h4Chapter 179: The Fall/h4

    A meeting was called by the riverside, and Ang went there with Stales to join the others. When they arrived, only Alex and Samuel were waiting. She looked around, confused, wondering where the other alphas were. Walking to where Alex sat, she settled beside him and asked, "Where are the rest? I got a message that we should all meet here. I even left the celebration toe."

    "Congrattions, Ang," Samuel said with a warm smile.

    "Thank you," she replied softly, but her eyes held a question. "You weren’t there... I mean, at the stadium."

    "I had an errand to run for the pack," he exined.

    "Oh, Beta duties," she giggled lightly.

    Alex’s gaze stayed on her, his voice steady as he said, "You will soon have to choose your beta." His words reminded her again that she wasn’t just anyone...she was an alpha. "But before that, you must discover your powers. So, what can you do, Ang Malynster?"

    Her heart sank. She had forgotten again that she was a Malynster. The name was heavy, another reminder that she had to uncover what her true powers were before the next full moon. Stales had called it the harvest moon, the night she must be mated to all four of her mates.

    "I can erase memory," Ang said suddenly, rising to her feet. The thought had been troubling her for days, and now it spilled out. "But what powers do you think the Malynster bloodline carries?"

    "I don’t know, not until we check," Alex replied, pulling out his phone. His fingers moved quickly across the screen as he searched. "But aren’t you supposed to have discovered them already?"

    "Things with her are different," Samuel said, his voice touched with concern. "I don’t know what the moon goddess intends. The alphas awakened their powers when they were still children. Maybe she wants Ang to find hers on her own."

    "Or maybe she doesn’t want you to have them yet," Alex added as he rose to his feet. He slid his hands into his trouser pockets, his eyes sharp on her. "She may fear they could be used the wrong way. You already have too many enemies, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more. Do you think you might have the power to fly?"

    Ang shook her head, spreading her arms wide as if to test herself. "No... I don’t think so." She tried to summon energy, jumping lightly, hoping for something to awaken, but nothing happened. Perhaps she needed to push harder.

    "You should stop before you hurt yourself," Alex warned, but she ignored him.

    "I’m responsible for you, don’t forget," he added, his voice firmer now. "I don’t want Kaito furious with me."

    Ang leapt again, but this time her bnce gave way. She stumbled backward, a cry escaping her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the fall.

    But she didn’t hit the ground. A strong hand caught her, steady and gentle. The touch was familiar, so achingly familiar that her breath caught. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the fiery gaze of the red-haired guy. He was smiling at her, his grip firm yet careful as he helped her back onto her feet.

    "What were you thinking, babe?" Renn asked, his hands still firm around her waist as he pulled her close to his chest. His voice carried both fear and anger. "Do you not care about yourself anymore?"

    Ang swallowed hard, knowing she had been reckless. Who knew what could have happened to her if he hadn’t caught her. "I am a werewolf now, Renn," she whispered.

    "Really?" he shot back, his eyes narrowing as if he couldn’t believe how bold and careless she sounded. "A werewolf, yes, but we don’t even know if your body can heal after something as deadly as a broken neck. Don’t y rough with your life, babe. My heart nearly stopped when you jumped that high and lost your bnce. Thank the moon I was close enough to catch you."

    Her chest ached at his words, but the sting of helplessness was worse. "You all make me feel useless again," Ang said, pressing her palms against his chest as she tried to push him away. He wouldn’t budge. "Do you see? You’re making me feel like a weak, pathetic girl who depends on her mates and friends for everything."

    Renn’s brows furrowed. He nced at the others before looking back at her. "I never said that," he answered firmly. "No one here thinks you are useless. You are twisting my words, Ang."

    "Let me go," she whispered, and this time he released her, though she could tell he chose to. Ang walked to the bridge and leaned against the rails, her eyes on the river instead of Renn. She couldn’t face the worry in his eyes any longer.

    "What’s going on?" Beta de asked as he arrived, immediately sensing the heavy silence. He looked between them, wondering if they had quarreled before he came.

    "Nothing," Alex answered quickly, breaking the tension. His gaze shifted and he spotted Kaito and Taros approaching, with Kael and Hiro trailing behind. Relief crossed his face. "Finally, everyone is here. Wait—where did Stales go?"

    Ang blinked in surprise. They hade together, yet she hadpletely forgotten about him. Her heart skipped. "I... I don’t know."

    "Wasn’t he leaning against the tree earlier? We didn’t even speak," Alex muttered, frowning as he scanned the area. Suddenly, something light dropped on his head. He brushed it off, thinking it was only a leaf, until another fell. Curious, he reached up and found two chips resting in his hand.

    He tilted his head back and froze. There, perched on the highest branch of the tree, Stales satfortably with a bag of chips and a wolfscan, as if the world beneath him didn’t exist. Alex let out a frustrated sigh. "Look at him. We were all worried, and he’s up there without a care."

    "Say it louder, son!" Stalesughed, tossing more chips down at him with a grin.

    "Don’t throw that at me, Stales," Alex warned, tilting his head back to re at him. Ang burst outughing. She hadn’t expected to see Stales perched so high, but it was a relief to know he was safe.

    "Or what will you do, Alexander?" Stales teased as he tossed another chip. "And why do they call you Alex? I like Xander better. What do you think, Angel?"

    "I like Xander too," Ang giggled, walking to stand beside Alex.

    "I prefer Alex," Renn said tly as he nced up. He was about to stop Stales, but it was toote. The blonde poured the entire pack of chips down on Alex’s head. Alex’s face darkened, his eyes glowing as his ws snapped out, ready to climb up and make Stales pay.

    Kaito stepped in quickly. "What’s going on?" he demanded, clearly confused.

    "Let him go after his friend," Renn said, trying to ease the tension. He knew Alex would never truly hurt Stales, and Ang, stillughing, knew it too. Whatever anger Alex carried would melt once he reached the branch.

    But Hiro’s voice cut through, firm and steady. "No. We don’t have time for this now." He held Kael’s hand, and Ang noticed. It struck her as odd, and her heart squeezed with guilt. Something had happened to Kael, and deep down she feared it was because of her.

    "Stales,e down," Taros said suddenly as he lowered himself to the ground, burying his face in his hands. The weight in his voice made everyone quiet. Something was wrong.

    "Alex, you can y with your friendter," Kaito said sharply. "Right now, we need your attention." He turned to de and Samuel. "All of you,e here. We don’t have much time."

    One by one, they gathered, forming a circle of worried faces. Renn was the first to speak. "Something happened," he began, his voice heavy. "Kael has been injected with a strange drug. At first, we thought it was lupine, but the test showed something else. Something unfamiliar."

    Ang’s breath caught. Her heart raced with fear as her eyes darted to Kael. "What kind of drug is it?" she asked, her voice trembling. She dreaded the answer, praying it wasn’t something that would slowly destroy him.

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