CHAPTER 45: THE TRUTH?

Oh shit.

Angela looked away from him, her heart racing. Everything had been fine just moments ago. What changed so quickly that made him suddenly think she was his mate? Her mind was blank. She didn’t even know how to begin. How did he find out?

"I... I don’t know how to tell you," she muttered, eyes fixed on the floor. He had caught her, and now she was stuck. She felt small, stupid, and exposed.

"You can’t be my mate, right?" Taros asked, his voice calm but firm. He was watching her closely. She didn’t dare look up. Her chest rose and fell fast, and she was scared that if she opened her mouth again, her heart might jump out with her words.

Now that he knew she had been hiding something, he was going to tell the others, right?

The men had already gone, and Taros stepped out of their hiding place. He turned to her, his eyes filled with disbelief. "For how long have you been lying to me? Why didn’t you tell me the truth?"

Angela stayed in the corner, her back against the cold wall. She swallowed hard. She wanted the ground to split open and swallow her whole. She always feared a day like this would come, but she didn’t think it would be this soon. And not with Taros. Not him. Now he would hate her.

And Kaito? He would throw her out of the Academy without a second thought. Straight back into her uncle’s hands—into the lion’s den.

Everything she had worked for was falling apart. Her dream of staying at the Academy, of becoming stronger, of finding out who she really was and why she was even a werewolf... it was slipping away.

"I’m very disappointed in you," Taros said, cutting into her thoughts. "Who else knows about this? Is there anyone else in the Academy?"

"No one yet," Angela replied, her voice shaking, eyes clouded with tears. Her mouth, which always got her into trouble, had nothing left to say. This time, there was no excuse.

"I’m sorry, Taros," she whispered. "I should’ve told you. But I had to hide it. If I didn’t, my uncle would destroy me."

"What? What does your uncle have to do with this?" Taros asked as he stepped closer. His face showed more surprise than anger, like her words had caught him off guard. It was clear that hearing about her uncle had sparked something in him.

"He’s the reason I don’t want to talk about it," she said quietly, trying not to let her voice shake.

"I don’t get it, Angel. What does your uncle have to do with you meeting my mate?"

Angela froze. Her breath caught in her throat. What the hell was he saying? Did he just say she met his mate? Wait... so he didn’t know? He didn’t know she was a girl?

"A-are you talking about me meeting your mate?" she asked slowly, unsure if she heard him right.

"Exactly, Angel," Taros said with a small nod. Then he tilted his head a bit and asked, "Where did you meet her?"

A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her legs felt weak. All this time she thought she had been caught. She thought he had found out everything. But he didn’t. He had no idea. She almost laughed at herself. Relief washed over her, but it came with a sting of shame. She really thought the worst had happened. How stupid of her.

She took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together. "I met your mate the night of the full moon," she began. "I had left my bag in the classroom, so I went out to get it. But just as I was stepping out of my dorm gate, a white wolf came rushing at me and I fell."

Taros’s eyes narrowed with concern. "Did she injure you?" he asked quickly, his tone soft and filled with worry.

Angela’s heart fluttered at how easily he switched from curious to concerned. That was one thing about him that always stood out—no matter the situation, he still cared.

"No. I didn’t hurt myself," she replied, shaking her head. He nodded slightly, the tension in his face easing just a bit as he waited for her to go on.

"She looked around," Angela continued, her voice quiet now. "And when she noticed where she was, I think... I think she realized it wasn’t the place she was supposed to be. So she ran away."

"So that’s why her scent was over there," Taros said, a small smile forming on his lips. His voice sounded gentler than before, and for a second, Angela felt her chest ease. She just hoped he wouldn’t ask more questions or stare too hard. "What did she look like?"

"A white, cute wolf... awwnn, you need to see how beautiful she looked," Angela replied, trying to sound relaxed, but her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. She could feel her own hands trembling, and she was scared they might give her away. "I had no idea she was your wolf."

"Are you sure she wasn’t looking for someone else?" Taros asked, his smile fading. "Maybe someone from West House. That’s why she went there."

"No... I don’t think so," Angela said. "If she was really looking for someone else, one of my housemates maybe, then she would have stayed back or waited. But she didn’t. She just left as soon as she realized where she was."

She finally stepped out of the corner where she had been standing and faced him fully. Her voice was firmer now. "She’s your mate, right? So why would she be searching for someone else? Why would she run from you?"

Angela stared at him, searching his face. She needed to know how much he actually knew about the bond. About her other mates—Hiro and Kaito. Did he have any idea that they shared the same mate?

Taros looked away and let out a slow breath. "No... you won’t understand," he said quietly. Then he suddenly changed the topic. "Can we go back to the car?"

He gave her a soft smile, like nothing had happened, and she simply nodded. They walked back to the car in silence. No music played on the way back, and that silence started to feel heavy, almost suffocating. Angela stared out the window, wondering what he was thinking. Was he mad? Suspicious? Hurt?

They reached the Academy, still without saying a single word. Her chest tightened more with every second. She had ruined the evening. There was no doubt in her mind.

They both stepped out of the car, and just when she turned to thank him, he hit her with a question she didn’t expect.

"What does your uncle have to do with my mate?" he asked, his eyes locked on hers. "You said he’s the reason you couldn’t tell me you met my mate. Why, Angel?"