Chapter 17

Hu Yetao swallowed and cracked open his eyes to see Oscar's anxious face swimming above him. His Alpha was on his knees next to him, hands gently grasping his shoulders. "I… I'm okay," he gasped, knowing he sounded anything but.

Oscar smoothed Hu Yetao's dark hair back from his forehead as he stared into his eyes with concern, much to the shock of everyone else who had stopped to watch the scene unfold. There was a collective gasp as Oscar suddenly turned a furious glare on Xinyao.

"That was supposed to be a mild hex Zhang!" he snarled and then before anyone could say a word, he'd raised his wand and cast a most-decidedly to unmold Stinging Hex back at the gobsmacked Gryffindor.

Zhang Xinyao couldn't raise his wand in time and cried out as the hex hit him squarely in the chest, causing him to stumble and then pitch backward onto the ground, dropping his wand in the process.

"Expelliarmus!" Professor Fischer deftly caught Oscar's wand in his outstretched hand, a look of severe disapproval on his face. "Mr. Wang, you will see the Headmistress immediately. Attacking another student will not be tolerated, regardless of whether you think it was warranted or not."

Hu Yetao pushed himself into a sitting position, worried gaze on Oscar as the Slytherin took a steadying breath and then nodded in assent. "Yes Professor," he replied deferentially as he got to his feet. He glanced uncertainly at Hu Yetao, clearly not wanting to leave him.

"I'm okay," Hu Yetao promised, relieved that Oscar hadn't fully lost control and done something stupid and over-reactive like change into his Nundu form.

It looked like Oscar wanted to say more but he finally nodded and turned to leave the room.

"Mr. Jing, would you be so kind as to help Mr. Zhang to the nurse?" Professor Chao asked once Oscar had left.

Hu Yetao looked at Xinyao, ashamed that he'd completely forgotten about his best friend sprawled out on the floor due to his mate's Stinging Hex.

"Of course Professor." Jing Long hurried to Xinyao's side and helped him to his feet where he swayed unsteadily. Oscar had put a lot of force behind his spell for Xinyao to still be dazed by it.

Hu Yetao bit his lip and sent Xinyao an apologetic look as Jing-Long slung an arm around his shoulders and helped him from the room.

"Okay Mr. Yetao, you're with me," Professor Chao instructed, some of his cheery enthusiasm somewhat dimmed by the event. "Everyone else, please return to your positions and continue to practice."

Hu Yetao slowly got to his feet and followed Professor Chao to his desk where they sat side by side, the Professor keeping an eye on the working students.

"Something you want to tell me Hu Yetao?" he asked without looking at him.

Hu Yetao swallowed. "Uh… it's not Oscar's fault sir." He turned to look at his Professor. "He's my mate."

Professor Chao turned his steady blue gaze on him and quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he replied, then leaned in just a little to sniff at Hu Yetao. He leaned back, eyes widening slightly in surprise but still calm. "You're an Omega?"

Hu Yetao nodded and then covered another yawn under his Professor's scrutinizing gaze.

"You don't look well Hu Yetao," he concluded. "Why don't you sit here and rest a bit? I'll get you to help me put the desks right once the class is over and we can chat then."

Hu Yetao nodded and rubbed at his eyes, which felt gritty and heavy under his smudged glasses.

Professor Chao patted him on the shoulder then got up to slowly move around the dueling pairs, clearing away purple smoke every few minutes.

Hu Yetao watched the rest of the lesson through weary eyes, too tired to care that he was missing out on such a good class. He hoped Oscar wasn't getting into too much trouble with Amber Liu. He would most likely be called up to her office once class was over to confirm his side of the story, as well as to talk about his Omega status.

"You alright Hu Yetao?" Zhou Keyu asked, pausing in his duel to sidle over and check on him.

Hu Yetao smiled and nodded, trying not to yawn. "Yeah, it'll take more than a Stinging Hex to bring me down."

Zhou Keyu returned the smile, looking strangely relieved. "Hey Hu Yetao, do you -"

"Alright, class." Professor Chao clapped his hands once the last of the smoke was whisked away. "Thank you all very much for your attention and participation today. You've done well."

The class murmured their thanks as they gathered their bags and began to trail out the door, most of them casting curious looks at Hu Yetao's way as they walked past.

Hu yetao kept his head down, feigning interest in his scuffed trainers to avoid their inquisitive stares.

"You too Mr. Zhou," Professor Chao chastised as Keyu lingered next to Hu Yetao. "Don't be late for your next class."

"I'll catch up with you later Hu yetao," Keyu said with a vaguely disappointed look and then he was gone.

Hu Yetao was too tired and preoccupied to wonder what the Slytherin was up to.

"Give me a hand Hu Yetao?" Professor Chao asked once the room was empty of students, indicating the scattered tables around the perimeter.

Hu Yetao nodded and hopped off of the Professor's desk. As soon as his feet touched the stone floor, a wave of heat and dizziness suddenly washed over him and made him sway precariously on the spot. His wand dropped to the floor from nerveless fingers as he put a hand to his temple with a hushed moan.

"Hu Yetao?"

Hu Yetao kept his eyes closed and leaned on the desk. His body felt as though it were getting hotter and hotter, attempting to scorch him from the inside. A sweat broke out over his brow and his breathing sped up exponentially. He placed both hands palms down on the desk as his knees trembled and threatened to give out. His stomach turned over and then he shuddered as the heat gradually changed and morphed into something else; a kind of hot, feverish inertness.

"Hu Yetao…?"

He gasped out loud as a gentle hand tentatively touched his shoulder. His body instantly thrummed with arousal - there was no other word for it. He was hard in an instant, his body still hot and feverish but now with an overwhelming ache to lay back, open his legs, and be taken.

He heard the indrawn breath and then suddenly a fit, firm body was pressed to his back and he moaned in relief as something hard pressed against his aching backside, which had begun to steadily leak some sort of fluid, dampening his pants. Hu Yetao pushed back against the welcome body behind him.

He wanted the feeling to end; this hot itchy arousal that was spurring him on to be filled with an Alpha's seed.

Insistent lips were pressed to the back of his neck and he clenched his splayed fingers on the wooden desk beneath his hands as he tipped his head forward in encouragement. A warm tongue began to lap at his flushed skin and Hu Yetao unconsciously pressed back again with a soft moan, seeking that wonderful pleasure again. Frenzied hands suddenly dropped lower to unbutton his trousers and wrench them down over his hips.

Hu Yetao whimpered as the hands were suddenly sliding all over his naked skin, stroking his erection and cupping his backside and squeezing. Eager fingers finally parted his cheeks and a single-digit stroked over his leaking hole, sending an electrified current through his entire body.

Hu Yetao inhaled deeply at the contact - and the scent that invaded his nostrils was all wrong.

He immediately stiffened and opened his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, in a place that was still more human than Omega in heat, he knew with certainty that this wasn't the Alpha he craved.

This wasn't his Alpha.

This wasn't Oscar.