CHAPTER 144: AN INVITATION.

Angela took a deep breath as she tried to calm the pounding of her heart. Her hands trembled slightly, heavy from stress, but she forced herself to stay strong.

"I have a birthmark," she began, pressing her palm against her chest. "It’s a crescent mark on the left side of my chest. It glowed red during the full moon."

Kaito leaned forward, speaking for the boys who were all waiting. "We saw it yesterday. Go on."

Angela hesitated, then released the truth she had been holding in. "I saw the same mark on Marcus. His is on his hand. He told me he was searching for me, and that his sources had a description that matched me."

The room went still. She saw their jaws drop, the shock plain on their faces.

"So he didn’t find anything yet?" Taros asked, tension clear in his voice. His worry for her was hard to hide.

"No, he found nothing," Angela said with a small, fleeting smile in his direction. "I didn’t let him, and Principal Valois also refused to give him what he wanted. He left without answers. But before he did, he mentioned your father, Kaito. What he said wasn’t good. You need to warn him. Marcus will come for him."

Kaito nodded slowly. He didn’t know why Marcus would have business with his father, but he was sure his father would understand once he mentioned the name. "From what you’re saying, Marcus isn’t sure about you. He only has a description. He doesn’t know you’re Angela because you’re still disguised as a boy?"

Angela nodded, her eyes searching his, wondering what he was trying to piece together.

"But Evan knew," Kaito continued. "That’s why he sent you threats and tried to force you to leave. Which means Marcus and Evan are not working together. If they were, Marcus would have known the truth about you by now."

"Kaito is right," Renn agreed. "Evan has known for a long time. If he was working for Marcus, you wouldn’t still be standing here."

"This is getting more strange and more dangerous," Hiro muttered, unable to hide the unease in his voice. "I wish we were in my room. I would have drawn it all out on my board so we could plan properly."

"Too late for that," Taros smirked faintly. "So now we have three threats. Marcus, Hiro’s shooter, and this unknown person Evan is answering to."

"It could be the principal," Hiro added quickly. "I don’t trust her at all."

Renn let out a heavy sigh. He had defended her enough already. If suspicion was now on her, it was her own doing.

"Then we have Angela’s uncle. We also have Marcus who might be her bloodline. We are not sure yet if he is a threat or not," Kaito said.

"Yes. My birthmark might just be a tattoo on him. We need to find out which clan of werewolves has it," Angela added, her voice low but steady.

"We will do that. Hailey, will you handle that?" Kaito asked politely. She nodded with her arms folded across her chest, a sign of how tense she was. "Thank you. Kael, Renn, and I will return to Angela’s town to find out more about the shooters. We must be sure it is the Malynsters. We also need to discover what they are hiding."

"What about me?" Angela asked. She hated the thought of being left behind and doing nothing like the last time.

"You, Hiro, Samuel, and Alex will go into town and learn more about the Malynsters. Be careful so no one notices you. While you are there, try to find out if your father is from the same family. Do you have a name?"

"Maverick," Angela answered quickly, her heart racing with hope that the name would mean something.

"Never heard of a Malynster with that name, but still ask about it," Kaito replied.

"What about me?" Taros asked.

"You, Hailey, Stales, and Slade will do proper research about Evan. His hometown, his family, everything. Find out all the details and if possible, uncover the link between him and the superiors."

"Isn’t this Slade the same teacher you all were complaining about?" Hailey asked in confusion.

"No. Hiro has two betas. Slade and Kael," Taros explained. "Slade runs most of the pack affairs while Hiro and Kael go around having fun."

"Don’t make it sound like that," Hiro said, caught off guard by the bluntness.

"Tomorrow is the day. We can’t do anything tonight because the school authorities are watching us. But by tomorrow, they will relax, and then we move into action," Kaito said firmly, ending the meeting. "Does anyone want to add anything?"

"No, I think it is clear," Renn said with a nod, impressed by the plan. The others shook their heads, satisfied with their duties.

"Good. We have to be careful tomorrow and act as a team," Kaito advised. "If you go out with your partner, make sure you return together. No one should be left behind, understood?"

They all agreed, and the matter was closed. Angela thanked each of them before leaving. Kaito did not follow her back to the dorms this time. Instead, she walked with Alex.

After dinner, she returned to her room and took a warm bath, letting the water wash away the weight of the day.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she froze. The door was half open. She was sure she had closed it before. Her heart skipped as fear rushed through her chest. Did someone come in while she was bathing?

She hurried to the door and checked the corridor. It was empty, quiet, and dry. No one was passing. Angela shut the door again and turned toward her bed. Her birthday gifts were still there, neatly unwrapped, except now something new caught her eye. A red box. She knew for certain it wasn’t there yesterday, and it wasn’t there before she entered the bathroom. Which could only mean one thing. Someone had been inside.

Her hands trembled, but she forced herself to stay calm. Memories of what happened with Evan flashed through her mind, and the thought of someone playing games with her made her blood boil. She gathered courage, walked to the bed, and opened the box. Inside lay a letter and a small white teddy bear.

Angela’s chest tightened. This wasn’t from the Alphas. They had already given her gifts the day before. She reached for the note and read it. The words were simple but unsettling...if she wanted to know who left the gift, she should come to the bunk houses, alone.

Her heart pounded as she sat back, torn between fear and determination. Whoever wrote this wanted her isolated. Maybe it was dangerous, maybe it was a trap, but she knew she couldn’t always rely on others.

If she wanted answers, she had to face it herself. Still, she was not foolish. Angela placed the note on the couch and sent a message to Kaito. If she wasn’t back by the time he returned, he should come find her at the bunk houses.

With her decision made, she put on her jacket. From the table she picked up a knife, slipping it carefully into her jacket. Her eyes glowed faintly as she stood by the door, her wolf stirring within her. If anyone tried something reckless, they would taste her fury.

It took her less than five minutes to reach behind the dormitory. The place was silent and swallowed in darkness. Not a single light flickered, not a single soul could be seen.

"You called me out here. Can you step out and stop this silly game?" she said, her voice firm though her heart was racing.

Suddenly, she caught a flash of movement near the other bunk house. It was fast—too fast for human eyes—but her werewolf senses picked it up. She strained to listen, but the thing moved almost soundlessly. Her chest tightened with dread. A part of her whispered that coming here alone might have been a terrible mistake. She needed to leave before it was too late.