Chapter 252: Chapter 252: The One Surrounded by Stars
The night was calm and clear. The curtains in the dorm room weren’t like the custom-made ones at home; moonlight filtered through the fabric and spilled onto the floor, bathing the room in a soft, dim glow.
The Alpha’s back was just a hair’s breadth from the edge of the bed.
If he moved just slightly, he could fall off at any moment.
It was far too difficult for a bed less than 1.5 meters wide to accommodate two people.
But he still left Zoe Pierce enough space, even gently patting her as if lulling her to sleep.
Nathan Lockwood chatted idly with Zoe Pierce.
Soon, sleepiness began to set in.
Zoe Pierce’s hand rested on Nathan Lockwood’s chest as she slept soundly with her eyes closed.
And Nathan Lockwood just continued to pat her gently until he was sure she was fast asleep, then he kissed her forehead.
When Zoe Pierce woke up the next morning, Nathan Lockwood was no longer beside her.
She got up to wash up. As she bent over to wash her face, she suddenly noticed a mark beneath her pajamas.
She undid the top button, revealing a faint red love bite just below her collarbone.
It wasn’t there before she went to sleep last night.
It was obvious who had done it.
Her fair fingers brushed over the spot an inch below her collarbone. Zoe Pierce stared at the mirror, still finding it hard to believe.
’Am I dead?’
’To be kissed and not even realize it.’
’I was completely defenseless last night. I don’t even know when Nathan Lockwood left it.’
As she stood there in a daze, she heard the soft sound of the door opening.
She peeked her head out and saw Nathan Lockwood coming in.
She quickly buttoned up, but Nathan Lockwood had already seen her hurried movements.
Placing breakfast on the table, he waited patiently for her to get dressed, then said, "I had Chase Shaw go take care of something. He went home for a bit; he needs to personally oversee the parts for the Mecha."
"For theory class, Aaron Xavier and I will go with you."
*
Director Quinn had arranged for Zoe Pierce to join the class, but he had only informed the professor beforehand, not the Alphas attending the lecture.
Upon entering the classroom, everyone noticed three seats in the front row were suddenly occupied.
At first, no one paid it any mind.
But just before class started, Zoe Pierce, Aaron Xavier, and Nathan Lockwood suddenly entered the classroom, and everyone erupted.
This was probably the team’s first appearance at the school since the friendly match.
A few days ago, someone had mentioned seeing Nathan Lockwood and the others in the school cafeteria, but at the time, everyone had just assumed they were there to take care of some business.
No one expected them to actually attend classes!
And they certainly never imagined they would get to see Zoe Pierce.
Although Zoe Pierce looked almost exactly the same as she did in the projections, there was still a significant difference when compared to her in person.
The young woman’s beauty wasn’t subtle.
It was the kind that blossomed like a flower.
Vibrant and alluring, as radiant as the moon.
The moment she entered, her subconscious smile toward the crowd was enough to leave people stunned.
Then, she sat in the center of the front row, revealing a section of her neck covered by a suppression patch.
’What’s going on?’
They subconsciously glanced at the classroom door, confirming they hadn’t walked into the wrong room.
They then glanced at the professor, who was already speaking quietly with Zoe Pierce, confirming again that they were in the right class.
’In other words, Zoe Pierce is attending class with us now?’
With a goddess Omega suddenly appearing in a den of Alphas, none of the Alphas in the classroom could remain calm.
Intelligent Brains, as if out of control, were being furiously tapped on under the desks.
Finally, one Alpha couldn’t hold back any longer and asked the professor, "Professor, is student Zoe Pierce going to be attending class with us?"
As he spoke, the few people talking at the front paused.
The professor straightened up, looked at the students, and smiled slightly. "Yes. Student Zoe Pierce will be joining us for some of our classes as a temporary transfer student."
He looked at Zoe Pierce.
Zoe Pierce turned around and smiled at the crowd. "Hello, everyone. My name is Zoe Pierce. I might be a bit of a bother for the time being, so I hope you don’t mind."
’Mind? Like hell we would!’
The student who had asked the question sat down in a daze.
The words from Zoe Pierce and the professor confirmed the speculation that everyone had previously been afraid to even consider.
The eyes of every Alpha were fixed on Zoe Pierce, burning with an almost feverish intensity.
It wasn’t just Zoe Pierce who could feel these scorching gazes; Aaron Xavier and Nathan Lockwood felt them too.
Obviously, they had been the target of such stares before.
But now, having those annoying gazes fixed on Zoe Pierce was even more infuriating than when they were directed at themselves.
Aaron Xavier’s expression was even fouler than when he had first walked in.
Even Nathan Lockwood felt that the people behind them were like flies.
Only Zoe Pierce, who had felt a bit awkward at first, gradually started listening to the professor’s lecture and eventually didn’t feel it anymore.
’Throughout the whole class,’ Nathan Lockwood thought, ’Zoe Pierce is probably the only one who actually listened.’
The professor had clearly noticed as well.
Because of Zoe Pierce and her companions, the entire class had become much more restless than usual.
After finishing the lecture, he said unhurriedly, "Today’s lecture content—everyone, except for the new student, will copy it three times. Turn it in before the end of next week."
Instantly, everyone started to wail in despair.
Anyone who had looked at the material knew that a lot of ground had been covered today.
But when the professor announced the end of class, the Alphas who had been restless all along still swarmed them at lightning speed.
"Zoe Pierce! I saw the friendly match! Your stamina is insane!"
"I’ve been following you since the league tournament, Zoe Pierce!!"
"You’re so cool!"
"..."
Her ears were filled with the clamor of voices. Zoe Pierce was in the center, shielded by Nathan Lockwood and Aaron Xavier.
She was somewhat aware of her own popularity, but that was online.
In real life, she was always with Nathan Lockwood and the others, and the people around her were just Director Quinn, Mr. Jacobs, and their circle.
Everyone acted normally. Even other people she met had never swarmed her so frantically to talk to her.
The voices became a chaotic mess, making it impossible to hear what anyone was saying.
Even the air felt thick and suffocating.
Zoe Pierce only felt Aaron Xavier grab her arm, and then, the next second—
She heard shouts of "Ouch!" and the muffled thuds of bodies colliding.
It felt like her legs were being pulled off the ground by Aaron Xavier as she was yanked forward into a run.
They ran all the way back to the dormitory building. Gasping for breath, Zoe Pierce looked at Aaron Xavier, who bent down to look at her face. "Are you okay, Zoe Pierce?"
"Did you get hit just now?"
"Those lunatics," Aaron Xavier muttered under his breath.
Zoe Pierce shook her head, calmed herself down, and looked at the empty path behind them.
A lingering fear remained.
"Were you scared?" Aaron Xavier frowned.
Zoe Pierce wasn’t so much scared by it, but she asked uncertainly, "Is this the kind of life you guys used to live?"
In her memories from before her amnesia, if she recalled correctly, they had always been surrounded by people like that, to some extent.
Aaron Xavier was taken aback for a moment, then found her dazed expression somewhat amusing. "Not as exaggerated as with you."
