CHAPTER 96: TRAPPED.

The sound rang louder than when she was hitted. Nicole stumbled back, collapsing to the floor, clutching her cheek in shock.

Jamaila’s eyes widened in disbelief. It was Auren. Auren had struck Nicole.

She blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes as if to confirm it wasn’t a hallucination. But it was real. He stood before them, fury burning in his gaze.

"How dare you hit Jamaila like that?" Auren growled, his voice edged with a rare, seething anger. His brow arched, his tone dangerous. "Only I have the right to hit my people. You don’t have that right, Nicole."

Jamaila’s stomach dropped.

His people? Her mind reeled, shock pounding through her veins. What in actual hell does he mean by that?!

"What are you saying, brother? Tell me, did she seduce you already?" Nicole demanded, her voice dripping with scorn as she arched a brow, her tone half-mocking and half-accusatory. "I know your dick never stays calm whenever you see the nakedness of a woman. So tell me....did this so-called holy girl seduce you, and now you’re itching to have your way with her?"

"And your people?" Nicole pressed on, venom dripping from every syllable. "You’re calling this pest your people now? Since when exactly did that start? Don’t tell me you only want to call her ’your people’ so you can fuck her and then discard her? Is that why you even slapped me to achieve that aim?"

Just what the hell did I get myself into, for goodness’ sake! Why...why on earth did I come back here for training? I should have just stayed quietly in the classroom! Jamaila thought to herself with tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"Now," Auren finally spoke, his tone edged with weariness as he released a heavy sigh. "It has started now. Nicole, you should leave. I have to teach Jamaila."

His grip on Jamaila’s hand remained unyielding, so tight that her skin was stinging under the pressure of his strength.

"Please... let go of me, Alpha Auren," Jamaila whispered, her voice shaking and barely audible, as though she were pleading for her very life. "I really don’t want to get involved in this... please."

Jamaila had never been one with the heart for conflict. From the very beginning, she had always been soft....too soft, perhaps. One could call her weak, though not in the sense of illness. She was simply the type of person who could easily be bullied, trampled on, taken advantage of and yet, she would still force a smile through the pain. She had always hated that part of her, but even back at home it had been the same with her siblings and parents. Jamaila had always been the one everyone vented their frustrations on, the fragile shield that absorbed their blows.

"You’re not going anywhere, young lady," Auren said firmly, his voice low but etched with an authority that made her chest ache even more. "You stay here with me. If anyone is to leave, then it will be Nicole."

"You must be joking, brother," Nicole retorted with a scoff, her eyes narrowing in defiance. "If you want us to do it right here before this pest, then so be it. After all, the door is locked already."

Without hesitation, she strode toward Auren, her movements bold and shameless. In a single swift motion, she pressed her lips against his while her hands worked quickly, unbuttoning her shirt to reveal her well-proportioned breasts, her hardened nipples exposed to the chilled air.

There were no CCTV cameras in the swimming pool area, and Nicole knew it. She wasn’t worried about being caught.

But just as she thought Auren would sink into the kiss, he suddenly shoved her back with a force that sent her stumbling onto the floor. Disgust flickered across his face as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand, as though her touch had poisoned him.

"We’re brothers and sisters, Nicole!" Auren’s voice thundered with a seriousness and finality that shook the walls. "We shouldn’t be doing any of this!"

Huh? Where did that come from? Jamaila thought to herself all while she swallowed hard.

"We’re step brothers and sisters, you moron!" Nicole shot back, her voice rising to a furious pitch. Her face was red, her chest heaving. "And only now you think it’s wrong? Only now you remember? When you were fucking me countless times before, did you forget all that? Don’t you dare act like this is new! You bastard....we still had sex yesterday!"

"I’ve changed," Auren said, his gaze hard as steel. "And you should change too."

He turned away from her, but Nicole, enraged, stormed toward Jamaila. Before anyone could react, she yanked viciously at Jamaila’s clothes, tearing her shirt wide open and baring her bra. With another rough pull, even that came undone, leaving Jamaila’s trembling body exposed, her slightly rounded breasts on full display.

"Nicole!" Auren roared, surging forward. In an instant, he wedged himself between the two girls, his arms shielding Jamaila. He caught her fragile frame in his hands, pressing her trembling chest against his own in a protective hold. His furious gaze bore into Nicole’s. "Are you out of your damn mind?! Just get out of here!"

"Oh, I’ll leave since you want to have your way with her," Nicole spat, her voice cracking with rage and betrayal. "You should enjoy yourself since you’re determined and then I’ll deal with her later."

Her voice echoed harshly across the poolside as she stormed out.

Silence descended, heavy and suffocating.

Auren stormed toward the door immediately, locking it firmly this time before turning back to the sight of Jamaila.

She was already on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around her trembling body. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she wept uncontrollably but silently.

"I’m sorry, Jamaila," Auren murmured at last, his voice carrying an unfamiliar softness. He bent down, retrieved his discarded shirt, and gently draped it over her trembling shoulders. Then, with slow, careful hands, he wrapped it securely around her, shielding her bare skin from view. "I’ll ask someone to bring you a set of uniforms right away. Even though we students are allowed to dress anyhow, we still have school uniforms."

He reached for his phone, ready to dial a number, but before his fingers could press down on the screen, the metallic rattle of the door handle echoed sharply through the poolside chamber. Someone outside was trying to unlock the door. The knob twisted once, twice, with a persistence that sent a shiver crawling down Jamaila’s spine.

"Oh, shit," Auren hissed under his breath, his jaw tightening. Without hesitation, he seized Jamaila by the arm and pulled her swiftly off the ground. She gasped in surprise as he dragged her into the male dressing room, her back slamming lightly against the cold wall while his tall frame loomed before her, shielding her from sight.

"It wouldn’t be good for them to see you like this," he muttered, his tone grave but laced with urgency. "Fine....you’re wearing my shirt now, but those fools would still twist it into something dirty. They’d get the wrong idea no matter what. Students from rich families... of course they’ve got spare keys to everything. Damn it....I should’ve just left mine stuck in the lock."

Jamaila’s eyes widened, her tears spilling fresh as his words sank in. What kind of act is this, truly? she thought miserably, her chest heaving with uneven breaths. Or... is this even an act at all? Am I really supposed to believe all this drama happening before me?

Auren ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his voice lowering, edged with bitterness. "If I threaten those rich brats, they won’t back off. And besides, everyone in this school is a bully. If they catch sight of you with me, wearing my shirt... it’ll be chaos. They’ll start rumors instantly. Everyone knows the rule...any girl who’s seen with me is assumed to have slept with me well except for Nicole since they all knew she’s my step sister."

He gave a harsh laugh, one that carried no humor. "It’s the reputation I’ve carried... the same one Zephyr wears. The three of us Alphas, branded the same way. Zephyr might even be more notorious than me. But still..." He stopped, his gaze flicking to her trembling form. "You’re different, Jamaila. Everyone knows you as the holy girl. If they video you now, in this state, and post it online....your life would be ruined forever. And I know you wouldn’t want that."

Jamaila’s throat burned as she swallowed hard, the tears refusing to stop. He was right. If her parents ever discovered that her clothes had been ripped apart and a male....Auren, had seen her nakedness, they would be shattered. They would see her as ruined, defiled, a disappointment. That was something she could not allow.

The sound of footsteps suddenly filled the pool area....shoes clicking against tile, laughter echoing, voices of both boys and girls drifting in. Jamaila stiffened, clutching Auren’s shirt tighter against her frame, praying they wouldn’t come closer.