<h4>Chapter 197: Are you.</h4>


    "Are you kidding me?" Taros asked as he pulled his shirt back on, his eyes sharp with anger. "Do you want to kill her?"


    "How? Why would you say that?" Hiro scoffed, rolling his eyes as he walked to Ang’s side. He slipped an arm around her waist as if she only belonged to him.


    "Kaito is unconscious," Taros said firmly. "He isn’t strong enough for this. He needs time to wake up. If he wants to im her, he’ll do it on his own. You can’t force it on him while he’s asleep."


    Renn crossed his arms, his voice steady but heavy with concern. "It’s not safe for Ang either. You know this as well as I do."


    Ang frowned, her chest tightening. "What do you mean it’s not safe for me? I can handle it. I would do anything to save him. I don’t care what it costs me."


    Renn’s gaze softened, but he didn’t hide the truth. "Kaito is a beast right now. He isn’t conscious enough to know who you are or what’s happening. If you go through with this, you’ll lose yourself to him. We can’t risk you dying because you’re trying to tame a monster."


    Taros leaned forward, his tone gentler. "And there’s another problem. His powers are still unstable. Your skin can’t touch his properly because of the electrons running through him. I managed to take some away, but not all. They’re still there, still dangerous."


    Ang’s lips parted, her confusion showing. "But I thought the only way to save him was for him to im me. Isn’t that what we agreed on? That once it’s done, he’ll wake up?" Her eyes flicked to Hiro, wondering if he had tricked her, if something had changed without her knowing.


    "Yes, but only when he’s conscious," Renn exined with quiet patience.


    Ang’s voice broke in a whisper. "Then when will that be?"


    The room fell silent, and every pair of eyes turned to Taros. Ang’s heart softened when she looked at him. In this moment, she found him almost endearing. He had fought for Kaito’s life, carried the weight of everyone’s pain, and still he stood here trying to shield her. She wished she could give him some of the happiness he deserved after all he had given.


    "We don’t know," Taros finally said, leaning back against the sofa. His voice was tired, his body slumping with exhaustion. Ang could see how much it had taken out of him, and her chest ached with both worry and gratitude.


    "We will wait here with you. No pressure," Hiro said as he pressed his lips gently to her cheek. Ang closed her eyes and let the warmth sink deep inside her chest. It was thefort she needed, a brief calm in the middle of everything, but silence had never been her friend. She broke it again with a soft voice.


    "I will use the bathroom," she said, and Hiro’s arm around her waist loosened. She walked to the door, her steps heavy but steady. When she opened it, she turned for a moment and caught their eyes. All of them were staring at her as if she carried something fragile and dangerous at the same time. A cold shiver ran through her, but she forced a smile and closed the door behind her. In her heart she thought bitterly, these mates of mine are going to be the death of me.


    The moment she left, Hiro’s expression hardened. "Are you not going to tell her the truth?"


    "Keep your voice down," Renn snapped in a low whisper, annoyance cutting through his tone. "Do you want her to hear you?"


    "So what if she does? She has to know the truth about Kaito before he ims her," Hiro muttered, his jaw tight.


    Taros rubbed his temple and leaned back as if this was none of his concern. "If there is anything she should know, Kaito will be the one to tell her. Only he has that right."


    Hiro narrowed his eyes. "Do you really think he will be able to say it? That he is a..." His words trailed off when the door opened. Ang stood there, and from the look on her face, it was clear she had caught something. Hiro’s mouth moved quickly to cover it. "Who is Kaine, by the way?"


    Ang frowned, but Renn quickly filled the silence, pretending nothing was wrong. "I have no idea. Taros should know. He’s the one who’s been rolling with him since the beginning." His gaze slid toward Taros.


    Taros let out a long sigh and buried his face in his palms. None of them would believe him even if he spoke the truth. They would think he was hiding something, but he wasn’t. Lifting his head, his voice came rough and tired. "I swear, I have no idea who that is."


    "Keep lying about it, bro," Hiro said as he sat back on the couch. His eyes moved to Ang and a sly smile curved his lips. "Love, hold him to it. He knows something about this Kaine."


    Ang’s steps slowed and her voice came out tight. "So that was what you were hiding from me?" She walked closer to Hiro, her eyes searching his face. She had heard their voices from the bathroom. She knew it was about Kaito.


    "Yes," Hiro admitted with no shame.


    Taros let out a weary breath before speaking. "I don’t know any Kaine. Kaito and I never talked much about personal matters. He never kept girlfriends, and the few times I saw him with women, it was nothing serious. He is... reserved."


    Ang almost added cold to that word, but she bit her tongue. Her gaze drifted to Kaito lying motionless on the bed. A part of her wondered if he could hear every word they were saying, even in his unconscious state. If he could, he would not be pleased. He valued his privacy too much.


    "You don’t need to worry about it," she said softly. "Kaito will tell me when he wakes up."


    Hiro chuckled under his breath. "I love the way you trust him."


    Ang turned her head and gave him a faint smile. "Don’t be jealous." She walked to the bedside, her eyes never leaving Kaito’s still form. She stood there in silence, long enough for the others to start wondering if she was not tired. They worried for her, but she only worried for him. All she wanted was to hear his voice, to see his eyes open, to know he was fine and that nothing was wrong with him.


    After what felt like forever, she lowered herself to the floor beside the bed. Her body felt heavy, her eyes begged for rest, but she would not allow them to close, not while Kaito’s eyes remained shut. She leaned against the side of the bed, her gaze fixed on him from the corner of her eyes.


    Her mind was full of questions and fears. How long had he carried this pain alone? Did he go through this often? Renn had spoken as if this was not the first time. She knew about the transformation pain they go through every he go through every full moon but not this.


    Ang pressed her lips together, fighting the sting of tears. She made a promise to herself in that moment. As soon as Kaito woke up, she would not hesitate. She would make sure he imed her, because she could no longer bear to watch him suffer. If she had to give everything to end his pain, then she would.