CHAPTER 31: THE FULL MOON II-MATE

Angela glared at the mirror, her chest rising and falling in confusion. The strange glow in her eyes grew brighter, matching the glow that had suddenly appeared on her breast.

She didn’t know what was happening or what she had become. None of this made sense. It felt like a nightmare, and she desperately wished someone would shake her out of it.

She pinched herself, hard. It hurt. This wasn’t a dream. It was real. That only made things worse. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Not once. And Grace never mentioned anything like this would happen.

Her eyes... that glow. The mark. And the voice. A voice in her head that called itself "Mighty."

"Nah, nah... it’s Mighty Storm," the voice spoke again, almost casually. "Don’t forget to add the storm at the end. It matters. A lot."

Angela’s brows drew together. This was madness. She was actually hearing a voice. In her head. Talking to her like they were friends. Was this Alpha Hiro’s doing? From the first day she arrived at the Academy, he had been in her head. She was sure of it. This had to be one of his games.

"Who the hell is Alpha Tiro?" the voice snapped, irritation clear in its tone.

"I said Alpha Hiro," Angela corrected, trying to stay calm. Her whole body still trembled from shock, and now the voice in her head was offended by a name?

"Oh. Right. Well, I’m not that Alpha fucking Tiro... Hiro or whatever. I’m Mighty...,"

"Storm. I get it. You don’t have to keep repeating it," Angela muttered. She couldn’t believe she was still talking to it. This had to be madness.

"I’ve waited so long to meet you. Years, actually," the voice said, now softer. "Thank the goddess we can finally speak."

Angela looked at herself in the mirror again. Her eyes didn’t look like hers anymore. Nothing felt the same. She must be losing her mind. Talking to a voice in her own head? Whoever had planted it in there knew exactly what they were doing. The worst part? It sounded just like her.

"No... no... I forbid you from giving my credit to someone else," Mighty Storm shouted, her voice filled with frustration. "I’ve waited so long to meet you. I finally broke through tonight, and you go ahead and credit that damn Hiro? Wait... is he our boyfriend? Our mate?"

"What boyfriend?" Angela let out a bitter laugh. She ran her hand through her hair, completely overwhelmed. "If you’re not Hiro, then tell me something no one else knows about me."

Silence.

Mighty Storm, who had been talking nonstop a moment ago, suddenly went quiet. Not a single word.

Angela let out another painful laugh. "I knew it," she said quietly. "This is all part of Hiro’s stupid games. Even on a full moon night, he still wants to mess with my head? Shouldn’t he be busy turning into a beast right now?"

"Don’t be so quick to decide, my dear," the voice returned, calm and firm. "I know you more than you know yourself."

"Then prove it," Angela challenged. "Tell me something no one else knows."

"Alright," Mighty Storm said. "You’re a girl hiding in an all-alpha male academy. You’ve been pretending to be someone else. You’re Grace’s bastard daughter. You have no idea who your father is. And... let’s not forget, you’re crushing on a few of the boys in your sch—"

"Shut up!" Angela hissed, glancing around in fear. Her heart raced. What if someone heard that? How could this voice know everything? No one at the academy knew her secrets. Not even Alpha Hiro, who always seemed to crawl into her head. If he had known the truth, he would’ve used it against her already.

That meant this wasn’t Hiro. He had nothing to do with it. This voice... it was real.

"I told you I am your wolf," Mighty Storm reminded, her voice softer now. "As a werewolf, you have a hidden side... your wolfside. That’s me. I’ve been with you since the beginning. I was locked away for so long, but now I’m awake. Just in time too. We’re almost eighteen, right?"

Angela’s lips parted, but no words came. It was true. Her eighteenth birthday was only a few weeks away. But she wasn’t a werewolf. That wasn’t possible. She had always been human. Her mother had never said anything about wolves or any bloodline connected to them.

"Just because Grace never told you doesn’t mean it’s not the truth," Mighty Storm cut into her thoughts. "You were born a wolf. It’s in your blood. It’s not your fault that no one knew. In fact, it’s better this way. Safer."

"No... no. Something doesn’t feel right," Angela whispered, stepping back. Her hands trembled as she stared at them. They looked normal. No fur, no claws, no fangs. "Then why don’t I feel it? Why haven’t I ever changed? Not even once?"

"You will. When you turn eighteen. The moment will come. Don’t rush it. We’re getting close," Mighty Storm replied.

Angela’s heart beat faster. "So I really am a werewolf? How am I supposed to deal with that? I don’t know what it means to be a wolf. I wasn’t ready for this."

"You don’t have to be scared," Mighty Storm said gently. "Gurl, I’m with you. I always have been. Trust me, we’re going to make one hell of a team."

"I... I..." Angela tried to speak, but stopped when something strange happened. A force, unseen but strong, started to push her toward the door. Panic shot through her chest. What was happening? What else could possibly go wrong tonight?

Then came the scents. Strong and sharp. Sweet, spicy, musky—different kinds, blending into something powerful and overwhelming. Like perfume in the air, but deeper. She turned back to the mirror. Her eyes... they were glowing brighter than before. So was the mark on her chest. It pulsed like it had a life of its own.

"Oh, here comes my favorite part," Mighty Storm giggled, almost bouncing with joy. "Mates. They’re here. Outside that door. I can feel them. Let’s go. Mates!"

"No," Angela whispered. Her head spun. Her chest felt tight. This was too much. Too fast. Everything she thought she knew about herself had been ripped apart in one night. And the worst part? She didn’t even know what the truth was anymore.

Her legs shook as she reached the door. The scents were stronger now. Too strong. She touched the knob. Her vision swam. Everything around her faded.

And then... nothing.

Darkness. That was all she could remember.

**