Chapter 36 Ashton isn’t what he is.

Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Ashton isn’t what he is.

It was as if a bomb had dropped on Noah, shattering something deep inside him. He was never the same again. Though Rose was tired and weak from the ordeal, she sensed immediately that something profound had shifted in him.

"Ashton, are you with us? Ash, what’s wrong?" she asked, her voice strained. Her chest throbbed with a sharp pain that radiated through her body, as if the earlier chaos had hurled her into an emotional storm she couldn’t escape.

Noah didn’t respond at first. His gaze fixed on Killian, who was struggling to grip his leg and pull himself up. Out of raw anger, Noah kicked the hands away from his legs with force.

"We have to leave now," Noah said firmly. They had barely managed to drive the monsters back, and many of them lay mortally wounded in the aftermath. The battlefield still echoed with distant growls and the scent of blood.

Noah walked over to where Rose lay sprawled on the ground. She was trying to push herself up and stand her ground, but every movement proved far more difficult than it seemed. Her body protested with waves of exhaustion.

"Haaaaaaa!" she screamed as her ankle twisted painfully. She grabbed onto Noah’s elbow to steady herself and avoid falling completely. Lamia rushed in to help carry her away, leaving the alphas and Sylvia to fend for themselves against any lingering threats.

Even as he supported Rose, Lamia glanced back over his shoulder. The scene looked devastating. The alphas were in terrible shape too, battered and barely holding on after the intense fight.

"Aren’t we going to help them?" Lamia asked. "They took part in this battle and saved our lives when we could have died. It doesn’t feel right to just abandon them now." As he spoke, he noticed Noah’s eyes change. The usual flicker of emotion in them had vanished, replaced by something cold and distant.

"You can go back for them if you want, but as for me, it’s over," Noah replied coolly. His priority was Rose and nothing else. Everything else faded into the background.

Lamia didn’t argue further. He helped carry Rose directly to the special medical center. Surprisingly, even though it was the middle of the night, the facility was fully operational. As the group approached, security personnel raised their weapons in alert. But upon recognizing the students’ uniforms, their expressions shifted to shock.

"Are those our students?" one guard muttered. The doors to the facility swung open immediately, and the staff rushed Rose inside, carrying her carefully to the inner treatment chamber.

"You two can wait out here. We’ll handle this," a nurse instructed. But Noah refused to leave her side so easily. He worried that Rose might feel afraid or alone in the unfamiliar setting. Yet the opposite proved true.

"It’s alright, Ashton. It’s safe now. We made it through," she said with a gentle smile. He returned a dry smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, his face etched with fatigue.

His features looked worn, eyes baggy and heavy with the need for sleep. His throat tightened painfully at the fresh revelation about Killian and his connection to the murder of his host. It was a truth he still struggled to digest fully, like a weight pressing down on his chest.

"Let’s sit over there while we wait. You can tell me what’s going on with you," Lamia suggested. He led Noah to a couch reserved for visitors and patients’ companions. They both leaned back heavily, bodies exhausted from the night’s events.

"That was totally insane, Ashton. How did that happen? Do you know what you released back there that made the gate disappear?" Lamia’s question hung in the air, but it didn’t immediately pull Noah out of his silence. He sat thinking, his mind replaying the chaotic scenes.

"Honestly, I don’t think I understand what’s happening to me. This is the first time I’ve experienced anything like this, Lamia. I’m scared. Did you see those creatures drawn to me? My scent... is that supposed to be normal? And what do you think will be the result of all this getting out?" Noah was scared out of his mind. Lamia, equally clueless, didn’t know how to offer real help or answers.

"I’m a witch, same as Rose, but my knowledge only goes so far. This feels far too ancient. All records of magic like this were destroyed long ago, so we don’t have much to go on. I can’t really put my finger on it." They both sighed deeply, the weight of uncertainty settling between them.

"Lamia, be honest with me. I want to ask you something personal about the alphas. I have some memories that feel tampered with. Can you help me sort this out?" Lamia shifted in his seat to listen more attentively.

"Anything, Ashton. I’m here for you always." Noah nodded, gathering his thoughts.

"I wasn’t really bullied the way it seemed, was I? Tell me the unfiltered version. I want the truth about what happened between me and them." Right now, he wasn’t sure whether to trust Ashton’s memories or question them entirely. From the outside, Ashton appeared as a victim of abuse, but deeper layers suggested manipulation at play.

Killian’s earlier words echoed in his mind—that Ashton didn’t like him and that he was the least favorite among the alphas. If that was true, why had they been together before the pushing incident? It didn’t add up.

Lamia peered at Noah, wondering why this topic had surfaced now. They should have been discussing the powers unleashed at the graveyard, the terror they had witnessed, or Ashton’s display of pheromones. Those pheromones hadn’t just turned the alphas into puppets and mindless followers; they had also drawn monstrous creatures desperate to reach him.

Then there was the moment when they were losing ground, only for a scream—like forces beyond human comprehension—to erupt alongside Noah. He had banished a weapon as deadly as the gate itself. The dark magic seeping from it was poisonous, yet he had casually sent it away. Only top-tier supernaturals could manage such feats, and even powerful witches struggled with it. Those were the things Lamia expected to discuss, not some guys he didn’t particularly care about.

But because it was Ashton, he reconsidered and answered.

"Okay, what do you want to know, Ash?" Noah facepalmed gently and breathed out a long sigh, unsure if he was truly ready to walk down this path.

"I know I was malicious to people before, but what about the alphas? There must be a real reason why I’m hated, especially by Eugene. It doesn’t feel normal." Lamia couldn’t help but wonder if something deeper was troubling his friend.

"It’s complicated, Ash. You were really problematic at times. You didn’t just ask for their attention—you stalked them." Noah nodded, hoping it wouldn’t get worse, but Lamia’s expression told him it did.

"Rumors started that you were sneaking into their rooms, taking private pictures, and meddling in business that was supposed to stay hidden." That sounded undeniably creepy.

Lamia gulped, as if giving himself time to continue. "From there, you declared that they should reject Sylvia and make you their precious omega bride instead." The boldness of it surprised Noah. He realized he had misunderstood Ashton’s craftiness badly. Ashton hadn’t been stupid; he had been deliberately pushing a narrative to get what he wanted.

"That is shocking. Please tell me it didn’t get worse?" But Lamia offered no such reassurance and pressed on.

"Ashton kind of forced intercourse with Eugene without his consent. You got him drunk and went through with it. That sealed everything—they turned against you sharply after that." Noah’s eyes nearly bulged in disbelief.

How could anyone do something so vile? Yet the bullying had followed as a consequence.

"Okay, let me guess—the bullying was orchestrated by Eugene as revenge." Lamia nodded, and goosebumps immediately covered Noah’s skin.

Where did Killian fit into this puzzle? What had he been doing on that roof that night? What had drawn him there?

"It’s in the past now. I can see you’re a different person, Ashton. I think the bullying and everything else helped you come back to your senses. You stopped the bizarre behavior, and now you suddenly don’t want them around. It means it’s over." But Lamia was wrong in his assumption. Noah was asking because his heart ached every time he looked at them. It felt like an invisible force was calling him closer, pulling him toward them in ways he couldn’t explain. When his pheromones had triggered earlier, he had sensed something more—he could almost feel their heartbeats. It had terrified him deeply.

"I am a terrible person, aren’t I, Lamia? All these issues stem from me." He hated drowning in self-pity, but something inside him was breaking. Maybe it was Ashton finally confronting the terrible consequences of his past actions.

"Well, I wouldn’t have said this weeks ago, but you’re not terrible now. I love this new version of you that I’m seeing, and I hope it stays. I don’t know how we’ll get through everything ahead, but we have each other. While you’re figuring things out, remember I’m here for you." Noah appreciated the words; they calmed him slightly. Before long, a plan began forming in his mind.

He was already close to the Moonlight Alphas. Instead of avoiding them, perhaps he could use this connection to uncover what really happened that night. He needed their real motives and especially Killian’s intentions on that rooftop. It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was what he had left.

While considering befriending the alphas more deliberately, he also thought about the stranger’s invitation. Should he release him? That decision carried terrible risks because he had no idea what kind of force he might unleash upon the world.

Hours later, Rose was finally discharged.

"We gave her some healing potions. With rest, she should be fine," the healer explained. Lamia and Noah nodded gratefully, thanking the staff for their service.

The three of them helped Rose out of the facility together. Later, Noah returned to his dormitory, utterly exhausted. A heavy silence greeted him as he entered his room, but as shadows enveloped the space, he noticed figures inside—two at first, then all four of the alphas.

"What in the world is going on here?" he demanded. Yet they were occupied with different tasks: arranging the bed while the others fluffed his pillows and straightened the sheets.

"Let’s just say we want you to have your beauty sleep in a proper environment," Killian stated calmly. Noah gawked at him, completely taken aback.

"Trying to smother me in my sleep?" His brow arched in suspicion. What kind of weirdness was this? How were they suddenly working together so seamlessly?

Damian walked up to him and pulled him into a warm embrace against his broad chest.

"Let’s just treat you right today. We owe you our lives." Before Noah could protest further, Marcus lifted him off his feet and carried him straight to the bed. Eugene carefully placed a blanket over him, tucking it gently.

"We can fight another day. You owe me one," Eugene added with a hint of his usual arrogance. Noah shook his head. He didn’t want to sleep—they could easily harm him here in this vulnerable state. But the soft pillow, the comforting weight of the blanket, and Damian’s soothing affinity worked their magic.

"Sleep tight, Ash," Damian whispered. Then darkness enveloped Noah completely, pulling him into a deep, much-needed rest.