CHAPTER 74: SHE’LL BE PURNISHED SOON.

She stared at the Alphas, her last hope now crumbling. "Say something!" she screamed. "Brothers! Say something... anything!"

The Alphas remained silent, their expressions unreadable.

Darius finally broke the silence, his sharp gaze locking on Victoria, who stood with a confident smirk on her face.

"Did Damien really not teach you anything, Victoria?" Darius asked slowly, his voice calm but laced with curiosity. "You can’t possibly have learned it all on your own. The way you explained that segment... it wasn’t just accurate....it was fluent. You spoke like someone who had read the material a hundred times over. And considering you only just arrived at Ashford Mansion, I doubt you had access to books while living outside like a beggar."

Victoria chuckled softly, unfazed by the insult.

"My brother didn’t teach me anything," she said, lifting her chin defiantly. "Unlike Nicole, who claims to have been tutored by Alpha Darius himself." Her eyes glinted as she continued, "And just so you know, Alpha Darius....I don’t have the memory of a goldfish. If I read a book once, that’s enough. I understand it immediately. I can break it down, explain it, and teach it better than anyone else."

Auren let out a low whistle, crossing his arms as a smirk played on his lips.

"Oh, really?" he drawled. "Well, I’m not particularly interested in the back-and-forth. You’re all classmates, which means there shouldn’t be this much tension between you. That said... Victoria, your performance today deserves recognition. You’ll be rewarded for your brilliance."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rose cut in, her voice sharp with irritation. "What about the punishment?"

"Yes, Alphas," Jamaila added. "What about the punishment? Or are we all just going to ignore the bet now?"

Victoria took a step forward, her tone smooth but laced with arrogance. "I’m glad you brought that up. If the Alphas won’t uphold it, perhaps I should remind everyone what the bet entailed. Nicole and I made a wager in front of all these witnesses. And now that I’ve clearly won... it’s only fair she kneels before me and kisses my boot. That’s what she agreed to, isn’t it?"

"You wish, bitch!" Nicole screamed, her eyes wide with humiliation. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom, the heavy door slamming behind her.

"That didn’t go exactly as planned," Leo whispered into Victoria’s ear, invisible to everyone else in the room as he lazily continued to munch on his apple. His voice held a trace of amusement, as if the tension around them was nothing more than a game.

"I’ll go calm Nicole down, Victoria," Mirabel said quickly, concern flashing across her face. Without waiting for a response, she turned and ran after Nicole, her footsteps echoing through the hallway.

Victoria scoffed and rolled her eyes, folding her arms as she watched Mirabel disappear from view.

"I don’t need to hear more about pack history, Victoria," Auren suddenly spoke, his tone firmer than before. "You’ve said more than enough. What I’m asking is that you let this go. Just... forget that it happened."

He then turned toward the other students in the classroom, scanning the room slowly with an authoritative gaze. "You all should forget this too."

The room fell into a wave of murmurs, especially from the scholarship students, who exchanged glances filled with both disbelief and frustration.

"Well... just as I said earlier, Victoria," Auren continued, a strained smile tugging at his lips. "You’ll be rewarded. I’ll make sure your gift is delivered to the Ashford Mansion. Just forget about this whole argument. You’re all classmates, after all."

With those final words, he turned on his heel and marched out of the classroom. Darius followed closely behind him, his expression unreadable, and Zephyr was the last to exit, hands tucked into his pockets and eyes flicking briefly toward Victoria before disappearing through the door.

Gradually, the other students began gathering their belongings and heading out to their next class, the buzz of low conversations lingering behind them.

"Can you believe this?!" Rose suddenly exploded, her voice thick with outrage. "If it had been Victoria who lost, Nicole would’ve forced her to lick her boots without hesitation! And now they just want to let her go scot-free?"

"It’s fine, Rose," came a calm voice from behind.

Damien approached, his presence commanding and elegant as always. He gently placed a hand on Victoria’s shoulder, his touch light yet reassuring. Then, leaning closer, he whispered into her ear, "I’ll definitely get revenge for you. Just wait for the good news."

He pulled back with a wink and a charming smile before turning and striding out of the classroom, his coat billowing slightly behind him.

"Oh my goodness, he’s so hot!" Rose gushed, her eyes glued to the door Damien had just walked through. "I swear, I really want him."

"What are you going to do now, Victoria?" Jamaila asked, raising a concerned brow. Worry was evident in her expression. "Nicole clearly broke the rules of the bet. She should be punished. They’re walking all over you like it means nothing."

"She will be punished," Victoria replied coolly, a sly smirk tugging at her lips. "But not now. There’s still plenty of time... no need to rush. Anyway, let’s get to our next class. What’s the schedule?"

"Well..." Jamaila began with a sigh, "we just have to go to our assigned tutors. Honestly, I’m nervous. Alpha Auren is my tutor, and I stood up for you back there. He’s not going to let that slide easily. I’ve got a feeling punishment is waiting for me."

"He wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you!" Rose cut in, scoffing with annoyance. "I still can’t believe you’re the only one under that arrogant bastard."

Jamaila sighed again, this time more deeply. "Well, he’s still better than Alpha Zephyr, to be honest. I’ll just keep my head down and try not to provoke him." She offered a faint smile and began packing her books and bag. "See you girls later," she added before walking out of the classroom.

"How about we all grab some drinks at the bar I work at tonight?" Joe suggested, trying to lift the mood. "Just to calm down and unwind, you know? All bills on me."

"You just got your salary and now you want to spend it on us?" Dickson muttered with an exasperated sigh. "Don’t come crying to me later when you’re broke. And don’t forget you’re supposed to buy groceries this time."

Then, after a short pause, he grumbled to himself, "Nicole is hot-headed... how do I even get her into my bed?"

"You’re still trying to seduce that monster?" Blonde, who had been quiet the whole time, finally chimed in. He raised an eyebrow with disbelief. "Your taste is absolutely insane, bro. You better be careful or you’ll end up regretting it."

"I never regret anything, darling," Dickson replied with a cocky smirk. "I’ll get free sex and some money out of it." With that, he stood up and stretched. "Time to speed up my approach. Talk to you guys later," he added before striding confidently out of the room.

"Anyway, see you guys later," Victoria said as she rose from her seat and began packing her bag. "And yeah... I definitely need those drinks tonight, Joe."

"I hope those brothers of yours aren’t coming," Rose said teasingly, a warm smile on her lips. "Of course, it’s fine if Alpha Damien shows up..."

But Victoria ignored her and walked out of the classroom without a word.

*****

Meanwhile...

Jamaila walked briskly down the hallway, clutching a slip of paper with the room number written on it. She had been told this was where Alpha Auren would be. Her heart pounded with unease as she approached the classroom door.

Upon reaching it, she gave a polite knock.

No response.

Loud music thudded from within, vibrating against the walls. He probably didn’t hear her.

With hesitation, she slowly pushed the door open.

But the moment the gap widened, she froze....her breath caught in her throat.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Nicole was completely naked, straddling Auren on his chair, her body moving rhythmically against his. His head was thrown back in pleasure while Nicole moaned softly in his ear, oblivious to the intrusion.

No wonder the music was so loud... Jamaila thought, her stomach turning. It was to cover up their shameless act.

In a panic, she immediately turned away and shielded her eyes. Her legs began to move, stiff at first, but she forced herself to walk away.

She had barely taken two steps when a sharp voice cracked through the air.

"Stop right there!!!" Auren barked.

His tone was icy, commanding, and sent a jolt of fear racing down her spine.

Before she could escape, the classroom door...still half open slammed shut behind her with a sudden gust of invisible wind. The loud bang echoed through the room, and Jamaila, startled, lost her balance and tumbled to the floor.

Her heart pounded violently in her chest as she lay on the cold tiles, stunned and unsure of what would happen next.