CHAPTER 63: IT WAS ALL A DREAM, RIGHT?

The ray of sunlight touched her face as she slowly opened her eyes. Angela blinked and turned her head toward the light. This was the first time she had woken up this late since she came to the Academy. She had been late before, but never like this. This was too late.

With sleep still in her eyes, she stretched out her hand and picked up her phone from the drawer beside the bed. She checked the time.

It was already past ten in the morning.

"Shit," she muttered and sat up quickly. Her mind went into panic. Why had she overslept? Morning exercise was over. Breakfast too. She had missed everything.

Her heart beat faster as she rushed to check her schedule. No message from Alex. No call from Stales. Not even a reminder from Kaito. That alone made her stop and think. Kaito would never let her sleep in like this if there was a class. He always woke her up.

Then she saw the date.

It was Saturday.

Angela let out a heavy breath and leaned back. A wave of relief moved through her chest. No classes today. She checked again to be sure. Only cleaning and a football match in the evening. The rest of the day was free.

She could breathe again. Study, train a little, maybe rest before the match.

Then her thoughts drifted.

What happened last night between her and Renn... it must have been a dream. A stupid, intense dream. She let out a small sigh and smiled a little. Thank God it was just a dream.

Still, her chest tightened.

Why did it hurt, if it was only a dream? Why did it feel so real?

Maybe her wolf was starting to want a mate. Maybe that was why her mind created that dream. Renn had been gentle in it. His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Everything felt warm and full. And it had excited something inside her.

But it was just a dream. Nothing more. Her life would move on.

She was about to get out of bed when she saw him—Kaito.

He was lying on the couch, flat on his back. One of his legs was bent while the other stretched out. One of his hands covered part of his face, probably blocking the sunlight that came in through the window.

Angela froze.

A chill went down her spine.

She did not want to think about it, but she couldn’t stop herself. In her dream, Kaito had come back from the East House, talked to her for a bit, and then laid on that same couch while she was on the bed. Just like this.

And now, here he was. Same couch. Same position.

Her heart skipped.

Was it really just a dream? Or...

No way.

Angela, still in shock, scrolled through her messages. She didn’t need to search long before she found Renn’s. Her heart raced as she tapped on it. His last message was still there—the one where he wished her goodnight.

Her hand tightened around the phone. She wanted to throw it against the wall.

She had really hoped it was just a dream. That she hadn’t given her first kiss to Renn. But now, it was clear she had. What must he be thinking? That she was all over him?

Then the truth hit her.

She was his girlfriend now.

Angela covered her face with both hands and tried to cry, but the tears refused to come. She couldn’t even feel the pain properly. Was this real? Was she really his girlfriend?

What had she been thinking when she said yes? Now Renn had more reason to claim her. Maybe he believed she was already his. That he had a right to things—like the kiss from last night.

But he hadn’t forced her. She kissed him willingly.

Now what?

Was he going to expect more from her?

She tried to remind herself of the reason behind everything. She became his girlfriend to protect her secret. To stop Kaito from finding out. If Kaito had walked into that room and seen her with Renn, everything would have ended. She would have been exposed.

She had no choice. Renn saved her. She owed him.

She told herself she would explain everything to Kaito one day—when she was ready, when the Academy was behind her, and she had moved on with her life.

Angela laughed softly at her own thoughts. She said that like it would be easy, yet she was still struggling to climb the rankings. She wasn’t even close to done here.

"Are you alright?"

Kaito’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She slowly lifted her head and saw him sitting up on the couch.

"Yes, I’m fine. Good morning," she said, forcing a smile. It felt strange. This was the first time she had woken up before him since they started sharing a room. Maybe it was because today was a free day. If it wasn’t, Kaito would have been long gone.

He didn’t say anything else. He just gave her a short nod and got up from the couch.

Angela watched him, unable to stop herself. He was so calm, so effortlessly good-looking. She still didn’t understand how she was managing to survive in the same room with someone like him. It wasn’t easy.

But she had survived so far. Or maybe she was just at the beginning and didn’t even know it yet.

Kaito was unusually quiet this morning. That wasn’t like him. Angela wondered if he sensed something strange from last night. Maybe he suspected her. Maybe not.

He walked into the bathroom to take his bath.

Then her phone rang.

She picked it up and answered the call. It was Stales. They had agreed to study together that morning, but he needed to wash and clean up first. He promised to let her know when he was ready.

Just after the call ended, a message came in from Alex. He said he would join her in class once he was done with his chores.

Angela didn’t bother asking about the chores. Alex was Kaito’s Beta. That meant he had responsibilities to handle in the pack, and she understood that. Without wasting more time, she jumped out of bed and searched for what to wear. When Kaito came out of the bathroom, she went in and took a shower.

After getting dressed, she stepped out of the room. Kaito was sitting on the couch, looking lost in thought. His gaze was distant, and he didn’t even notice her. Angela paused for a moment. She wondered what was running through his mind. If only she had Hiro’s power, maybe she could know what he was thinking. That would have helped her a lot.

She packed her books into her bag and ran a brush through her hair before stepping out of the room. As she walked to class, she tried not to think about Kaito. He was acting strange. It was like he had switched personalities with Renn. Could it be that he didn’t believe the lie from last night?

Angela pushed the thought aside. She didn’t want to spoil her day. She reached her classroom and quietly went to her desk. All she wanted was for the day to go smoothly. No surprises. No mess.

Mr. Anonymous had already messed with their peace yesterday. His creepy message had scared everyone. Angela wasn’t going to let him win. She was going to find out who he was, and when she did, he would regret ever crossing her. But deep down, she knew that if she didn’t find him first, she was in trouble—because he knew too much about her.

Just as she sat down, her eyes caught something on her desk.

A red rose.

And a card.

Angela’s breath caught in her throat. The flower looked familiar. Then it hit her—she had seen it last night.

Renn’s room.

He had placed the same kind of rose on the dinner table. The memory rushed back, and she closed her eyes for a second. She hadn’t wanted to think about anything that would distract her from studying today, but the memory of that moment was too strong. The setup, the effort, the lights, the quiet music—it was all so romantic. She hated to admit it, but she had loved it.

She picked up the rose and brought it to her nose. It smelled just like him. Just like Renn had smelled last night when they kissed. She shook her head quickly and tried to stop the thought, then opened the card.

I dreamt of you last night... You were in my dream, intoxicating me again and again. I really appreciate you for being the boss of doing the right thing, babe.

Angela let out a long sigh. She didn’t know what to do. Part of her wanted to smile. The other part wanted to tear the card and forget about all of Renn’s games. She didn’t want to fall for him. This relationship wasn’t supposed to be serious. She was just doing what she had to do to protect her secret.

She stared at the card and the rose in her hand. She was about to rip the card in half when she heard his voice behind her.

"Do you know that what you’re about to do will break my heart, babe?"

Angela froze.

Her hand stopped midair.

She didn’t turn. She couldn’t. She hadn’t even known he was in the class. When had he come in? How had she not seen him?

Then she heard his steps. Slow, steady. Coming toward her.

Her heart beat faster.

What was he going to do now?

Oh Renn.