When The Moon Hides Her Crown 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.

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