Chapter 248: Why Renn?
Angela walked through the gate, trying to hide the blush that colored her cheeks. She felt like her whole body was on fire. The day had turned out far better than she had expected.
"You look like a girl who just got her first kiss," Alex teased, his eyes following her face.
Her brows furrowed though the smile stayed. "Do I?"
"Yes, and it got me jealous," he said, his expression suddenly dull.
Angela blinked, surprised. She was about to ask him why he would be jealous when she saw James, the senior who had been crushing on her, walking toward them. "Oh no. Why does he have to show up now?" she muttered under her breath.
Alex looked over his shoulder, and when he saw James, he burst into laughter.
"It’s funny? Then keep laughing," Angela said with a smile that quickly turned into a frown. She tried to look sick, hoping James would leave her alone.
"Hello, Angel. I haven’t seen you all day," James greeted when he reached them.
"Angel is tired. We were at the hospital. A friend got sick," Alex said calmly, holding her hand. "You must excuse us."
"I’m sorry to hear that," James said, his face softening.
"Thanks. You can talk to Angel tomorrow," Alex added quickly.
"Alright. We’ll talk after the celebration," James said before leaving.
Alex frowned. "Celebration? What celebration?"
"Check your newsfeed, Beta," James replied over his shoulder.
Angela didn’t bother to check. Her phone was still with Alex, so she followed him upstairs. The moment they got into the room, she sighed in relief.
"He’s going to give me a heart attack one day," she said, taking off her wig and tossing it on the couch. She slipped off her shoes and sat down. "I’m exhausted."
"We have a celebration in honor of the competition we won last semester at the nationals," Alex said, scrolling through his phone. "Strange."
"Whose idea was it?" Angela asked, though deep down she already guessed it was Principal Valois. What could that woman be planning again?
"It’s not Principal Valois’ decision, if that’s what you’re thinking," Alex said, sitting beside her. He handed her the phone showing the press release. "It has the chairman of the board’s signature."
"Kaito’s father?"
"Yes, but it’s not just him. The whole board agreed on it. The Alphas are part of the board too, but they only get involved when something big comes up," Alex explained.
Angela nodded slowly, her mind drifting as he put the phone away.
"So," she said after a while, her eyes resting on him, "are you going to tell me why you were jealous?"
His heart skipped. For a second, he couldn’t breathe. He stood up quickly, brushing his hand down his shirt like he needed air. Angela tilted her head, confused by his sudden restlessness.
"I should check on the pack members," Alex muttered, avoiding her gaze. "Good night."
"Wait, are you leaving? Did I say something wrong?"
"No... we’ll talk tomorrow," he said, walking toward the door. He stopped briefly, forcing a smile. "Sleep like a baby."
Angela just stared at him, too puzzled to speak. Something was clearly bothering him, and he wasn’t ready to say what it was. She sighed, watching him close the door behind him.
Outside, Alex leaned against the wall, his chest rising fast. His heart wouldn’t slow down. He almost lost control when he admitted he was jealous. What was his wolf even thinking? He shouldn’t be feeling that way. He was supposed to meet his mate soon, and the last thing he needed was a distraction. Not from his wolf. And definitely not from Angela.
*******
She could barely sleep through the night. The thought of meeting Marcus filled her mind and refused to leave. What if things went wrong and he refused to listen to her? What if he forced her to go with him? The fear of what he might do made her heart restless.
Marcus looked like a man who always got what he wanted. One who never asked twice, never backed down. When he wanted something, he made sure he got it, no matter the cost.
"Oh moon goddess, please show me the right path," Angela whispered, lying down on her bed with a heavy sigh. She needed to make a choice by morning, even if it meant sacrificing herself to protect others — her friends, her mates, everyone she cared about.
Sleep only came when the night began to fade. When she finally woke up, the sun was already high. It was past ten. Angela frowned at the clock, realizing her alarm had rung but she had slept through it.
She grabbed her phone and saw messages from Stales and Hiro wishing her good morning. Their words brought a small smile to her face. She opened the school page and saw photos of students at the celebration, posing proudly in their uniforms.
Though they wore the same academy outfit, everyone seemed to add their own touch — new watches, shiny shoes, fresh hairstyles. They all looked so bright and lively, while she felt like the weight of the world sat on her shoulders.
With a deep sigh, she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She opened the door and froze. Kaito was in the shower.
"Shit... you scared me. I didn’t know you were here," she said quickly, her eyes wide.
Kaito rinsed the soap off his face before opening his eyes. When he saw her standing there, startled and flushed, a small smile curved his lips. "Join me," he invited softly.
"What?" Angela stuttered, confused and flustered by his sudden words. But before she could react, Mighty-Storm nudged her forward from within, and she found herself stepping under the shower with him. The water poured down on them both as Kaito gently pulled her close.
He washed her quietly, his touch careful and respectful, never crossing the line. When he dried her off afterward, she couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t tried anything....it was unlike him. Something about his restraint made her heart ache.
"Do you want me to help you dress up?" Kaito asked after drying her hair.
"No... I can barely control myself already," Angela muttered, feeling her cheeks heat up as she moved away to get dressed. She put on her uniform, and when she turned, Kaito handed her a pack of food.
"Breakfast?" she asked softly.
"Yes. You missed breakfast, so I brought you one," he said.
"Thanks, Kaito," she said with a small smile. Angela wondered how she would have survived without them. Each of the brothers meant something different to her, and each had their own way of caring for her.
Just as she sat down to eat, there was a knock on the door. Her heart skipped a beat. Her wig wasn’t on, and fear ran through her.
"Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone in," Kaito said gently as he went to the door. It was a form four student, sent by the principal to call him urgently.
"I have to go, Angel. I’ll call you later," Kaito said before leaving.
After he left, Angela quickly finished her food and dressed up. She put on her wig, adjusted her tie, and left for the hall where the celebration was taking place.
The Area around the dormitories was unusually quiet. Something about it made her uneasy. She texted Alex, but there was no reply. Just as she turned the corner, a car stopped right in front of her. It was Miss Valois.
The woman stepped out of her car with that same cold smile that always made Angela’s stomach twist. "We need to talk," she said firmly.
"Do not trust a word she says," Mighty-Storm warned inside her mind before Angela could respond.
Angela nodded slightly. She would listen to her wolf this time. "What do you want from me?" she asked carefully.
"Want?" Miss Valois repeated, pretending to sound calm. "I don’t want anything from you. I’m only here to tell you something important... something you’ve probably been wondering about for a long time."
Angela crossed her arms, her voice sharp. "What could that be? Because if it’s about my father, I already found out on my own."
The older woman’s eyes widened for a second, but she quickly forced a calm smile. "I’m happy for you, but that’s not it. I came to tell you that I am Renn’s mother. It’s time you know the truth."
Angela stared at her, frozen. For a moment, she thought she had misheard. But the words echoed again and again in her head until disbelief turned into anger.
"You liar," Angela said, her voice trembling. "Don’t you have any shame? Haven’t you hurt us enough already? Why can’t you just leave us alone?"
Her tone was sharp, filled with disgust. It was a warning. Mighty-Storm was restless inside her, ready to fight the moment Angela gave the signal.
Miss Valois only smirked. "You think this is a joke?" she said. She opened her purse and took out a wipe. Slowly, she removed the heavy makeup from her face, revealing softer features beneath. Then she took off her black wig, letting long, curly red hair fall over her shoulders.
Angela’s mouth fell open. Words wouldn’t come. The woman in front of her looked almost exactly like Renn. The same sharp jawline, the same color of hair, the same eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.
Could this really be true? Could Miss Valois be Renn’s mother?
Her heart pounded as her thoughts tangled in confusion and pain. If this was real, why did Renn hide it from her? Why didn’t he tell her when she had shared everything about herself with him?