CHAPTER 81: THE SHIFT II.

Alex walked out of the stadium, not sure where he was going. He just kept moving. His heart was pounding and his mind was racing. Something was wrong with Angela. She wouldn’t have run off like that if everything was fine.

He tried to think of where she could have gone. He guessed she might be near the dorms, so he followed the path, but there were too many footprints. He couldn’t call out her name—if the Alphas heard him, they would come running. That was the last thing she needed.

He paused and took a deep breath, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus. He closed his eyes for a moment and used his sharp sense of smell.

Slowly, her scent came to him. It led toward the woods behind the West House. But there was something else...fear. Her fear was so strong, he could feel it in his chest.

Without wasting another second, Alex ran toward the woods. His heart sank when he saw her. Angela was sitting on the ground with her back against a tree. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself. She looked so small, so broken.

"Angela," he called gently.

She looked up, her eyes filled with fear. Her whole body was trembling. Alex didn’t move closer. He knew she was scared.

"It’s okay," he said, trying to calm her. "I’m here. I promised I’d help you, no matter what. You’re not alone."

"I’m a mess," she whispered. Her voice was shaky. She lifted her hands. They were changing. Claws had pushed through her fingers. Hair covered her skin.

"My bones hurt," she said, her voice cracking.

"I know. I’ve felt it too," Alex said softly. "Just breathe. Try to stay calm."

She was still afraid. He didn’t want to scare her more by getting too close. Then her ears began to shift. They turned into the ears of a wolf. Alex’s breath caught for a second. He had seen shifts before, but this... this wasn’t normal. She wasn’t even eighteen yet. And it wasn’t the full moon. None of this made sense.

Could this be part of the prophecy? He had never seen the scroll himself. His parents had only told him the story. Maybe the Alphas knew the full truth, but he didn’t want them near her. If they found her, they’d fight over who got to claim her. Angela didn’t need that. Not now.

"Do you trust me?" he asked quietly.

No answer.

He looked around, thinking fast. They needed to get farther into the woods. Maybe even up to the mountains. Somewhere safe. He took out his phone and sent a message to Stales. He asked him to create a distraction...anything that would slow down the Alphas. It wouldn’t be easy, but he trusted his friend to find a way.

Angela didn’t give him a clear answer, but the way her body slowly relaxed told Alex all he needed to know. She trusted him, even if she couldn’t say it yet.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and ran a hand through his hair, brushing it back as he tried to calm himself. He needed to shift, but he didn’t want to alert his Alpha or the rest of the pack. Taking a few steps back, he closed his eyes and focused. His energy stirred, and his body began to change. His feet reshaped, his muscles stretched, his bones cracked gently into place.

In just a few minutes, the transformation was complete. He was now in his wolf form. With quiet steps, he moved toward Angela. He didn’t want to frighten her, so he reached out his paw slowly. She took it without hesitation. That simple act surprised him more than anything. Carefully, he pulled her into his arms and let his scent spread through the area. It would confuse the Alphas and throw them off her trail.

Holding her close, he ran deeper into the woods. The wind rushed past them until they reached the mountains. Hidden not far from there, he found a cave and took her inside. It would be safer here, especially if she was going to shift.

Alex transformed back into his human form. He hadn’t thought it through, and now he stood completely naked. Angela looked at him, her lips slightly parted. Even in her dazed state, she couldn’t help but stare. She hadn’t expected it. He was tall, lean, strong, and beautifully built. His skin was smooth and clear, and though she tried to keep her eyes up, it was hard not to notice everything else.

Realizing how exposed he was, Alex’s face turned red with embarrassment. Without a word, he dashed away so fast it was like lightning. Angela blinked, unsure where he had gone. The pain in her body had started to ease. It was still there, but not as sharp as before.

Soon enough, Alex returned, now dressed in a shirt and trousers that clearly didn’t fit him well. She figured he must have grabbed them from someone nearby. Maybe even stole them.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, still keeping a little distance. He thought she might still be scared.

"I feel better, Alex. You can come closer," she said. She tried to smile, though it didn’t come out quite right.

He stepped forward slowly. Angela saw a chance to tease him. She bared her teeth and suddenly lifted her claws, pretending to attack. Alex jumped back so fast she almost laughed on the spot.

The shocked look on his face was priceless. But when he saw her laughing, his own tension melted away. He realized she had tricked him, and the fear in his eyes turned into quiet amusement. She had made a fool of him.

Alex slammed his foot on the ground in frustration and shook his head. "Well done, Angel. That was such a good way to announce that you’re back."

"Did I scare you that much?" Angela laughed softly, though she clutched her stomach with one hand. The pain was still there.

"No, you didn’t," he said, letting out a deep breath. "You are going to be the death of me."

"Don’t sound like my mother, please. I’m sorry," she muttered, trying not to wince.

"You don’t have to say sorry. I was only joking," Alex replied as he walked closer to where she sat. He watched her for a moment, wondering how she was able to see in the darkness when her eyes weren’t glowing. He also wondered what her true eye color would be. "Are you planning to shift today? Normal wolves do that on a full moon. But you... you’re different. You shift when you want. Isn’t that something?"

"Please, don’t mock me," Angela said, her eyes meeting his.

"I’m not mocking you," he said quietly and sat beside her on the cold cave floor.

"There’s no light in here, but I can still see clearly. Isn’t that strange?" she added, glancing around the cave.

"It’s more than strange. It’s amazing," Alex answered. Then he lowered his voice and asked, "Can we talk about what happened?"

She nodded slowly.

He continued, "If you think chains might be necessary... you’ll let me know ahead of time, right?"

Angela gave a tired smile. "You are going to ease my pain with your dry jokes."

"Maybe," Alex smiled back. "And don’t worry about your crowd of mates. I asked Stales to take care of them. Hopefully, he did."

Angela’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at him sharply. "How do you know about them?"

"Logic, Angel. I use my senses," Alex said as he leaned back against the wall and stared at the roof of the cave. "You are honestly one of the best liars I have ever seen. You’re so good at it, if lying was a school subject, you would come first across all houses."

"Please don’t say that," Angela’s voice dropped. That same thing had once come from Stormy’s lips. She had never meant to lie to anyone. If they only knew the weight of what she carried, they would understand she never had a choice. She never wanted to deceive them.

"You don’t need to explain. I’m not judging you," Alex said gently. "None of us really knows what’s happening to you yet. We’ll wait for Stales. I told him to find some old books from the library. The ones that talk about the great promised She-wolf of the werewolf kingdom. Maybe there’s something in them that can help us understand you better."