CHAPTER 42: HIRO’S PROBLEM- ANGEL!

Angela swallowed hard, her throat dry as she searched for the right words. Everyone saw it. What happened back there wasn’t normal. The strength she used to pull Alex up wasn’t something a human could have managed—especially not someone like her.

"How did you do that?" the teacher asked as he stepped forward, his eyes wide with surprise.

Angela’s hands curled into fists at her sides. She had no idea what to say. Was it her wolf that helped? Or had the goddess actually answered her desperate prayer? She didn’t know. She hadn’t felt anything. No voice. No presence. She had been calling for her wolf, but Mighty-Storm was silent. She hadn’t heard from her all day.

Was her wolf angry because she hadn’t accepted her mates?

"What’s your name?" the teacher asked again, this time in a softer tone.

"A-Angel," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You’re a human. So how did you manage to do that?" he asked again, waiting for a real answer.

Before Angela could speak, Alex stepped forward and answered for her.

"I did it," he said clearly, standing in front of her. His eyes briefly flicked toward the auburn-haired boy, full of quiet warning, then returned to the teacher. "He didn’t do anything. I used my strength to pull myself up. Is that against the rules now?"

"N-no, I just... I got confused," the teacher stammered, clearly unsure of what to say next. He quickly turned toward the board. "Now, your rankings will be updated."

Angela felt a wave of relief when Alex stepped in for her. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t over. He would come to her later. He would ask questions. He had just lied to everyone to protect her. He wasn’t going to let it slide.

Before she could turn to the board, Alpha Kaito was already beside her. His hands grabbed her arms, firm but careful. A cold shiver ran through her. Everyone was watching, but he didn’t seem to care.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softer than usual. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

Her body was still covered in mud and sand. She didn’t expect him to give her his clean jacket. But he didn’t seem to care how dirty she looked. He gently brushed the sand from her hair, not minding the eyes on them. His actions left the whole class speechless.

Angela thought she liked the attention, but the moment she looked around, embarrassment crept in.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked again. His eyes were full of worry.

"No, Alpha. I’m fine," she replied, trying to steady her voice. Kaito had always looked out for her, but this... this felt different. Too much. It could only mean one thing. Maybe he already sensed it. That she was his mate. Maybe he just couldn’t bear to see her hurt.

But then again... he didn’t know yet, did he?

Or was this what Mighty-storm meant by bonding?

"Check your ranking," Kaito said, pointing to the board.

Angela’s heart started racing. She turned slowly. It was the obstacle test results. Her eyes scanned the bottom first. Her name wasn’t there.

"I failed," she muttered. "I should’ve known."

"No, you didn’t," Kaito said. "Look at number eleven."

Her eyes moved up. And there it was. Her name.

"What?" she whispered.

Stales was number ten. Alex was at five.

"This has to be a mistake," she said. "We were some of the last to finish."

"Teamwork matters," their teacher said as he stepped forward. He glanced at her, Stales, and Alex. "And today, you three showed what that really means. That’s what this test was about. And you passed."

Alex and Stales bumped fists in celebration. Angela turned to do the same—then realized Kaito was the one standing next to her.

He gave her a small smile. "Well done."

Angela blinked. She had never seen him smile like that before. Not since she arrived at the Academy. He looked proud. He congratulated Stales and Alex too, but Stales looked like he was about to explode with joy. His idol had finally noticed him.

"Most of the boys from West House passed the test," Alex said. He turned to Kaito and added, "At least ninety percent. That means we could get bonus points for the house. It might help cover what we lost last week."

Kaito nodded. His calm reaction caught Angela off guard. She had expected him to be upset, especially since it was her fault they lost those points before.

"How about we celebrate this tonight, boys?" Kaito asked, loud enough for everyone to hear. Students from other houses stood at a distance, watching with mixed looks of jealousy and admiration as the West House boys gathered around their Alpha. "We’re going to have some fun tonight."

The boys cheered with excitement. Angela couldn’t help but smile. She loved the moment. Kaito looked different today. He wasn’t cold. He wasn’t distant. He was actually nice. Then, he turned to Stales and said, "You’re invited."

Stales stood still, shocked. He never thought Kaito would invite him personally. With a shaky voice, he thanked him while the rest continued chatting about the evening plans.

Just then, Angela remembered something that made her heart sink. She had promised to go out with Alpha Taros today. He was supposed to show her the best view in town. She had asked for it herself, and he didn’t say no. Now what? Was she going to cancel? She couldn’t.

She was about to tell Kaito about her plans when she saw someone running toward the door. It was Hiro. He stopped right in front of the obstacle room entrance. She stared at him, confused. Where was he going in such a rush?

Then, it hit her. She remembered their earlier conversation. She had lied to him. She told him something false about his mate. What if he had figured it out?

Hiro was smart. Too smart. If he had put the pieces together, he would not keep it quiet. He would say it here. Right now. And if he did, Kaito would hear it. Then Kaito would also know she had lied to him too.

And that would be it for her. This time, she wouldn’t escape the punishment.

Hiro was looking at her now, with that smile that made her stomach twist. It was not even a sweet smile. It was the kind of smile that warned trouble was near. She knew it too well. She had seen it before, and what always came next was never good.

Quickly, Angela turned away. She forced herself to focus on the West House boys, her heart beating so hard she thought it would rip through her chest.

Hiro’s footsteps grew louder as he walked toward them. When he reached their group, he spoke in a clear voice.

"Hello Alpha Kaito. I have a problem with one of your house members. Your roommate, to be exact."