Claimed By My Three Alphas
Chapter 23

I stood there with irritation boldly written over my face. What the hell was Quincy thinking? Why would he play such a nasty prank on me? Well, it did not seem like it was just a mere prank that he was playing right now.

This was very annoying!

To even think that I have a date with Asher coming up in just a matter of minutes. This made me get more irritated by whatever game this was. Quincy was getting on my nerves. Not only had he invaded my privacy and stolen my dress, he also took my underwear! Damn it!

Now, he has pulled a dirty ploy by throwing the key to his chambers out the window. If I should waste more time, I might end up late to my date.

"What is the meaning of this?" I scowled at him.

"What are you talking about?" He yawned, feigning ignorance. The look in his eyes was both inviting and annoying at the same time.

"Cut it out, Quincy. None of this is funny. Why am I here?"

He tilted his head. "If you look around you, Amery, you'd realize that no one is laughing. You're the one who came into my room, perhaps you should tell me why."

He walked around in a very slow but calculated manner. He was not approaching me, yet his mere presence filled the room - the way he scrutinized me with his intense eyes. This was frustrating.

"You stole my dress! You stole my underwear! You tricked me into coming down here, just to lock me in!"

"You look sexy when you're mad, you know." "What?"

"You didn't hear me? Maybe I should say it again." He closed up the distance between us, leaving me breathless when he pulled his voice down to a seductive whisper. "I said that you look so f*****g sexy when you're mad. It's very attractive, Amery, and if you come a little closer, you can feel just how turned on I am."

At that moment, he dropped his arm around my waist and pulled me hard against his muscled body. Oh, god. I felt every rippling flesh, radiating of warmth and that goddamn scent the three boys seemed to reek of. It was maddening. But that wasn't what drove a rush of excitement up my spine.

It was the hardness that was shoved against my belly. His hardness.

Embarrassment prickled my cheeks with heat and my eyes widened in realization. A slow knowing smirk claimed his lips, and everything about him in that moment reeked of sin and dirty intentions.

"You feel it, don't you? Do you want to touch it? Don't be shy." He whispered darkly into my ear. A shiver ran down my spine. I was being intoxicated, drawn by this tempting offer to have him ravish me with his dirty thoughts. However, it took everything in me to push away from him, forcing a firm glare at him and urging my racing heart to calm down.

"Your d**k is small, if that's what you're asking. Now, stop all this nonsense and return my dress. I have a date."

Quincy's expression seemed ticked off at the mention of date, but he hid it well with another one of his nonchalant shrugs.

"I don't have your dress. But I can help you replace it."

"That's a lie." I fussed. "Your maid told me you had it. Get it and let me go this moment!"

Now, he let out a rich chuckle.

"Well, I had it before but now, I don't. I'd only get it to you if you play by my rules. You're in my room after all. Although I genuinely think you'd look better without the clothes." His eyes ran down my body. "And the towel." Gosh, he was insufferable! And the worst part was that his suggestive responses were slowly getting to me - they were turning me on in an unexplainable way. It was crazy! Traitorous!

But I wasn't cut out for any of this. Asher was definitely waiting, and he would not want me to disappoint him. Personally, I wouldn't want to disappoint him. I agreed to this date. Now, Quincy is trying to get in between us. In fact, he already has.

"You're a pervert, you know that? A big unremorseful pervert. And in the real world, perverts are creeps."

"Yet you're wet. Amery, I can smell your arousal. I'm guessing that there's a part of you that does, in fact, want me - the alleged creep."

I was wet? What! He could...smell it? I turned beet red, and in a bid to save myself from this terrible situation, I turned around and huffed more dramatically than usual.

This was getting nowhere.

If I should keep listening to his gibberish, I would definitely be wasting more time. By now, Asher should be getting ready too. And I can't afford to be late, let alone stand him up.

"Look, Quincy, you really picked the wrong time to be a jerk. If you are not going to let me out, I'd help myself off the window."

Instead of trying to talk me out of it, the Prince, as arrogant as he seemed to be, just went on with staring at me with a daring look in his eyes.

"Hmm, I do love my girls a little suicidal."

This asshole.

Angered, I huffed and walked straight to the window and climbed it to jump. The view of the grand granite ground below taunted me. There was no way I'd be able to make it down without breaking half my bones.

Ugh! Quincy obviously knew I couldn't actual do it. The sound of his mocking chuckle filled the room. Has he always been this annoying? On seeing how determined he was, I had no other choice other than to yield to his scheme and whatever this game was. "Quincy," I sighed, walking back to him. "What do you actually want?"

"You. Isn't it obvious? I just want to spend time with my mate." "Well, you could have just asked like a f*****g gentleman!"

"That's no fun. I like seeing you mad, like I said, you're sexier."

"Oh, gee, thank you so much." I rolled my eyes and reinforced a glare. "How about you let me go now, and we could come back to this later? We could have all the quality Amery-and-Quincy time you want."

"Hmm." He seemed to consider this for a while, then suddenly smirked. "No can do. I prefer spending Amery-and-Quincy quality time now."

"But I have a date now!"

"Sounds like his problem, not mine."

"What an asshole! You're an even bigger jerk than Levi."

"Really? Thank you. I'm actually flattered. It takes a lot to beat Levi at anything."

I glowered. "That's not the point."

"Okay, fine." Quincy folded his arms. "I'll let you go."

"Wait, really?" My excitement rose to the surface.

A smile of relief crossed my lips. Finally, I will get to leave. All I had to do was just go and put on a different dress other than the one that I had intended to wear.

"Yes. On one condition."

And just like that, my hopes crashed.

"What?"

"You will help me with my drawing."

What? Is he out of his mind? I can't even draw.

I scoffed. "How exactly am I supposed to help you with that? I was literally the least artistic student in my class. I always got an F. So, sorry - not sorry - but my hands are tied here. Now, be a sweetheart and open the door." Quincy chuckled, then walked ahead of me into another door. "You are not drawing anything, Amery. You just have to hold something for me. Fair enough?"

I rushed after him. "No, not fair. I'm also horrible at holding things. Have you seen how clumsy I am?"

He walked into what seemed to be an art studio. For a moment, I was stunned by the number of beautiful portraits hung up on the walls and the few littered all around the room. I gasped out at just how breathtaking every drawing was. "Woah... Y-you drew all these?" I spun around, now fascinated.

"Yes."

"They're beautiful, Quincy. I didn't know you were..."

"f*****g talented?"

I laughed, then turned to him.

"Actually, I was going to say I didn't know you were passionate about anything. You seem really laid-back. To an unhealthy extent."

He shrugged. "I have my mysteries. This room is my solace, I don't bring a lot of people in here."

"Then... then why am I here?"

His eyes held mine, captivating me in a bubble where it was just the two of us and this strange pull in-between.

"You're not just anyone, Amery. Don't you see that?"

My heart fluttered, and I tried - and failed - to hide the shy smile that appeared on my face. I cast my gaze away.

"Let's get this over with. What am I holding?"

He walked over to a basket of apples and brought it to me.

"Here is your job. All you have to do is sit down, lift up your arms and make sure I have a good view of it under the light." He dumped it in my hands and they almost fell from the weight.

"Ugh. This is quite heavy."

He grinned. "I can hold your towel so it doesn't fall off."

For an odd reason, this made me smile. Actually, I laughed.

"You just keep getting bolder. But don't worry, I can manage just fine."

"You're no fun. Go sit on the couch."

I walked over to the couch and sat down while he assumed his position before his drawing board. He could have just dropped the basket on a table and drew it. Was stressing me necessary? Maybe he just wanted to keep me here for no good reason. "Your position isn't proper. Adjust."

I tried to adjust a little with the basket. "It's barely a minute and I can't feel my arm already."

"Still not proper. You know what? I'll do it myself." Quincy walked to me in a bid to help adjust my position.

He pushed my arm and shifted the couch to a position he seemed okay with. His fingers coursing down parts of my skin woke some type of need within me. I needed him to touch me more.

"You're a gorgeous woman, Amery." He said, his mouth coming very close to my ear as if to bite it softly.

For a moment, I could feel my own arousal. But just as quick as the feeling came, I brushed it off. He grinned and returned to the board.

"Are you sure the towel isn't making you uncomfortable?"

"Just draw, Quincy." I rolled my eyes playfully.

And just like that, we lapsed into a comfortable silence which was spent with Quincy observing the basket occasionally and moving his hands on the board. At some point, we engaged in a lighthearted conversation. From the time spent, my mind trailed away from whatever other activities I had, and everything was fixed on the mystery that Quincy was.

I'd learnt that he was indeed very dirty minded, but also funny and pays attention to every word I babbled about. He was teasing and an incredible listener. In between, I found myself laughing and wondering why we'd never hung out before.

"I have a question for you."

"I hope it's not one of your perverted ones."

He grinned. "Not at all."

"Go ahead."

"Why do you like this place? I mean, I can't really say you like it here. However, you've never mentioned wanting to go back to the other realm, even after what happened with our father. Are humans not good to you?"

My heart sank. The questions brought back memories of how I was stabbed in the back and the godawful life I had outside there. At first, I didn't want to share it, but he seemed genuinely curious.

I sighed after a while. "Truthfully? My real life sucks. I've never really belonged in school, and everything here is just so different from how things were for me. No one except my parents genuinely gives a s**t about my existence. Not even my best friend, and the boy I thought loved me."

"So, you were an outcast? The best people are."

My heart twisted in my chest. "Tell that to every outcast who's ever bullied. You know, I really thought I could survive whatever shitty high school life I had, until my best friend betrayed me. I caught her making love with my boyfriend. His name is Sean. I guess I was never enough for him. All the times he ever said he loved me was obviously a big fat lie. I was the fool all along. Maybe I don't want to go home yet because outside is the real hell. In here, you guys...care about me. I have real friends - well, except Levi. He's a nightmare."

He paused the art and listened to me.

"Crazy enough, I understand you, Amery. I know what it feels like to be the outsider. I've felt that way all my life with the boys. It has always been Levi and Asher, but I'm the royally acclaimed black sheep. I don't mind though. It's part of my charm." He winked, but I could trace the bits of sadness in his eyes. "You don't have to pretend with me." I said slowly. "I know it hurts."

"It's nothing. I love my reputation as the irresponsible prince." He shrugged. "And as for Sean, I could deliver his head to you on a silver platter if you wish. I'm quite okay with murdering those who hurt you."

I chuckled at this, although he seemed awfully serious. As we discussed, I could feel the connection between us - how alike we might be. Both outcasts. It was like he understood my words even before I said them, like he had the map to my soul and mind. "And that's a wrap." He suddenly said.

"Finally!" I dropped the basket without caution and rose from my spot, stretching out my sore limbs.

Quincy stood up, taking the art canvas with him as he approached me. On getting to the art, my jaw dropped and a rush of butterflies swirled in my belly. In his hands, right on the canvas, was an exact replica of myself - and the fruit basket wasn't even drawn. All this while, he'd been drawing me.

"Do you like it?"

"W-what... Oh my goodness. I love it, Quincy! I don't know what to say, it's so beautiful..."

"You're beautiful. You can have it. It's for you, a grand gesture for stealing your time."

My breath had slowed, and all I could do was stare at this guy who seemed to be so much more than I'd expected.