Chapter 147 My Angel | 040
NOELLE
Blue and I walk in tense silence towards the parking lot, my sneakers scuffing softly against the concrete. The man in the tactical jacket stays a few steps ahead, never looking back.
My stomach is a knot of nerves. Every time Blue glances sideways at me, I can see the question in her eyes.
'Are you sure about this?'
The truth is that I'm not sure. Not even close.
Finally, we reach the lot. The black SUV is parked at the far end, away from the main student traffic. The stranger stops beside it and opens the side door, a tall man in a black suit stepping out.
Blue immediately moves to stand in front of me, one arm subtly angled to shield me.
"Name," she says.
The man raises both hands in surrender.
"Captain Finn Torres, Werewolf Corps, Veil Containment Division." He nods towards me without breaking eye contact with Blue. "Mrs. Lakewood."
Blue doesn't budge. "ID."
He reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a matte black card. There's no photo. Just the Corps insignia in silver and a short alphanumeric code. Blue takes it and studies it for three long seconds, then she hands it back.
"Talk," she says. "Five minutes. I'm listening."
Torres lowers his hands.
"I need to speak with your Luna privately," he says. "This isn't a negotiation. The fate of every supernatural on this continent is currently sitting in her hands."
Blue snorts. "And you think dragging her into a parking lot is safe—"
"I think standing here arguing in the open is the least safe thing we can do," he cuts in. "Five minutes. My vehicle. Doors unlocked. You can watch from ten feet away. If anything feels off, you pull her out. I won't stop you."
Blue looks at me over her shoulder. Her expression says, 'Your call, but I don't like it.'
I swallow hard. All of this feels like there's a huge responsibility waiting for me. And despite how scary it sounds, I look forward to being useful, to being needed.
Blue exhales sharply, then she steps aside.
Torres opens the back door of the SUV. It has a leather interior, and there are no visible weapons. He slides in first, leaving the door open.
I climb in. Blue stays outside, leaning against the hood, her arms crossed.
Torres doesn't waste time.
He pulls a slim folder from the seat beside him and sets it on his knee.
"The veil," he begins, "is the barrier between the living realm and the Underworld. It's not solid. It's more like a membrane. For centuries it's been thinning in places, letting spirits slip through. Possessions, hauntings, and power leaks. Your husband is one of the worst leaks."
He meets my eyes.
"Azren Lakewood is a living fracture. He was born with spirits already inside him. Those spirits never left. They feed on him, drive him, and make him unstable. Every time he loses control, the tear widens. The veil frays. More things come through."
My mouth goes dry.
"That's why the New Order wants him," Torres continues. "They believe that if they can harness his instability—if they can force a full break—they can control what comes through. They can weaponize the Underworld itself. Armies of spirits. Old gods. Whatever they can drag out. And they'll start with him."
He opens the folder just enough for me to see the top page: a satellite image of the city. There's a red circle around the university and another circle around the Lakewood estate. There are also lines connecting them.
"They're already moving," he says. "We have credible intelligence that a strike team is in place. They're waiting for a clean shot at you or at him. They'll use you as bait if they have to."
I force my voice to stay steady. "And what do you want from me?"
Torres closes the folder.
"Contain him."
I blink at him, frowning.
"Contain him how?" I ask, though I already dread the answer.
"Whatever it takes," he says. "Keep him calm. Keep him medicated. Keep him from losing control. If the veil tears wide open because of him, we lose everything. The Corps can't stop what comes through once it's loose. No one can."
My stomach turns.
"You're asking me to cage my husband."
"I'm asking you to help save every living supernatural on this continent," he replies. "Including him.”
I stare at him.
He reaches into his pocket and slides a plain white card across the seat. There's a number on it and one word in silver: Torres.
"Think about it," he says. "When you're ready, call. No pressure. No deadline. Just... don't wait until it's too late."
I take the card slowly. My fingers feel numb.
Torres nods, then he looks past me at Blue.
"She's all yours."
I slide out of the SUV. Blue immediately steps in front of me, blocking Torres' line of sight until the door closes.
The SUV pulls away slowly, and Blue turns to look at me, her eyes searching my face.
"Are you good?"
I look down at the card in my hand.
"Yeah," I say. "I'm good."
But inside, everything feels like it's tilting.
I close my fingers around the card and slip it into my pocket. I can still hear Torres' voice.
'Contain him.'
Surely, he's not asking me to drug my husband, is he?!
...
A while later, I hurry down the hallway towards my next class, Blue at my side. My mind is still spinning from Torres’ words. Blue hasn't said much since the parking lot, but her posture is stiff, her eyes darting to every doorway we pass.
We round the corner near the east stairwell, and I almost trip over my own feet.
Cooper is on the floor.
He’s curled on his side, his knees drawn up, one arm wrapped tight around his stomach. His face is pale, sweat beading on his forehead, his breathing heavy. A low moan slips out of him as he rocks slightly.
"Cooper?"
The word bursts out before I can stop it.
Blue's hand shoots out, catching my elbow. "Wait."
But I'm already moving. I drop to my knees beside him, my heart slamming against my ribs.
"Hey—hey, what happened?" I reach for his shoulder, careful. "Cooper, talk to me."
His eyes flutter open, dazed. He tries to sit up, winces, and curls tighter instead.
"I'm... fine," he rasps.
"You're not fine." I glance at Blue, who's scanning the hallway like she's expecting an ambush. "He needs help. Call—"
"No," Cooper cuts in, his voice strained but urgent. "No hospital. Please. Just... help me up."
I hesitate. His colour is awful, he’s all grey. But he's looking at me with desperate, pleading eyes.
"Okay," I whisper. "Okay, hold on."
I slide one arm under his shoulders, the other around his back. He's heavier than he looks, but he pushes up with me, grunting in pain. Blue steps forward to steady his other side, but Cooper flinches away from her touch.
"Only you," he gasps. "Please... only you."
Blue's brows shoot up, but she backs off, her eyes narrowing.
I get him to a sitting position against the wall. His breathing is ragged, sweat dripping down his temples. He clutches his stomach harder, his knuckles white.
"What happened?" I ask again. "Who did this?"
He shakes his head.
"Doesn't matter. I just... needed to see you—" His voice cracks. He looks up at me, his eyes wide and shining with something like awe. "Noelle..."
I frown. "Cooper, you're scaring me. Let me call—"
He grabs my wrist, the one with the flame mark.
The moment his fingers close around it, an electric jolt shoots up my arm. I gasp, and he gasps louder.
A strange, warm golden light blooms under my skin, right where the incomplete flame sits. Cooper stares at it, his mouth open. Then he looks up at me, his eyes shimmering.
"You're..." His voice cracks. "You're my soulmate."
Blue makes a choked sound behind me.
I can't move or breathe. My wrist is still tingling where he touched it, the glow fading slowly but not disappearing completely.
Cooper's hand trembles on my arm.
"I felt it," he whispers. "The moment I saw you in class today. I thought I was imagining it. But it's real. You're... you're mine."
I yank my hand back.
"No," I say. "No, that's not—"
My voice cracks. Blue is suddenly right beside me, one hand on my shoulder, the other hovering near her hip where I know she keeps a concealed blade.
"Back off," she says to Cooper, her voice lethal. "Now."
He doesn't move. He just stares at me, his eyes shining with tears and wonder.
"I'm not lying," he says softly. "I swear. I've waited my whole life to find you. And now... now you're here."
My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. Cooper reaches for me once more. Blue snarls and steps fully between us.
"Touch her again and I'll rip your throat out."
Cooper freezes. But his eyes aren’t leaving mine.
"Please," he whispers. "Just... let me explain."
I shake my head hard.
"No," I say again. "No. This isn't—this can't—"
"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just... I've never felt anything like this before."
Blue's hand tightens on my shoulder.
"We're leaving," she says. "Now."
I nod weakly, confused. This…this feels like a trap.
But as Blue pulls me away, Cooper's voice follows us.
"Noelle... please. Don't run from this. Don't run from me."