Chapter 229: We Are Fucked.
"You want to talk?" Kaito asked as they walked toward the Alpha’s pit. He glanced at his brother, his voice calm. "It’s not really necessary, but if you feel like it, I’ll listen."
"Thank you, Kaito. I appreciate what you’re doing," Hiro nodded, his eyes fixed on the ground beneath his feet. The weight in his chest grew heavier as he finally let out what he had been holding in. "I don’t want to claim Angela, and I don’t understand why she can’t see that."
Kaito gave a slow nod, as though he had been expecting this. "I get it. But do you have a reason? You know what happens to lone wolves. Why would you want to take that path?"
"I just can’t share my mate," Hiro admitted, his voice breaking with pain. He stopped, pressing his hands to his waist as he let out a deep, tired sigh. "No matter how much I try, I can’t accept it. And she doesn’t understand. It feels like I’m being pushed into something I can’t live with."
"Is that all?" Kaito asked with a faint smile, though his eyes stayed serious.
"There’s more," Hiro muttered, shaking his head. "I don’t believe she can love all four of us the same way. It’s not possible." He shrugged and started walking again.
Kaito fell into step beside him as they passed the North house. He noticed the way Hiro’s eyes lingered on it before he spoke. "Maybe she can. I already feel it, and I think she does too."
"Oh please, Kaito," Hiro scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That’s not realistic. And even if it is, it won’t last. Things will change when we graduate. We’re from four different packs. How could she possibly live with all of us?"
"That’s true," Kaito admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. The thought had never really crossed his mind before, and now it weighed on him. "I have no idea how it would even work. But still... I like the way you think, little brother. You’re always a step ahead."
"You’re only thirty minutes older than me, Kaito," Hiro reminded, giving him a look.
"I know," Kaito grinned. "But it feels good calling you that."
"That’s not fair. I don’t have anyone I can call that."
Kaito chuckled softly. "You could always call Kael that. But let me ask you... if these issues were solved, would you finally accept Angela?"
"Maybe... I don’t really know," Hiro muttered with a shrug, clearly resisting the thought even as it weighed on him.
"Do you want my advice?" Kaito asked.
"Sure, Kaito. Let’s see if you’re as good at it as you claim," Hiro teased, a small chuckle breaking through his heavy tone.
"Wow, look at this," Kaito laughed, glancing around as if to find someone who could hear their conversation, but there was no one. He turned back to his brother, his smile fading. "You know, this is not the life any of us wanted. We dreamed of something different, even though deep down we knew our path was already written. We were born to serve the moon goddess. For you it was harder, Hiro, because you had no idea about this life until you were older. You lost your parents when you were just a boy, and instead of love from your family, you were pushed into an orphanage. No one explained to you what you really were, and you had to grow up carrying strange powers that scared you. You didn’t get answers until much later."
Hiro’s eyes stayed locked on him, his silence proof that he was listening, that he was feeling every word. Kaito continued, his voice steady but heavy. "We can’t escape this life, Hiro. There’s no door to walk out of when it gets hard. We have to carry the weight. We juggle our studies and the duties of alphas, but no matter how much we want to rest and forget, we can’t. Too many lives depend on us. We can’t leave them broken. We are the ones who have to save them, train them, fix what’s falling apart. That’s our reality."
By now, Hiro’s eyes were glistening with tears, but Kaito pressed on. "And look at Angela. Do you really think her pain is less than yours? She grew up with a cruel and heartless mother. She was about to be sold off to my pack, and I didn’t even know it wasn’t her choice. She had to run for her life just to escape, and when she got here, we didn’t make it easy on her either. We pushed her, tested her, made her feel unwelcome. But she never broke. She fought, she endured, and then she discovered the truth about who she is. Can you even imagine? Finding out that she’s a Malynster? That Marcus’ blood runs through her, a man she never even knew? She never had a surname because she never had a father to claim her."
I know," Hiro whispered, nodding slowly as the tears threatened to fall.
"Then she found out she was mated to four of us. Not one, not two, but four alphas—the same ones who made her life miserable at first. Can you even imagine what that felt like? But she didn’t run. She stayed, she endured. She believed in us, even when it made no sense. She thought her father was dead, and only weeks ago she learned he was alive. And the man she finally found was nothing like the father she wished for. Yet she still didn’t give up. Everyone turned on her at some point, but she stood by us." Kaito’s tone sharpened, his words meant to pierce through the wall Hiro had built.
"I know what she has been through. But it doesn’t change—"
Kaito cut him off before he could finish. "She is changing it, Hiro. Can’t you see? Fate wants us broken and bitter, but Angela refuses that life. Not just for herself, but for us too. And you...you’re making a mistake by holding onto this idea of not claiming her. You’re hurting her, and you’re hurting yourself. She deserves happiness. You do too. We all do. You need to think about your choice, because it won’t only affect you and Angela. It will affect the rest of us and your pack as well. Do you ever stop to think about them?"
Silence fell between them. The air was thick, heavy with unspoken words. Hiro could not hold back his own tears anymore. Kaito reached forward and pulled him into a gentle hug, his voice breaking as he whispered, "You don’t have to decide right now. Just think about it. Make sure the choice you make brings peace to you, to her, and to everyone who depends on us."
Hiro closed his eyes, his voice rough with emotion as he breathed out, "Thanks, brother."
"Anytime. If you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to any of us or even Angela. I am sorry for not checking on you all this while," Kaito said as they broke from the hug. His voice shook with guilt. "I have been a bad brother to you, but that will change from now on. I promise."
Hiro looked at him with disbelief. It was hard to accept that these words were coming from Kaito, who had always been so cold and distant. He nodded slowly as they began to walk again. "How are you able to do it?"
"Do what?" Kaito asked, brows drawn in confusion.
"Move from being the cold, quiet Kaito to living like this."
"Does it seem that way?" Kaito gave a small chuckle, shaking his head. "I never really noticed. I just know I don’t want to keep holding myself back and miss out on life. Angela happened to me. She changed me. She is changing all of us."
"That’s true. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be with Renn all the time," Hiro admitted as they reached the PIT. The door was open, a clear sign that Renn was already down there.
They climbed down the steps and found him speaking with Mr. Slade.
"Wow, look at my brothers," Renn said with a faint smile, though it faded quickly as he pulled them close, his arms over their shoulders. He lowered his voice into a whisper. "We are fucked, bro."
Hiro frowned, his chest tightening at the seriousness in Renn’s tone. "How? What’s going on?" He turned toward Mr. Slade, who lay too weak to speak or even move, his body frail on the floor. "You are scaring us."
"Exactly. Go ahead and tell us," Kaito urged, his tone sharp with worry.
Renn’s jaw tightened. "We have at least seventy students who are like Kael and Evan."
The words struck like a blade, leaving Hiro and Kaito frozen in shock. Their hearts pounded as the weight of the truth sank in, the horror of it settling deep into their bones.