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The second day of Kenzo's absence was a calculated nightmare. Vane and Leo had realized that while Celine was formidable with her magic, she couldn't be in two places at once. They began a campaign of high-frequency harassment, breaking Calix down through sheer exhaustion.
Every two hours, like clockwork, a new "gift" arrived. During his history lecture, a courier brought a box of imported glazed nuts. During his mathematics block, a junior student dropped off a bouquet of silver-leafed roses. In the cafeteria, a tray of expensive desserts was placed in front of him by a laughing Leo.
[ ☆ ]
The "gifts" were just the distraction. The physical touching was the real weapon.
Vane had become emboldened by the fact that he hadn't been expelled yet. He followed Calix into the library, sliding into the seat directly behind him. He reached out, his fingers trailing down the back of Calix's neck, resting right on the sensitive skin where a scent gland would eventually develop.
"You're so tense, Calix," Vane whispered, his breath hitting the back of Calix's ear. "You should relax. Your hair is a mess today; let me fix it for you."
Vane began to caress Calix's black silver hair, twirling strands around his fingers and pulling slightly. It wasn't a violent pull, but it was possessive. It was a clear message: I can touch you whenever I want.
"Stop it! Please, stop!" Calix whimpered, his eyes filling with tears again. He tried to duck away, but Leo was suddenly there on the other side, blocking his exit.
"We're just being friendly, little Prince," Leo said, his hand dropping onto Calix's shoulder and squeezing hard. "Why do you make everything so difficult?"
Calix's heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. The pressure in his chest—that magical, biological urge to protect himself—finally snapped. He couldn't take the hands, the smell of their aggressive pheromones, or the trapped feeling of the library.
In a soft, frantic shimmer of light, Calix's human form vanished.
Sitting on the chair was a tiny, trembling white tiger cub with silver stripes. His blue eyes were wide with terror. Without waiting a second, the cub leaped from the chair, his small paws skidding on the polished wood floor as he sprinted toward the door.
"He shifted!" Leo shouted, his voice filled with a sick kind of excitement. "Catch him!"
The chase went through the corridors. Calix was fast, but he was small. He scrambled under benches and between the legs of other students, his tiny heart racing. He just wanted to find Celine. He just wanted to hide in a dark corner where no one could touch his neck.
But Vane was a senior Alpha. He anticipated the cub's movement. As Calix tried to dart into the main entrance hall, Vane lunged, his large hands closing around the cub's middle.
"Got you," Vane laughed, hoisting the struggling tiger cub into the air.
Calix squirmed, his tiny claws scratching at Vane's sleeves, letting out high-pitched, distressed yips. Vane didn't care. He tucked the cub under his arm, his hand resting firmly on the cub's neck to keep him still. "See? He's much easier to handle like this."
The main doors of the Primary Academy swung open.
Aiden and Asher walked in, wearing their formal Senior Academy uniforms. They had been sent by Arion to deliver a royal missive to the Headmaster, but also because Aiden had felt a nagging, cold sensation in his gut all morning—the "triplet bond" warning him that something was wrong.
The first thing Aiden saw was a group of senior boys laughing in the hallway. The second thing he saw was Vane holding a struggling, silver-striped tiger cub.
Aiden's eyes turned into cold, golden slits. He recognized that cub instantly. It was the same form Calix took when they were toddlers playing in the palace gardens.
Asher, usually the one to make a joke, went completely silent. He saw the way Vane was gripping the cub's neck, and he felt a surge of genuine anger. "Is that.….is that Calix?"
Aiden didn't answer. He didn't run; he walked. Each step was heavy, radiating a level of Alpha "Sovereign" pressure that made the students in the hallway stop breathing. The air turned freezing, smelling of sharp ozone and ancient pine.
Vane didn't see him until Aiden was five feet away. When he finally looked up, his face went pale. He was looking at the Crown Prince—a sixteen-year-old Alpha who looked like he was ready to dismantle the building with his bare hands.
Aiden didn't shout. He didn't cause a scene. He simply stepped into Vane's personal space, his height making Vane look like a child.
"Give him to me."
Aiden's voice was a low, vibrating growl that rattled the windows. It wasn't a request.
Vane's hands began to shake. "I.….I was just helping him, your Highness. He shifted and was running around—"
Aiden didn't wait for the explanation. He reached out and firmly, but gently, took the tiger cub from Vane's arms. The moment Calix felt Aiden's familiar, powerful scent, he stopped struggling. The cub buried his small face into Aiden's chest, his tiny paws clutching at the fabric of Aiden's uniform.
Aiden tucked the cub securely against his heart, his hand shielding Calix's head. He looked at Vane, then at Leo. He didn't say a word, but the look in his eyes promised a level of retribution that made Leo's knees buckle.
"Aiden, we should tell the Headmaster," Asher whispered, his hand resting on his own sword hilt, looking ready to back Aiden up.
Aiden took a deep breath, forcing his pheromones to pull back. He knew that if he started a fight here, in the Primary Academy, it would cause a political scandal that would hurt Calix more than help him. He needed to get his brother to safety first.
"We're leaving," Aiden said, his voice cold as ice.
He turned on his heel and walked out of the academy, carrying the cub. Asher followed close behind, acting as a rearguard, glaring at Vane until they were out the door.
As they reached the royal carriage, the tiger cub let out a long, shaky breath and shifted back. Calix was sitting in Aiden's arms in his human form, his face tear-streaked and his uniform rumpled.
"Aiden," Calix sobbed, hugging his older brother's neck. "They wouldn't stop touching me. They wouldn't let me go."
Aiden held him tight, his jaw set in a hard line. He looked at Asher, who was sitting across from them, looking unusually grim.
"Kenzo comes back tomorrow," Aiden said, his voice a dark promise. "And when he does, I'm going to tell him exactly what I saw. And then.….I'm going to let him do whatever he wants to those scums."
Asher nodded, for once in total agreement with his rival. "I'll help him. No one touches the twins. Not on my watch."
The ride back to the palace was silent, but the storm was finally gathering.