h4Chapter 125: To The Alphas ’ PIT./h4

    Ang could not look away from the mark on his chest. Her eyes burned as tears gathered, blurring her vision. For so long she had searched for a sign of her family, and now it felt like they had been searching for her as well. If only Grace had told her more, maybe this moment would not feel so overwhelming.

    She swallowed hard, forcing herself to hold the tears back. She could not let either of them see her weakness.

    Principal Valois was the first to move. Rising quickly, she stepped between Ang and Marcus, her face stern. "You cannot show your body to a student," she said firmly. "Please."

    Marcus’s jaw tightened, annoyance sharp in his voice. "Why are you protecting the boy as if he has never seen a man’s body before?" With little effort, he pushed her aside and closed the space between himself and Ang. His finger tapped the mark on his chest. "Do you carry this anywhere on your body?"

    "No," Ang lied smoothly, her heart pounding as she spoke. "I have never seen anything like that on me."

    She could not reveal the truth, not when he believed her to be a boy, and not when she still did not know who he truly was. What if he was not family at all? What if the mark meant nothing and anyone could have it? Someone could even tattoo it on their skin to fool her. The thought chilled her. As much as she longed to find her bloodline, she had to stay careful. One mistake could lead her straight into the hands of an enemy.

    But still... what if he really was her kin?

    "Have you seen it on someone else?" Marcus asked suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts.

    Ang shook her head quickly. She turned toward Principal Valois, who was watching her with narrowed eyes, as though trying to read the truth inside her.

    "Who is this girl you are searching for?" Ang asked, unable to stop the question from slipping out. She needed to hear his answer.

    "Someone important that I must find," Marcus said, his tone low and heavy with meaning.

    "Family?" she pressed.

    Marcus paused as he slid his arms back into his shirt. For a moment his expression faltered, and it seemed her questions unsettled him. It was as if her sudden interest in the girl confused him, made him wonder why this supposed boy cared so much.

    "It’s none of your business," he said sharply while buttoning up his shirt. His tone was cold and dismissive. "If you see anyone with that mark, you let us know."

    "I will," Ang answered softly with a nod. Her voice trembled a little, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Why don’t you check at the Luna school?"

    "You don’t tell me what to do," Marcus snapped. The disappointment in his eyes was clear. He had hoped to find the person he was searching for, only to realize it wasn’t her.

    Principal Valois spoke suddenly. "Don’t you even have a name or contact for this girl you’re looking for?"

    "Unfortunately, no," Marcus replied with a dull expression. "All we have is the mark. The description was given to us recently by one of our sources." He moved past Ang toward the door, his presence making her shrink back slightly. He pulled it open and turned for thest time. "You don’t have to worry. We’ll find her soon. Just call me if anything changes."

    "Of course, sir," Principal Valois said, nodding as she followed behind him.

    When they were gone, Ang leaned back against the wall, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes closed tightly. What had just happened? For a moment she had thought he had discovered her secret, but he hadn’t. Still, why was he looking for her?

    Her mind spun. She needed answers, but she couldn’t trust Grace with this. Grace was not only unreliable, she still owed her money. Seeing her mother would be impossible without paying that debt.

    The only real choice was to tell the Alphas. Maybe they could help her, or at least point her in the right direction. Or she could ask her friends first if they had ever heard of someone with the crescent moon mark on her chest. Maybe they had seen it before.

    Ang pushed herself off the wall and walked out of the conference room. On the stairs she caught sight of Mr. de with a few other teachers. She lowered her gaze and moved quickly, not wanting him to stop her and make things worse.

    Outside the Academy block, the ck van was still parked with its doors open. Marcus stood beside Principal Valois and two teachers, speaking in low voices. His eyes lifted to her. For a moment his stare held her still, making her feel exposed, then he turned away and climbed into the van.

    The doors mmed shut, and the vehicle sped off as if racing against the wind. Another ck car followed close behind until both disappeared from sight.

    Principal Valois turned back toward her. She said nothing more than, "You may go to your ss."

    Ang nodded and slowly walked toward her ss, her mind restless. She wondered if Marcus was a good man or not. From the little she had seen of him, he carried a dark and heavy aura that unsettled her, one that made her chest tighten with unease.

    Yet she could not forget the saying that one should never judge a book by its cover.

    Still, the way Principal Valois had acted in his presence told her more than words ever could. The woman knew him well, but she had been almost trembling in that room, and that alone was enough to make Ang realize that Marcus was someone to be feared, someone she must never cross.

    When she finally reached her ssroom, she discovered the lesson was already over. There had been only one ss today and she had missed it.

    "The full moon is tonight. We don’t have any other sses, remember?" Alex said as he ced his books inside the locker.

    "Oh, I forgot," Ang muttered, pressing her hand to her forehead. A faint, sad smile touched her lips. "I even forgot that today is my birthday... and my first shift."

    Alex’s expression softened. "I’m sorry. But tell me, what happened between you and the principal? Why did she call you?"

    Ang sighed and told him everything from the beginning to the end, how she was summoned, what Marcus had said, and how the ck van men had left. Alex’s face paled in shock. He was terrified to learn they hade because of her.

    He bit his lip and said nothing for a while. He did not want to spoil her day even more, but inside his heart was trembling. The people she spoke of were not ordinary. They were dangerous. They were the same ones who had taken his father’s life, the same ones who would kill anyone that stood in their way.

    "I think you should talk to the Alphas," Alex said quietly. "They would know more about this than we do."

    They left the ssroom together and made their way to the dormitory. Ang hoped to find Kaito there, but the room was empty. She tried calling Renn, but he did not pick. She tried Taros and Hiro as well, but all their phones were switched off. A cold thought slipped into her mind. Were they avoiding her now?

    Ang pushed the worry aside, took a bath, and changed her clothes. A littleter, Alex returned with Stales. Both of them carried packs in their hands, and she frowned at the sight.

    "Where are you taking those?" she asked as they stepped out of the west house.

    "To the Alphas," Alex answered, his hands gripping the pack tightly.

    Her confusion deepened. "Where are they?"

    It was happening again, just like thest full moon when the Alphas had vanished without a word and Stalester imed it was because of the curse.

    "At the Alphas’ pit," Stales said calmly. "There’s still enough time for you to see them."

    "Yes Angel," Alex added, ncing at her. "They’ll be able to tell you what you need to know about the man from the ck van."