CHAPTER 54: AN APOLOGY FOR LAST NIGHT.

Angela stood still, her heart pounding. She didn’t understand why Renn would defend her. Was it just because they were mates? Maybe the bond between them made him act without thinking. Or did he already know she was a girl? The thought sent more chills down her spine. Whatever the reason, he didn’t stop, even though Xavier was already down and bleeding.

Renn walked to where Xavier lay and grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to stand. But before anyone could react, Xavier was off the ground again. His feet weren’t even touching the floor.

He was too weak to beg. His body hung limp, but Renn wasn’t stopping.

"Renn..." Samuel rushed out of the gym, panic on his face as he ran to them. He placed a shaky hand on Renn’s back. "Please let him go. The students are getting scared."

"He should’ve thought about that before doing what he did," Renn growled. His voice echoed down the hallway, heavy with rage. Angela could feel it too. It made her body tense. She wanted to step in, to say something, but what if that made it worse?

"I’m sure he’s learned his lesson," Samuel pleaded. "He won’t try it again." Then he leaned closer and spoke low enough for only Renn to hear. "You’re scaring your little sweetheart too. Look behind you."

Angela heard every word. Her eyes widened. Sweetheart? She wasn’t expecting that. What had they been saying about her? Her cheeks burned as Renn turned toward her. She quickly looked down, trying to hide her face. He didn’t look at her for long before turning back to Xavier.

"This is your only warning," Renn said coldly. "Next time, don’t test me."

Then he let go. Xavier dropped to the floor, groaning as he clutched his stomach. Angela winced. She knew exactly how that felt—she had been in that same spot just two weeks ago.

Without another word, Renn walked back into the gym. Samuel looked at Angela and nodded toward the door.

"Go inside now."

She nodded and followed. She had barely taken a few steps into the gym when Renn walked over to her with a first aid box in his hands.

He didn’t say a word to her. He just knelt beside her and began to clean the small scratch on her arm. The moment his hand touched her skin, fear gripped her chest. Not because she was scared of him, but because she was scared of herself. She could feel the heat rising in her again, the one she had tried so hard to push down since morning. It was coming back, stronger this time, and his touch wasn’t helping.

When he was done, he stood up and walked away without even waiting for a thank you. Angela stared at his back as he left. That was enough proof. He knew. She was sure of it. He didn’t want to hear her explain anything, yet he still protected her, still treated her wound like she mattered to him.

"What is going on?" Stales asked as he joined her, with Alex walking beside him. Both of them looked confused. Stales was frowning. "My Alpha just acted like he’s lost it."

"Yes, talk to us," Alex added, handing her a cup of coffee he had brought. "We’ve got a few more minutes before combat class starts anyway. But seriously, Renn is acting weird. Yesterday, the way he looked at you, it was like he wanted to bury you alive. I thought he was going to snap your neck."

"He hated you. What changed?" Stales added, watching her closely. "And now, there’s even a video going around where you insulted him, yet here he is defending you like you’re the most important person in the world. None of it makes sense."

Angela rubbed her arms, her gaze drifting toward Renn who was now standing at the far end of the gym with Samuel. She could tell they were talking about what had just happened. It was written all over their faces.

"You’re quiet," Alex said, shaking his head. "You’re not even surprised. It’s like you know what’s going on."

Angela looked at them but didn’t know what to say. "I don’t really know," she whispered, biting her lip. She wanted to explain. She wanted to tell them that she had found out the Alphas were her mates. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Alex was Kaito’s Beta, and if he found out she was Kaito’s mate—his Luna—he might rush off to tell him without thinking. And that would change everything.

She trusted both of them with her life, but this was too much to throw at them. They would not be able to handle it properly, not now. And if she told them, it would only bring more chaos to their, more problems. It was better to wait. Maybe, when things got better, she would tell them everything.

"It’s weird," Alex said again, sipping his coffee. He looked over at Renn. "He wouldn’t do all that unless something serious happened. Either he hit his head or... maybe he found out. Do you think he knows? That there’s a Beauty in the middle of this all-male Alpha Academy? That has to be it. It’s the only thing that makes sense."

"N-no..." Angela shook her head quickly. Her eyes returned to Renn. Samuel was gone now. Renn stood alone, his expression unreadable. She couldn’t take it anymore.

"I’ll be right back," she said softly. "Let me go and find out what’s really going on."

"Please do, because whatever is going on between you two is starting to scare all of us," Alex said, watching Angela walk away. He sat on the bench beside Stales, his eyes still on her. "Honestly, I won’t be surprised if Renn has already figured it out."

"Why would you say that?" Stales asked, turning to look at him.

"Because Angel is way too beautiful to be a boy. The Alpha must have seen through it," Alex replied with a shrug.

"You’re weird," Stales muttered, shaking his head. Then he looked toward Angela again. "We don’t even know her real name. We haven’t asked her half the questions we should, yet here you are acting like you’re in love."

"I’m not," Alex said quickly, clearly caught off guard. "Crush on Angel? Come on, Stales. I didn’t even know she was a girl until yesterday. I still see her as a boy... and as our friend. You were the one who told me to treat her like one of us, and that’s what I’m doing."

Stales laughed and gave him a light pat on the back. "If you say so, buddy."

Angela reached where Renn was. He stood quietly against the wall, one foot resting back against it, his arms folded across his chest. His face showed nothing. No emotion. No warmth. Just silence. The way he looked scared her. Or maybe it was the way he refused to look at her at all.

Her heart beat faster. She didn’t know how to begin. Should she say thank you? Should she talk about the dream? Should she start with the video and explain that it wasn’t her?

But he wasn’t helping. He didn’t glance at her. Didn’t move. Just stared off somewhere as if she didn’t exist.

Angela let out a shaky breath and gathered her courage. "Hey... I want to thank you for what you did out there. I don’t really know how to say it properly, but I hope this coffee will do."

Still nothing. He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Didn’t say a word.

She felt foolish, but she continued. "I also want to apologize for the video. I don’t know who made it or how it got out, but it wasn’t me. I swear."

No response. His eyes were still fixed on something far away. She started to feel the sting in her chest. He was treating her like a ghost. She could have screamed at him, cursed at him, asked what the hell was wrong with him. But she didn’t. Because of the bond. Because of the dream. Because of the confusing storm between them.

She hated how much power he had over her now. It made her feel weak. But just for now, she would hold it in.

"If you’re worried about the dream..." she began, her voice soft.

But before she could finish, he turned to her sharply, his eyes locking on hers like fire.

"Are you out of your mind?" Renn snapped, his voice low and angry, his frown deep and cutting. His arms were still folded tightly across his broad chest. "What makes you think you can talk to me? Who gave you that right?"