Chapter 75 Heart to Heart
Phoebe
I glanced at my four mates, my chest feeling heavier with every breath. Something had been gnawing at me for days, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My fingers twisted together nervously as I looked at each of their faces.
“I… I need some time alone with Phoenix. Just the two of us. Please,” I said quietly.
Silence fell. They exchanged looks, hesitant at first, but finally nodded. Hayden gave my shoulder a gentle pat before they all left the room. My heartbeat picked up the moment it was just me and Phoenix—my twin—sitting there.
He raised a brow at me, like he already knew what I was about to say.
“Phoebe,” his voice was flat, but I could hear the sympathy hiding behind it, “what do you need to talk about?”
I sucked in a shaky breath. “I’m scared, Nix. I’m scared that Mom and Dad will find out… about my fate. About the fact that I have four mates.”
The words came out trembling, almost breaking. I clutched my knees and stared at the floor.
Phoenix didn’t say anything at first. I knew he was shocked, but he hid it well. He rubbed a hand over his face before finally looking at me, his eyes softer than before.
“Finley already told me. Yeah, it’s an anomaly. Almost unheard of—for a wolf to have more than one mate. Four? That’s insane. But…” He trailed off, like he was weighing his words.
My eyes burned as tears threatened to spill. “I… I’ve tried to accept it. But it feels like everyone will see me as a disgrace. Like a curse on our family. Sometimes I just want to give up, Nix.” My voice cracked, and I buried my face in my hands.
Phoenix let out a long breath, then reached for my hand. His touch was warm, grounding me in a way nothing else could.
“Listen. You’re my sister. My twin. I know you’re strong—even when you don’t believe it yourself. Yeah, it’s weird, it’s not normal, but so what? If you need help telling Mom and Dad, I’ll be right there with you.”
“Really?” My tears blurred everything, but I could still see him smiling faintly.
“You’re not a curse, Bee. You’re just… different. And honestly—don’t take this the wrong way—sometimes you drive me nuts. But if you’re happy, then I’ll deal with it. That’s what matters.”
My chest swelled with a bittersweet ache, equal parts pain and comfort. “Thank you, Nix… I needed to hear that from you.”
He ruffled my hair with a crooked grin. “Idiot. You’re never alone.”
A laugh almost slipped out between my tears, but then footsteps echoed at the door. Hayden walked in, his expression serious.
“Phoebe, Phoenix—Coach Cooper and Principal Hartman want to see you in the common room. Now.”
The atmosphere in the Divergent dorm’s common room was tense. Coach Cooper sat with a conflicted expression, while Principal Hartman looked calm but sharp.
“I already knew about your identities,” Coach Cooper admitted finally, his gaze shifting between me and Phoenix. “I knew from the beginning. I just never told the Principal.”
My throat went dry, my heart hammering. But Principal Hartman leaned forward, his tone calm but cutting.
“So now, we need to decide the next step. What’s going to happen with the two of you in this E-Sports team?”
Coach Cooper sighed, his eyes locking onto mine. “If the media keeps pushing this issue—about you pretending to be Phoenix—I’ll have no choice but to make an official statement. We can’t hide it forever.”
Heat flushed through my cheeks. This was exactly what I feared.
But Principal Hartman raised his hand. “Or… we flip the narrative. We keep Phoenix hidden as our secret weapon. When the media pushes too hard, we reveal him as a surprise. A plot twist.”
I glanced at Phoenix. His eyes narrowed, already calculating the angle. Then Coach Cooper turned back to me.
“And starting now, I want you to show up at every Divergent Howls tournament as the team’s brand ambassador. Your presence matters. You’re not just a player anymore—you’re the face of this team.”
I froze. “M-me? A brand ambassador?”
For a second, I’d been so sure they were going to kick me out. My chest felt lighter, but shaky.
Before I could even process it, Adonis strode in holding his tablet. His face was serious, but his eyes gleamed with triumph.
“The news is gone.”
I blinked at him. “What do you mean?”
He handed me the tablet. “The articles accusing you—they’re wiped. Clean. I deleted every trace.”
My hands trembled as I took the device. The headlines that had crushed me only hours ago… gone. Erased as if they never existed.
I clamped a hand over my mouth as tears welled up again. But this time, it wasn’t fear. It was relief.
“Thank you…” My voice cracked, heavy with gratitude. For the first time in so long, I could actually breathe.
The meeting wrapped up quickly after that. Principal Hartman gave a few instructions, and everyone scattered.
Hayden came up beside me and gently took my hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
I followed, still dazed with relief. But I could feel Phoenix’s stare from across the room—sharp, cold, filled with disapproval. He knew I was leaving with Hayden.
Phoenix had never liked him. And now, with all the chaos sparked by Hayden’s ex spreading lies, his resentment had only grown.
“Bee,” Phoenix’s voice cut through the room, hard and unyielding. “Don’t forget who put you in this position in the first place.”
I froze mid-step. Hayden stiffened beside me.
Turning back, I tried to keep my voice calm. “Nix, I know. But—”
“But what?” he snapped. “You still trust him? After everything?”
The air thickened with tension. My chest tightened, the weight of their hostility pressing down on me. Hayden’s fists clenched at his sides, but he stayed silent.
I swallowed hard and met Phoenix’s glare. “I’m not asking you to like him. But I… I need you to trust me.”
Phoenix exhaled sharply, frustration etched across his face. “Trust you? Always. But him?” His gaze flicked to Hayden, full of disdain. “Not until he proves he can stop making you cry like you did earlier.”
The room went silent. My heart felt torn in two. I tightened my grip on Hayden’s hand anyway, even though guilt stabbed through me. Phoenix didn’t see what I saw in him.
“I won’t make Phoebe cry again,” Hayden said suddenly, his voice steady. “You have my word, Phoenix.”
And just like that, the battle lines were drawn.