CHAPTER 133: SHE-WOLF IN THE WOODS.

Principal Valois looked at the two students Mr. Slade had brought in. They had just reported that a She-wolf was running wild in the woods. It sounded unbelievable, but they insisted they had proof.

"What proof?" Principal Valois asked as she leaned back in her chair. It was already past nine, almost ten, yet she had not left her office since morning. Piles of documents still covered her desk. Her body felt heavy, her spirit even heavier. Ever since the moon goddess cursed her, she had lost the power to shift like other wolves. Every full moon only reminded her of what had been taken from her, and of the sorrow she carried.

"Her scent... that’s what the students said," Mr. Slade replied, lowering himself into the chair across from her. "The last full moon, they claimed her scent lingered around the west house."

"That’s it?" Principal Valois lifted her brows, almost in disbelief. She had expected some real evidence, maybe a video, maybe a sighting, something solid. But scent? To her it sounded like a weak tale, one that could not hold against reason. "And you believe that story?"

"Why not? They know exactly what they are saying and I—"

She cut him off before he could finish. "If a She-wolf was truly near the west house, Kaito would have reported it to me. He hasn’t, which means the matter is closed. Do not bring this up again."

Mr. Slade’s shoulders sank. Disappointment clouded his face. He should have known it would be difficult to sway her, especially when the matter touched on the Alphas. He wondered if she had some hidden bond with them, or if it was fear. Was she afraid of them, or of the power their families held?

"Is there anything else you want us to discuss?" Principal Valois asked.

When he shook his head, she lowered her gaze back to the files on her desk. She had defended Kaito without a second thought, even though she knew well that those boys had no respect for her, or for the rules of the school. They never obeyed, never cared. So why was she still standing on their side?

"You may leave," Mr. Slade told the two students standing in the corner. "Wait outside for me while I talk to the principal." The boys obeyed and slipped out of the room. Once the door closed, his voice grew sharper. "How long are you going to keep defending them? The students would not have come to me if it was just some silly suspicion. They must have seen something."

Principal Valois let out a heavy sigh. She felt like one day she was going to lose her mind completely because of the people around her. Maybe they would even be glad when she was gone. "What did they see? Nothing. Mr. Slade, those two boys are young and full of fantasies. They are in heat, and I believe they only imagined a She-wolf being around."

"I don’t think that’s the case. You are—"

"No," she cut in, removing her glasses and placing them on the desk. "You are making noise over nothing, and I am beginning to think you are obsessed with the Alphas." Her patience was wearing thin. She was tired of the same endless talks about those boys, tired of being pushed. If Mr. Slade would not stop, then she would. "Maybe I should take this matter to the board, the same board where the Alphas and their families sit. Maybe then they will ask you why you keep having problems with them. If you cannot give them a good answer, you will have no choice but to resign. What do you think about that?"

Mr. Slade froze. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he looked at her. Once again, she had twisted his concern into something else, and all because of the Alphas. If only she could stop seeing them as untouchable boys and face the truth of their behavior, things would not be so difficult.

But who was he to speak against them?

The Alphas were not ordinary students. In the werewolf kingdom, they were treated like gods. And once they leave this academy, those four would rise to their thrones, taking the power of their packs with them.

"If you don’t believe me, then let’s go to the woods where they said they caught her scent," Mr. Slade said. He leaned closer on the edge of his seat, his voice dropping low as if he feared someone might hear. "What if she is the one? The promised wolf. What if she has already made contact with Kaito?"

"I don’t doubt that possibility," Principal Valois replied, her tone sharp. "But if she had, the curse would already be broken, and Kaito would not have ended up in the pit today." She was about to dismiss him when his next words stopped her.

"Then let us go there to confirm it. If there is no She-wolf on the school grounds, I will resign."

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. The certainty in his voice unsettled her, almost as if he truly knew something she didn’t. "If you insist, then fine. I will gladly sign your resignation letter. You have been nothing but a thorn in my side these past few days."

"I am helping you," Mr. Slade pressed, his voice rising with conviction. "The promised wolf is the key to everything, Miss Valois." He stood, waiting for her to do the same.

She rose slowly, glaring at him. "There had better be something useful out there and not just your endless grudge against the Alphas."

His brows drew together, and for a moment his confidence cracked. "Why would you think I hold a grudge against them?"

"You are the leader of the Central House," Principal Valois replied coldly. "It could be that you dislike them because they stand as your rivals."

He didn’t flinch at her accusation. Instead, he gave a soft laugh and shrugged. "You think too poorly of me. I dislike Kaito and Taros only because of the way they treat me with disrespect. That is all. I have no personal hatred for the other houses."

"Whatever you say," Principal Valois muttered as she closed the file on her desk with a sharp thud. Finally pushing back her chair, she stood tall. "Call the security guards. We are going to the woods tonight to search for this She-wolf. And if we find nothing, your resignation letter will be the first thing on my desk in the morning. Let’s pray this is not a waste of my time."