Chapter 92 Searching for his friends.

Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Searching for his friends.

The question came so unexpectedly that Noah blinked, utterly caught off guard by the demand. He stared at the two alphas, his mind still reeling from the vivid dream that had shaken him to his core. It had felt so real, so visceral, like he had actually been transported to that strange place.

"Talk," Killian said with confidence. "We’ll bring it up to you."

Noah nodded absently, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He turned his arms over, examining his elbows and wrists, searching for any evidence that the dream had been real. To his dismay, he found a red mark around his arm—almost as if someone had grabbed him forcefully and dragged him before the print appeared.

Killian noticed him staring at his hands and raised an eyebrow. "Something happened? Why are you checking yourself out like you’re at a checkpoint?"

It was supposed to be a joke, but Noah didn’t laugh. Instead, he shifted Damian aside and climbed down from the table, his movements jerky and uncoordinated.

"Ash, what’s wrong?" Damian asked, his voice laced with concern. "You’re not talking, and it’s hurting me."

Noah stopped in his tracks, his back still turned to them. He considered whether he should tell them about the dream, about the warning, about everything. But then reality crashed back down on him—today was important. The emperor was coming. Fuck.

As he tried to walk away, Killian blocked his path. "Love, listen to Damian and tell us what’s wrong. It would be stupid for me to let you leave when you woke up screaming, looking scared, and checking yourself out like that. Was the sex a mistake? If you felt that way, don’t hide it."

Noah almost staggered at those words. His legs felt weak, his body trembling with exhaustion. "You see why I said you should sit down and eat?" Killian continued, his voice softer now. "You’re weak. You might fall if you keep going forward."

That was possible, no doubt, but Noah didn’t want to eat. He felt like they were misunderstanding him completely. "Of course not," he said quickly. "The sex yesterday was so good. I really enjoyed it—you both were something else in bed." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "But right now, I haven’t seen my friends for so long, and that’s selfish of me. Lamia rescued me, like I was told, but have I thanked him? Absolutely not. That’s not right. I have to go."

He started to walk, but Damian hugged him from behind. In the process, Damian’s eyes caught the marks on Noah’s arms. "The hell—who did this to you?" His eyes widened like saucers.

Noah immediately snatched his hands away, hiding them. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Damian shouldn’t have seen that.

"It’s not fair to us," Killian said, stepping closer. "Tell us what’s going on. We don’t want anything more than to see you safe and well. That’s the main priority now. Keeping silent will only trigger us further."

He pulled Noah into his arms, trapping him in an embrace. Noah found himself looking into Killian’s emerald eyes, unable to look away.

"It’s a long time to start from," Noah admitted. "And I never said I’m not telling you anything. Of course I will. Is there a reason why I wouldn’t? Definitely not. So let me go see my friend. I don’t want to keep this feeling in my chest. Something tells me something is wrong, and until I see them with my own eyes, I won’t be satisfied."

But Killian refused to cooperate. "I’ll go and check on your behalf. Stay here with Damian. Remember, yesterday was rough on the bed, and you’re looking famished. You might faint on the way."

They hadn’t failed to notice how he kept staggering, likely due to the bite mark from last night—a mark Noah hadn’t even identified yet.

"Just sit down and rest," Killian urged, reaching for him.

Something inside Noah snapped. "Can you stop?" he yelled, pushing Killian away. "I said stop! Can’t you hear a word? They’re my friends—don’t I have the right to see them? You can’t control me or stop me from exercising my freedom. This is just pushing me into a box I don’t want to enter. Just let me go!"

He pushed through and ran out of the room, not caring that he was still in his pajamas. He didn’t look back.

Damian and Killian stared after him in shock. "Did he just push me?" Killian asked, disbelief coloring his voice. "What did I do wrong? I was just worried. Look at him—he’s weak and shouldn’t be running around, especially after last night. Why can’t he ever listen to us?"

He sighed in exhaustion. This was unfair. His plan for a peaceful bedroom date with just the three of them had been completely ruined.

"Let’s not get riled up," Damian said, trying to calm down. "Think about what might have caused him to act this way. It’s not normal behavior for Ashton. First, the fear of us leaving, then the wounds on his hands—what in the fuck is happening here?"

Killian nodded. "Also, remember he hasn’t discovered the mark yet. I don’t think I’m ready to hear his panic right now."

Damian’s face twisted with worry, and he facepalmed. "Let’s just follow him," Killian decided. "Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself."

He knew Noah valued his independence, but at this stage, it didn’t matter. The school wasn’t safe anymore, and with the emperor on his way, anything could happen. They couldn’t let Noah wander around carelessly—it was too dangerous.

"I have a feeling this is going to piss him off," Damian muttered.

"I don’t care," Killian replied firmly. "I’d rather have him angry with me than hurt."

They rushed outside.

******

Across the boys’ dormitory, Noah ran limping, his legs and ass aching like a bitch. "Fucking hell, shit," he groaned, constantly having to hold onto the wall for support. A sharp pain shot through his neck, and he felt overwhelmed, unable to distinguish whether the emotions coursing through him were his own or Ashton’s—the host whose body he inhabited. This felt foreign, intrusive, like someone else’s feelings were bleeding into his.

He shook his head, trying to focus despite the dizziness. He searched for Lamia’s room, finally finding it. But the door was locked. No one was in.

He let out a breath, thinking Rose might know where Lamia was. Even if it was unlikely, he moved toward the girls’ hostel, missing the alphas as they rushed out looking for him.

His dizziness worsened, but he kept walking, reaching Rose’s corner. He heard her voice—along with Abigail’s and Emily’s. "That’s weird," Noah muttered. "When did Rose become friends with them?"

The door to Abigail and Emily’s room opened, and the two girls came out with Rose. Noah froze. So it wasn’t his imagination? It couldn’t be real if it just couldn’t be.

"What the hell, Rose?" he called out, his voice trembling. "I’ve been searching for you."