Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 14: What Living Hell Means

**************

Chapter 14

~Jade’s POV~

The sharp scream cut through the hallway furiously.

"You!"

I staggered back, my shoulder hitting the wall as hot liquid splashed across my hand. The bitter scent of coffee filled the air immediately.

My eyes lifted slowly.

Vera Vega stood in front of me, frozen in place, staring down at her soaked white bralet. Brown stains spread across the fabric, ruining both the material and whatever illusion of perfection she had been holding onto.

For a split second, the entire hallway went silent, then she screamed again.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" Vera shrieked, her voice carrying far too well. Her friends gathered around her instantly, gasping and murmuring as if she were the victim of a violent crime. "This top costs more than everything you own put together!"

Ignoring her screams, I took out my white handkerchief and wiped my hand clean. Thanks to my wolf, the scalding on my wrist quickly healed.

"Answer me!"

"I—" I swallowed as my heart began racing. The last thing I wanted was more of her trouble. I was already late for class. "I didn’t see you. I’m sorry. You stepped right into—"

"Oh, spare me." Her eyes flicked up to my face, narrowing when recognition finally dawned. Vera’s lips curled in disgust. "You."

My stomach dropped.

"I thought this school had finally rid itself of your whorish stench," Vera said loudly, her gaze flicking around to make sure everyone was listening. "Guess I was wrong."

A few students nearby sucked in sharp breaths. Instinctively, I clenched my hands at my sides.

"So you’re back," she continued cruelly. "And not only that, you decided to upgrade your little routine? Couldn’t snag another student, so you moved on to fucking the lecturers instead?"

My chest burned. Javelin growled in my head, ready to unleash her aura at her, but I forced her down.

Until now, I had never let anyone see my wolf. Even though she yearned to be free, I never let her wolf out after my first shift. I wasn’t ashamed of her, though; I just did not want to give them another reason to tease or make my life frustrating and make her hate herself.

"That’s not..." I started, but my words were cut short by Vera’s sharp mocking laugh.

"Oh, please. Don’t act innocent now. The whole school heard it. The Alpha Triplets claiming you as their mate?" She looked me up and down slowly, deliberately. "Wearing new clothes and fixing your hair doesn’t change what you are. Garbage is still garbage."

The words hit deeper than I expected.

"And if you’re really their mate," Vera sneered, stepping closer as her eyes narrowed on my neck, "then why aren’t you marked yet?"

Silence fell hard. My mouth opened to defend myself, but nothing came out.

Marking someone was a way to stake a claim on them. Not only had we not had sex, my mates and I weren’t exactly in a happy talking stage right now.

Before I could form a response, a suffocating, commanding presence surged behind me. "Enough," Xavier’s voice rang out.

The air shifted violently as Xavier’s alpha aura poured out, pressing down like a crushing weight. Vera stiffened as if struck. Her face turned pale as her wolf whimpered in submission under its force.

Her knees buckled instantly, and she collapsed to the floor with a gasp, clutching at her throat, her eyes wide with terror.

Her friends followed seconds later, dropping to their knees, faces pale, gasping for air as panic filled their eyes.

Xavier stepped past me, placing himself squarely between Vera and me.

"Professor Xa..." Her voice trembled.

"You do not speak to my mate that way," he said coldly, his glowing eyes fixed on Vera. His Alpha voice pressed down harder, forcing her head lower as the pressure intensified. "Jade has nothing to prove to anyone in this school."

I could feel the power radiating from Xavier like an invisible force pushing down on everything around us.

Vera’s eyes widened in terror as blood trickled from her nostrils, staining the floor beneath her.

"And the next time," Xavier continued evenly, unleashing more of his wolf’s power with every breath he took, "you so much as insult her, let alone touch her, you will learn what living hell truly means."

The pressure eased just enough for them to breathe. Immediately, coughing and wheezing sounds filled the hallway as they nodded.

Xavier turned, his hand closing gently around mine warmly, despite the power still rolling off him. He pulled me away without another word.

As we walked, my legs felt unsteady, because my mind still found it hard to believe that I had been this close too.

If I weren’t the Lycan King’s daughter, if my blood didn’t carry that weight... my punishment would have been far worse. Worse than hers and Troy’s combined.

I had been so lost in thought that I did not realise when we got to our destination.

Xavier stopped abruptly, and I walked straight into his back. I looked up at him, his broad shoulders blocking my view of his handsome face, save for his fluttering back-length blond hair.

"Oof... sorry," I muttered, stepping back quickly and taking a quick glance at my surroundings — outside my classroom.

He turned, his expression softer now, and the fury that plagued Vera and her goons was gone. "I apologise for stepping in like that," he said quietly. "And for using my Alpha aura so close to you. I hope I didn’t hurt you."

I shook my head slowly, though my wolf still felt unsettled, pacing restlessly inside me. "It didn’t hurt... just felt heavy."

"That’s because it was," he replied gently. "But thanks to your Lycan lineage, you weren’t affected the way others would be."

He reached out, fingers lifting slightly, as if to check my cheek.

Instinctively, I stepped back before he could touch me, my heart thudding.

He froze. For a brief second, something dark and tired crossed his eyes before he exhaled slowly and lowered his hand.

"I forget myself sometimes," Xavier muttered. "I won’t touch you unless you want me to."

My chest tightened. That wasn’t my intention. It was just... sigh. I nodded, unable to meet his gaze.

"Thank you," I said quickly, looking away. "For helping."

Before he could respond, I turned and rushed into the safety of my classroom. Upon entering, every head snapped toward me. I was getting tired and used to it.

I ignored the stares and whispers, then made my way straight to Isadora, who immediately patted the seat beside her, thankfully. I took the seat and plopped down.

"You okay?" she whispered as I sat.

"I think so," I murmured, setting my bag down and reaching for my book. "I just need to get through this day and then..."

The room suddenly went cold. A sudden hush fell over the class, as if every student had stopped breathing at once.

Javelin whooped excitedly in my mind. My chest tightened, dread filling my heart and chest all at once as I lifted my head slowly, hoping to brace myself for the worst.

Only to see Xavier standing at the front of the classroom, right beside the whiteboard, his gaze already locked on mine.