Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 21: Take You Right Here

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Chapter 21

~Jade’s POV~

My eyes widened when the footsteps approaching grew louder. "Shit," I whispered.

The door creaked open slightly.

"Yo, anyone in here?" a male voice called out.

Xander reacted instantly. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the showers. I barely had time to gasp before he pushed me behind the tiled partition and into the narrow stall, stepping in after me and pulling the curtain shut.

My back hit the cold tile as his hands came down on my waist, anchoring me in place.

"Do not make a sound," he murmured close to my ear.

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure the guy outside could hear it.

We stood there pressed together in the tight space, barely breathing.

The bathroom door opened wider.

"Man, I don’t know why the restroom downstairs was closed. I really have to pee," the guy muttered.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I heard him move toward the urinals.

A stream of water hit porcelain, and boy, did I realise how right Xander was and how foolish I must have seemed. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

Xander did not move, but I felt his body tense against mine. One of his hands slid higher, settling at my lower back and steadying me when my knees threatened to buckle.

This was not helping at all.

The sound finally stopped. A zipper followed, then footsteps. Finally, the door opened and closed.

For some seconds, silence was all that was left. I exhaled shakily before Xander eased back slightly. "Stay here."

He slipped out of the stall.

I hugged my arms around myself, mortified beyond words.

A few seconds later, he reappeared with my leggings, my top, and my waist pouch, then placed them on the last bench outside the showers.

He pulled his shirt over his head and draped it over my belongings.

All the while, my eyes remained glued to the wolf’s head tattoo on his right chest, surrounding a... I barely got enough chance to look at it when more voices echoed down the hallway, followed by several footsteps.

"Shit," he muttered, then turned and hurried back into the stall.

"What are you doing?" I whispered urgently.

He pressed a finger to his lips, but the fear radiating off me said it all. Should anyone catch us this way... the rumours would be endless. No one would believe shit about what we have to say.

Just then, four male voices entered the changing room, loud and careless.

"Bro, I swear Coach is blind if he does not notice we skipped practice again," one fo the boys, with a slightly deep voice, noted.

"Relax, he never checks," a second lighter voice soothed.

"Anyone got a light?" a third guy’s deep voice rang out.

"Here you go," the last guy with a baritone offered. Then a lighter flicked.

Smoke drifted into the shower area. I held my breath, waiting for when this mess would end. In my frustration, I had unknowingly held Xander’s arm and dug my fingers into his skin. His jaw tightened, but he made no sound.

Realising my mistake, I swallowed and jerked my hands off, mouthing an apology.

As though the Moon Goddess wasn’t on my side, my phone started ringing. My blood ran cold.

The sound was muffled under the pile of clothes, but not enough, not enough for werewolves.

"D fuck," one of them said. "Whose phone is that? Anyone here, or did they forget it?"

Silence followed, save for the sound of my phone. Then another replied, "Check it out. It must be from that pile of clothes and—"

"Do not dare touch my phone," Xander’s voice thundered. Every sound stopped, and as if on cue, even the ringtone suddenly stopped.

"Who’s there?" the guy with the baritone inquired.

"Shouldn’t you boys be in class or using your own changing rooms?" he went on, his tone icy cold and sharp.

"Who is that?" someone whispered again, clearly not getting the memo.

"Do I still need to explain myself when you are trespassing in the staff’s changing room and smoking on school grounds?" he questioned.

I felt something heavy roll through the air. Power. Xander’s wolf’s aura unleashed, like he had done that New Year’s Eve and yesterday.

Immediately, knees dropped to the ground one after the other.

"Oh shit," one gasped. "That is Professor Xander."

"We are so sorry, sir," another blurted.

Then someone whispered, "I smell a female."

My stomach dropped.

Before I could react, Xander lifted me effortlessly, his hands gripping my thighs as he pulled me up. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist, my arms clinging to his shoulders.

He pressed me against the wall, shielding me completely with his body.

"Do you still have time for idle gossip," he said calmly, "or shall I report all four of you to the principal for smoking and loitering? Maybe then, we’d see if one of you isn’t holding a female property or..."

"No, sir," they chorused. "We are leaving right now."

Xander did not need to speak further before their footsteps scrambled away.

The door slammed shut, and silence crashed down around us.

After some seconds, Xander let me down slowly.

Neither of us spoke or moved for a long moment.

My chest was still pressed to his. I felt everything: the heat, the tension, and the very obvious reaction in his body.

I swallowed hard. "Thank you."

I tried to step away, but my hand slipped and grazed squarely against his crotch.

"Oh my God," I breathed. "I am so sorry."

Xander did not move. His jaw tightened.

"Did you do that intentionally," he asked quietly, "or are you really that clumsy?"

"No," I said immediately. "I swear I did not mean to touch your... touch you there."

His jaw tightened. Xander stepped closer instead of backing away, hooked a finger under my chin, and lifted my face.

"Look at me," he murmured. I did, which was my mistake. The light seemed to dance in his eyes, adding a mesmerizing glow to his captivating eyes.

But unlike his eyes, his gaze was intense, hungry like a predator. His gaze dropped to my lips, then lifted back to my eyes.

"You have no idea what your scent alone does to me."

My pulse slammed against my ribs, but Xander leaned in close anyway so that his breath brushed my lips

My pulse exploded in my ears when he added, "How about I give you a taste of what you keep pretending you don’t want?"

My breath hitched. Xander’s fingers grazed my bare arm as he shifted closer, the lightest touch, barely there. My entire body shuddered like I’d been struck.

His eyes darkened instantly.

"What happened to the brave girl in the King’s guest bathroom who dared to tease me and look me in the eye while she did it?"

I swallowed hard. I tried to look away, but he didn’t let me.

Xander’s fingers lifted my chin again, forcing my gaze back to his. His nose brushed mine lightly, and intimate enough to make my knees weaken.

My heart skipped violently; my breathing turned ragged as heat pooled low in my stomach. Xander gulped in response, as if it cost him something.

I saw the restraint, the hunger, and the war he was losing inch by inch. His lips brushed mine, and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me. "I can take you right here and now," he said hoarsely. "Mate."

"Xander..." I breathed.

"Shhh." His thumb stroked my jaw. "You’d like that, wouldn’t you?"

I opened my mouth to answer. He didn’t let me.

I did not know I craved it either, but with how close our bodies got, a part of me wanted him closer, imagining what it would feel like.

Rather than doing exactly that, Xander shook his head, reached past me and turned on the shower.

Cold water blasted down over my head and shoulders.

I gasped, choking on a shriek, as he jerked back

"What are you doing?" I spluttered.

"You came here to shower, right?" he said coolly, all hunger and desire drained from his face. "Shower."

He stepped back out of the stall, locked the entrance door from the inside, and left me standing there, soaked, shaking, and burning in places that had nothing to do with the cold water.