Chapter 80: Trapped with Zyran

Adeline’s pov~

I pressed my back as flat as possible against the icy stone wall, barely daring to breathe.

In the dark silence of the hall, I heard Chloe and Miya finalising their stupid strategy.

"We can’t rely on outside help this time," Chloe whispered, her voice laced with venomous determination.

"If those useless omegas failed, we do this ourselves. We poison her morning tea with wolfsbane extract, or we drag her out into the deep woods behind the training grounds right when the guards switch shifts. Either way, she should die."

"And if that fails?" Miya’s voice trembled slightly, her knuckles white. "What if she brings that silver blade again? Or what if one of those four Princes is tracking her every move?"

"Then we make it look like an accident," Chloe hissed, stepping closer, her eyes glittering with cold malice.

"Fine," Miya muttered, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "Let’s get the fuck out of here before someone catches us near the stables."

Their hushed conversation abruptly ended, followed by the faint, sharp tap of heels heading straight down the corridor toward my hiding spot.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Panic surged through my veins. If they caught me standing right here in the shadows, listening to every word of their dirty plot, everything would be spoiled.

I spun around on my heel, moving as silently as a ghost, intending to retreat the way I came.

But then I froze.

Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed from the opposite end of the dark hall. The unmistakable, suffocation-heavy scent of an Alpha flooded the air, thick and intimidating, cutting off my only escape route.

Trapped.

I was completely sandwiched between Chloe’s murderous schemes on one side and an unknown highborn Alpha on the other.

My heart hammered viciously against my ribs.

Panicking, I frantically searched the shadowed wall until my fingers brushed a cold metal latch. A door.

Without thinking twice, I yanked the narrow wooden door open, slipped into the dark room, and slammed right into a solid, towering barrier.

My face collided with a broad, iron-firm chest.

"What the—"

"Adeline??" a deep, familiar baritone voice rumbled above my head, heavy with complete shock.

Oh, my Goddess.

Before he could speak another word or alert anyone in the corridor, I grabbed his leather jacket, shoved him back into the pitch-black room with all the strength in my arms, and slammed the heavy oak door shut behind me.

"Shhh..." I hissed in a frantic, desperate whisper, holding my breath as I pressed my hand over his mouth. My eyes were on the door to my left.

Outside, the faint, sharp tap of Chloe’s heels faded down the corridor, mingling with the heavy, rhythmic tread of the passing Alpha guard before both sets of footsteps passed.

I didn’t move an inch until the sound of those fading heels completely died out down the corridor. The immediate danger had passed, leaving only the sound of my own shallow, frantic breaths echoing in the tiny, dark space.

My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it echoing in my ears, but as my senses slowly came back online, I suddenly realised the absolute insanity of the position I was in.

That was when the static heat radiating beneath my palms finally registered.

My left hand was still tangled tightly in the heavy collar of his leather coat, clutching the cool material like a lifeline. My right palm was pressed firmly over his mouth, the warm, steady rhythm of his breathing brushing against my bare skin.

A sudden, electrifying spark shot straight up my arm, making my fingers twitch.

Standing mere inches from me was Zyran.

Slowly, I lifted my eyes in the darkness. His deep, pitch-black eyes were already locked straight onto mine.

He hadn’t pulled away.

He hadn’t fought back when I shoved him.

He had just stood there in the absolute dark, letting me pin him against the wall while he watched every single flicker of panic cross my face.

A slow, wicked tilt softened the edge of his sharp jaw beneath my hand, his dark brows arching in silent, amused challenge.

"Done wrapping your hands all over me, sweetheart?" he rumbled softly against my palm, his deep, vibration-heavy voice sending a sharp shiver straight down my spine.

"What??--"

"Planning to hold me like this all night, sweetheart? Or are you finally gonna tell me why you dragged me inside and pinned yourself flush against my body?" Zyran said, his lips brushing against my palm as he spoke, a dark, dangerous smirk curling the corner of his mouth.

I gasped, snatching my hand back as if his skin had burned me.

I stumbled a step backwards, my heel clicking against the floorboards as I put immediate distance between us, my chest heaving up and down. My skin was still prickling with static heat from where our bodies had been touching.

Goddess, what is wrong with me? Out of all the rooms in this academy, I had to throw myself into the one holding the most unpredictable prince of them all.

"I didn’t flush my body against yours!" I hissed under my breath, my face flushing hot despite the freezing air of the hidden room. "It was an accident!"

Zyran leaned back lazily against the stone wall behind him, crossing his broad arms over his chest. His pitch-black eyes shimmered in the faint moonlight streaming through the high, narrow window, tracking every frantic movement of my face.

"You like getting into trouble, don’t you?" Zyran asked softly, his deep baritone vibrating through the quiet space.

I narrowed my eyes, adopting a cold, dismissive tone to cover the rapid thudding of my heart.

"If me just walking down a hallway is considered getting into trouble, then what are you doing here?" I snapped back, trying to keep my tone cold and dismissive, though my voice carried a subtle tremble I hated myself for.

Zyran tilted his head, his smirk widening just a fraction into something dark and mocking.

"Then I can ask you the same question... What are you doing out here past midnight, sweetheart?"

My throat went bone-dry. I swallowed hard, my mind spinning into complete panic.

Goddess, think, Adeline, think! What do I tell him?

Why is he always right where I am?

"I got lost," I lied flatly, keeping my voice as steady as a razor blade. "This academy is a maze, and I took a wrong turn trying to get back to my dorm."

Zyran let out a low, dark laugh that sounded like velvet over glass. He stepped even closer, stopping mere inches from where I stood pinned against the heavy door.