*****
They reached the pit where Hiro was kept. Stales and Alex stopped at the entrance, refusing to go in right away. Instead, they kept nudging each other, each one trying to push the other forward to accompany Angela inside. She watched them with surprise and asked why they were acting that way.
"Alpha Hiro is crazy," Stales muttered as he leaned against the wall, clearly unwilling to step in. "He will read our minds and twist them until we do whatever he wants. Every full moon, his power grows stronger, and it’s harder for him to control it."
Angela stood speechless. His words sounded dark and frightening, but no matter how dangerous it seed, her heart ached to see her mate. If she could, she wanted nothing more than to stay by his side. She turned to them and said firmly, "If you don’t want to go in, then I’ll go alone."
"We’ll follow you," Alex quickly said, pushing Stales forward. "You can’t go in there alone while we’re here. And honestly, Stales, your fear is starting to affect too."
"Now you’re blaming ?" Stales grumbled, rolling his eyes, but he still took the lead. Together, they went down the stairs until Hiro appeared, already aware of their presence.
The mont his eyes landed on Angela, he reached for her hands and pulled her into his arms. "How are you?" he asked softly, holding her close.
"I’m fine. How are you feeling?" Angela’s voice carried the weight of her worry. She knew the tornt he battled with and wished she could take it from him, bear it in his place.
"For now, I’m good," Hiro said with a small smile. His relief at seeing her was clear, but his gaze showed restraint. "You shouldn’t be down here. Today is your birthday. You should have stayed in the dorms and celebrated with your friends."
"I can’t celebrate while you’re locked away in pain," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"This is normal for us," he assured her. "We’ve endured it before, and we’ll keep enduring it until we find a way to end it."
Angela sighed, her heart heavy. She knew she was the key to freeing them, yet she could do nothing until her first transformation. The helplessness tore at her.
Hiro frowned, noticing the shadow in her eyes. "You’re worried. What is it? Tell ." He didn’t read her mind, keeping the promise he had made to her.
"It’s about a crescent moon birthmark," Angela confessed as she slowly pulled away from his embrace. Placing her hand over her chest, she whispered, "It’s here. During the last full moon, it glowed red."
Hiro’s eyes widened in shock. "That’s strange. Has it ever happened before?"
"No. It was the first ti," Angela explained softly. "That sa day, I also discovered that I was a werewolf. And today, I saw the sa mark on a stranger. For a mont I thought he could be a family mber."
"I’ve never heard of sothing like that," Hiro admitted after a pause. "But you should ask Kaito. He is very close to his father and knows a lot about signs, symbols, and old stories. He might understand what it ans. By the way, who is this stranger?"
"I don’t know him," Angela muttered, rolling her eyes as she looked away. "Principal Valois introduced him as the sponsor of my scholarship program. But to be honest, he gave a creepy feeling."
"Principal Valois?" Hiro chuckled quietly, as though sothing had just connected in his mind. "That explains a lot. I’ve always wondered why she was so interested in you. Do you know she stopped many tis whenever I tried to find out more about you? It almost felt like she was protecting you. Did you make so kind of deal with her?"
Angela blinked in shock. "She stopped you?" she asked, stunned. She had no idea the principal had been doing that. Only the goddess could know what that woman truly wanted.
"Yes," Hiro said with a firm nod. "She blocked more than once, even threatened openly. You didn’t know?"
Angela shook her head slowly. If he hadn’t told her now, she would never have known. But the thought disturbed her. Why was Valois shielding her yet still allowing Marcus to co close? What exactly was that woman trying to achieve?
"Sothing is not right at all," Angela whispered, running a shaky hand through her hair. "The man ca looking for . He said his na is Marcus."
"I have heard of people with that na, but I can’t say if any of them is the sa Marcus you’re talking about," Hiro muttered. Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his head. He pressed both hands against his temples and gritted his teeth as though fighting to keep control.
Angela’s heart skipped. She rushed to his side and held his arm, fear filling her eyes. "Are you alright? Did I push you too far with all these questions?" Her voice trembled as guilt swept over her. "I’m sorry... maybe this isn’t the right ti to talk about it."
Silence filled the room. Alex and Stales walked closer, their faces dark with worry. The boy working on the chains did not move, though he glanced at them briefly.
Angela slowly released Hiro’s arm when Stales helped him sit, hoping it would ease the strain. She turned to Alex and asked softly, "Who is that?"
"Slade," Alex replied. "He’s from the south pack. A good guy. Haven’t you t him yet?"
"No. I only t Kael," Angela answered, her eyes already drawn back to Hiro. He no longer had his face buried in his hands. His breathing had steadied, and she hurried back to him. "How are you feeling now?" she asked.
Hiro lifted his gaze to her. "Better," he said, his voice low with wonder. "When you touched , the pain vanished. Just like that. You really are the cure. It’s not a story or a dream... it’s real." His eyes shone with sothing between disbelief and hope.
Angela’s chest tightened. She didn’t know what to say. She never thought she had that kind of power. "Do you want to stay?" she asked gently. "If it helps you, I don’t mind. I can take the pain away."
"No," Hiro said with a faint smile, shaking his head. "You shouldn’t stay locked down here with . Go rest. Your first shift is close, and you’ll need your strength. We can talk about Marcus and everything else tomorrow, alright?"
Angela nodded slowly. "I’ll check on Renn and Kaito before I rest."
As she turned to leave, a voice echoed in her mind—his voice, deep and steady. Good luck.
Angela froze for a mont, then looked back at him. He was smiling at her, his eyes warm. She couldn’t help but smile back before walking away with her friends.
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