CHAPTER 116: JEALOUS MATES?

Angela pulled away from the hug, her chest a little lighter. It was a relief that at least one of her mates truly understood her. Even though Taros was disappointed, he stayed by her side, and that meant more to her than words could say. She could not bring herself to blame the others. They had every right to react the way they did.

"They will come around. I don’t know how soon, but they will," Taros said softly as he held her hand while they walked out of the woods. Stales followed behind them in silence, not wanting to ruin the moment because he found it too tender to disturb. "Kaito, for example, hates lies. He would rather stay quiet than lie. I think he must have been hurt before."

Angela’s eyes filled with tears and her wolf let out a pained cry inside her. "Then I made him relive that pain again. I am sure he hates me already."

"You think so?" Taros chuckled as he glanced at her. "Why would you think like that? None of us can ever hate you. Even my brothers don’t. Their anger only shows how much you matter to them. Honestly, I am glad they reacted the way they did. I have carried this fear for years, wondering what would happen when the truth finally came out. The thought of fighting them terrified me, especially Kaito."

"So you think this is better?" she asked in a broken voice.

"Yes. Things have been pushed forward," Taros nodded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "The fight for you is inevitable, just as we were told. Each of us wants to be the first to claim you, because the first Alpha to do that is granted extra power."

Angela blinked at him, confusion clear on her face. "What kind of power?"

"We don’t know yet. It is part of the prophecy."

"I never saw that written in any of the books I have read," Angela said softly. "How do you even know what the prophecy says?"

"Every pack in the kingdom has a priestess who was given a copy of the prophecy scroll," Taros explained as they walked closer to the West House. "One copy was sent to each royal family, and my family had one."

"I see," Angela murmured. "Does it mention anything about my family or my pack?"

"No. Almost nothing was written about you, and that is what made it so difficult to find you. I guess the moon goddess knew exactly what she was doing."

They reached the gates of the West House and Angela’s heart began to pound. The thought of facing Kaito again made her stomach twist. She lowered her eyes and whispered, "I will sleep in Alex’s room tonight. I am sure Kaito will send me out of his."

Taros laughed at her words. "I don’t think he will."

"He has done it before."

"Yes, but not this time," Taros said firmly. His eyes softened as he looked at her. "I know my friend, Angel. And now that I know you are my mate, I hate the thought of you sleeping in the same room with him. It feels unfair to the rest of us."

"But it has always been my room. It’s not like Kaito even gives me his time," Angela said as she crossed her arms over her chest. A small doubt slipped into her mind, wondering if Taros was right after all. "So you want me to change rooms?"

"I think that choice should be yours, Angela," Stales finally spoke. He had been quiet, letting Taros do most of the talking, but now his calm voice carried weight. Angela had always tried to be fair to everyone since she discovered they were her mates, and he knew it was time for her to start deciding what she truly wanted.

Angela’s eyes softened as she looked at Taros. "But Taros is right," she whispered. She did not want to hurt him, and deep down she knew it was not only about the bond anymore. Her heart had already grown attached in ways she had not expected. "I will think about it."

"Take your time," Taros said with a gentle nod. His eyes lingered on hers, heavy with meaning. "But before you go, promise me one thing. No more lies."

"I have already learnt my lesson," she answered, her voice trembling but firm.

"Good," Taros breathed, and his hand twitched as though he wanted to pull her into a hug, but he stopped himself when he noticed the curious eyes of students around them. If he wanted to protect her, then he had to act like nothing had changed. Before he could speak, Angela leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek.

A shiver ran through him at the feel of her lips on his skin. For a moment he forgot the crowd around them. His chest warmed and a smile broke across his face, even though shock flickered in his eyes.

"Bye," he managed to say before turning away. His steps were steady, but his heart was racing faster than he could control.

Stales chuckled beside her and shook his head. "He really is the coolest Alpha. I always told you that," he said, glad she had been able to release the weight from her chest, even if everything still felt like a storm. Somehow he believed it would all settle in the end. "Now, should we go and face the god of thunder and lightning?"

Angela laughed at his words, the sound breaking the heaviness in her chest. "You sound like your Alpha sometimes."

"You are missing him. I get it. He is your boyfriend after all."

"Stales..." Angela’s eyes widened, her stomach twisting with an excitement she did not want him to notice.

"What did I do?" Stales asked with a teasing smile as they walked up the stairs toward her room. "I actually like you two together. I never knew my Alpha could act the way he does until you came into the picture. Have you thought about it? Will the relationship continue?"

Angela only shrugged, unsure what to say, but Stales answered for her. "I get it, it depends if he agrees. The other problem is that you may end up having co-boyfriends."

"Stales..." Angela was stunned by his choice of words, but before she could react, he dashed to her door and knocked. Her heart jumped when the knob turned, and Samuel appeared.

He let them in, and the moment Angela’s eyes fell on Kaito, her heart pounded so hard she could barely breathe. She tried to avoid his gaze, but his silence screamed louder than words.

She already knew what he would tell her if he decided to speak—pack your things and get out of my room. Just the thought of it made her stomach turn. She leaned against the wall behind Stales, trying to hide her face from Kaito, but Samuel announced their exit. Angela wanted to vanish right there. Why now?

"Thank you for your concern and words," Kaito said sincerely as he rose from the couch.

"Anytime, man," Samuel replied, then turned to Stales and together they left, leaving Angela and Kaito alone.

Angela stayed rooted to the spot, her throat dry as his eyes fixed on her. He sat back down, silent and steady, and she wondered if it was the right time to beg for forgiveness. He would never believe her when she said she had no more secrets, but she could not hold it in anymore. Gathering courage, she walked slowly toward him. "Can we talk?" she asked softly.

"Sure. Go ahead," Kaito said, his voice calm as he leaned back on the couch. One hand held the wolfscan, the other rested lazily on the armrest. He looked dangerously attractive, the kind of man who made her wolf restless, but she pushed the thought away and focused on what mattered.

"I have wronged you. I am sorry for the lies, and I swear there will be no more secrets between us... that is if we are still going to..." Angela’s words trailed off as she avoided his gaze. His silence tore her apart. "Please say something, Kaito. Yell at me, punish me, do whatever you want with me, but don’t stay quiet."

The second the words left her mouth, she regretted them. But it was too late. He had already grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. His eyes burned into hers with a force that made her shiver.

Then his lips crushed against hers. Angela froze for a heartbeat, then melted into the kiss she secretly longed for. Her hands slid into his hair, stroking it as she kissed him back.

It was slow and deliberate, filled with everything they had not said. In that moment, it was not just her apology. It was also his way of admitting his own fault for pushing her away when she needed him most.