novelraw Chapter 413 413: Today, We Begin
Chapter 413 413: Today, We Begin
"Are you sure?" Axel asked in a soft, concerned voice. "We could walk you back. Make sure you're okay."
"I'm sure," I said firmly, taking another step back. "I promise. I just need some time alone."
"Why are you lying?" Astra's voice cut through my thoughts sharply.
"Because they don't need to know it's a lie," I shot back internally.
"Val..." Kai started, but I was already moving.
"Later! I promise!" I called over my shoulder, hurrying down the hallway before they could stop me.
I could feel their eyes on my back the entire way, but thankfully, none of them followed.
The walk back to my dorm felt endless. Every step made the ache worse. My skin was hypersensitive, my core throbbing with need. Students kept looking at me strangely, and I kept my head down, walking as fast as I could without actually running.
Finally, I reached my building. I climbed the stairs quickly, fumbling in my bag for my keys.
"Almost there," I muttered to myself. "Just get inside, lock the door, and figure this out."
I pulled out my keys and jammed one into the lock, twisting it hard.
Nothing happened.
I frowned and tried again, wiggling the key. Still nothing.
"What the hell?" I looked up at the door number to make sure I hadn't somehow gone to the wrong floor.
My heart stopped.
This wasn't my dorm, infact, this wasn't the hostel.
I was standing in front of the Alpha Heirs' lounge.
"What?" I blinked, looking around in confusion. "How did I...?"
I distinctly remembered walking toward my dorm. I remembered climbing stairs. When had I turned around? When had I come here instead?
"Accept the truth, Valerie," Astra said gently. "You're in heat. Your body is craving your mates. It brought you here without you even realizing it."
"No," I shook my head, backing away from the door. "No, no, no. I need to leave. I need to leave right now before they…"
Just then, the door swung open.
Ace, Xade, and Ashton stood there, looking down at me with expressions that made my breath catch.
"Leaving before even getting here?" Xade asked with a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"I… I didn't mean to…" I stammered, taking another step back. "I thought I was going to my dorm. I don't know how I ended up here."
Another wave of heat rolled through me, stronger this time. I gasped, my knees buckling slightly.
Ace was there in an instant, his hands steadying me.
The moment his skin touched mine, fire exploded through my body. Sparks danced along every nerve ending where his hands gripped my arms, and I gasped at the intensity of it.
The mate bond sang in a desperate and demanding tone, and before I could stop myself, I was leaning into him, my body seeking more contact, more of that delicious heat that somehow both soothed and inflamed me.
"Easy, Val. We've got you."
"Come inside," Ashton said softly, placing his hand gently on my lower back. That touch sent another wave of sparks racing up my spine, and I bit my lip to hold back a whimper. "You shouldn't be out here like this."
"Like what?" I tried to protest weakly, but my body was already leaning into their touches, craving more contact.
"Val, you're burning up," Ace said, concern clear in his voice. "And your scent... it's driving us crazy."
They guided me inside, and I didn't have the strength to resist. The door closed behind us, and I saw Dristan, Kai, and Axel already there, standing as we entered.
"She came here on her own," Xade announced. "Found her at the door."
"I didn't mean to," I said quickly, my face burning with embarrassment. "I was trying to go home, I swear."
"Your body knows what it needs," Dristan said, moving closer. "Even if you're trying to deny it."
Another wave hit me, stronger than before. I whimpered, doubling over slightly. The ache was becoming unbearable.
"Val, you need to let us help you," Kai said gently, kneeling beside me. "This is what mates are for."
"I don't... I can't..." I couldn't even form coherent sentences anymore. Everything hurt and felt good at the same time.
"Yes, you can," Axel said, brushing my hair back from my face. Even that simple touch made my skin tingle, and I found myself leaning into his palm. "We're here. We're not going anywhere."
They guided me to the couch, and I sank into it gratefully. But sitting down only made the throbbing worse. I shifted uncomfortably, pressing my thighs together.
"Tell us what you need," Ashton said, sitting beside me.
"I don't know," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears of frustration. "Everything feels too much. Too hot. Too sensitive. I can't think straight."
"That's the heat," Dristan explained in a low and soothing voice, despite the tension in his body. "It'll get worse before it gets better. But we can help ease it."
"How?" I asked desperately.
"Let us touch you," Xade said simply. "Let us give you what your body is craving."
My breath hitched. "I... we haven't even..."
"We know," Kai said softly. "We'll go at your pace. We just want to help you feel better."
I looked around at all of them, seeing the concern mixed with barely restrained desire in their eyes. They were holding themselves back, waiting for my permission.
"Okay," I whispered finally. "Please. I need... something. Anything."
Dristan sat on my other side, his hand cupping my face gently. "We've got you."
Then his lips were on mine, soft and careful at first. But the moment we connected, something inside me snapped. I moaned into his mouth, my hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer.
The kiss deepened, and I felt other hands on me. Ashton's fingers traced patterns on my arm, each touch leaving trails of fire in its wake.
Someone else, Kai, maybe, was massaging my shoulders, working out tension I didn't even know I was holding. Another set of hands was on my legs, the warmth seeping through my jeans.
Still, it wasn't enough. I needed more.
I pulled away from Dristan, gasping for air. "More. Please, I need more."
"Easy, baby," Axel murmured, tilting my face toward him. "We'll take care of you."
His kiss was different from Dristan's, hungrier and more demanding. I melted into it, whimpering when his tongue swept into my mouth.
Axel's kiss took over my senses, his tongue moving with mine in a rhythm that matched the pulsing need between my thighs.
I arched into him, my fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer. Every stroke of his lips sent jolts of electricity straight to my core, making me clench around nothing, desperate for relief.
Hands… whose, I couldn't tell anymore, slid under my shirt, skimming over my heated skin.
The cool air against my stomach only heightened the fever burning inside me, and I gasped into Axel's mouth as fingers traced the edge of my bra, teasing but not quite touching where I ached most.
"God, Val, you're so responsive," Xade murmured from somewhere behind me.
His breath ghosted over my ear, followed by the soft graze of his teeth on my earlobe. I shivered violently, a whimper escaping me as the sensation shot down my spine like liquid fire.
Ace's hands were on my thighs now, strong fingers kneading the muscles there, inching higher with each pass. "Tell us if it's too much," he said, but his touch betrayed his words, urging my legs apart just enough to make my pulse thunder.
"It's not enough," I panted, breaking away from Axel to catch my breath.
My head fell back against the couch, eyes fluttering shut as another wave crashed over me. The heat was building, coiling tighter in my belly, demanding release.
"Please... touch me. Really touch me."
Ashton's chuckle was low and wicked as he leaned in, brushing his lips against my neck. "We've barely started, love."
He nipped at my pulse point, sucking gently until I was squirming, then soothed it with his tongue.
At the same time, Kai's hands found the hem of my shirt, lifting it slowly, exposing more of my skin to their hungry gazes.
I lifted my arms without thinking, letting him pull the fabric over my head. The cool air hit my bare torso, pebbling my nipples against the thin lace of my bra.
Their collective intake of breath was audible, and I felt exposed, vulnerable, yet powerful under their stares.
"Beautiful," Dristan whispered, his eyes darkening as he reached out, tracing the swell of my breast with one finger.
The light touch was torture, making me arch toward him, silently begging for more. He obliged, cupping me fully, his thumb circling my nipple through the lace until it hardened into a tight peak.
"Oh, fuck," I moaned, the word slipping out without restraints.
Astra stirred in my mind with a purr of approval. "Let them in, Valerie. This is what we need."