A Beauty In An All-Male Alpha Academy

Chapter 12: Game Time

It wasn’t just a bird. It was a damn phoenix with claws so long they could rip her open. It flew fast, wild, like it had only one goal...to tear her apart.

Angela ran.

The forest was the only place to hide. Maybe the bird wouldn’t fit between the trees. Maybe it would lose her in the dark.

She didn’t know. She just ran, her legs shaking, her heart pounding like it would explode.

What the hell was happening to her? Was Hiro messing with her head? Was she stuck in his mind, or was he stuck in hers?

She had no answers. She wished Stales was close. He would’ve known what to do. But he wasn’t here. No one was. Just her. Alone. Running like a mad dog.

The forest was creepy. The kind that made your skin crawl. Animal sounds echoed from all directions. She didn’t care. She would rather face wolves than that firebird chasing her.

She spotted a big tree and pressed herself behind it, trying to catch her breath. Her chest ached. Her hands shook.

Why did she even come to the Alpha Academy?

Was this all a mistake?

Maybe she should’ve run away to a far-off place. Somewhere her uncle would never find her.

But she didn’t.

And now, she was stuck.

Tears slid down her cheeks, hot and fast. Everything felt like it was falling apart. Everyone hated her. Everything hurt. Maybe it was her fault.

Grace once told her that her father died the day she was born. Angela had always found it hard to believe. There were no photos, no keepsakes, nothing. Just words.

The neighbors whispered things too. That no one had ever seen her father. That she was just the result of some one-night mistake.

kept falling. Maybe they were

sound cut through the silence. The cry of that horrible

She held her breath.

feel it sticking to her face. Running like this, with her chest

sound of footsteps... heavy, slow—echoed behind her. She didn’t

pressed her back against the tree like

She was scared.

the

it hurt? Would it be fast?

a good idea. Some twisted test. She wanted to scream.

Kaito know? Did the

none of them stopped it. That made them just as

opened her eyes, and her

eyes stared back at

She screamed.

bird screamed back, louder,

She ran.

could run, yes. But not from

flew past her, its wings stirring up dust and pain all at once. It vanished ahead, but the damage was done. She should never have stopped to test it. The pain

felt like it was on fire. The cut wasn’t deep, but

pushed herself up, slowly, shaking, and leaned against the closest tree. Her legs

needed water. She needed help. She could feel the blood seeping through her

out, hoping someone might hear her. But no one

Not a single soul.

be planned. The Alphas had to know. Hiro had to know

shirt to stop the bleeding, but her arms wouldn’t stretch far enough. The pain was too much. Her

couldn’t get worse, the bird came back. But it didn’t fly. It landed and stood a few feet away,

Her heart nearly stopped.

What now?

to crawl away, but it felt like something had locked her in place. Something stronger than fear. A force she didn’t understand. Of course. Hiro