Taming the Hybrid Mate: Desired by Five Alphas-Chapter 207: Tension in the locker room

Andria’s POV

"Your ’best interests’ involve secrecy, manipulation, and leveraging an expelled student for your personal desires," Kaelric said calmly, but every word landed straight to the point.

The headmistress, together with the other council members who had been silent until now, exchanged quick, decisive glances. One of them, the senior member with a stern face, spoke.

"Professor Garrich, based on this information, your position as vice headmaster is hereby revoked. Effective immediately, you are relieved of all duties at Ashwood and are no longer allowed on school grounds."

Garrich froze, eyes wide. He opened his mouth, closed it, tried to speak again, but nothing came out.

The council members nodded at each other. The principal stood up, satisfied with the decision of the council members, and she waved so that the gasps and noise that accompanied Professor Garrich’s verdict could die down. "Meeting dismissed."

I exhaled sharply. Relief and tension battled inside me, leaving me lightheaded. Without a word, I bolted from the chamber, not stopping even for Allison, who called my name anxiously behind me.

I didn’t want those awkward questions, and I for sure didn’t want to have to face Sir Kaelric or any of the Alpha successors

By the time I reached the locker room, my chest heaved with effort. I leaned against the lockers, closing my eyes, trying to calm the storm of emotion rolling inside me.

Professor Garrich’s accusations, the council’s judgment, Kaelric’s protective gaze in the chamber... it was all colliding into a whirlwind in my mind.

I pressed my palms to my face. "Breathe, Aria. Just... breathe."

The silence of the empty locker room was almost deafening. My heartbeat slowly steadied, though my mind still raced faster than ever.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Sir Kaelric and the way he had looked at me, the way he had defended me so fiercely in front of everyone in the council, the barely restrained power behind every word.

I steadied my breath before noticing my environment. I was stunned to see him watching me the whole time.

"What are you doing here? I thought the other students were asked not to come to the school building?" I asked Zade.

"Well, I was already in the school building even before the announcement, so I had to remain here and observe," he said, flashing me his usual arrogant smirk. "You look like a ghost is chasing you."

I chuckled a bit, and then caught myself. I can’t be laughing at Zade’s joke again; that can’t be possible, but it was already late, and he had already noticed me laughing.

"Oh, you laugh? Never knew that I could hear you laugh someday, especially at my joke," he said, standing up from the corner where he sat.

Just as he got closer, the door opened, and the Alpha successors walked in.

"Not again," I muttered under my breath, as a sense of de ja vu hit me.

Damon leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his usual smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Aven and Tristan walked in, Aven with his usual stoic, and mean expression, Tristan studying Zade and me carefully.

"Breathe, Aria," I muttered under my breath, almost mocking myself. I came here to catch my breath, and here I’m in another tense situation.

"Locker room with Zade, the knight in shining armor?" Aven teased, stepping closer. "Fighting Felicia left you frazzled, so you felt Zade, who rescued you from our hands yesterday, could calm you down?"

I swallowed. "That is not how it is; he just happened to be here. Besides, I just wanted to be alone after the tension back there in the school council room."

Tristan’s eyes glinted as he leaned slightly forward. "Well, speaking of the council chamber and the council. You must be thrown off balance knowing that Professor Garrich knew about you and Sir Kaelric."

I stiffened. "Yes. And it wasn’t pleasant."

Damon’s gaze softened, not much, but enough to make my stomach do somersaults. "I saw the way he defended you. The way he looked at you... I get it now."

I flushed, unsure how to respond. The closeness of the four of them, the energy radiating off their bodies, the way they each seemed to command the space... it was suffocating.

Aven stepped closer. His voice was low, teasing and intimate. "But you know, we were here first, Aria. Before Kaelric ever even... appeared in your little world."

I felt a shiver run down my spine. His words weren’t just teasing; they were claims. They were jealous about everything that had happened today, and they were trying to make claims, as possessive as ever.

Tristan circled slowly, like a predator, watching my reactions. "We were your mates, Aria, before all of a sudden, Sir Kaelric came out of nowhere as our new combat teacher, and suddenly, he was also your mate."

I backed up slightly until my back pressed against the cool metal lockers. The tension was heavy, almost too much to bear. Damon leaned in on the other side, his lips nearly brushing my neck, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from him.

My pulse thundered in my ears. I was trapped, literally and figuratively, between them. Their presence, their intentions, their energy... every nerve in my body was on fire.

Aven’s lips grazed the side of my neck. Tristan mirrored on the other side, a whisper hot against my other shoulder. "We see what Kaelric is doing... but we have always been here."

Zade stepped out from the corner, "Sir Kaelric is still her mate, and somehow you three would learn to share her."

I gasped softly, caught in the heat of their closeness and their words against my ears, and the tension and anxiety of the day heated me.

My eyes grew heavy with desire and lust.

Then Damon’s voice, low, rumbling, yet gentle enough to anchor me, cut through the haze: "Aria... remember what Liara said? About you... not having an identity?"

The words hit me like a blade. I wasn’t ready for that conversation yet, especially not in front of Zade.