CHAPTER 134: SOMEONE IS WATCHING US.

**

"What do you mean you lost track of her?" Kaito’s brows drew together in frustration. He had been following Angela’s scent through the woods when Alex called him. Thinking his beta was in danger, he rushed to him, only to find it was about his incompetence instead.

"I tried to stop her from leaving, but she vanished when I turned back and..." Alex’s voice trailed off.

Kaito pressed his palms over his face, the smell of burnt fur clinging to his skin. He forced himself to push it aside and focus on the fading trace of his mate. Her scent was no longer where he expected it. He thought she had gone west, but it was clear now that she had drifted far into the south.

"Forgive him, Alpha. This is my fault," Stales said with his head bowed, unable to meet Kaito’s eyes. Shame weighed heavy on his shoulders.

"I didn’t tell you to stop her from moving around. I told you to let her run free but keep an eye on her," Kaito said, his voice tight as he fought to hold back his anger. His gaze shifted to Alex. "So how many students did you say saw her?"

"I don’t know if they truly saw her. I only overheard them talking. They said something about her and how they would report to the school authority," Alex explained, finally lifting his eyes. He had failed his Alpha too many times lately, and he knew this was nothing compared to the punishment he deserved.

"Did you see these students?" Kaito pressed.

Alex nodded. "Yes, Alpha. I think they are from the West House, form three."

"They are my mates," Stales said quietly, his voice heavy with regret.

Kaito knew that scolding them would do nothing now. What mattered was stopping this from reaching the wrong ears. If the authorities learned about Angela, everything would be ruined.

Closing his eyes, he tried to reach out, searching for a connection with Hiro. He pushed harder, but after several seconds of silence, he gave up. His mind was too guarded, too complex for anyone to break into. Not even Hiro could reach him.

"It’s not working," Kaito said, shaking his head in frustration. He paced the ground restlessly, his mind racing, until an idea came to him. "Stales, can you distract the authorities?"

"Me?" Stales’s eyes widened in shock. Of all people, why him? He could face a lot of things, but standing against the authorities was something he had never imagined. The thought terrified him, yet when he remembered that it was for Angela, his best friend, he knew he had no choice. If he did nothing, she could be expelled from the Academy. "Fine," he said at last, his voice unsteady. "I’ll go to the Academy block and see what is happening."

"Don’t go overboard this time. Please, don’t hurt anyone," Alex muttered under his breath, hoping Kaito would not hear.

But Kaito’s ears were sharp. His eyes narrowed as he turned on both of them. "What do you mean by that? Who did you hurt before?" His gaze darted between them, searching for the truth.

Both boys froze, caught off guard by his question.

"It’s nothing serious," Alex said quickly, trying to sound calm. "We just scared someone away." He glanced at Stales for support. Stales gave a stiff nod, and Alex added, "See? That’s all."

Kaito’s jaw tightened. He didn’t believe a word of it, but there was no time to drag the truth out of them now. "I know you are lying," he said firmly, "but this is not the time for me to deal with you. We will return to this later." He forced himself back to the matter at hand. "You can go now, Stales. If I manage to reach any of the other Alphas, I will send them to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Alpha," Stales answered. Without another word, he turned and dashed into the shadows, his primal energy carrying him quickly toward the dormitory path.

Just when Kaito was about to give directions to Alex, Hiro and Renn came running toward them. Relief swept through him the moment he saw them. The signal had worked after all. He thought he would not be able to reach Hiro, but somehow the link had broken through.

"You called me and said it was urgent," Hiro said with a confused look, his breath heavy from running. "I brought Renn with me immediately. What is going on?"

"Have you seen Angela?" Kaito asked without wasting time.

"No," they answered at the same time.

Kaito let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead. His chest felt tight, his anxiety eating him alive. Where was she? Every second she stayed out there only pushed him closer to madness. He quickly explained what had happened, and then gave orders. Renn would go after Stales to help delay the authorities, while Hiro would try to reach Angela through the mind link.

"While Hiro is doing that, I will go with Alex to search the woods for her," Kaito said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Whoever finds her first must get her out of the woods immediately. Do you all understand me?"

"Got it," Renn said, before sprinting off in the same direction Stales had gone.

Kaito was just about to move with Alex when Hiro suddenly spoke. "Where the fuck is Taros? Is he not supposed to be part of this search?"

**

Angela was still shaking when he pulled back from between her thighs, his lips glistening with her release. She tried to catch her breath, but Taros didn’t give her the chance. He stood, towering over her with his eyes blazing, the hunger in them almost feral.

"Taros..." she panted, still trembling, her body too weak to fight but desperate for more.

He didn’t speak. He grabbed her waist, spun her, and pressed her back against the tree, his mouth crushing hers in a kiss that tasted of her own sweetness. His cock was already hard, straining against her thighs.

But then something caught Angela’s attention. Her eyes refused to move away. She could swear there was someone behind the tree, watching them. She didn’t want Taros to think she didn’t want this, but how could she ignore that strange feeling?

"Taros... wait," she whispered, her hands slipping from his body to press against the rough bark of the tree. He didn’t stop right away. His breath was heavy, and she could see him struggle to pull back.

"Did something happen? Did I... do something wrong? You don’t want this anymore?" he asked, his blue eyes filled with worry.

"Why wouldn’t I want it?" Angela said softly, feeling guilty. But the weight of that feeling wouldn’t leave her chest. She looked around nervously. "Don’t you think someone is behind us?"

"Not really..." Taros muttered before leaning in to kiss her neck again. She closed her eyes for a moment, wanting to surrender to him, but the thought came crashing back, breaking her focus. She pushed at his chest, and this time he pulled back, watching her carefully. "I can’t smell anything except you."

Angela gave a nervous laugh, glancing over her shoulder. She pointed to the direction where she thought she had seen movement. "Can we just check? Please?"

Taros sighed but nodded. "Fine. If that’s what will make you calm." He moved behind the tree while she stayed back. Angela swallowed hard, as she stood naked in the middle of the woods where anything could happen. It was reckless, and she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself.

Then she heard his voice, sharp and unsettled. "What the fuck is this?"

Angela’s heart skipped. He had seen something. Panic rushed through her as she hugged her arms over her chest and squatted down, ashamed and afraid.

"Come here and look at this. Don’t worry, no one’s going to see you. Just come," Taros called out.

Her legs trembled as she stood and walked toward him. The moment she saw what he was staring at, her jaw dropped. A lifeless body lay before them, pale and cold, like it had been left there for days. Her throat tightened. Words failed her. Fear wrapped around her like chains, leaving her speechless.

"Do you know who it is?" Taros asked, his face dark with worry.

Angela finally found her voice, her lips trembling. "That’s Evan Thatcher."