Angela froze.
Her breath hitched as she stood in the doorway, wide-eyed and horrified. A scream escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Why was he naked?
No one told her that sharing a room with a guy meant she'd be welcomed by six feet of bare, muscular, dripping-wet Alpha. Did boys normally act this way? He walked out of the bathroom like he owned the place—without even bothering with a towel. Like modesty didn't exist in his vocabulary.
Angela's heart slammed against her ribs. Not just from shock—but from the insane, unfair attractiveness of the man before her.
This couldn't be real.
When Stales told her she'd be rooming with the West Pack Alpha, a dozen worst-case scenarios had crossed her mind—but this was nowhere on the list.
"You can turn around now," came a low, gravelly voice.
She could hear him moving. A towel rustling. The floor creaking beneath his feet.
Still covering her face with both hands, Angela peeked between her fingers and turned around slowly. He had wrapped a towel around his waist—barely. It was better than before, but not by much.
And damn it… he was gorgeous.
Tall, with perfectly sculpted muscles that looked like they'd been carved from stone. Drops of water slid down his abs as he dried himself off lazily. His skin glistened under the dim light. His jawline was sharp, and his damp dark hair curled slightly at the ends. But it was his eyes that caught her off guard—gray and piercing, like storm clouds ready to erupt.
She swallowed hard.
This was bad. Her roommate was the sexiest man she'd ever seen. And worse—he was Kaito, the Alpha of the West. The one everyone said to avoid at all costs.
"For goddess' sake," he muttered, his expression twisting into a frown. "Stop acting like you saw a ghost. You're acting like a girl. A stupid one."
Angela's fists clenched. She wanted to yell—I am a girl, you idiot! And you're the stupid one for not noticing!
But she didn't. Stales' voice echoed in her head—Stay out of trouble. Especially with Kaito.
Swallowing her pride, she forced herself to speak. "I—I didn't know you'd be in here. Naked."
"It's my room… a boy's room," Kaito said, rubbing his neck with the towel. "Were you expecting to walk in on a naked girl instead?"
Angela's face flushed with heat. Her palms were already sweaty, and it felt like the room was ten degrees hotter than outside. She had no idea how he was surviving so calmly, half-naked like that.
Kaito rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Settle in before six. I bet you don't want to be late on your first day."
"Late?" Angela echoed.
"Yes. After dinner, we're holding the welcoming ceremony." His tone was flat, but not exactly rude this time. "By the way, I'm Kaito."
"An…" she started to reply, but he cut in.
"Angel. I know," he said, surprising her. "I tried to set up the room on short notice. I'll fix the rest as we go."
Angela nodded slowly, still trying to process everything. When she first walked in, she hadn't even noticed the room itself—only him.
She looked around now and realized how weird it was that he'd mentioned "arranging the room." There was only one bed, though big enough for three people to sleep on if they had to. Still, she didn't like that idea one bit.
In the corner, a massive shoe rack lined the wall—stacked with what looked like sixty pairs of shoes. For a second, Angela thought it was a store. What did one guy need with so many shoes?
To the right, there was a giant four-door wardrobe. Kaito had already taken over three of the doors. He'd left her just one. It was enough, though. She didn't have much.
Angela unpacked quietly, folding the few uniforms she'd been given earlier that day by the uniform master. She placed them neatly inside the wardrobe, the empty space making her feel small.
Once she was done, she grabbed her towel and headed into the bathroom, giving Kaito the space to get dressed.
He hadn't asked her to leave. Honestly, he didn't even seem to care. But for her sanity—and her pounding heart—it was the best decision.
Inside the bathroom, Angela locked the door behind her and let out a breath of relief. She peeled off her clothes and slowly untied the tight wrap around her chest. She stared at herself in the mirror.
Her breasts were sore, her ribs aching. Her back throbbed from keeping up the disguise all day.
Angela touched her face and frowned. Could she really keep this up? Pretending to be a boy wasn't just uncomfortable—it was painful.
She turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face. It helped a little, calming her nerves. But as the water ran down her skin, she looked at herself again—bare, aching, hidden.
The very thing she had run from—being sold off as a surrogate to the West Pack—was now staring her in the face again.
Only this time, she wasn't Angela.
She wasn't a girl meant to be used. She wasn't weak.
To him, to the whole school… she was Angel—just another boy.
And Kaito? He was just her roommate.
Angela smiled bitterly at her reflection.
Angela bathed quickly and wrapped herself up again, wincing slightly as the tight bandage pressed against her sore chest. She slipped back into her clothes and stepped out of the bathroom, silently hoping Kaito had already left the room.
No such luck.
"There's no way I'm letting you wear that," Kaito said the moment he looked up and saw her outfit. His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. "You have to wear the compound uniform. Just like everyone else."
Angela froze, her eyes trailing over him. He wore a crisp black shirt tucked neatly into matching trousers. His shoes gleamed, just as black and spotless. The dark outfit clung perfectly to his tall, sculpted frame, making his fair skin glow like moonlight.
He reached for something on the bed and tossed it toward her. A gold-colored jacket. "You'll wear the black shirt and gold shorts," he said. "Hurry up, Angel."
"Okay," Angela replied quickly, moving to the wardrobe. She pulled out the uniform, nerves bubbling beneath her skin.
She clutched the clothes tightly, waiting for him to leave—willing him to take the hint and step out.
But he didn't.
Kaito crossed his arms and stayed right there, glancing at his watch. "What are you waiting for?" he asked, a slight edge in his voice. "You've got a few minutes left."
Angela's heart stopped.
She couldn't change in front of him. That would be suicide. The tight wrap would give her away instantly—not to mention the curve of her waist or the shape of her chest. Kaito would know in a second.
But running to the bathroom again would look suspicious. He'd already raised one eyebrow when she took too long the first time.
She stood frozen, eyes darting around the room like a trapped deer. Her hands clenched around the uniform. Kaito wasn't stupid. If she hesitated any longer, he'd start asking questions.
And then her secret would be over—just like that.
Angela swallowed hard, her mind racing for a way out.