CHAPTER 283: THE SAD NEWS.

The beautiful chirping of the birds, sounding like soft music, woke her from sleep. Angela tried to open her eyes but couldn’t. She didn’t want to wake up so early to face the harsh reality of life. Stretching her left hand to the other side of the bed, hoping to find Renn, she felt nothing.

She searched again, her hand moving further, but still nothing. He wasn’t there. Her eyes snapped open as she looked around. The bed was empty. Angela sat up quickly. The windows were open, the morning air coming in, but everything outside was quiet.

Her gaze landed on his shirt lying on the couch. That meant he was still around. She picked it up and wore it, the faint scent of him still on the fabric. She checked the bathroom, but it was empty. Maybe he went downstairs to get something.

Angela left the room and went down the stairs. The living room was empty, but a sweet aroma drifted from the kitchen. Someone was making breakfast. It must be one of the kitchen staff Renn had told her about last night.

She reached the kitchen door and peeked inside. The sight before her made her freeze. Renn was at the counter, making omelette. She never expected to find him there.

"Renn?" she called softly.

He turned around, surprise flashing across his face when he saw her standing by the door.

"Why do you have to wake up now?" he asked as he turned off the stove. Taking down the frying pan, he slid the omelette onto a plate and placed it on the counter.

He took off his cooking apron and wiped his hands with a towel before walking toward her.

"You don’t want me to wake up by now?" Angela asked softly as he took her hand and drew her into a hug.

"No. I wanted to wake you up with breakfast," Renn said, wrapping his arms around her.

"You still did," Angela smiled as she looked up at him. She loved that he had thought of surprising her. That thought alone warmed her heart. "I love your cooking skills."

"Really? I thought you just got here."

"It doesn’t matter," she chuckled, leaning against his chest. He kissed her gently, wishing her good morning, and she responded with a quiet smile.

"How was your night?" she asked.

"It was good with you by my side," he said, kissing her cheek before letting her go. "Why don’t you go to the dining room and wait for me to serve you?"

"I’m still surprised that you can cook," Angela said, glancing at him once more before leaving with a bright smile on her face. She went to the dining room and sat, waiting for him.

After a few minutes, he came in with a tray and placed it on the table. Angela stood up to help, but he stopped her with a grin.

"It won’t be princess treatment if you help, right?" he said playfully, making her blush.

"Yes, you are right," she laughed, sitting back on the seat. He served her first before serving himself, then sat down beside her. "Thank you, Renn. This is the sweet life I’ve always dreamt of. Just you, me, and your brothers. I don’t want the constant fights and enemies anymore. I just want us to live in peace."

"I understand," he said softly. "We all want the same thing, but fate seems to have something else planned for us."

"Yes, sadly," Angela nodded as she took a bite of her toasted bread. "What hurts more is that the person who made our future this way is my grandmother."

"The moon goddess might have made things this way," Renn said, looking at her, "but our actions and decisions matter a lot. We can create our own path if we have to. We don’t have to follow what she planned. I’ve already chosen mine."

"Really?" Angela smiled, curious. "What path have you chosen?"

"I’m leaving the academy," Renn said casually, taking another bite of his food. He noticed she suddenly stopped eating. "I know it sounds confusing and unbelievable, but I’ve made up my mind. I won’t be going back next semester."

"What?" Angela’s eyes widened. Her heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t joking; his face was too serious for that. Renn would never play around with something like this. "Why? Do you even understand what you’re saying?"

"Yes, baby," Renn answered with a nod. He kept his spoon aside and stared at her. She was clearly shocked, but he knew one day she would understand why he had to do it.

"If this is because of what happened..."

"Partly that," he admitted, though there was more he wasn’t saying. "You need to understand that if I keep staying at the academy, the more danger you’ll be in."

Angela stared at him, confused and hurt. What was he saying? How could he be a danger to her? He was her mate, the love of her life. Why would he even think like that? Was he losing his mind?

"You’re shocked by my decision, but if I stay away from the academy, I won’t have to see Principal Valois every day. She won’t have the chance to deceive me anymore."

"It happened only once, Renn," she said sharply, her voice filled with annoyance. Why did he want to throw everything away? The academy was his dream, his future. He had worked so hard to become one of the top students there. He was an alpha—what would his pack think?

"You said once, my love, but it still happened," he said quietly.

"It won’t happen again because now we know who she really is," Angela insisted, standing up from her chair. She looked at him, hoping he would realize how wrong he was and take back his decision. "Do you even know what you’re saying? You’re leaving everything behind because of her. You want to leave us... what will your brothers say? Do you know how much this will affect me?"