CHAPTER 79: THE SHIFT.

There was a heavy silence between them. Angela could hardly breathe. For years, she had longed to meet someone who knew anything about her father. Grace never told her much—only that he was dead.

"Please ma, if you know anything about my family, especially my father... tell me," Angela said. Her voice shook. The desperation in her eyes was clear. And Principal Valois... she was hiding something. Angela could feel it.

"I don’t know anything about your family... just what you’ve told me," Principal Valois said, avoiding her eyes. Her words were shaky, and it was clear she wanted to end the talk. "You don’t know anything about your father?"

"I do," Angela whispered, her heart sinking. For a second, she had thought she found hope. But now, it was slipping away.

"Good. If you want to know more, ask your mother. I have nothing else to say," Miss Valois replied. Her tone was firm now. "By the way, some people came to see you yesterday. I told them to return on Monday."

Angela’s heart skipped. "Who are they?"

She didn’t want to be found. What if it was her uncle? What if he found out where she was? She had to leave before it was too late.

"They are the ones sponsoring your studies here. They handle students who got in through scholarship. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell them anything about who you really are."

"So... what did they want?"

"You’ll find out soon enough. Don’t stress about it," Principal Valois said, and for the first time, she smiled. She gently touched Angela’s arm. "Don’t tell anyone what we talked about here. Do you understand?"

"So... you’re letting me stay?" Angela asked, barely believing it.

"Yes. But don’t break any Academy rules. No fighting or bullying," she warned.

Angela still couldn’t believe it. The video of her being bullied by the Alphas never went viral, but the one of her and Evan? That was everywhere. No one would believe her even if she told the truth. Mr. Anonymous was after her, and he hit her hard.

But that was only for now. Angela wasn’t going to sit back. Sooner or later, she would find out who Mr. Anonymous was and why he was after her. She needed to know what she ever did to deserve this.

"Thank you so much, Principal Valois," she said with her palms pressed together. If someone had told her that the principal would protect her secret, she wouldn’t have believed it. Not in this lifetime.

It all felt too easy, too perfect. There had to be a price. Maybe something she hadn’t been told yet. Still, Angela was thankful. At least things didn’t end the way she feared.

Just as she turned to leave, Principal Valois added, "Do let me know if you begin to notice any changes. We’re both women... we’ll understand each other better."

"Alright, ma," Angela replied quickly and hurried out before the woman changed her mind. But even as she walked away, her head was full of questions. Why was the principal so concerned about her body? Why did she want to know if she had shifted? What was going on?

None of it made sense. The principal had warned her not to tell anyone about what they discussed. But how could she hide something so serious from her friends? If Miss Valois already knew she was a werewolf, and still wanted to keep it secret, then something was definitely off.

What if she couldn’t be trusted? What if all this was just a game to her? She had already betrayed the board once. What if she decided to do the same to her?

The only person who could help her figure this out was Renn. He used to be close to the principal. Maybe he knew something about her that others didn’t.

Angela headed toward the other side of the stadium where the students had gathered. She was trying to find Renn when her eyes landed on someone she never expected to see—Xavier.

He stood there, glaring at her with cold, sharp eyes that made her skin crawl. It wasn’t fear, but the hatred in his stare shook her. If Renn hadn’t been around, she was sure Xavier would have done something to her right there.

Angela didn’t understand why she had so many enemies. She was still just a girl. She hadn’t even turned eighteen yet.

Xavier was standing just a few steps away from the lane Angela was walking through. She kept her head down, not wanting to draw attention. She had enough problems already. The last thing she needed was more drama—especially not from someone like Xavier.

But then she noticed he was walking toward her. Not just anywhere—straight in her direction. Angela’s heart began to race. She looked up quickly, trying to figure out what was going on. His hands were in his pockets, and he wasn’t slowing down.

Fear crept into her chest. What was that fool trying to do?

Angela clenched her fists. If he came at her, she would fight back. She was done staying quiet. She had enough pain and anger bottled up inside her to give him more than what Renn had given.

But before she could make a move, something sharp hit her chest. A deep, burning pain, just like what she felt during the last full moon—right before the strange mark on her breast had started to glow.

Then, it happened again.

A sudden rush of energy flowed through her body. Her fingers began to hurt—so badly it made her gasp. They didn’t feel like her own anymore. They felt strange... longer... thinner.

She looked down—and nearly screamed.

Her hands had changed. Claws were growing fast. Hair was spreading along her fingers. Angela froze in horror. What was happening? Why now? This was supposed to only happen on the full moon. Not now. And definitely not in front of Xavier.

He was standing still. His mouth slightly open, eyes wide. He looked like he had seen a ghost. Like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Angela didn’t know what to say or how to react. Her secret was out. He had seen everything.

Her mind raced with fear. The only way to stop him from talking... was to hurt him? Was that even an option? Could she really pierce his eyes with her claws?

No. She wasn’t that kind of person. She would never do that. Not even to someone like him. And besides, they weren’t alone. Anyone could be watching.

Quickly, she shoved her hands behind her back, hiding the claws and hair the best she could. That was when she saw Renn and Hiro walking toward her.

Panic surged through her. She couldn’t run. That would make it worse. They would know something was wrong.

The energy flowing through her body was messing with her strength... maybe even her speed.

Now what?