CHAPTER 176: SLADE’S THREATS?

The endless clapping and shouting of the students made her head spin. What bothered her the most was the boy behind her who kept screaming so loud it rang in her ears. Angela pressed her fingers into them, hoping to block out the noise, but it was useless. Her wolf senses caught every sound, sharp and piercing.

She was already tired. Sleep had not come to her last night, not after everything that happened. Her thoughts had been restless, turning over and over as she wondered how to fix the problems ahead. When Miss Valois left with Mr. Slade, Kaito had told her to return to the dorms and rest. She had not wanted to, but she knew today’s activities would be demanding, so she forced herself to her room. Yet when she lay down, her eyes stayed open. She had stayed awake all night, lost in her thoughts.

"A penny for your thoughts, beautiful one?" Stales sat beside her with a smile. She did not return it, and that struck him as strange. "What’s wrong, buddy?"

"The boy behind me won’t stop shouting in my ears. I don’t want to speak to him. I’m afraid I might lose control like I did with Xavier," Angela admitted softly, but before she could finish, Stales turned around.

"Have you ever died before, boy?" His voice was sharp. The boy froze, shocked, shaking his head. "Then if you want to stay alive, stop shouting. Do you understand?"

The boy opened his mouth to answer, but Stales had already turned back. Angela stared at him, wide-eyed, before laughter spilled out of her. "You can be so mean. Why would you say that to him?"

"Because you said something like that to Xavier and it worked," he replied calmly. "Alex told me everything about last night. Why didn’t you call me? I would have come."

"We didn’t want to bother you. You were tired. You needed rest, right?" Angela said gently, though he clearly did not agree. Luckily, it was their turn to warm up for the race. Together they walked down the stairs to the field.

It was a marathon, and their team included Angela, Stales, Alex, and Xavier—who, despite everything, had been insisted upon as part of the group.

The rules sounded simple, but Angela knew better. Nothing was ever simple once you stepped onto the track. Every runner would be rewarded with extra points, the kind that could push her up in the ranks. But only if she won.

"You will run last, Angel," a familiar voice spoke, and her heart skipped. She turned and saw Taros standing there. What was he doing? "Xavier will run after you, then Stales, then Alex. Clear enough?"

Angela blinked at him, unsettled. "I don’t understand," she said, confused. He was going to be their instructor? No one had told her. With everything else that had been happening around her, she had completely forgotten to check the timetable.

"Follow me," said the Alpha, dressed in a white tracksuit. He walked ahead, then stopped and turned. "Alex will stay here. This is your starting point."

"Okay, Alpha Taros," Alex replied as he stepped onto the track. Four other participants from different teams joined him while the rest continued forward with their own groups.

After a short distance, Taros stopped again and pointed at another track. "Stales, you will remain here." He motioned to four other boys. "You as well. This is your point."

They obeyed and he kept moving. He placed Xavier and the others before finally stopping at Angela’s track. Taros paused, glanced back at Xavier, and frowned. "Don’t you think something is wrong with him?"

Angela’s chest tightened. She had not told him about wiping part of Xavier’s memory. When she turned, Xavier stood still, head down, silent. Once he had been a proud bully who glared at everyone, now he looked small, almost timid. Or maybe he looked normal, and it was her guilt that made him appear broken.

"Do you know something?" Taros asked, his eyes fixed on her. She gasped, taking a step back. His gaze sharpened. "Your heart is racing so fast. It’s so loud I can almost hear it."

"I... I think it’s my fault," she whispered.

"Why would it be your fault?"

"I wiped his memory. It wasn’t on purpose," Angela said quickly. Regret filled her chest and her voice trembled. Taros’s expression made her even more nervous. His lips parted but no words came.

"I didn’t mean to hurt him," she added softly.

"You erased his memory?" he asked, stunned. She nodded, and his eyes widened even more. "I didn’t know you had that kind of power. I’m only just finding out."

"I thought I told you," she said, rubbing her damp palms together. "I got the powers from Marcus.

"Your father?" Taros asked. He saw the sadness in her eyes and decided not to press further. The race was about to begin, and there would be time later to discuss everything. He gave her a small smile, changing the subject. "Do you know what will happen if you win this race?"

He had not even said it yet, but excitement stirred deep inside her. Taros stepped closer, his breath brushing against her skin as he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I will make you the happiest girl alive tonight."

Angela felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter even harder, a rush of heat spreading through her body. Just his presence alone was enough to stir her, and she knew exactly what he meant with his words.

"Best of luck, mate," he tapped her arm lightly before walking away. Angela closed her eyes, trying to focus on the race ahead instead of the memories that came flooding back. The full moon night haunted her, his kisses still burned on her lips, and the way his hands had claimed her body made her shiver as if it was happening again.

"Are you alright?" a voice cut through her thoughts, dragging her back from where her mind had wandered. Angela sighed. That was all she had been hearing lately. Are you okay? Are you fine? What’s wrong with you? The questions never stopped.

Her wolf stirred, restless and annoyed. Whoever it was, her wolf did not welcome him. Angela opened her eyes and froze when she saw Mr. Slade standing before her. Her body went rigid at once. What was he doing here of all places?

"I want us to talk," Mr. Slade said with a smile that only made her feel uneasy. "It will be brief. How about tonight?"

Angela opened her mouth but no words came. Why would he want to speak with her after everything? He was the one who had sent Evan after her. She had already guessed that he might even be Evan’s killer, and yet here he stood, acting like nothing had happened. The audacity made her blood boil.

"You are not saying anything. I don’t have time to waste," he frowned, looking down at her.

Angela lifted her chin, folding her arms in front of her chest. "And what makes you think I will honor your invitation?" Her brows drew together sharply, her glare showing him that she could frown deeper and stronger than he ever could.

"You will, Angela Marcus Malynster," Mr. Slade said, taking a step back. He could see Taros approaching, moving fast, almost running to intercept him. "Don’t tell your mates about my invitation. I will text you the address. Make sure you come... or you will regret it."

Before she could respond, he dashed off. Taros did not hesitate. The moment he reached her, he raced after Slade. Angela glanced around. All the students were staring at her. Fear churned in her stomach even though she tried to push it down.

That man knew everything about her, even her father. What if he told Marcus the truth? Angela did not want another parent barging into her life, making everything a living hell.

"Hey you, go back," a voice called, cutting through her panic. It was Alex, rushing over to see what was wrong.

The referee stopped him from leaving his track. The announcement blared, and the shrill whistle signaled the start of the race. Angela turned forward, forcing her focus on the track ahead, but her thoughts refused to stay in the present.

No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept returning to the same question: what the hell did Slade, a.k.a. Dr. Dylan, want from her? What could he possibly gain from all this?