37 Chapter 36

Hu Yetao had been expecting that but it still wrenched at him to hear it. The urge to protect his mate was a strong one. "Because of what happened between you and me?" he asked, trying his best to sound impartial.

Kaz nodded, looking apologetic. "He's the only one that I can think of that would have a plausible motive. No one knows that I suspect him though," he quickly added. "I didn't know about the two of you at the time of the attack so when Mrs. Amber and the Aurors asked the same question, I didn't have an answer."

Hu Yetao raised his brow in surprise. "And you haven't gone back to them since you found out?"

Kaz shrugged and glanced up at the watching students who were too far away to overhear anything. "I didn't want to tell Mrs. Amber what I'd done to you; I didn't want to be expelled." He shrugged, looking a little shame-faced. "I figured if it had been Oscar, I couldn't blame him for wanting to get some sort of revenge on me for what I did to you, and if I just left you alone then he probably wouldn't do it again."

Hu Yetao frowned. "That's no excuse," he said. "I would never allow a mate of mine to do something like that."

Kaz nodded. "I know, unfortunately, it's the only hint of a lead that I have. This might have to be one mystery that goes unsolved - unless it happens again."

"Yeah, I guess so." Hu Yetao sighed and forced a smile, disappointed that he hadn't uncovered anything of use. "Thanks for talking to me."

The two Gryffindors stood and collected their things.

"Going to the Hall for lunch?" Kaz asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah, I'm famished."

"I'll walk with you," Hu Yetao said as he fell into step beside his housemate.

"Are you sure Oscar won't mind?" Kazuma asked and Hu Yetao wasn't entirely sure whether Kaz was joking or not.

"Of course not," Hu Yetao replied easily. "He's not like that."

Kaz snorted as he slanted a glance at him. "All Alphas are like that Hu Yetao. No exceptions."

"Oscar's not." Hu Yetao shrugged.

Kazuma chuckled and shook his head. "I suppose I'll just have to trust you to keep a short lead on him."

Hu Yetao glared but couldn't help breaking into a grin as he pictured Oscar in his Nundu form wearing a collar with Hu Yetao holding the lead. "I must confess Oscar was a little bit jealous of Zhou Keyu wanting to go to Hogsmeade with me, so I guess he's not completely innocent."

Not to mention how Oscar growled at the other Nundu at the Board meeting, but Hu Yetao couldn't volunteer that particular piece of information.

"Jealousy does strange things to a person," Kazuma commented wryly as they walked through the quiet school corridor.

Hu Yetao suddenly stopped in his tracks, eyes widening and mind ticking over faster than he could keep up.

What if someone had attacked Kaz, not to get revenge on him, but to get revenge on Oscar?

"Hu Yetao?" Kaz had stopped a few paces ahead and turned when he noticed that Hu Yetao was no longer beside him. "Something wrong?"

"Uh…" Hu Yetao blinked, eyes a little glazed as he swiftly began to piece together the puzzle in his head. "No, you go ahead; I just remembered something I need to do."

"You sure?" Kaz asked with concern.

Hu Yetao nodded and wheeled around to walk in the opposite direction. He ducked into the first empty classroom he came across and closed the door, leaning back against it, heart pounding.

"The Zheng Family…" Hu Yetao whispered aloud, staring unseeing across the empty room.

Zheng Naixin had been promised to Oscar almost since birth. Oscar had mentioned that Naixin's family knew about the existence of Nundu already, which was why she was a good match for him. Naixin took every opportunity to flirt with Oscar and spend time with him; she was infatuated with him…

Could that pretty little blonde have organized such a vicious attack just because Oscar had broken her heart though? An implication that would mean Oscar's imminent execution and death?

Hu Yetao frowned; he didn't want to believe it but he also knew that it was a theory worth investigating.

He needed to speak to his mate; Oscar would have a better idea of what Naixin was capable of.

Hu Yetao shoved away from the door and opened it, stepping out into the quiet corridor and swiftly making his way up to the third-floor corridor. If Oscar was attempting to avoid him, then he probably wouldn't be taking lunch in the Great Hall. Hopefully, he had chosen their room to hide out in.

Hu Yetao touched his wand to the wooden door of their room and it instantly swung open.

Oscar was seated inside at the large desk near the window, a single plate of cold chicken sandwiches and biscuits next to his open schoolwork and a steaming pot of tea.

"There you are," Hu Yetao exclaimed with relief, shutting the door behind him and dropping his bag to the floor, glad that he wouldn't have to run all over the castle trying to locate him before afternoon classes began.

"Mm-hmm…" Oscar hummed in response, not bothering to look up.

Hu Yetao scowled at the side of Oscar's head, his temper quickly rising; he was tired, stressed, hungry - and he'd had enough of his mate's shit.

Hu Yetao clenched his jaw and stormed over to the desk, his magic crackling outwards and abruptly pushing all of Oscar's books and papers off the surface of the desk, the plate of food and tea things all crashing alongside it to the flagstone floor and smashing into pieces.

Oscar jumped back in his chair, trying to escape the hot tea splashing everywhere, and then glared up at Hu Yetao. "What was that for?" he demanded furiously.

"I am trying to get your attention you complete wanker!" Hu Yetao bit out roughly, his hands balled into fists. "If breaking things is the only way to get it then that's what I'll fucking do!"

Oscar's expression immediately shuttered. "You have my attention now Yetao, what do you want?"

Hu Yetao saw red. He wanted to scream and throw something, preferably at the cool, distant expression on his mate's face. He turned away from Oscar and paced across the room, one hand pulling at his hair fretfully.

"What do I want?" he exclaimed angrily, spinning to face him again. "I want my fucking mate back! I want to work together to figure this out. I also want to go back in time to this morning and not wake up alone! You fucking abandoned me and then ignored me all day as though I'd done something wrong." Hu Yetao exhaled heavily and turned away, body shaking, his doubt and insecurity and hurt all creeping back in and pushing out the anger, leaving him feeling suddenly defeated. "I dunno, maybe you're just having second thoughts about us…"