Angela opened her eyes, and her whole body screamed in pain. She felt like she had been dragged on sharp stones and kicked over and over again. That was exactly what happened. She still remembered the way Alex's punch slammed into her left eye. It burned, sharp like a bee sting but heavier, deeper, and cruel.
"Finally, you're awake," Stales said with a weak smile, kneeling beside her and gently helping her sit up.
Angela ran her fingers through her hair, but even that small movement made her wince. Her arms throbbed. She could barely use them during the fight, and now, they felt like they had no strength left. Her brain felt like someone had wiped it clean.
She looked around the gym. It was quiet, too quiet. Only two senior students were there lifting weights, and they didn't even glance her way. No one else was around. All the students who had been there when she collapsed had left without saying a word. She wasn't surprised. No one cared about her. Not even the human students she had stood up for.
Angela clenched her jaw in frustration, but a sharp pain shot through her mouth. "Ouch," she groaned, pressing her cheek. Her teeth hurt like they were cracked. She cursed herself for showing up to that stupid combat class. Back home, she had fought with boys her age and always held her own. But this was different. This was Alpha Academy, and here, the boys weren't just boys. They were something else.
She knew why Alex had hit her that hard. He wasn't just a regular werewolf. He was Kaito's beta. Strong, fast, and loyal. The kind that didn't lose. And that memory hit her harder than his punch.
"Where's Alex?" she asked, accepting the bottle of water Stales handed her. She drank slowly, her throat dry and tight.
"What do you think?" Stales said, frowning. "You think he'd stay beside you after that? Angela, you messed up. He's your housemate, your seatmate, and Kaito's roommate. You're not supposed to fight someone like him. Not in front of everyone. Not like that. Now your house is going to lose points. And Alex? He's mad. Really mad. Because this is something that shouldn't happen."
Angela stared at him, her chest rising. "But it wasn't my fault. It was Renn who started it. He told Alex to fight me. Everyone saw it. He made it a show." Her voice trembled. "He knew we were housemates. He knew we weren't equal."
"You think he doesn't know all these?" Stales asked as he squatted beside her. He held her arm and helped her to her feet. "It's going to be recorded that you two fought against each other. Your house will lose points. Alpha Renn knew what he was doing. That's exactly why he made you fight Alex."
Angela wanted to scream, but her body didn't have the strength. Renn had played her again, and this time it hurt worse. He was not done with her. He was still punishing her, still taking revenge on her for something she didn't even understand.
The more she thought about him, the more she hated him. His voice, his face, the way he smiled, everything about him made her feel sick. But he was going to regret all of this, one way or another. Sooner or later, she was sure of it.
"Alex… was he really angry?" she asked as they walked out of the gym. At least today she wasn't being dragged or carried out like a dead girl. She was walking, even if it felt like her legs were made of sticks. Her left eye was swollen, and everything on that side looked blurry and dark.
She had to stretch her neck and tilt her head just to see clearly. It was strange how the body could fall apart so quickly.
For a moment she wished she was a werewolf too, strong and fast and able to heal.
"Are you even asking?" Stales said with a frown. He was surprised. "I thought you knew Alex by now. I even doubt if he'd forgive you."
"I'll understand if he doesn't," Angela said in a low voice. She had caused everything. She had dragged him into it. She would be angry too if it was her. "It's fine. It's not like we were ever friends anyway."
"Seriously? Is that the best you can say?" Stales stopped and looked at her. "Do you just give up on people that easily?"
"What are you trying to say, Stales? That I should fall on my knees and beg him? I can't kill myself even if I…" she stopped mid-sentence and held her stomach. It hurt so bad like something twisted inside. They were already close to her hostel but Stales wasn't letting the matter go. She already knew she messed things up. She already knew it was her fault that Alex was pulled into this mess.
But what else did they expect her to do now? Give him her life? Be his shadow? Be his pet? .
"You hurt him, don't you realize that?" Stales said again, his voice calm but firm.
"I did, but it's not my fault. What do you want me to do?" Angela shrugged, unsure if Stales was still on her side. The way he spoke made it sound like she was the one who caused everything. Nobody seemed to see that it was Renn's fault too. He was the one who started all this by involving Alex.
"Apologize, Angel. Show him that you didn't mean for things to go the way they did. Let him see it wasn't your plan to get him into trouble. It just happened," Stales said. "It won't kill you to care a little. Alex was ready to help you before everything went wrong."
"Kaito asked him to," Angela replied quickly, dragging her feet forward. She pulled her arm from his hold. She didn't need support from someone who was clearly switching sides.
"If Kaito hadn't told him, he wouldn't have helped at all." Just as she was about to say more, she saw Alpha Kaito standing close to the hostel gate, speaking with some students. Her whole body went cold. Her heart skipped. Her face, her clothes, her body, everything was a mess. He had warned her to stay out of trouble. He told her clearly. And now, here she was, bruised and limping, with swollen eyes and shame on her face.
She was not going to get away with this. Not this time.
"We'll talk later. I need to go inside before Kaito sees me. Bye," she said in a rush.
"Fine. Take care of yourself. Chat me up once your phone is on," Stales replied and turned to go.
Angela didn't answer. She just sighed and walked faster toward the hostel. Her chest was tight, and her heart wouldn't stop pounding.
Every step hurt, but she kept moving. She couldn't risk him seeing her like this. She bumped into a student on the way, but didn't stop or say sorry. She never did.
Apologizing wasn't something she grew up doing. It was one of the reasons she had survived for this long. Not looking back. Not caring about people. And now, Stales wanted her to care. What a joke.
Angela managed to slip past Kaito without him noticing. The moment she entered the room, she pulled off her clothes and headed straight into the bathroom.
Her body hurt so badly that she started to wonder if it was really just a few punches from Alex or something more.
She finished her bath slowly and dressed up right there in the bathroom. She didn't want to take any risk of Kaito walking in and seeing her bare and broken.
She knew he would come looking for her once he found out what happened. She wanted to already be in bed by then so he wouldn't see the bruises or ask too many questions. He was going to scold her for the points they lost. She was sure of that.
Maybe even punish her for embarrassing the house. There was no escape from that. But if she could just rest her aching body for a little while before it all begins, it would be something.
She laid in bed, pulled the blanket up to her chin and stayed still. Her body was stiff. Her chest rose and fell too fast. Her heart would not stop pounding and she knew why. This was her only chance to feel safe, to catch her breath, to feel like nothing had gone wrong. But it wasn't going to last.
She knew that the moment the Alpha stepped into the room, it would all come crashing down. She didn't have to wait long.
Just as she feared, the door creaked open. She squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her fingers around the blanket.
She could hear the slow, steady footsteps and she didn't need to be told. It was him. Alpha Kaito. Her heart raced faster than it had all day and she feared it might stop completely.
She stayed still, waiting, praying he would go to the bathroom or just ignore her. But he didn't. She waited, but he didn't try to wake her up either. That gave her a small sense of hope. Maybe he had gone to take a shower. Maybe she had more time.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to freeze. His face was right in front of hers. So close...too close. She could feel his breath. Her chest tightened and her throat felt dry.
For a moment, it looked like he was going to kiss her. Would he really do that? Wasn't he angry? Why was he so close?
Angela swallowed hard. Her eyes didn't move. Her heart didn't slow down. She waited, not knowing what he would do next. Not knowing what to feel.