CHAPTER 264: SHE IS LUCKY TO HAVE YOU, ALEX

"Hope you’re not bringing him along?" Marcus asked, pointing at Renn, who sat weakly in one of the vans. The boy had a sterile IV line in his hand, the blood transfusion still going. His face was pale, but his eyes were wide open, restless.

"He’s also Angela’s mate, and the only one who can connect with her right now," Kaito said, closing the door after him. He looked at his brother, knowing Renn would recover soon once the transfusion was done. It was true that Renn needed rest, but who would want to rest when his mate had been taken, and no one knew where she was?

"Why is he the only one who can connect to her?" Marcus frowned as he opened the front door of his car. Bellezza sat quietly beside him. "Aren’t you all her mates?"

"We haven’t completed the bond," Taros said, glancing at his brothers who were still getting in. They didn’t have time to waste; they needed to move.

Marcus scoffed. "Let me mind my business then. My mother gave my daughter a bunch of fool as mates," he muttered, slamming the door before moving to the driver’s seat.

They had only three vehicles, and the plan was to reach the Patriarch’s castle before midnight. The road was long, but none of them cared about the distance.

Kaito stayed quiet as his brothers growled lowly while getting into the last van. He knew Marcus was trying to push their buttons, make them tired, make them lose focus. Maybe he wanted them to quit, so he could call them weak.

But Kaito wasn’t falling for it. The mission was clear—work together, find Angela, bring her back. After that, Marcus could go to hell for all he cared.

"Are we going the same way?" Kaito asked with his hands crossed on his chest. He wanted them to go together, then part ways when they reached the north side of the city and meet again at the castle. It was faster and safer that way.

Marcus nodded and got into his car. "Yes, kid. You will stay in my sight so that you dont ruin the plan. Let’s go," he shouted before starting the engine.

Kaito sighed and entered his own car, driving right after Marcus. They were leaving the academy behind in search of Angela. The thought of seeing her again calmed his heart. The pain wasn’t as heavy as it had been hours ago when he was just sitting and waiting.

"He calls us kids like we’re five," Hiro grumbled as he leaned back, watching Renn, whose eyes were shut.

"The guy’s a thousand years old. What do you expect?" Taros said with a low laugh. "Besides, if Angela accepts him, he becomes our father-in-law. We’ll have to impress him."

"He doesn’t look impressed at all," Hiro muttered. "Marcus thinks we’re useless because we couldn’t protect Angela. Like we wanted any of this to happen. Does he even know how hard today has been? We were dying inside, but we still had to protect the students and face his temper on top of that."

"Does he really blame us for it?" Renn asked softly without opening his eyes. He could feel strength slowly returning as the transfusion worked through his system.

"Yes. He said we’re ugly and weaklings," Hiro replied bitterly.

Renn laughed faintly. He didn’t know Marcus was that jealous and protective. "But he’s right in a way. Our duty is to protect her no matter what. It doesn’t matter if we were tricked or not. As her mates, we owe Angela that much. No excuses."

"I agree with you because I already blame myself for this situation," Hiro said as he turned his attention to Renn who sat beside him. "If I had claimed her by now, we would have found where she is and brought her back. Only the goddess knows what the Patriarch is putting her through."

The car went silent. Everyone sank into their thoughts, weighed down by guilt and fear. Taros didn’t want them to keep blaming themselves; it wouldn’t help. They were already on their way to get Angela back, and this time, nothing could go wrong. The plan had to work because he knew he wouldn’t survive another day without her.

"Why are you quiet, Kaito’s boy?" Hiro asked suddenly, turning to Alex who sat by his right. They had all forgotten he was even there, too focused on Angela.

Alex was surprised to be the center of attention. He shrugged with a blank look. "I have nothing to say."

"You just want to get your friend back, right?" Hiro said, not waiting for an answer. "She’s lucky to have you."

"You should leave my Beta alone," Kaito said sharply, speaking for the first time since he started driving. He didn’t want them to push Alex or find out he was also in love with Angela. That would only cause problems, and he wasn’t ready for that now. "I don’t even know why Marcus allowed Seraphina to join this journey."

"I thought she was supposed to be your prisoner?" Hiro asked, glancing at Taros. He was the one who mentioned it earlier. Kaito gave a short nod, confirming it. "Her face looks familiar, but I don’t care where I’ve seen her before. If she turns out to be a problem in this search, I will—"

"I know you won’t," Kaito cut in before Hiro could finish. He knew his brother didn’t mean it. He was just angry—angry at Marcus, angry at everything.

The rest of the drive was quiet. As they entered the forest area of Mistvale, Kaito noticed how strange the place felt. It didn’t look like any part of Mistvale he had ever seen. The trees were thicker, the air colder. He asked Taros to check the map and make sure they were still on the right path.

"Yes," Taros replied after a moment. "We’ll get there in three hours."

***

Sorry my loves....I didn’t finish editing on time because my classes ended late.

Tomorrow’s Chapters will be uploaded early.