Chapter 53: Stay Alive for Me
Morning came.
Celeste woke up with her head pounding, her mouth dry and bitter from the taste of last night’s wine. Sunlight cut through the curtains, making her groan as she held her forehead.
Then something felt off- a strange soreness, a faint dampness between her thighs. Confused, she lifted the duvet, and her breath caught as she noticed faint stains of red on the sheets.
Her heart raced. No...it couldn’t be.
She had lost her virginity. But to who?
If it had been Adrian, he would still be here, lying beside her; yet the bed was empty. Panic and disbelief flooded through her as fragments of last night flickered hazily in her mind, scattered and incomplete
...
Splash...
Adrian, Ash, and Lucien woke up soaked with water.
Celeste stood by the door, her voice sharp and furious as she pointed at Adrian. "You abandoned me, your bride, only to spend the night here?"
Then she turned her glare to Lucien and Ash. "And both of you, couldn’t you tell him you needed privacy?"
Her eyes landed back on Lucien. "You’re just a chameleon. I knew it."
Clenching her fists, she looked back at Adrian. "Your father must hear about this!" she shouted before rushing out.
Adrian’s eyes widened at her words. He snapped out of bed, hurriedly putting on his shoes, and chased after her.
Lucien shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Always playing the perfect son..."
He turned to Ash. "I’ll drive you home so you can get ready for school. You shouldn’t miss out, only a few days left before your final high school exam."
Ash nodded quietly.
As they walked out of the hotel, the manager came running toward them, breathing heavily. "Boss..." he paused, then continued, "I wanted to tell you- in one of our bathroom slots, the bathtub broke."
Lucien frowned in surprise. "How did it break? Those are the strongest bathtubs in the country."
The manager nodded nervously. "I heard an Alpha was seen entering there before it broke..."
Realization hit Lucien. He turned to Ash, his expression tightening with worry. He knew how wild Adrian could get when his desire took over, back in their teenage days, he had even broken their home bathtub once.
The manager added, "If you want, sir, we can check the CCTV and see who it was and make him pay."
Lucien quickly waved his hand. "No need. I’ll take care of it."
When they reached the car, Aster was already waiting behind the wheel.
Lucien’s and Ash’s faces darkened the moment they saw him.
"I think I’ll drive myself today," Lucien said flatly.
Aster hesitated, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "If this is about yesterday..."
Lucien cut him off sharply. "I don’t want to talk about it now."
He gave Aster a pointed look, waiting for him to move.
Aster sighed quietly and stepped out of the driver’s seat. Lucien slid behind the wheel while Ash climbed in beside him.
Without another word, Lucien started the car and drove off, the silence thick between them.
Ash shifted slightly in his seat before speaking, his tone low. "About my uncle’s behavior last night...I apologize."
Lucien’s eyes stayed on the road. "Don’t feel guilty. It’s not your fault." He paused briefly, his voice softer. "I’d even say it wasn’t his fault either. If I hadn’t dragged myself into desire and awakened his instincts, he wouldn’t have tried to force himself on me."
Ash frowned. "Even so, he needs to set boundaries. He’s lucky Adrian was the one who shoved him off on my behalf. If it were me, I could’ve..." he trailed off.
Lucien gave a faint laugh and glanced his way. "Huh, what could you have done, puppy?"
Ash blinked, surprised, then pouted. "Why do you also call me that?"
Lucien’s lips curved slightly. "I heard someone else call you that. I think it suits you better."
Ash rolled his eyes, muttering, "I’m bunny, not a puppy."
Lucien smirked quietly, the corner of his mouth lifting as the car continued down the road.
When they reached home, they found Ash’s mother, Adrian’s father, Adrian, and Celeste already seated at the dining table, having breakfast.
Adrian’s father looked up and smiled. "Nice timing. Join us for breakfast."
They nodded and took their seats, Lucien and Ash settling beside each other. For a moment, the only sound was the clinking of cutlery and the soft murmur of conversation.
Then Adrian’s father’s gaze lingered on them. His eyes narrowed slightly, landing on the faint marks on both Ash’s and Lucien’s necks. A small, knowing smirk tugged at his lips. "Already started devouring each other, I see."
Lucien froze, confused, while Ash blinked and instinctively touched his neck. Their eyes met, both realizing what he meant. Slowly, their gazes shifted toward Adrian; who kept his head lowered, staring fixedly at his plate.
Adrian’s father chuckled lightly, his tone turning sharp. "Unlike someone who abandons his wife."
The air at the table grew heavy, Celeste’s eyes flicking toward Adrian with quiet resentment as silence over the group.
Adrian’s father cleared his throat, his tone firm. "Therefore, I’ve decided you and Celeste will stay here for now, until I’m satisfied you’ve built a proper foundation before moving into your own home."
Adrian sighed, his shoulders tense. "Father, we can’t do that here. This is your house."
His father shot him a sharp look. "It’s not as if you’ll be doing anything improper in my presence. You’ll do it in your own room."
Lucien let out a quiet laugh before quickly covering his mouth, but everyone had already turned to glance at him.
Ash pushed his chair back, standing up. "I should get ready. I’ll be late for school."
Lucien rose too, scratching his neck awkwardly. "Thank you for breakfast. I’ll be waiting for him outside."
The two left the dining room together, leaving the air behind them thick with tension.
When they arrived at school, Lucien parted ways with Ash, heading to his office, while Ash made his way toward his classroom.
Students bowed politely as he passed, whispering his name with quiet admiration. Ash’s brows furrowed slightly; the attention made his skin prickle. This is exactly why I didn’t want to be known as a Kestrel, he thought, keeping his gaze forward.
When he reached the classroom, Naomi and Martin were already at their seats. He greeted them softly and sat down. Naomi smiled faintly in return, but her usual spark was gone.
"You okay?" he asked, tilting his head.
She nodded quickly, avoiding his eyes.
Before Ash could press further, a group of students nearby started whispering.
"I heard Alpha Adrian abandoned his wife on their wedding night," one omega said, her tone sharp with gossip.
"Yeah," another chimed in, leaning closer. "He must have someone’s else. Their reunion looks more like duty than love."
Ash’s grip tightened around his pen, knuckles whitening as anger flared in his chest. The urge to silence them burned in his veins, until Naomi’s voice cut through the air, cold and commanding.
"Rule No. 16," she said firmly. "Gossiping about high-ranked officials is prohibited. You two, scrub the training hall floors after class until I say you can stop."
The entire class fell silent.
Ash blinked in shock. Martin stared, his mouth slightly open. "Naomi...that was too much," he said. "What got into you?"
Naomi didn’t even look up from her book. "I’m just doing my duty as class prefect, to uphold the rules. No expectations."
Ash exchanged a glance with Martin, still trying to read her face. Something about Naomi felt...off.
At evening, Lucien offered to take Ash home, but the thought of Adrian and Celeste sharing the same room made Ash’s chest tighten. Even if Adrian had promised not to touch her, the idea was unbearable.
"I don’t want to go home tonight," Ash said quietly.
Lucien glanced at him, instantly understanding. "Then come stay at my place," he replied simply.
On their way, Ash hesitated. "What about Aster? Will he be okay with me being there?"
Lucien’s tone turned firm. "Don’t worry about him. I’ve suspended him for a week. He needs time to reflect on what he did."
Ash nodded slowly, glancing out the window as the city lights blurred past.
After a moment, Lucien said, "By the way, I saw your mathematics contest results. That was brilliant, Ash. I’m really proud of you."
Ash smiled faintly. "Thank you."
"With results like that," Lucien continued, "and if you perform just as well in your final exams, you’ll easily qualify for a top scholarship. You’ve got a real chance at a national-level placement."
He paused, then added softly, "But don’t push yourself too hard. Even without a scholarship, you have your family name, and I can still support your university fees."
Ash turned to him, shaking his head. "I don’t want that. I don’t want to get anything because of the Kestrel name, or yours. I want to earn it through my own hard work."
Lucien looked at him for a long moment, a small, proud smile tugging at his lips. "That’s exactly what makes you different."
...
Ash sat cross-legged on the couch, a metal basin of icy water beneath him. His legs were submerged up to the knees, skin flushed red from the cold. He shivered but kept his focus on the open notebook resting on his lap, its pages filled with numbers and symbols written in Lucien’s neat hand.
Lucien stood nearby, leaning against the edge of the table, arms crossed. "If you want to get out of that ice, you’ll have to solve it correctly," he said in a calm, steady tone. "This isn’t just about math, it’s about focus. If you can think under pressure, you can face anything."
Ash rubbed his temple, squinting at the formula. "Let me try method one," he murmured through chattering teeth.
Lucien shook his head. "No, use method two. That’s the one that sets you apart from the others, it’s what makes you the brightest. You want that scholarship, right? Then stop holding back. You’re sharper than you think."
Ash exhaled shakily and began working through the numbers, pen trembling slightly in his cold fingers.
Then sudden sound of the doorbell broke the silence. Lucien’s brows furrowed. "Who could that be?" he muttered, glancing at the clock. "It can’t be Adrian, he should be home with Celeste."
But when he opened the door, his breath caught.
"Adrian," he said quietly, startled.
Adrian brushed past him, his shoulder grazing Lucien’s. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he said sharply; then froze at the sight of Ash, legs still plunged in icy water.
"What the hell are you doing to him ?" Adrian barked, striding forward to pull Ash out.
Lucien caught his arm midway. "Stop. Don’t interfere."
Adrian’s eyes flashed. "You’re making my brother suffer!"
Ash blinked, uncertain, caught between them.
"Adrian..."
Lucien’s voice cut in, cool and firm. "Ash, finish the question." Then turned to Adrian, his tone lowering. "You and I need to talk."
He led him out onto the balcony. The night air was cold and still, carrying the faint hum of city noise far below.
Lucien turned to face him, his expression unreadable. "What are you doing here, Adrian?"
Adrian gave a dry, humorless laugh. "What have I done now?"
Lucien’s jaw tightened. "I told you before, Celeste was behind the fire. And I suspect she was also behind the armed gang ambush." His voice trembled slightly with conviction. "You think I want to harm Ash, but I’m trying to protect him-from her."
Adrian frowned, uncertain.
Lucien pressed on, voice low but edged with fear. "Yesterday, I tried to talk to her, to calm things down. But now she thinks I betrayed her, that I’m after both of you and Ash." He swallowed hard. "She’s planning something, Adrian. Maybe she’ll come for me first. But if she ever learns the truth, that it’s you who’s drawn to Ash..."
He stopped, his voice breaking. "She’ll kill him."
Adrian’s eyes widened, the words striking deep.
Lucien looked away, his composure slipping. "I don’t care what happens to me. As long as I’m alive, I won’t let her lay a hand on him."
Adrian cupped Lucien’s chin and lifted his face, wiping the tears with his thumb. "I know you," he said softly. "We grew up together. I know what you are."
He swallowed, voice tight. "Right now, I’ve got you and Ash. If anything happens to either of you...how could my heart keep beating?"
Hidden by the doorway, Ash listened, tears running down his cheeks. He forced out a low, dangerous whisper: "You two better stay alive. If anything happens to you, I’ll tear the world apart."