Beginning of Chapter 22

A certain level of mediocrity was essential, Rue learnt that too quickly with the growing whispers skating across the room. But despite her dropping scores—thanks to her lack of enthusiasm for practicals—interest kindled in the eyes of her professors and classmates. She supposed the reasons were obvious: the three eros determined to sit at the back of the class watching her like hounds.

False hope had stirred in her belly when she'd woken to an empty room, and then a relatively quiet dormitory. With coffee made and a heated bun from their new machine, her mood had been lifted despite her dreary circumstances and disrupted sleep.

"Fuck Halcyon," she'd cursed between buttery crumbs, "and fuck Valentino." A convulse of pain had wracked her body then, the thought of them driving heat through her soul. The bruise that Dante had left on her neck had quickly faded, and powder was enough to correct the redness that remained.

She was thankful that it was gone, the look of it reminiscent to a brand of an Alpha.

A lunchbox with her name had been found on the counter in the kitchen. Wrapped in cloth, she had inspected it through a translucent sweating cover—thick slabs of meat and rice, Seraphim's work no doubt. She'd popped it open and inhaled amber, fat lubricated meat, all butter bronzed and sprinkled with salt crystals.

The note Seraphim left had an elegant but slightly nervous scrawl. Rue, it read, I made extras. She had spent one second considering the dangers of eating his food and then had swiped the box with a shrug. She'd tasted his cooking from Halcyon's hands. One more wouldn't hurt.

She'd frolicked to school, head down and messaging her family in 69 for drugs. A quick calculation led her to believe that two weeks were all that she had to be safe and snorting the powdered remains of the package. But for her own protection, it'd be best if she found more within the week.

And then, with her nose buried in her purring device, her mood had soured when her aunties chirped that there weren't any available. And that even a lawless place like 69 have had their packets flushed down the toilet. Omega heat suppressants were simply gone.

Rue was fucked.

Her mother had immediately suggested bagging a rich Alpha cock, one that would allow her to keep up the façade. "You'd do well," she'd responded as if the news wasn't an issue, "with a wealthy, powerful Alpha. Pick one that's a sub, they'll listen."

Rue had scowled, but her mind danced with images. Seraphim weeping. Halcyon begging. Altair panting. Valentino would suck her toes if she wanted him to. Her brain startled to a halt, reminding her of the fucked-up dream and she swallowed down that thought. Her thumbs slid over the screen. "And why would they want me?"

Her aunties had bounced into the conversation, cackling. "You can suck a cock under the desk at school, little Rue. A purely sexual reason would easily convince those rich bastards to keep you in class."

Another chirped. "You could play it coy and call it a chase."

"Do not pick the boy that claims that you're his soulmate," her Mama had insisted. "He will do anything for you."

Rue had raised a brow at that. "And?"

"Your Mama had one of those Alphas," an aunty squawked then in excited capital letters. "A desperate, ugly rat."

"I let him fuck me for free," Mama clarified solemnly. "Then he gave me you, soiled my reputation to this dump, and ran away. Get an Alpha that you hate, just a little, and always ask for cash."

Of course, it was her sperm donor. Of course. But her mind jumped right back to Valentino, Valentino who'd proclaimed that they were soulmates. And her mind swiftly jumped to the dream. The way he'd kneed her legs apart, the wet muscle of his tongue on the tip of her fake cock, plush lips so swollen and saliva sticky it was all ruby red. And her heart pounded in her chest, scandalised, needy and pussy warm.

Her clit almost seemed to pulse to the beat of her heart.

Theo had tapped her on the shoulder with a nervous yelp that pitched skywards, and Rue jumped from her seat, blinking wildly at him. Her body was oddly hot, and the heat travelled from her cheeks down to her shoulders. "What?"

"What are they doing here?" The alien hissed.

"Who?" she'd settled back into her seat, icy fingers pressed to burning skin.

"The emperors," he hissed, and her frown deepened, eyes snapping upwards. Emperor was too big of a word for anyone. But for her three, she supposed it could work, with the way their auras seemed to slap everyone across the cheek, had their backs ramrod straight and sweat beading down foreheads.

Valentino, Halcyon and Altair were as godly as always, breaking the threshold of the door, expressions pinched sour as they whispered in low tones towards the professor. Clad in active attire, sleeveless grey and cargo pants, and skin pink from exertion, muscles all rigged and rippling on display. The boys were so different from the three little collar-wearing silk pyjama degenerates she'd seen last night. And she knew now that this was a true depiction of the attention that they commanded.

Rue allowed herself a beat to drink them in. She was preoccupied by the broadness of skin, of men that were horribly, awfully attractive. And men that she'd seen naked from the viscous cream of the eyes of their cocks to the coil of their fluttering rims.

There was irritation etched in Altair's pursed lips, a harsh scowl in colour-changing eyes. But it was Valentino and Halcyon that had her heart really stumbling. Their eyes shifting easily to catch hers and she looked down with a hard glare.

Fuck. The muscles of her sex seemed to clench oddly; her insides almost shivering.

"Troublemakers," she acknowledged, panic lacing her throat. Valentino's ring had been weird, had pumped her fat with odd dreams that now sent a dizzying panic through her system and lust running through her veins. Her fingers were darting over the search bar, looking for answers. She cursed when the results were all about matrimony.

"Gods, Rue, they're coming over. This is a class for guides—"

"Hi baby," Altair purred, sat down heavily with his bubble ass on the seat behind her, and his legs began swinging. His voice always the sweetest song. "Slept well?" Theo had long shut up, stared straight ahead like an animal gagged. He inched away as he always did, sliding further along the table towards the safety of others. Rue did not have that luxury, caged in by the three that circled like hawks.

"Horribly," she answered, wondered why the fuck was everyone so damn afraid of the trio. "Why are you here?" She snapped her search shut before his curious little head could look. Altair's cheek was wedged against her neck, breath warm over her scent gland. A pretty giggle erupted from his lips when she cursed. And her tummy tensed, hot and ballooning with pleasure. "Don't look at my shit."

"Porn? Play it loud so I can watch it from the back."

"Not in class," she fought back viciously. "You'd ruin the seats and jizz in my hair."

"Only because," he grinned, did not bother denying, "the thought of you watching turns me on." Altair sat back, cracking fingers and stretching, pits clean, shaved and all milky. His tentacles floated, sugar spun and cherry as he moaned into the stretch. "Hal wanted you protected, and so we decided we'd come too," Altair explained, cocked a head towards the artemis. Halcyon was by her side then, taking up the empty seat, bag heavy on the table. "You're a lucky little bastard to have us waiting on you."

"Don't want it."

"Ungrateful little bastard," Altair corrected. "Want a massage?" Then his eyes burned bright, excitement dancing across pretty cheeks. "Want me to get on my knees under the desk?" Rue didn't have to suck a cock to stay in school, she decided, thinking back on her aunty's words. The Alphas here wanted to be the ones on their knees.

"It's too early for dirty jokes."

"It's never a joke darling," Altair drawled. "When it's you."

Rue ignored him, levelling a gaze she hoped didn't appear too nervous on Valentino. The eros stared back, strangely bold, oddly heated, burning gaze into her skin as if he could siphon secrets from her soul. She cleared her throat, looking back at Altair. "Halcyon was trying to protect me from you, you little shit."

The artemis cleared his throat then. "I keep my promises," Halcyon assured, hands clapping her on the back and she resisted the urge to flinch back, cheeks blushing. He didn't seem to notice, pulling on an oversized sweater that reminded her of his bunny days that hid distracting biceps. "And I'm actually here to study."

"You're not a student of this class," she pointed out. "Espers don't need this."

"I'm interested in the content," Halcyon answered, pulling out notes and even a set of wire-framed glasses that perched cute on his nose. A stylus spun between his fingers, lips pursed adorably in thought. "I've always wanted to find out the science behind guiding, and how one could improve the experience for guides." He turned Bambi sweet eyes on her then, lashes fluttering. "I want to be a better Esper."

For you, he mouthed, cheeks dewy from a workout, just as pretty as they had been when he'd came to her name. The knowledge of what she'd seen burned her, and God as much as she loved it, she didn't want to see it again. She didn't want to see Alphas orgasming, Alphas begging, Alphas wanting. She didn't want heat rising up her belly and her clit begging to be touched.

The words tumbled out from her mouth.

"Hal?" she hissed, and he tilted his head to the side—a question. "Next time, do your shit in the bathroom." He made of low hum of confusion. "Don't masturbate on the bed," she snapped, and his eyes flew wide open, the most gorgeous of sunset carnations drenching his features pink and red.

"You knew?"

"Of course I did," she whispered back, fingers clenched. "You were so fucking loud; the bed was fucking bouncing."