Chapter 25 Chapter 25
Angelina's POV
My current identity was just a freshman girl at an outdoor education camp.
An ordinary teenage girl who'd never received any real training.
That's all I was supposed to be.
But what had I just done?
I'd just executed a textbook shoulder throw on Jake Morrison in front of everyone!
"Holy shit—"
The students who'd been watching gasped, their faces going pale with shock.
I saw Mia staring at me like she'd never seen me before, completely frozen.
As for Seren and that girl holding the scissors who'd accused me—
They were just regular students. The most they could pull off was their little frame-job, their amateur performance trying to pin this on me.
But I'd just taken down our counselor like it was nothing.
"Yo, that was sick!"
"Dude, that girl's got serious skills!"
The guys who'd been watching nearby stood there stunned for a second, then started clapping and cheering.
They didn't know me, but after what they'd just seen, they were all jumping to my defense.
"Bro, Jake, you just got dropped by a freshman girl."
"For real though—you really think someone with moves like that needs to sneak around cutting up sleeping bags? Come on, man."
"Right? This whole thing's gotta be a setup!"
One after another, the guys started backing me up.
I glanced at Seren. Her face was getting paler by the second. She definitely hadn't expected things to go this way.
Jake, being a counselor and former athlete, recovered quickly after I slammed him into the dirt. He got to his feet fast.
But the shock and confusion on his face was just as obvious as everyone else's.
I knew nobody understood his own skill level better than he did.
With his training, he could easily take on two grown men without breaking a sweat.
And I'd just overpowered him.
"Jake—Jake, I'm sorry. I think I made a mistake."
Seren's voice cut through the tension.
"My sleeping bag wasn't cut by Aria."
"I just remembered—it was already damaged when I brought it from home. I must've grabbed the wrong one... my mom packed two and I accidentally brought the ruined one..."
I stared at her coldly. She knew if she kept pushing this, she'd get nothing but trouble. They might even figure out she'd cut her own sleeping bag just to frame me. So she immediately put on that soft, fragile act and changed her story.
Hearing it was all a misunderstanding, Jake rubbed his temples and nodded, acknowledging what she said.
Then he looked at me, clearly uncomfortable.
He'd just falsely accused an innocent student.
It was his mistake.
Jake didn't hesitate. He apologized to me directly:
"I'm sorry. I misjudged the situation. That was my fault."
A genuine, sincere apology.
I knew everyone around us understood that Jake had been misled by Seren and her accomplice.
With an apology like that, anyone would accept it.
I could feel everyone watching me, waiting for me to accept Jake's apology.
But I didn't even look up.
In the world I used to live in, apologies were the most useless thing. I grew up in a brutal world where mercy didn't exist—nobody let you off the hook just because you said sorry.
The weak deserved to die.
Only the strong earned the right to stand at the top of the pyramid. Only the strong deserved to survive.
That was the world I came from.
A filthy world, but one that taught me how to survive on my own terms.
So I said coldly: "I don't accept your apology."
Everyone froze, including Jake.
I didn't wait for Jake to respond.
My sharp gaze locked onto Seren, who was trying to sneak back to her cabin.
I spoke clearly: "I'll remember this."
I'd remember her.
Anyone who dared mess with me—I remembered them.
Seren's spine went rigid. She broke out in a cold sweat.
Trembling, she quickened her pace and hurried back to the cabin.
"Aria, you... are you okay?"
Even though Mia didn't understand how I'd suddenly gotten so skilled—skilled enough to take down a counselor—
She didn't hesitate. She walked right up to me, linking her arm through mine, concern written all over her face.
"I'm fine," I answered.
Hearing me confirm it myself, Mia relaxed slightly.
Thinking back to the false accusation, Mia got angry all over again.
But this time, she wasn't mad at what Seren had done. Instead—
"Where the hell was Logan during all this? Guy's never around when you actually need him. When I see him, I swear I'm not letting him off easy!"
Seeing Mia like this, I couldn't help but smile.
Having friends who had your back... it felt good.
This was a warmth I'd never experienced before.
Jake, whose apology I'd rejected, looked briefly embarrassed.
But he didn't push it. Instead, he quickly dispersed the crowd:
"Alright, everyone, break it up. Head back to your cabins. Lights out in ten minutes—and I mean it. Anyone I catch outside after that is doing extra cleanup duty tomorrow."
Rowan's POV
I followed the Alpha to the vantage point overlooking Camp Redwood. From here, we had a clear view of everything below—including the area where Aria and her group had been moments ago.
The Alpha stood there, his tall figure completely still, tactical gear fitting against his body like a second skin. I noticed his gaze locked on a specific direction, that level of focus... it surprised me.
I cleared my throat and reported respectfully: "Alpha, the matter has been handled. The extraction team is on standby."
Caelan didn't respond immediately. He continued staring at something below. After a long pause, he finally said quietly: "Mm."
I'd arrived late, so I hadn't witnessed firsthand what had happened at the girls' cabins. But following the Alpha's line of sight, I immediately recognized her.
Aria.
It's her. That girl from the forest that night. The only woman the Alpha had ever touched in his life. That moment had been too shocking—I would never forget her face.
A bold theory formed in my mind—the Alpha had been monitoring that girl's every move all day... and right now, he was clearly confirming she'd safely returned to her cabin.
This realization hit me hard.
The Alpha hadn't come here for business. He'd come here because of her, just using the mission as an excuse to... what? Watch over her?
But I absolutely wouldn't dare say that out loud. I still valued my life.
However... I needed to report this to the old Luna.
The Alpha was only in his early twenties, still young, but the old Luna had already started hinting that he should consider finding a mate—though she never said it directly, those comments about "the pack needs an heir" and "you won't be young forever" had been repeated at least a hundred times.
The problem was the Alpha didn't care about any of that.
Rule number one: personal space is sacred.
Rule number two: no physical contact.
Rule number three: women stay the fuck away.
For the Alpha, romantic relationships were synonymous with weakness. He'd seen too many Alphas exploited by enemies because of their mates—kidnapped, tortured, used as leverage. He'd watched rival packs use loved ones as hostages, forcing powerful leaders to submit.
So his solution was simple: don't have any.
No attachments. No vulnerabilities. No one to protect except the pack.
This wasn't trauma, wasn't a psychological issue. This was a calculated decision—a strategist's choice. Emotions make you sloppy. Caring makes you weak. And weakness gets you killed.
Over the years, countless women had tried. Diplomats, warriors, even other Alphas' daughters sent as "peace offerings." His reaction to them? Absolute indifference. Like looking at furniture, lifeless objects that happened to be in his way.
But then...
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind, making my heart race.
Wait.
No.
It can't be.
I stared at the Alpha's back, watching him still focused intently on the direction where that girl had disappeared.
That night in the forest, he'd touched her. Not only touched her, but—let her go.
Today, he'd spent the entire day monitoring her every move.
And right now? He's making sure she got back to her cabin safely.
I felt my breathing stop.
Holy shit.
Could she be...?
His fated mate?
Once that thought emerged, it spread through my mind like wildfire.
When you meet your fated mate, all the rules no longer apply. All the walls come crashing down.
If Aria really was the Alpha's fated mate...
That would explain everything.
Why he touched her.
Why he didn't kill her.
Why he's standing here now, like a fucking lovesick teenager, watching her return to her cabin.
My hands were trembling.
This was unbelievable.
If I told the old Luna about this... I could already picture the scene: Given her personality, she'd probably immediately book the entire top floor of the Four Seasons and fly over, bringing the family's legal team, financial advisors, and that three-hundred-page "Future Daughter-in-Law Assessment Checklist." She'd "coincidentally" appear at the most upscale restaurant near Aria's home, "happen to run into" Aria's parents, then "casually" mention the Thorne family's global enterprises, the art collection acquired at Sotheby's, and that "just vacant" California beachfront mansion—oh, and she just happens to have the keys in her handbag, would they like to see it right now?
Within three days, the Sterling family would find themselves invited to charity galas, private yacht parties, and that "small family gathering" that actually had two hundred elite guests at the weekend estate party. The old Luna would use that gentle, elegant, yet impossible-to-refuse manner to directly "reserve" Aria as the future lady of the Thorne family.
This mental image made my shoulders shake slightly. I pushed up my wire-rimmed glasses, suppressing a smile.
Alpha, please don't blame me.
But... I really wanted to see that scene unfold.