CHAPTER 96: THE NEW INSTRUCTOR.

Silence left them because Taros always knew how to lift heavy moods. Before long, she found herself forgetting her worries and relaxing. Then, out of nowhere, he asked her a question she never saw coming.

"Have you thought of going into a relationship?"

Angela stared at him in surprise. At first, she had never wanted a relationship. But now, knowing her path had somehow become tied to the four Alphas, her heart and mind were starting to change. It was no longer just about her. It was for the kingdom too. "I have. I will welcome it anytime it comes."

Taros seemed impressed by her answer. He took a deep breath, as though the next words were heavy on his heart. She waited for him to speak, her chest tight with curiosity.

"I love you, Angel."

Her jaw dropped. Of all the things she thought he would say, this wasn’t one of them. For a moment she even looked around to see if he was speaking to someone else. But there was no one. He really meant her.

Could it be that her own crush found her attractive too? Angela almost wanted to scream. Who would have thought the most handsome Alpha in the werewolf kingdoms would want her? Yes, they were mates, but he had no idea yet. Even so, he loved her.

She bit her lower lip and tried not to smile. "Are you sure?"

"I am not joking, Angel," Taros said, his deep blue eyes holding nothing but sincerity. "I tried to fight it, but it only grew stronger. Every night and every day, I think about you. You are in my head and here." He placed his hand over his chest. "Whenever I see you, everything in me feels alive. I don’t want to be just your friend anymore."

Angela chuckled in disbelief and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. He was still sitting there, looking right at her. "You like me? No... you love me?"

"Yes. I know it’s crazy because... who would have thought that Taros would end up feeling this way? I kept wishing you were a girl so that my instincts could be right, but nothing changed, and I can’t keep denying my heart what it wants."

Her heart skipped a beat. His words had taken her so deep into the moment that she forgot about the truth she had to tell him. He still believed she was a boy.

Her face dimmed, and she could see the worry creeping into his own. She rose to her feet, her pulse racing wildly. "I can’t accept your love. I don’t deserve it."

"What are you saying, Angel?" Taros’ heart skipped. He would have known that Angel was not gay. Why didn’t he ask before making such a confession? "You are not gay?"

She shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes.

He nodded, clearly disappointed. "I should have asked. Sorry for what I said..."

"You don’t have to be sorry. I am the one who should be saying sorry," Angela replied. She could see the confusion on his face, the way his brows came together. He stood up slowly. "I am not who you think I am. It’s true that I’ve had a crush on you for a long time, Taros."

"What is going on?" he asked.

Angela closed her eyes and let the words rush out. "I am a girl in disguise. I fooled everyone. I had to run away from home, and the Academy was the only place I could hide from my problems."

Silence filled the room. She felt lighter after saying it, but her fear grew with every second that passed. When she opened her eyes, he was just standing there, speechless. Oh no. He was going to react the same way Kaito did. She was going to lose him too.

Taros turned away for a moment, then looked back at her. "Do you mean you’re female... not male?"

Angela nodded, not knowing what else to say. She thought of apologising, but before she could, he took her hand and pulled her into his chest. Angela froze, shocked. This was not the reaction she had expected. He held her tightly and kept saying, "Thank you. My instincts were right all along."

He wasn’t angry, just like Stales had told her. She wrapped her arms around him, sinking into his warm embrace. He smelled like coconut with a hint of smoke. They stayed like that for what felt like five minutes.

When they finally pulled apart, he wanted to know everything. She told him how her uncle had planned to sell her off, so she ran away. He was surprised she had managed to blend in so well.

The rest of the evening passed quietly. After they shared more about how they had grown attracted to each other, Taros suggested they head back to the Academy since she had an early class the next morning.

On their way back, he could not stop telling her how much he was in love with her, and she could not stop admiring the kind of guy he was. His reaction to the truth about her still amazed her, and it made her heart lighter.

He dropped her off and left without asking for a kiss like the other two Alphas would have done. Angela was surprised. She would have loved to taste his lips, to know what it felt like.

That night, she slept peacefully, and the next morning she woke to a flood of messages from the three Alphas. Each one was sweet and romantic, wishing her a happy day ahead. She thought about it again. Maybe having four mates was not so bad. Four times the love... and four times the trouble.

During breakfast, Stales refused to let her rest. He wanted to hear every detail of what happened. Angela told both him and Alex everything. They were shocked that nothing dramatic had happened for once in her life.

After eating, she went to class with Alex, thinking of how to apologize to Kaito. He was nowhere to be found. She sent him a long message filled with both apology and gratitude for everything he had done for her.

The second class ended, but there was still no reply from him. She tried to focus on their next class, which was swimming. It was the first time she had seen it on their timetable, and curiosity pushed her to hurry there with Alex and Stales.

When they entered the pool room, her eyes were immediately drawn to the most dazzling skin she had ever seen. It almost looked like he had oiled it before stepping into the pool. The guy stood with his back to them, waist-deep in the water. This pool was much bigger than the other one at the far corner.

Before she could whisper to Alex about why the Academy only seemed to hire handsome teachers, the water began to part—just like in the Bible when Moses parted the Red Sea. The instructor was doing it with his powers.

Something about him felt familiar. Even without seeing his face yet, she had the strange feeling she knew him. A thought crossed her mind—was she about to be given another mate? No, that would be a disaster.

Then the instructor turned, and her heart froze. When they were at peace, he had never been her instructor. Now that they had fallen out, he had somehow been promoted to the role.

"My name is Kaito, Alpha of the West Pack," he said, walking out of the pool. His black shirt clung to his chest, revealing his well-defined abs, and his shorts were just the right fit to show the strength of his thighs. "I will be your swimming instructor. We will have a good relationship in this class... as long as you do not step on my toes."