CHAPTER 48: ARE YOU REALLY A GIRL?

Angela waited, but no one said a word. The silence grew heavier with each passing second. She could only imagine what was going through their minds. She understood it perfectly. They had just found out that she was not who they thought she was. She had been lying to them from the very first day. It was a lot to take in, even she knew that.

"I understand if you don’t want to keep this from the school or the Alphas," she said quietly, wiping the tears that rolled down her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her chest hurt, but she was trying not to fall apart. It was time to accept whatever was coming, without looking weak or begging for mercy.

"A-are you really a girl?" Stales asked, his voice breaking. He couldn’t even look her in the eye. The words barely came out. The shock was still fresh.

"It’s hard to believe, I know," Angela replied. "I cut my hair short," she said, running her fingers through her dark hair, "and that’s why I always wear baggy uniforms."

Alex had not said a word yet. He kept staring at her like she was something beyond what he could explain. If the world had seven wonders, then Angel, no—Angela—was the eighth. How did she manage to fool everyone? How did she live among them without being caught?

"You’re a girl?" Stales asked again. He started pacing around like his body needed to move for his mind to think clearly. "You’re telling us the truth, right?"

"Yes," Angela said, her voice firm though her hands were shaking. She held the edge of her oversized shirt and looked at them. "I can prove it. I’m going to take this off."

"No... nooo," both boys said at once, quickly covering their faces with their hands.

"Relax," she said gently. "I’m wearing a vest and a wrap underneath. I wouldn’t take it off if I had nothing on."

Still looking unsure, the boys slowly brought their hands down. Angela pulled off the shirt, revealing the tight vest wrapped around her upper body. Even with that on, it was clear she wasn’t built like them. Her frame was different. Softer. Smaller. She didn’t need to say anything more.

"Wow..." Alex finally said, blinking as if he still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. "Even with the vest, it’s clear now. You’ve been hiding this all along."

"I never once thought Angel was a girl," Stales added, still stunned. "You acted like one of us. You never slipped. Not even once."

"I guess I’m just good at pretending," Angela said with a broken smile. There was no joy in her voice. Only pain. "So if you’re going to report me... do it now. I’ll understand. You both have been good to me. And me? I’ve just been lying to you from the start."

"What do you think we are?" Alex was the first to speak. His voice was calm but firm, filled with a little surprise that she would even say something like that. "If I was going to tell anyone, I would have done it in the afternoon...right in the obstacle test field. You wouldn’t be standing here talking to me. It would have been Kaito standing in my place. But I didn’t tell him. I waited because I wanted to believe that whatever you were hiding, you would tell us."

"Honestly, I can’t even imagine going out there and telling anyone," Stales said with a soft sigh. "You had your reason for dressing as a boy. You could have left this Academy on the first day. It’s not been easy here. The Alphas made everything hard. Your grades were falling, yet you stayed. That tells me something. You’re here because you have a purpose. And because of that, I will never say a word unless you allow me to. It wouldn’t be fair to act like I don’t understand."

Angela could barely breathe. Was this real? Were they actually agreeing to keep her secret? She had prepared herself for rejection, for the worst kind of betrayal. She had seen it happen before. But not this time. These two—these boys she had come to call her friends—were still here, standing with her, not walking away, not turning their backs.

Tears ran down her face before she could stop them. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around them both.

"Thank you so much," she whispered, holding on tightly.

"Yes... but you’re a girl now," Alex said as he gently pulled away from the hug. He gave a small smile, trying to keep things light. "We can’t pretend everything will stay the same. I’m not comfortable hugging you again, to be honest. I don’t know about you, Stales."

"I’m still in shock, but I still see her as my friend. She’s Angel to me, so no problem," Stales said with a small laugh and a nod.

"You’re acting strange," Alex said, shaking his head, then turned to Angela again. "I have so many questions. But something still doesn’t make sense. When I brought you out here, I was expecting a different truth. I wanted to know how you managed that kind of strength during the obstacle test. You pulled me out like it was nothing. That kind of power belongs to a fully grown wolf in his thirties. Then the next second, you became weak. It’s like something left you completely. You became the Angel we all know."

Angela wiped her face and nodded. "I will tell you about that too. It’s my second secret," she said quietly. "I’m a wolf... but I haven’t had my first shift yet."

"Shit..." Stales let out a deep breath and began pacing again, running both palms over his face. "This is too much... way too much for one night."

"I almost suspected it," Alex said with a soft laugh. "But I got confused. You registered as a human when you came to the Academy. But the strength you showed today was something else. It was far beyond what any unshifted wolf should have."

"So you were a werewolf all this time?" Stales asked with wide eyes.

"No. I only found out on the night of the full moon," Angela replied. She still couldn’t believe how calm they were. She had expected yelling, anger, or maybe even silence. But they listened. They stayed. "That night... my wolf spirit woke up and my eyes glowed for the first time. That was how I knew."

"Wow. But how could you not know all this while? Didn’t your parents tell you anything?" Alex asked, looking puzzled.

Angela lowered her head. Her voice shook as she spoke. "My mother never told me. And my father... I don’t even know who he is. I have no idea if he’s alive or dead. Or maybe he just never wanted to be in my life."

"You’re making us sad with those tears," Stales said gently. He hated seeing her like this. It wasn’t the strong, brave Angel he had always known. This was someone broken, someone who had carried too much pain alone.

"I’m sorry," Angela wiped her eyes. "It’s just that I’ve never talked about this with anyone. I found out I’m a wolf, and I don’t even know what to do with that. I don’t know where to begin. It feels like everything I knew about myself was a lie."

"We’ll figure it out together. You don’t have to go through this alone," Alex said, stepping closer to her. "We’ll take it one step at a time. I promise you, soon you’ll start getting answers."

Angela looked at them with soft eyes. "So... you’re really going to keep this a secret too?"

"Why wouldn’t we?" Stales replied. "Your secret is safe with us. We’re in this with you. That’s what friends do."

There was a brief pause before Alex spoke again, his voice a little softer than before. "I shouldn’t be the one saying this. Kaito, as our Alpha, is supposed to be the one to welcome you. But since he hasn’t noticed a new wolf in the pack, I’ll say it in his place."

He looked her in the eyes and smiled.

"Welcome to the pack, little wolf. You are one of us now. A wolf of the West Pack. When do you turn eighteen?"

"Very soon," Angela answered with a small, hopeful smile. She couldn’t believe this was real. They were not only accepting her, but they were willing to help her. She slowly wore back her shirt and looked at them. "So... what’s next?"

"We will help you understand what it means to be a werewolf. Everything you need to know, we will tell you," Stales said, his voice gentle but sure. "And not just that. We’ll also help you figure out who you really are. Your bloodline. Why you were never told that you were one of us."

Angela was about to tell them about the mates—the confusing feelings, the bond she had started sensing—when a sharp pain tore through her chest. Her hand flew to the spot, the same place where the crescent-shaped mark lay on her left breast. She winced and pressed her palm against it, clutching her shirt. The pain was sudden and deep, but it didn’t last long. Still, it left her breathless.

"What is it? Are you okay?" she heard both Alex and Stales ask at once, panic rising in their voices.

Angela closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. She shook her head slowly, her chest still aching. "I don’t know... something feels wrong. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I have a strong feeling something bad just happened."

"Are you serious?" Alex asked, confusion all over his face. "What do we do? Is someone in danger?"

Angela didn’t answer him directly. She was staring ahead now, thinking, her heart pounding faster. "Kaito or Taros?" she whispered to herself. The last time she felt pain like this was on the night of the full moon. That was the night everything started changing. That was the night she began to feel the presence of her mates. And now, the pain had returned. It had to mean something.

She turned and began walking quickly back toward the party. The boys followed right behind her.

When they reached the gathering, the scene stopped them cold. Kaito’s eyes were glowing red. His body was tense. His energy sharp. He wasn’t acting normal. He had felt it too.

Then she looked at Taros. His eyes were glowing the same way. He felt it as well.

"Something is definitely wrong. You were right," Alex said. His eyes were now glowing golden. He didn’t know what it was either, but the tension in the air was loud and clear. His Alpha was on edge. And that was never a good sign.

"You guys are right...," Stales added, staring at the scene with unease. "Or why else would my Alpha show up here looking like that?"

Angela turned slowly, her eyes scanning the entrance. Then she saw him.

Renn was here too. His eyes were glowing red.

So he got the signal as well.

But he wasn’t her mate. He couldn’t be. She had never felt anything from him.

So whatever this was had nothing to do with just her mates.

It was bigger than that.

Then a horrible thought hit her like a wave of ice.

She looked around wildly and whispered, almost choking on the words—

"Where is Hiro?"