CHAPTER 157: THE SEARCH-MR. SLADE

"So he is a doctor?" Alex asked, his brows drawn together in confusion. He was still kneeling beside the carton, snapping pictures of the drugs they had uncovered. Each new find left him more stunned. Everyone in the academy carried secrets, but this one felt heavier. Why would Mr. Slade hide his profession? Wasn’t being a doctor something to be proud of?

"How did you even know about it?" Hailey asked, her voice uneasy. Her mind was racing, because the thought of her sister finding out the truth broke her heart. The man she trusted most might be nothing but a liar.

"This medical report had an envelope," Taros explained, lifting a white sheet of paper. He pointed at the corner where words were written. "It was addressed to Doc Slade. T."

Alex’s lips twisted as though the words left a bitter taste. "So it’s true. He’s really a doctor, but he still can’t get rid of his own sickness. I swear, I can’t think straight after seeing this."

"You mean the porn video?" Hailey teased, giving him a playful wink. His brows furrowed and he quickly looked away, his face dark.

"That’s not what I meant," Alex muttered, clearly irritated.

"If Slade is a doctor and still hiding it from the authorities, then it can only mean one thing," Taros said firmly.

Alex nodded. "He’s hiding something dirty. And if it ever comes out, everything will fall apart."

"Exactly. I wonder what it is," Taros agreed.

"Do you think he killed someone back in his town and ran away to the academy?" Hailey asked, her tone more serious now. To her, it almost sounded believable, something that could explain his strange behavior.

"Maybe we should keep digging. We might find more about his past," Taros replied. He raised his phone and took more pictures of the results before slipping them carefully back into the envelope. "If nothing useful shows up here, we’ll go to the hospital and look deeper."

"I’ll put this back," Alex said, sliding the carton under the bed again. He stood up and followed Taros into the living room. Together they began checking the books lined up on the shelf, pulling them out one by one. "Maybe he just hates the profession. Maybe he quit medicine for computer science. But if that’s true, why keep it a secret?"

"Maybe he isn’t hiding it at all. Maybe we just never knew," Taros said thoughtfully as he shut the book in his hand and slid it back into place before reaching for another.

"I don’t agree," Hailey cut in, shaking her head. She was sure of what she felt. "If my sister knew Slade was a doctor, she would have told me. She wanted to pair with him, and something like that wouldn’t have stayed hidden from me."

"What?" Alex and Taros exclaimed at the same time, staring at her in disbelief.

"Yes. I haven’t gotten a mate yet, and she is afraid I will end up like her," Hailey admitted softly. She kept to herself the part where Miss Valois had scolded her for spending too much time with the alphas, warning that she would never find her mate if she kept clinging to them.

"You never told me this," Taros said, his voice firm with a mix of disappointment and concern. "If you had, I would have told you a hundred times that he is not a good choice."

"I knew that already, and that is why I refused," Hailey replied as she closed the book in her hands. She passed it to Alex, who carefully placed it back where it belonged. "We need to check the principal’s office and see what his resume looks like. If he listed this profession, it will be there."

"Or maybe you should just call your sister and ask her," Alex suggested.

"No. That’s not a good idea," Taros cut in quickly. They had already searched through every book and found nothing useful. He was about to tell them that the search in Mr. Slade’s house was over when the sound of a beep from his phone made his chest tighten. He glanced at the screen and saw a message from Beta Slade, warning him that someone was on the way.

"Shit. We have to use the back door," Taros whispered urgently. He scanned the room until he spotted it and rushed over. His pulse raced as he tugged it open. The moment Hailey and Alex slipped out, the front doorknob began to turn. Taros froze, his heart hammering in his chest. If Mr. Slade stepped inside and caught him there, everything would come crashing down.

**

Beta Slade stood outside, his eyes sharp as he kept watch. He pressed himself into a shadowed corner, careful not to draw attention. The staff quarters were close, and any teacher could appear at any moment.

He had no idea what was happening inside. Did Taros find anything worth the risk? He doubted it. If they had, the search would have been over long ago. Thirty-two minutes had already passed, and there was still no sign of progress. The wait gnawed at him.

A thought crossed his mind—what if they were wrong? What if the teacher had nothing to do with Evan’s death? Everyone knew there was bad blood between him and the alphas, but maybe this suspicion was just a shadow of that feud.

He reached for his phone, ready to call Taros and ask how far they had gone, when the sound of approaching footsteps froze him. His primal instincts flared, every sense on edge, ready to fight or shield his crew if danger came.

He listened closely. After a moment, he realized it was only Mr. Slade. The man muttered under his breath, cursing the principal and the boys. Evan’s autopsy was out, and the principal wanted to share the report with the alphas. Mr. Slade clearly thought it was pointless. To him, the boys were only students, not staff, and had no right to be involved in the investigation.

Beta Slade typed a quick warning to Taros, telling him the teacher was close and they had to leave. Then he locked the front door with the spare key and sped off, using his primal power to blur away.

He had no time to waste. The principal was heading to the dormitories, and he could already guess her first stop. West House. It was nearest to the classrooms.

He arrived just in time. Miss Valois’ car rolled to a stop in front of the dormitory. She stepped out and walked toward the gate. Slade moved to meet her, pretending it was only chance that brought him there.

"Principal Valois," Beta Slade called, pretending to be surprised as he stepped forward. "Good evening ma, how may I help you?"

Her brows drew together as she studied him. "If I’m correct, this is not your dormitory. So can you help me?"

"I thought you needed someone to call a student from inside," he replied quickly. There was no way she could simply walk in, not when it was the boys’ dormitory.

"I do. Can you call Kaito for me?" she asked, her hand resting on her purse. She looked neat and stern in her black suit trousers and shirt, the darkness of the outfit almost reflecting the heavy mood she carried with her.

"I am sorry, Miss Valois. He is not here," Slade answered. His mind raced, unsure of what he would say if she asked where Kaito had gone. He could not lie and tell her the alpha was inside, because she would insist on seeing him.

She glanced at her wristwatch. It was already half past eight. Where had he gone at this hour? The alphas could move freely without a pass, but something about this felt strange. A weight settled in her chest, and she could not shake it off.

"I will go and check up on the rest," she said, opening her car door.

Slade’s heart pounded. If she went around and found the other alphas were not within school, she would know something was wrong. Before he could stop himself, the words slipped out. "The rest of the alphas are not in school. You won’t find them."

Miss Valois froze. Her face fell as his words sank in. For a moment, she stood silent, her mind running through possibilities. She had trusted those boys to obey her, to wait like she asked. If they had gone against her, she would have no choice but to involve their parents.

She closed the car door and stepped back toward him, her voice heavy with demand. "Can you tell me exactly what is going on?"