CHAPTER 41: HER PRIMAL POWERS OR THE GODDESS’ COMPENSATION?

Her lips parted, but nothing came out. No sound, no words. Angela just stood there, confused and lost, not knowing what to say or do next. Why did it always have to be her? Why was her case always different? Everyone else could reject their mates without trouble, but when it came to her, she couldn’t. And all because they were Alphas.

Now she was stuck with Hiro for the rest of her life? No. That couldn’t be. She refused to accept it. There had to be a way out. There just had to be.

She didn’t hear a single word the teacher said as he talked about the obstacle course. Her mind was far away, drowning in thoughts she didn’t want to think. She only came back to the present when Stales tapped her shoulder, his voice low with concern.

"Are you okay? You don’t look too good."

"Nothing. I’m just tired," she lied, forcing a smile she didn’t feel.

"You heard the rules, right? The teacher just explained everything."

Angela blinked, trying to focus. "What did he say?" she asked quietly. She didn’t even know if she should be doing this test. Her rankings were low and she needed to climb up, but right now, she wasn’t sure she had the strength for it. Still, giving up completely would be worse than failing.

Stales was about to explain when the whistle blew. Angela flinched. The other boys took off in a rush and she ran with them, hoping she’d catch on along the way. But it wasn’t that simple.

Ahead of her, two boys ran straight into three thick wooden bars that shot out of the ground. They didn’t see it in time. The crash was loud, their fall even louder. Angela gasped and stopped, staring with her mouth open. She could almost feel the pain they must be in.

Before she could think, Stales grabbed her hand and pulled her in a different direction.

"Don’t worry about them," he said as they ran. "They’ve been eliminated. That’s how it works. You fail to pass an obstacle, you’re out. That’s the rule."

"Wow... this is a lot harder than I thought," Angela muttered as she kept running behind Stales. Her legs were starting to burn, her chest felt tight, but she pushed on. Then she noticed a strange guy ahead who kept glancing at her with disgust. He was tall, with auburn hair and deep brown eyes that looked like they had already judged her. Probably a werewolf, she thought. But something about him felt familiar, and it bothered her. Had they met before? No, that was impossible. She didn’t know anyone from the Academy.

Before she could ask Stales about him, they reached the mouth of a tunnel. It looked long and narrow, and she had no idea where it led.

"This is the mud pit section," Stales said, dropping to his knees and pressing both hands to the ground. Without hesitation, he crawled in. Angela took a deep breath and followed behind him.

"This part is one of the hardest," he added.

"Have you done this before?" she asked. Her voice echoed slightly in the dark. It felt suffocating inside. Unlike what people always said about tunnels, there was no light at the end of this one. Just thick, pressing heat and complete darkness.

"No," he answered.

"Then how do you know about it?"

"Alex told me. He said Alpha Kaito mentioned it this morning," Stales replied, pausing to catch his breath.

Angela rolled her eyes when she heard Kaito’s name. Of course. They all practically worshipped him. And yet, he was her roommate and hadn’t said a single word about this test. If he had warned her, at least she would have been mentally ready. But no, she was left to figure things out the hard way, like always.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something else, Stales suddenly slipped with a sharp cry. His body slid forward with speed, vanishing down the tunnel.

"Stales!" she screamed, reaching out instinctively. But it was no use. He was already gone, swallowed by the darkness ahead.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Every part of her screamed that whatever was waiting down there wasn’t safe. She didn’t want to go any further. The only thing that made sense in that moment was to turn around and go back.

But as she turned, she came face to face with that same strange guy who had been giving her cold looks earlier. He was right behind her, his eyes filled with something that made her blood run cold. She swallowed hard, frozen in place.

"There’s no time to waste, human boy," he said, his voice sharp with irritation. Without warning, he shoved her with so much force that her balance slipped.

Angela screamed with everything in her. Her voice echoed through the tunnel as she was thrown forward into the unknown. Her body slid fast down the narrow path, and she shut her eyes tightly. She didn’t want to see what was ahead. For a moment, all she could think about was everything that could go wrong. Maybe this was how it ended. And if that was the case, then fine.

But it wasn’t the end.

She landed with a heavy splash into a thick pit of mud. It swallowed her whole almost up to her neck. The smell hit her first, then the feel of it. Wet, cold, sticky. Her face twisted with disgust. As a girl, this was more than uncomfortable—it was just wrong. She wanted to scream, but she didn’t. There was no one here who cared.

She looked around, trying to figure out what to do next. The boys around her were taller, stronger. The mud barely reached their waists. But her body sank deeper, and she realized quickly that this was going to be harder for her.

She pushed forward, but the mud clung to her like it wanted to keep her trapped. Every step was a fight. She wasn’t moving forward. She was just stuck.

"You’re such a fool," the auburn-haired guy spat as he swam past her, his voice full of mockery.

Angela didn’t respond. Maybe he had a problem with her. Or maybe he was just mad. Either way, she wasn’t going to waste energy on him.

Ignoring him, Angela kept pushing forward with everything she had. Her arms ached, her legs felt like lead, but she was moving. It wasn’t fast, but it was something. Still, at this pace, she knew she wouldn’t reach the finish line in time. That thought alone made her heart sink.

"I got you, don’t worry," a familiar voice called out.

It was Stales.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward through the mud. This time, she moved farther than before, the difference was clear.

"Thank you so much," she said, breathless and surprised. She hadn’t expected him to come back for her, not in the middle of a test like this. And now, here he was, helping her without hesitation. It made her feel guilty. If they didn’t make it to the end on time, he would fail too—and it would be because of her.

"If you keep helping me like this, I’m not going to learn anything," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Just let me do it on my own."

"Helping is allowed here. You could die in this mud if no one helps you," Stales replied as they both kept moving forward. "The mud’s too much for someone small like you."

Angela didn’t argue anymore. But she didn’t lean on him either. She still pushed herself forward with everything in her. She was determined to make it out of the mud on her own strength.

Luckily, they got out just in time.

The next challenge was the wall climb.

Stales turned to her. "Do you think you can do it?"

Angela straightened her back despite the weight of the mud on her body. "Yes. I can."

She didn’t want him to wait for her again. She needed to prove she could handle it. She followed him closely, but he moved faster than she expected. He was strong, agile, and he made it look easy. How was he so good at this?

Angela struggled. Her hands slipped. Her arms were weak. Still, she kept going.

Then her eyes caught someone ahead—Alex. He was close to the top of the wall, almost done. That meant this was the final obstacle. If she could get through this, it would all be over.

Angela clenched her teeth and kept climbing. She told herself she had to finish no matter what. Her whole body was soaked in mud, her arms trembling, her knees scraped. She felt like a leaf in the wind, shaking and ready to fall, but she refused to give up.

Then she saw him—Kaito.

He was standing beside one of the teachers, watching.

He wasn’t there at the start of the test, so why now? Did he come just to see her fail?

Without warning, Angela’s hands slipped off the climbing holds and she fell. Her body hit the ground, but thankfully she hadn’t climbed that high yet, so it didn’t hurt much. Still, the fall hit her pride harder than her body. She felt stupid. She felt weak. And somewhere deep down, she believed Kaito was probably thinking, I knew it. She can’t do it.

That thought stung more than anything else.

Alex saw her fall. He stopped climbing and shook his head, then let go and jumped down. He landed without any effort, like it was nothing, and Angela couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. Everything came so easily for him. She wished she had that kind of strength. That kind of grace.

She was a wolf now, yet she felt no power, no shift, nothing that made her feel strong or different—except the heavy truth that she had not one but two terrible people tied to her as Mates. That was all she got out of it.

"Come here," Alex said gently, reaching for her hand. He picked up a handful of dry sand and rubbed it across her palms and legs.

"You won’t feel slippery again," he said as he worked quickly.

"Thank you," Angela said, her voice soft. Her eyes moved back to where Kaito stood. He was still there, watching. His face wasn’t cold like before. There was worry in his eyes. And that only made it worse. Why did he have to care now?

"Alright, I’m going to push you up," Alex said, pulling her back to the moment. "Use the arms. They’re your support. Each one has a small hole in it to grip. Don’t let go."

He moved behind her and helped lift her up. His hands pushed at her from behind, and she felt her cheeks burn at the closeness. It was awkward, having a boy’s hand so close to her butt, but she pushed the feeling aside. There was no time to think or complain. The countdown on the board showed they had barely five minutes left.

Angela grabbed the holds and started climbing. This time, she wasn’t going to fall. She had to make it. Not just for herself, but for Alex too. He had come down to help her, and he still had to get to the finish line. She couldn’t be the reason he failed.

Angela closed her eyes for a moment and whispered a prayer to the moon goddess. It felt unfair. The goddess had hidden her true identity for years, letting her live in the dark, unaware that she was even a werewolf. And when the truth was finally revealed, what did she get? A wolf that refused to help. A wolf that made her feel powerless. If there was ever a time for the goddess to make it up to her, it was now.

She forced her body to move. She climbed with everything she had. Her hands were trembling, her arms sore, but she refused to stop. She would not be the girl who gave up. She would not cry for help. She dragged herself upward, inch by inch, until finally she reached the top. Stales was already waiting for her.

"Well done, buddy," he said, pulling her up and helping her find her balance.

They stood at the edge, catching their breath as they looked down. Angela’s eyes went straight to the clock.

Three minutes left.

Her heart sank. Where was Alex?

She spotted him below, still climbing. Panic surged through her chest. If he didn’t make it in time, she would never forgive herself. And Kaito? He was already watching. If Alex failed, he would blame her. That much she was sure of.

"Come on, Alex! You can do it!" she shouted from the top. Her voice echoed, and the others turned to look at her, surprised.

Alex looked up when he heard her. A smile crossed his face, even though he was breathless. He pushed harder, using his speed to climb faster.

Angela’s eyes darted back to the timer.

Fifteen seconds.

Her stomach dropped. She felt dizzy with fear. He was so close. He had almost made it.

Without thinking, she dropped to her knees and stretched out her hand to him. It was a reckless move. Alex was stronger than her. If he pulled too hard, they could both fall back down. But none of that mattered to her in that moment. She just wanted him to make it.

Their hands met, and the moment their skin touched, something rushed through her. A strange surge of energy. She didn’t know what it was or where it came from. But somehow, she pulled him up without effort.

Alex landed beside her, his feet steady, his breathing heavy.

Angela stared at him, completely stunned. How had she done that?

Everyone was looking at her. The crowd was silent, the moment frozen.

She stood up slowly, confused and out of breath, unable to explain what had just happened. But of course, the auburn-haired boy didn’t stay quiet for long. He stepped forward with a scowl and snapped,

"How the hell did you do that, you little human boy?"