Chapter 35: ABOs Constitution
The principal’s voice cut sharply through the murmurs. "What do you think you’re doing, Alpha Lucien?"
Lucien froze, momentarily stranded by the sudden authority, his anger simmering beneath the surface.
"Students," the principal continued, "return to your classes." Gradually, the crowd obeyed, leaving the field quieter, the tension hanging heavy in the air.
The principal stepped closer, eyes scanning the scene. "Now, what exactly is happening here?"
Some teachers and school staff had gathered, drawn by the commotion. Marcus’s eyes widened slightly as his father approached him.
"Father..." his voice carried a defensive edge. "I only punished Ash because he broke the rules; accepting flowers on school grounds, being involved in a relationship, which is prohibited. I was disciplining him. I didn’t expect him to faint." He gestured quickly toward Lucien, his tone sharpening. "And Alpha Lucien...he wants to hurt me."
"How dare you think of hurting my son over a mere Beta student?" the principal’s gaze locked on Lucien, sharp and unyielding. "Ash fainting is not Marcus’s fault. He had the right to punish him."
Lucien’s fists clenched, fury evident in every line of his body. "Who made these ridiculous meaningless rules without my consent?" he spat, his voice shaking with rage.
Marcus lifted his chin defiantly. "I did. And I don’t care your consent. You’re not the deputy principal; just acting like one."
Lucien’s chest heaved as he released a surge of heavy pheromones, the hue in his eyes darkening with his rising fury. Teachers and staff instinctively retreated, whispers of fear trailing behind them.
Marcus’s own pheromones flared in response, sharp and forceful, the air between the two Alphas crackling like electricity. His father, noticing his son straining against Lucien, stepped forward, reinforcing Marcus with his own Alpha presence.
Now, two A-ranked Alphas confronted one S-ranked Alpha. Normally, an S-ranked could hold his ground; but Lucien’s rage had thrown his balance off, his control over his pheromones faltering. The combined force of Marcus and his father pressed against him, each inhale and exhale of theirs absorbing his energy, pushing him back.
Lucien trembled, his body straining, a thin trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. His legs gave way, stumbling; not enough to collapse fully, but enough to make him falter.
Before he could hit the ground, familiar arms steadied him, strong and grounding. Blinking through the haze, his gaze met worried eyes hovering over him. His lips parted in a murmur, almost disbelief, "Adrian..."
Then everything darkened.
Adrian had arranged for a private informant to keep watch over Lucien and Ash within the school grounds, especially Lucien, since he had once been ambushed alongside Ash. Unknown enemies still lingered in the shadows, and Adrian refused to take chances.
So when word reached him that Ash’s punishment had gone too far; enough to make him collapse, and chaos had broken out; Adrian couldn’t remain seated in his office. Restlessness gripped him, pushing him to his feet, and without hesitation, he rushed to where the commotion was.
Lucien remained slumped in Adrian’s arms, his weight steady against him. Adrian’s gaze hardened as he faced Marcus and his father. With a single sweep of his pheromones, he forced theirs back-the pressure so sharp it made them stumble several steps before they steadied.
When the haze lifted and their eyes fell on Adrian, recognition struck. Their bodies trembled with fear, knees giving way as they bowed low, voices breaking.
"Alpha Adrian..."
Adrian’s voice thundered, firm and unyielding "According to ABOs constitution, it is prohibited to challenge an S-ranked Alpha."
The Alphas shuddered, heads bowed lower.
Adrian’s tone deepened, colder. "And yet you dared. Also, how could you have the audacity to challenge the true owner of this school?"
Marcus froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes. "The...owner?"
When Lucien first joined the school as the acting deputy principal, everyone believed he had been sent directly by the school board. No one knew his true identity; not even the principal himself realized that Lucien was in fact the real owner of the school.
...
Lucien’s eyes fluttered open, the air around him cool and faintly sterile. He lay on a firm bed, the faint beeping of monitors and the muted shuffle of footsteps beyond the curtain giving away where he was. Turning his head slowly, he caught sight of the next bed; Adrian lying there, eyes closed, his arms wrapped protectively around Ash, who rested close against him.
Lucien blinked, confusion settling in as fragments of memory rushed back; the field, Marcus, the suffocating weight of pheromones. He tried to piece it together, his chest tight.
Then the movement on the wall drew his attention. A mounted screen glowed, the broadcast already playing.
[Breaking News]
Greenhill High School Academy Incident
The footage showed Adrian, Lucien carried securely on his back while arms held Ash close against his chest. The crowd in the video had parted around them, stilled by the heavy wash of Adrian’s pheromones.
Lucien’s cheeks flushed a dull red as he stared at the screen, showing his vulnerable state-being carried on Adrian’s back. The sight made his chest embarrassed, half annoyed, he muttered, "Idiot...you really know how to make me look pathetic."
The journalist narrated the sequence and finished with, "...Due to the incident, it has been revealed that the owner of Greenhill High School Academy is Alpha Lucien. In addition, William Cortez and his son Marcus Cortez have been arrested for violating ABOs rules by challenging their superior. Both now await trial, with the possibility of long-term suspension of rank , loss of position within the academy, and imprisonment depending on the council’s ruling."
Then concern snagged him. He pushed himself up and walked over to where Ash lay sleeping against Adrian’s chest. Ash breathed steady and shallow, completely out.
Lucien’s gaze lingered, his thoughts tightening.
Why do you feel comfortable with him...more than me?
Adrian’s eyes opened, his voice low and edged with warning.
"If you don’t treasure your life, keep staring at him like that, bastard."