h4Chapter 119: Happy Birthday, Ang!/h4

    "You got marked by two of my brothers," Kaito said with his brows drawn together, his jaw tightening as he released her face. "Damn Hiro and Renn."

    Ang’s eyes widened in confusion. What did he mean? She tried to think back, trying to recall where Hiro could have marked her, but nothing came to mind.

    "Renn did it by scent. It’s fresh, I can tell. His scent is all over you," Kaito said with quiet bitterness, stepping back as if the space between them would keep him calm. His voice carried sadness he was trying to hide, the hurt clear even though he fought to mask it. "And Hiro marked you on your lower lip. Did you not notice?"

    Ang rushed to the mirror, her hands trembling as she leaned closer. There it was. A faint scar just below her lip, from that kiss she shared with Hiro on the night Kaito had paired them. It had been an ident while they were kissing, and she had not even realized.

    "I hate the fact that I am not the first to mark you," Kaito confessed as he stepped closer again. He took her hand, lifted it slowly as though he wanted to kiss it, but stopped midway. A fleeting smile touched his lips. "But I know exactly how to piss them off."

    "Who? Your brothers?" Ang asked, her confusion deepening. She had braced herself for him to be angry, but instead he was calm, almost too calm. What was going on in his head?

    "No one, my dear. I will remain calm for now." His arms wrapped around her, holding her with quiet possession. She stayed still against him, her heart racing, but after a few seconds he let her go. "Take a shower and go to bed. You reek of Renn. Did you two have sex?"

    Her heart leapt into her throat. She froze, unable to lift her gaze to his. How had he seen through her so easily? They had not gone that far, but what they did was close, far too close.

    "Are you going to answer me or not?" Kaito pressed, his tone unreadable.

    "No. Why would you even think that?" Ang stammered, brushing past him quickly. She acted annoyed, hoping that if she looked irritated he would drop it and leave her alone.

    "I don’t know. He is your boyfriend, after all," Kaito muttered with a shrug. "But wait. I will teach him a lesson soon enough."

    "You want to get on his nerves, and it is not going to work," she replied sharply as she opened her wardrobe and set the bag inside. She picked her pajamas and walked toward the bathroom door. "You can join me in the bathroom if you want. I am almost eighteen."

    Kaito shook his head, a small smile curving his lips. "No. I will not. Just a few more hours, and you will be mine to im. I will not let your restless heat trick me into doing something I might regret."

    Ang stopped, her hand frozen on the bathroom door. "Heat?" she whispered, startled. Her pulse quickened. She had not expected him to say that. How did he know? Who had told him she was in heat?

    "Yes, dear. You didn’t notice but I do," Kaito said as he sank onto the couch. He studied her closely, almost enjoying the confused look on her beautiful face. "You are still new, still learning about your body, about your she-wolf side. I hate to break it to you, but you might have been in heat for the past six days. Think about it. Haven’t you noticed how your urges kept growing stronger? The way you crave to be imed even though a part of you doesn’t want it? It conflicts with everything you know."

    "Really?" Ang’s voice was faint, and her eyes were wide with guilt.

    He nodded slowly and she whispered again, "Is it that obvious?"

    "Not to others," Kaito replied, his voice low and steady, "but I see it. I notice everything about you. Take things easy, Ang. Don’t let the heat push you into choices you will regret once it passes." He caught himself wondering why he was even warning her. Her heat was supposed to be his advantage. Tomorrow after her shift, it would have been easier to im her quickly. But no... he cared too much about her. He wanted her decisions to be hers, not ruled by something she could not control.

    "I feel like I can’t stop it," Ang admitted in a whisper as she leaned her head back against the wall. She should not be talking about this with him, but he had brought it up first.

    "You want to give in and get it over with," Kaito said gently as he stood and crossed the room to her. His eyes searched hers with concern. "I know that feeling. You are new to it and it’s pulling you in every direction. You want to acknowledge all your mates. You want to feel each one of them, but you have to fight it for now. You have to hold on and control it so you can make the right choices. Do you understand?"

    Ang nodded, and his lips curved into a faint smile. "Good. Now go and take your bath."

    She closed the bathroom door behind her. Her hands moved to her clothes but then his voice came again from outside, teasing this time. "Should I join you, mate?"

    Sheughed softly, knowing he did not mean it. But his words lingered. He was right. She needed to control her urges, no matter how overwhelming they felt. It was going to be hard, but she could do it. She was not like the other she-wolves. She was not just Grace’s stubborn daughter anymore. She was an Alpha. The male Alphas should be the ones unable to hold back their heat, not her.

    They were the ones who should be chasing after her.

    **

    The next morning Ang was pulled from sleep by the sound of her phone ringing. Her neck ached badly, almost like she had been bitten there. She groaned softly as she sat up and reached for her phone on the drawer.

    It was Stales. She answered, and before she could even speak, his voice filled her ears, singing. His tone was warm and a little rough but sweet enough to make herugh through her sleepiness.

    He was singing her a birthday song. When he finished, she whispered, "Thank you, dear. I really appreciate this. No one has ever done this for me before." Her voice shook as tears stung her eyes.

    "Hey, don’t cry or I’lle over right now," Stales warned gently, but she could not hold it back.

    "They’re tears of joy," she smiled through them. "I’m eighteen today."

    "I know. Alex and I wille once we’re done getting ready," Stales told her. "Wait for us. We’ll all go to ss together."

    "Okay, dear. Bye."

    The call ended. Ang lowered the phone and noticed a flood of unread messages. Alex, Renn, Taros, Kael, and Samuel had all sent their wishes. They each told her happy birthday, wishing her luck for tonight. The thought of her shift made her touch her neck again, the ache pulsing stronger at the reminder.

    "Hey, happy birthday," a voice said, pulling her attention. Kaito was already dressed for school, standing near her bed. In his hands was a small box. "Here, I got you this."

    "Thank you, Kaito," Ang murmured, taking it from him carefully. It was the first birthday present she had ever received. Grace never cared about moments like this, so it felt strange, almost unreal. She opened the box and her eyes widened at the ne resting inside. It shimmered in the light, clearly valuable. Her brows knitted as she looked up at him. "Isn’t this too much?"

    "I don’t know. I didn’t buy it," he said with a little shrug.

    "Don’t tell me you stole it," she teased, and heughed, dropping onto the bed beside her.

    "My mom gave it to me yesterday when she visited," Kaito exined. "It belonged to my grandmother. I thought you’d like it."

    Ang’s heart squeezed as she stared at the ne. "Isn’t it too precious to give away?" she whispered, closing the box and pressing it back into his hands. "I can’t take this, Kaito. I’m sorry. It’s too valuable for you to just give to me."

    "I want you to have it, you mean a lot to me Ang. I value you," Kaito said softly as he opened the box again. He lifted the ne with care and stepped closer, brushing her hair aside as he ced it around her neck. "Let’s just try it on. If it doesn’t suit you, I’ll take it back."

    His fingers worked gently as he hooked it behind her neck. Ang walked to the mirror and when her eyesnded on her reflection, she froze. The ne sparkled against her skin and for the first time she saw herself looking delicate, almost too feminine. It was beautiful, there was no doubt. Her lips parted, ready to tell him how much she liked it, but a knock came at the door and broke the moment.

    "Who is it?" Kaito called out.

    "It’s Renn."

    "I would have guessed," Kaito muttered, standing up as though he was about to open the door. But instead he turned back to Ang, mischief flickering in his eyes. "Let’s y a game."

    "What game?" Ang asked, confusion written all over her face. She knew how heated things could get between them and Renn, and thest thing she wanted was another fight. "Don’t do anything that will make you guys fight."

    "Just stay here," Kaito said with a grin as he loosened his tie. He unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt, ran his hand through his hair until it looked messy, and then walked toward the door. He pulled it open with ease.

    If he could have taken a picture of Renn’s face in that moment, he would have turned it into a joketer. Renn’s skin went pale, his eyes wide as if he had just seen a ghost. In his hands was arge bouquet of roses, so full and red it was almost overwhelming. Kaito was about to speak when his gaze shifted down the hall, spotting Taros walking toward them carrying a Vuitton bag.

    Kaito sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Where’s thest one?"

    As if on cue, Hiro appeared, holding a box with a bright smile. But the moment his eyes fell on the others standing there, his smile disappeared. The tension in the air was instant, heavy enough to cut through. None of them wanted the others there.

    To Kaito, it was almost entertaining. He leaned on the doorframe with a smirk. "Well done, all of you. But I’m not letting any of you in."