Chapter 82 Open affections.

Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Open affections.

Harold stepped into his place with a deep frown etched across his face, but the moment his eyes landed on the scene in the sitting room, a smile slowly settled on his lips.

He had been furious before, completely pissed off, yet what he was looking at now gradually warmed his heart. It was a beautiful sight, one he had never thought he would witness.

His boys had finally found someone they could lower their guards around. Someone they could share their insecurities with without pretending to be strong.

Harold remembered the day they first came to him about Slyvia.

They had admitted they couldn’t feel anything for her. No attraction, no pull, no emotions no matter how much they tried. It had been eating at them for a long time, but because she was under the Emperor’s protection, they endured it in silence.

No one wanted to provoke the Emperor.

After all, she was his ward, personally placed inside the academy by him.

"I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to feel anything again. Finding my true mate won’t be possible anymore."

Those had been Eugene’s exact words.

One after another, the other Alphas had confessed similar fears, believing fate had abandoned them.

Yet now...

They had found him.

Noah.

Their mate.

But along with that blessing came consequences they had never imagined.

The fact that a Pure Blood was still alive was already enough to shake the entire continent.

Once the news spread—and it definitely would—it wouldn’t stop with the academy.

They wouldn’t be allowed to stay beside him peacefully because the world itself wouldn’t permit it.

A Pure Blood was humanity’s greatest hope.

The Emperor would undoubtedly hear about him sooner or later, and when that happened...

Everything would become far more complicated.

Still...

Nothing terrified Harold more than another name.

Lysander Valmont.

The Devil’s son had returned to the academy.

And according to what Harold had witnessed inside the cafeteria, Lysander had openly declared Noah as his mate.

He had even threatened to wage war against anyone who dared stand in his way.

Having the Devil’s son become interested in someone was never a blessing.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

The peaceful scene before Harold wouldn’t last very long.

He had been standing there silently for so long that he didn’t even realize someone had noticed his presence.

"Is that you over there, Harold?"

The voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He nodded before finally stepping into the living room, his fists unconsciously clenching.

"I see you’re all okay..." Harold commented, his gaze eventually meeting Noah’s.

The younger omega immediately tried getting off the couch, only for Killian to pull him back down with an arm around his waist.

"Don’t be shy," Killian chuckled. "I’m sure he can handle it."

Then he turned toward Harold.

"Right, man? You don’t find it disturbing, do you?"

Harold didn’t answer immediately.

His thoughts were still trapped inside the cafeteria.

Should he tell all of them what Lysander had said?

Or should he only warn the boys?

Lysander had made it painfully clear.

No one was allowed to mark Noah.

Anyone who tried...

Would be declaring war inside the academy itself.

Then again...

The boys weren’t planning on marking Noah anytime soon.

...Right?

Maybe it wasn’t necessary to worry them just yet.

"No issues," Harold finally replied. "Come here, Eugene. Let me look at those wounds before they get any worse."

Eugene immediately tried standing.

At the same time, Noah rose from the couch as well.

"It’s okay, Killian," Noah said softly. "I want to be with him... especially since I’m the reason he got hurt like this."

Killian stared at him for a second before reluctantly letting go.

Damian, whose hand had been resting comfortably on Noah’s thigh, also released him.

"Don’t worry," Noah smiled faintly. "I’m coming back."

He walked over to Harold, who supported Eugene as the injured Alpha limped toward a nearby chair.

Once Eugene sat down, Harold immediately began examining the burns covering his hands and arms.

While treating him, Harold secretly observed Noah from the corner of his eye.

The omega carefully cleaned Eugene’s wounds with unbelievable gentleness.

It was hard to believe this was the same person from earlier.

How could someone change so drastically overnight?

Before today...

Noah hadn’t displayed even the slightest trace of spiritual energy.

Nothing.

Then all of a sudden...

He awakened as the strongest existence currently known.

A Pure Blood.

It didn’t make any sense.

Even if someone had hidden his power, Harold should have noticed something.

He was more than capable of detecting concealed spiritual energy.

Yet he had sensed absolutely nothing.

"The burns are severe," Harold finally spoke. "Wrap them with clean bandages so they don’t become infected."

He reached into one of his storage pouches before bringing out several healing potions.

"Use these as well. They’ll speed up the recovery process."

Then he looked at Eugene.

"For today, just rest. You did well protecting him."

The unexpected praise made Noah blush slightly.

His chest warmed, his heartbeat quickening.

Harold shifted his attention toward him moments later.

"And you, Ashton..."

His expression became serious.

"That was reckless."

Noah froze.

"Why would you unleash your powers like that? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could’ve killed every single one of us."

The words caught Noah completely off guard.

Truthfully...

He couldn’t even remember everything that had happened.

"I’m... not sure I was myself," he admitted quietly.

"I’m sorry."

He lowered his eyes.

"This is all too much for me."

He clenched his trembling hands.

"These powers... they’re too overwhelming."

"It feels like there’s too much energy inside me."

"Sometimes..."

He swallowed.

"It feels like I’m about to explode."

Eugene let out a helpless sigh.

"You didn’t have to scold him, Mr. Harold."

"It wasn’t his fault."

"If it weren’t for Noah, we never would’ve discovered how evil Maria truly was."

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

Harold didn’t share the same opinion.

"No."

His voice remained calm but firm.

"What happened today exposed him to the entire academy."

He looked directly at the four Alphas.

"Think carefully."

"How many people know his secret now?"

"How many people are already planning their next move?"

"This is far bigger than any of you."

"You can’t protect him from everything."

"And today..."

"He unknowingly triggered something much bigger than himself."

Noah instinctively took a step backward.

His vision blurred.

His chest tightened painfully.

"I didn’t ask for any of this..."

His voice came out barely above a whisper.

"You know that... right?"

"I never wanted to become some stupid Pure Blood."

He laughed bitterly.

"I had no idea what I even was."

His breathing became uneven.

"I never wanted to die..."

"And then wake up here."

His eyes slowly became watery.

"I miss my family."

"I miss my sister..."

Unknown to everyone present, Harold and the Alphas assumed Noah was talking about the family that had raised Ashton.

None of them knew...

He was talking about his real family.

The family from the world he left behind.

"They’re probably scared..."

"They probably think I’m dead."

His lips trembled.

"Oh, sis..."

"I’m sorry."

"I really love you."

Only now was he beginning to understand just how much he missed her.

"If someone could take these powers away..."

"I’d give them everything."

"I’d leave this place without looking back."

"So don’t tell me things you don’t understand."

His voice cracked.

"You aren’t inside my head."

"You don’t know what I was feeling when I made those decisions."

"So please..."

"Stop saying all this."

The last sentence nearly broke him.

Before Noah could completely fall apart, Eugene ignored the pain shooting through his injured leg and limped forward to hug him.

The sudden movement caught everyone else’s attention.

"What happened?"

Marcus quickly stood up.

"Who made him cry?"

His sharp eyes immediately landed on Harold.

"Seriously?"

"It’s not his fault."

Marcus moved closer, gently rubbing Noah’s shoulder.

By then, Killian and Damian had already rushed over as well.

The three Alphas instinctively surrounded him, trying to comfort the omega who looked ready to burst into tears.

Noah felt even more embarrassed.

Why was he crying so much?

He felt pathetic.

"I..."

He sniffled softly.

"I just want to take a bath."

"I’m not really comfortable like this."

Damian immediately stepped forward.

"Then let’s go."

"We’ll help you."

Before Noah could refuse, Killian walked over too.

"We’re coming as well."

The two Alphas escorted Noah upstairs while Marcus watched them disappear.

Eugene wanted to follow despite his injuries.

He had barely taken a single step before Harold’s voice stopped both him and Marcus.

"Tomorrow..."

Harold’s expression darkened.

"During the ceremony..."

"Don’t mark him."

The room fell silent.

Eugene frowned.

"...Why?"

Harold slowly lifted his eyes.

"Because if any of you do..."

"Lysander will retaliate."

"He won’t hold back."

Those words alone nearly shattered the atmosphere.

But Harold wasn’t finished.

"He publicly declared Ashton as his mate."

Silence.

"No one else..."

Harold’s voice turned heavy.

"...is allowed to have him."

"If anyone dares mark him..."

"He’ll consider it a declaration of war."