CHAPTER 147: A MEETING ABOUT MATE.

Principal Valois could still hear the words spoken to her last night. Sleep had refused to come as she kept searching for a way out. It had been years since she chose to walk with the Patriarch, believing it would bring her peace, but peace never came. Instead, things had only grown worse.

The very person she had once tried to protect was now being turned into bait to satisfy the Patriarch’s command. The more she thought about it, the more fear gripped her. She knew she had never been a good mother to Renn. He had grown up believing his mother was dead, only to later discover the painful truth. By then, resentment had already filled his heart. He hated her, and she understood why. Renn would never accept her as his mother, and she no longer blamed him.

Sitting alone in her office, she struggled to think clearly. Where could the she-wolf be? At first she had suspected Angela, but the girl was human. Every trace of her past showed no sign of any werewolf blood. The only truth about Angela was that she had been running from her uncle, who had planned to sell her like an object. Principal Valois had wanted to step in, but her own burdens were already too heavy, and another fight would have broken her.

For Renn’s safety, she had to tread carefully and keep her emotions hidden. A knock on the door startled her. She quickly brushed at the tears threatening to fall, not wanting anyone to see her weakness. But before she could answer, the door opened and Taros walked in with his brother. They made themselves comfortable without waiting for permission, even calling her secretary to bring drinks.

"I am surprised you knocked," Valois said with a forced smile. They never knocked before, and she had thought it was someone else. "But you should have waited for me to answer. What if I had other guests?"

"You sent for us. We knew you had no visitor, that’s why we came in," Hiro replied with a smile as he reached for the sweets on her desk and began sharing them with his brothers.

"That does not justify your act. It is courtesy to wait for a response before barging into someone’s office or home," she said, trying hard not to lose her temper. If only they knew the storm inside her, they would not dare to provoke her so easily.

"I wish people also respected the courtesy of leaving and coming back into someone’s life without permission," Renn suddenly spoke, his voice sharp enough to draw every eye to him. His words carried weight, and they were left wondering what he truly meant.

"You are right in your own way," Taros said quietly, lifting his eyes as if trying to understand the meaning hidden behind Renn’s sudden outburst.

"Can we all just focus and listen to her?" Kaito spoke for the first time, his voice firm enough to draw their attention. He turned toward the principal. "You sent for us. Is there a problem? We kept to our promise."

"I can see that," Miss Valois replied with a faint smile. She closed the book before her, wanting to give them her full attention. "But that’s not the real reason I asked you here. I wanted to know if you have found your mate. Time is running and you need to move faster."

The boys froze in surprise. They glanced at one another, confusion written on their faces, as if she had just spoken words that did not belong to her.

"You can tell me. It’s safe here," Miss Valois urged softly, hiding her trembling hands under the desk. She knew what she planned to do with their answers was wrong. If they ever found out, their anger would be beyond her control. And Renn? He would never forgive her, not even if there was a faint hope left between them.

"Why should we tell you?" Taros asked with a frown. "It’s our mate, not yours. Why are you so interested?"

"Why won’t I be interested?" she countered quickly, forcing her voice into a formal tone. "This is important to me because I care about you. It concerns—"

Renn laughed before she could finish, cutting through her words. The sound pierced her chest, stirring a rush of annoyance she struggled to hide. The others joined in his laughter, all of them amused, while she stood there burning with unease.

"What’s so funny? Do you think I’m joking?" Miss Valois rose from her seat, her eyes moving quickly from one boy to the other. Fear pressed against her heart. Did they already know her secret? Did they realize she wanted their truth for her own selfish reason?

"Yes, ma," Renn answered at last. The laughter was gone from his voice. His serious tone made her flinch, because as her son his words always cut the deepest. "Since when have you cared about anyone? We all know you only care about your business. So stop pretending and tell us the real reason."

Miss Valois swallowed hard. She had no words that could cover the truth or stop them from seeing through her.

"Well, she has not contacted us," Kaito said, his voice calm but steady. "If we had, we would have already claimed her."

"I see." Principal Valois leaned back slowly in her seat, surprised that Kaito had given her a straight answer. Unlike the others, he did not play with words. "Won’t you try to reach her? There is no time left."

"We will search for her," Hiro replied. The others nodded in agreement, their decision clear. "When we find her, we will inform you. Is that all, Principal Valois?"

"Yes, boys," she said with a smile that barely reached her eyes.

"Then we will be on our way," Kaito added, rising from his seat. His brothers stood with him, ready to leave.

But before Renn could follow, Miss Valois called out to him. Her voice was softer than before, carrying both hesitation and need.

"I want to speak with you alone," she said.