck , my instincts speaking in an ancient , silent language : something was terribly wrong here The air was dense , unnaturally heavy , carrying the thick scent of decayed moss and stale earth , with a sharper , metallic tang lurking beneath it . A scent 1 knew too well Blood . I held my position , every muscle locked tight , straining to hear past the thundering of my own pulse . But there was nothing ;! no footsteps , no breath , no rustle of movement in the darkness . " Did I mishear ? " I asked my wolf . Phina's voice was low and certain in my mind . " No , 1 definitely sensed something " I waited another beat , pulse pounding in my ears , before easing away from the stone wall . Moonlight filtered through the fractured ceiling , illuminating slivers of the ruin in a pale , ghostly glow . I took a cautious step forward and felt my shoe dip into something slick . I glanced down , sharpening my wolf vision to pierce the gloom . It wasn't mud , nor water . It was blood , Dark , congealed , and pooling in shallow hollows . My gaze followed the blood to where scattered bones lay half - buried beneath moss and dirt . Not old enough to be forgotten , not fresh enough to still reek . The sight seuled a cold knot in my gut . My muscles tensed . This wasn't just another decaying part of the ruin . " We've stepped into someone's territory , " I murmured under my breath . A forbidden , dangerous place . I could feel it deep in my bones , in the way the very air seemed to press against my skin , thick and oppressive like an invisible hand . I needed to get out . Now . Carefully , I began to edge sideways , sliding one foot after the other without letting the soles scrape against the dirt . Each breath I took was shallow , my entire body coiled tight , ready to bolt at the slightest sound . " Don't look back . Don't make a sound , " Phina whispered . And I followed that instinct , until something made me stop cold . There , in the ruined chamber ahead , crouched a figure Naked , coated in a layer of dried mud and streaked with old blood , the moonlight pooled over him , catching the jagged ridges of his spine and the rope - like cords of muscle along his back . His body was a grotesque canvas of grime , old wounds , and twisted scars . And the way he sat motionless , silent sent shards of ice through my veins . His posture wasn't fully human . Nor fully wolf . It was something in - between , as though he'd been left behind by time itself . an ancient piece of the ruin . His head hung low , hair matted and tangled , and though I couldn't see his face , something about the shape of him was wrong . Fundamentally wrong . Was this his place ? Was he alone ? Or were others hiding in the shadows , watching ? I didn't want to find out | took a rautious step back , then another . Each inch of distance felt like a small salvation . I was nearly clear of the my heel snapped a dry branch beneath it . The sound cracked like a gunshot through the oppressive silence . space when Chapter 12 Guess -3 Pearl And the man moved . Shit , I inwardly cursed . The sharp crack of the branch beneath my heel was deafening in the bride , unnatural dence The man's head jerked up a low , animalistic growl tearing from his throat Crimson sapped toward the sound , burning from beneath the tangle of hair and filth . But I had already ducked behind a gnarled tree Only he wasn't fooled The way he moved , jolting to his feet in a single . feral motion was wrong . Too fast . Too lent My heart lurched into my throat . As the man surged toward the gnarled tree where I had been hiding , the air rippled with the sound of his snarl My chest heaved as I pressed myself against the rough bark , already half shifted , He was too close . Too fast Five seconds , that's all I had before he would be upon me . I braced myself , only to feel a hand clamp firmly over my mouth , yanking me back against a solid , familiar chest . A Cap caught in my throat as a presence I knew all too well pulled me up , my body hauled effortlessly into the dense branches above . By the time the creature reached the base of the tree . I was gone . From the tangle of branches overhead , I crouched beside Ronan , my breathing ragged , pulse thundering like a war drum my ears . His hand fell away , but the feel of him lingered . Our eyes met in the dark , and for a moment neither of us spoke Why did he do that " Why are you here ? " I mouthed . I hadn't even heard him follow , or enter . " Guess ." he whispered . The corner of my lips twitched . How the hell had I forgotten that he had actually been the hunter . He must have chased me so that he could hunt me down Due to his large body and little to no space in the tree , his chest was completely touching my back and my heart was racing like a horse from being so close to him . As an Alpha's daughter was not allowed to be so close to this man and losing one's virginity before mating and marking with your soulmate was out of the question , That's why my father would always be furious whenever I trained with male wolves . I hated this rule that only chained females while males would fuck every hole they could get their hands on and still be respected . However , I always kept a healthy distance with males away from training so how did I end up in this situation with this Alpha ? With his me so closely , as if storing every little detail of my feature to his memory . I slowly tore my eyes from him , not letting him look any further and figure something out about me eyes watching We both watched , silent and unmoving , as the man prowled around the base of the tree . His head twitched , those ceric , blood - bright eyes searching the darkness . And then , as if something unseen called him back , he turned and wandered slowly to his previous spot The man sat down again , just as before , his spine rigid , his face tilted toward the moon. His lips moved in a voiceless chant , though worshipping the light . The ruin swallowed him once more , a living shadow amid the ancient stone . I slowly let go of thy breath in relief . " Now we should saying . I turned to look at Ronan but as soon as I tilted my head to him . I found our faces an inch away from each other I froze in surprise and he seemed to be in the same state for a moment . Both our eyes remained locked and neither of us blinked as I realised in what dangerous proximity we were in