CHAPTER 40: REJECTION? NEVER!

"Doesn’t he look kind of feminine to you?" Alpha Renn asked, resting his hands on the stair rail. He was upstairs with Samuel, watching the students gathered below.

"Angel?" Samuel raised a brow and looked down. He spotted Angel talking to Taros. And now that Renn mentioned it, there was something different about the boy. The way he kept brushing his hair back—but not like a guy would. Instead of pushing it away carelessly, Angel tucked it gently behind his ear. He also kept stealing glances at Taros like he was trying hard not to stare too much.

Samuel narrowed his eyes, curiosity tugging at him, but he decided to stay in his lane. "Maybe that’s just how he behaves," he said casually.

"Not with me," Renn replied without hesitation. "He doesn’t act that way around me at all."

"Well, maybe he doesn’t like you," Samuel said. "You’ve never exactly given him a reason to."

"You’re blaming me for this now?" Renn snapped. "The boy disrespected me in front of everyone. I had to act."

He remembered the exact moment things went wrong between him and Angel. It had started with his first day. .

"So you’ve been trying to prove a point all this time?" Samuel asked quietly.

Renn didn’t respond. His eyes stayed locked on Angel and Taros as they walked together, heading toward the junior class block. He tried not to care, tried not to give a damn, but something about the way Angel looked at Taros lit a fire in his chest.

What the fuck were they talking about? Why did Angel have to smile like that?

He clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to react, but his blood was boiling. His chest burned like someone had punched him from the inside. He hated this feeling.

"Maybe you don’t actually hate Angel," Samuel said, dragging him back to reality. "I think you like him... but you just don’t know how to handle it. First, he embarrassed you. Now, he’s doing something else to you—and it’s messing with your head."

Renn turned to him slowly, eyes narrowed. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You’ll figure it out, Alpha," Samuel replied with a small smirk. He gave Renn a light pat on the arm and walked off, leaving the Alpha standing there in silence.

But Renn did know what he meant.

He didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was loud in his head. He had been feeling strange ever since Angel stepped into the Academy. Something about him was different. He wasn’t like the other boys. He had this presence—something that pulled people in. And it was doing things to Renn he didn’t fucking like.

It was confusing. It was frustrating. And he hated how much power Angel had over his emotions without even trying.

If he was going to stop this madness, he needed to dig deeper. He had to know more about Angel—where he came from, what kind of life he had before the Academy. Maybe then, he could make it all stop.

**

"Wait, did he actually say he was taking you somewhere outside the Academy?" Stales’s eyes widened, completely caught off guard by what Angela just told them.

"Yes, he said so," Angela replied, confused by their reactions. She looked at both of them. Even Alex looked like he had seen a ghost. "It’s Alpha Taros, guys. There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s not going to fucking hurt me."

"N-no, of course he won’t hurt you," Alex said quickly as they all walked down the hallway toward the changing room. Morning logic classes were finally over, and they needed to get ready for the next session.

"I’m just surprised," Alex went on. "You’re getting attention from all the Alphas. That’s not normal around here. It’s never happened before. Something’s changing, and it’s all starting with you."

"And it’s all because of you," Stales added as they stepped into the changing room.

"I don’t think so," Angela replied, her voice soft. She hadn’t told them anything about herself—nothing real anyway. Maybe she should. But it felt too soon. Trust wasn’t something she could give out just like that. Not with what was at stake. Especially with Alex. He was Kaito’s beta. If he found out her secret, would he tell him?

And Stales? He fucking adored Kaito like a damn god. He’d probably run to him the second something felt off.

She couldn’t risk it. Not yet.

"I wanted to ask something about werewolves," she said, changing the topic. No way she was going to keep talking about her and Taros. She was already blushing inside just thinking about him. She might be crushing. Maybe. A little.

"What do you want to know?" Alex asked.

"I want to know what happens to a werewolf who hasn’t shifted yet. How does someone even become a wolf?"

"It depends," Alex said, placing his bag on the bench. "Sometimes it’s from bloodline. You’re born with it. Other times, it’s if you get bitten by an Alpha."

"Is that all?" Angela asked, looking away just in time as Alex pulled off his shirt. God. He had abs. Actual fucking abs. She forced her eyes elsewhere. Was it a rule in this Academy that every damn student had to look hot and carved like a statue?

"Yeah. That’s mostly it," Alex answered, completely unaware. "Some say it can be gifted too, but that’s just some old myth. Doesn’t really happen."

Stales nodded while changing his clothes too. "The first shift usually happens on your eighteenth birthday, under the full moon. It’s painful as hell. But once it’s over, you’ll never forget the feeling."

Angela nodded slowly, still confused. What surprised her the most was how quiet her wolf had been all this time. Maybe it was because she hadn’t shifted in a while. The connection was weak, like a light going on and off. She already missed Mighty-storm and that familiar feeling that always came with her.

She looked at Alex and asked softly, "What about mates? How does someone choose a mate? Can it be controlled?"

Alex gave a small laugh, then shook his head as he ran his hands through his hair and smoothed it down. He had finished changing and was already pulling himself together. "No. You can’t control it. As a werewolf, having a mate is a big deal. You don’t get to choose. It just happens. Unfortunately."

Angela’s eyes widened. "You mean we’re just stuck with them?"

"Well," he added, "you can reject your mate. That part, yes. You can choose to walk away."

Angela’s heart jumped. She could barely hide the joy that rushed through her. If rejecting was possible, then she could get rid of Hiro. They wouldn’t be tied together. And Kaito? If he annoyed her one more time, she would send him packing too. This was the best thing she had heard all day.

But then she noticed something strange. The boys glanced at each other before shifting their eyes back to her.

"Sorry," she said quickly, forcing a nervous smile. "I was just curious. I mean, I’m not a werewolf... and I don’t have a wolf either."

"We know," Stales said calmly. "But we still don’t understand why you sounded so happy about it."

Angela shrugged, then quickly changed the topic when he added, "By the way, you haven’t changed yet."

"I will now," she muttered.

They waited, but she didn’t move. The changing room was empty except for the three of them. Every other student had already left for the class venue.

Angela clutched the clothes in her hands and swallowed hard. "I’m not used to changing in front of others," she admitted, her voice low. Her heart was pounding now. The whole talk about mates had made her forget where she was.

Stales gave her a soft smile. "Fine. We understand. Right, Alex?"

Alex rolled his eyes but turned his back anyway, just like Stales did.

Angela didn’t waste a second. She changed into the oversized short-sleeve sports shirt and the baggy shorts as fast as she could. Then she quickly ran her fingers through her shirt hair, trying to make it look decent.

"I’m done," she called out.

They turned around, and she gave them a small smile. "Thank you so much."

"There’s no time to waste," Alex said as he dropped his bag into the locker. "Thanks to you, we’re already late."

Without waiting for her to reply, the boys rushed out of the room. Angela had no idea where they were going, but she followed them quickly. They ran out of the building and across the open space until they reached a wide field.

Angela gasped, struggling to catch her breath. "What’s this place?" she asked, staring around in confusion. The field was filled with strange setups she didn’t understand.

"It’s the obstacle ground," Stales replied. "We have to go through every single thing that’s placed in our path if we want to pass the test. And this one is worth over two hundred marks. Not fifty like the other tests."

Angela blinked. Two hundred? That was a lot. Her mouth went dry. She had no idea how to react.

A whistle blew loudly in the air. The students stood in lines, waiting. The coordinators had arrived. Angela was still staring when Alex leaned close to her and whispered something she didn’t expect.

"About rejecting mates... Stales didn’t finish. The four Alphas... they can’t be rejected."