Angela's head was spinning, and every inch of her body ached. She could hear voices—familiar ones—but everything felt like a blur. At first, she panicked, thinking Alpha Hiro was still playing tricks on her. Her heart pounded as fear crept in. What now?
Then she felt a hand on her. A gentle touch that sent shivers down her spine.
"Take off his shirt," someone said.
Her heart skipped. What kind of twisted mind game was this now? Her shirt?
But then it happened again—that soft touch. It wasn't rough or forceful. It was warm, careful. It made her feel safe in a way she didn't expect. A small smile tugged at her lips before she even realized it. For a second, she wanted that feeling to last.
"What's wrong with him?" another voice asked.
Kaito.
That's when it hit her. This wasn't a trick. It wasn't a dream. This was real.
Her eyes flew open despite the pain screaming through her back. She wasn't on the Initiation grounds anymore. She was in her room. Kaito was standing nearby, arms crossed, and Taros was right beside her.
"He's awake," Taros said, his hand still on her shirt.
She blinked. Her heart thudded faster.
"T-Taros? Is this real?" Her voice came out shaky.
"Yeah, it's real," he said softly, sitting beside her. "You passed out. We were about to take your shirt off to treat your wound."
"Oh… I—" She stopped mid-sentence.
The words hit her like cold water. They were going to take off her shirt.
No. She couldn't let that happen. Not now. Not ever.
If they saw what was under it, the bandages wrapped tightly around her chest, everything would fall apart. Her secret—everything she was hiding—would be exposed. And it was only the first day.
"No, Taros!" she said quickly, pushing his hand away. She tried to shift to the other side of the bed, but a sharp pain in her back made her gasp. She bit her lip to hold back a cry.
During the mind game, those phoenix claws had torn through her skin. Her back felt like it was on fire.
Still, no matter how much it hurt, she couldn't let them take off her shirt. Not now. Not ever.
"Why?" Taros asked softly, his brows drawn together in worry. "I just want to help you heal, so you'll feel better." His voice was gentle, and his eyes were full of care—so full that it made Angela's chest tighten.
But she shook her head quickly. No. She couldn't let this happen. She had to survive here, and that meant protecting her secret at all costs. Today couldn't end with them finding out she wasn't a boy.
"It won't even take a minute," Taros continued, watching her closely. "You just need to lie on your back."
Those eyes of his—so kind, so beautiful—were hard to say no to. For a second, her lips almost moved to say yes. She nearly blurted something stupid like yes, daddy, but no. Not today. Not when everything was already hanging by a thread.
"There's no need to make such a fuss," Kaito finally said, his voice cold but calm. "If he doesn't want help, let him enjoy the pain."
Angela looked over at him. His silver eyes moved lazily around the room like he wasn't even interested. Then he walked over to the fridge and pulled it open. He grabbed a bottle of Wolfscan and drank it like he was in a commercial—effortless and perfect.
She swallowed hard, watching him. Why was he so effortlessly cool and terrifying at the same time?
"Do you want a drink?" Taros asked gently, breaking her thoughts. He had noticed her staring.
She nodded. What else could she say?
"I'll get you one," he said, walking to the fridge. He came back with two bottles and handed her one. "Wolfscan. You won't find this anywhere else. Only here at the All-Male Academy."
"Not even at the Luna Academy," Kaito added with a smirk, like the mention of it brought back a memory.
Angela's eyes narrowed. "Luna Academy?" she asked, her voice strained as she tried to sit up. Her back felt like it was on fire.
Kaito looked at her. "Yeah. A place for the best female wolves. No humans. They're trained to be future mates for powerful Alphas."
Angela blinked and slowly rubbed her neck. So there was a place for girls. But that wasn't what made her stomach twist. It was the word mates. Her voice came out low.
"So... you already have a mate."
That quiet question made the room fall still. Taros and Kaito looked at each other, confused by her sudden change in mood.
"Are you... crying?" Taros asked, his voice soft again as he moved to sit beside her.
Angela wiped her eyes but the tears kept coming. "Y-yeah," she whispered. She didn't even know why it hurt so much to hear that. Why it mattered.
Kaito sighed, walking over to the bed. "I think his back is just killing him," he said, trying to sound annoyed, but his voice held a hint of worry. "Lie on your stomach so Taros can heal you. Tomorrow's your first workout. You need to be there."
Angela looked between them. "You're not taking off my clothes, right?"
"No, Angel," Taros said gently, a warm smile on his lips. "Just turn over. That's all."
Without saying a word, Angela turned over and lay on her stomach. The second she did, Taros placed his hand gently on her lower back, right where the pain was worst. She flinched slightly at the touch, but then something else caught her attention—his eyes. They weren't the same anymore.
They were glowing red.
She couldn't stop looking. Something about them pulled her in. She had heard stories about wolves all her life, but never had she been this close to one—especially not like this. He looked strong, calm, and honestly… breathtaking. A soft smile crept onto her lips before she could stop it.
But it didn't last.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pull deep in her back, like something tearing and pulling at her muscles. The healing had started. Her body was adjusting, shifting, stitching itself back together under Taros's power. Angela gritted her teeth and squeezed the sheets beneath her fists. The pain was quick, but intense. Then, as fast as it came, it stopped.
"Done," Taros said, pulling his hand away.
Angela blinked in surprise. Just like that? She sat up slowly, feeling no pain. It was like nothing had happened at all. She turned to look at him, her smile wide and grateful.
"Thank you," she said softly. "You're a darling."
She barely had a moment to savor the relief when Kaito's voice broke the air.
"Go and find more trouble," he said, arms folded, clearly annoyed.
Angela frowned. The skin between his brows was drawn tight. He looked so pissed, but honestly, she was too tired to care.
"I won't," she answered. "I tried to avoid it today, but trouble literally walked into me."
Taros handed her the wolfscan he had taken earlier. "Hopefully you'll try harder from now on."
"I will," Angela said with a nod and a small smile.
Kaito scoffed. "You better try your best. We're not about to lose points because you can't behave."
He then started pulling off his shirt, and Angela's breath caught. That same body that had messed with her mind on her first day was right there again, in full view. He moved like he didn't care who was watching. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing.
Her eyes widened when he reached for his belt.
Angela coughed—loudly.
Taros turned to her quickly. "Are you okay?" His eyes were full of worry. "Do you need healing again?"
She shook her head fast, almost too fast.
What was she supposed to say? That Kaito's bare chest was giving her heart attacks? That if he dared to take off his pants too, she might actually lose her mind?
The heat in the room felt unbearable now. Her face was flushed, her hands were clammy, and she was sweating like crazy. Did they even realize what they were doing to her?
**