<h4>Chapter 216: The Flight.</h4>


    "Come down from the car, all of you," the cop ordered. He stepped back, his hand pulling out his gun. Kaito’s chest tightened in surprise, but he did as told. It was strange to hear the officer im that bodies had been found at the store they had just left. Either the man was lying or someone had set them up. Could Marcus be behind this?


    His mind raced. If Marcus was involved, then things had gotten worse than he imagined. He would have no choice but to deal with the cops, one way or another.


    "Are we seriously getting down?" Alex muttered, his face pale with worry. Eliza was still unconscious in the back seat, and if she woke now, controlling her would be impossible.


    "I think I know the other cop. You don’t have toe, I’ll handle it," Seraphina said quietly as she stepped out of the car. She straightened her shirt and walked toward the second officer. The boys watched from inside, tense and restless.


    "How are we sure she’s speaking for us?" Alex whispered, his voice unsteady. His nerves were burning out. All he wanted was for the police to vanish so they could move on.


    "She will," Kaito answered, though his jaw clenched. "But can she convince them to let us go?" His eyes stayed fixed on the side mirror, every muscle in his body ready. He couldn’t risk exposing who they really were.


    "I don’t trust her," his Beta muttered, arms crossed tight against his chest.


    "Fine, Alex. You don’t have to," Kaito replied, almost too sharply. He hated that they were arguing now, of all times. He nced at him for a second before turning back to the mirror, and that was when he saw Seraphina. She embraced the other officer like an old friend before returning to the car. "I listened to their talk. She didn’t betray us."


    "If you say so," Alex grumbled, just as the door opened.


    "It’s done. We can leave," Seraphina said, her blonde hair falling against her cheek as she slipped back inside.


    Alex stared at her, lost for words. Then his voice cracked. "What did you do?"


    "The other cop knows me," she exined softly. "The bodies they found were from another store, not the perfume shop. I told him you had a flight to catch, so he let us go."


    "Thank you, Seraphina," Kaito said as he started the car. His chest felt heavy with guilt. He had taken her captive, and now she was the reason they were free. As the road opened ahead toward the academy, he sighed. "I am sorry for dragging you into this. I never meant to."


    "What did I do wrong?" she asked, her voice calm now, almost too calm. "I still don’t understand why you’re doing this."


    Kaito’s heart twisted, but Alex answered instead. "You saw something you weren’t supposed to. That’s why we can’t let you go. Trust me, it wasn’t our choice. I don’t even know why I suggested it."


    The car fell silent after that. The boys thought the matter was over, that maybe she had epted her fate, but she hadn’t.


    "You don’t trust me, Kaito?" Seraphina asked softly. She hoped with all her heart that he would deny it, but instead he gave a small nod that left her stunned. "I would give my life for you."


    "That’s too much for a guy who already has a girlfriend," Alex said with a shortugh. He turned his head just enough to look at her, and guilt hit him at once. She looked so innocent, so peaceful, and his words suddenly felt cruel.


    "Villians aren’t born. They are made snd i think you are trying to make one right now, Alex," Kaito muttered as his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. Seraphina’s face was pale and her silence sharp. "You shouldn’t have said that."


    "But you do have a mate. A girlfriend. We don’t have to lie to her," Alex whispered.


    "Wait. Kaito has a mate?" Seraphina’s voice broke the air, trembling as her eyes moved from one of them to the other. She even nced at Eliza, still asleep, before asking again, "You have a girlfriend?"


    "Yes, Seraphina," Kaito admitted. He wasn’t ashamed of Ang, but this wasn’t the time. "You and I never dated. We barely spoke. You had a crush on me, you wrote your number on a note and gave it to me. Your mother got angry and chased us away. I never saw you again after that."


    "We?" Alex asked, surprised. This was the first time he was hearing the story.


    "When Taros came to my shop, I thought you sent him," Seraphina said, tears shining in her eyes.


    "No. I didn’t," Kaito answered honestly. He hadn’t known Taros went to her ce. His focus returned to the road, and relief washed over him when the guards at the school gate recognized the car and waved them through without questions.


    The ride ended in silence. When they stopped in front of the Alphas PIT, Kaito got out first, scanning around to be sure no one was watching. It was alreadyte. He opened the door for Seraphina and then turned to Alex.


    "I need your help to carry your sugar mummy," he said as he pulled Eliza out. She was still unconscious, which made things easier.


    "She is not my sugar mommy," Alex said quickly, his tone defensive. He looked at Seraphina, and she only lifted her shoulders in a shrug. That made him groan. "Are you believing it too?"


    "You were all clingy with her," Seraphina replied, bending to pick up the older woman’s shoes.


    "It was just an act," Alex muttered as he moved ahead of Kaito and unlocked the door.


    "To me, it looked like the opposite," Seraphina chuckled, following them inside. The ce was dark, and since she was no werewolf, her eyes could not cut through the shadows. Alex had to turn on his phone light for her to see. "What is this ce?"


    "I still wonder if you are with us or a captive," Kaito said as heid Eliza in the corner. He took the chains from the table and tied her down carefully.


    "I don’t care which one it is, as long as I stay on your side," Seraphina answered, though her stomach tightened at the thought of what kind of hole they had dragged her into.


    "She is crazy about you," Alex hissed as he moved to the other side of the room.


    "She would be foolish to get involved with you," a man’s voice cut in from the shadows, startling Seraphina. Her body jumped in fear at the sudden sound.


    "Sweet moon... it’s you," Alex said, pointing his light toward the corner. The beam revealed Mr. de sitting there. "Don’t panic, Sera. He’s also our guest."


    "He doesn’t look like a guest to me," she whispered, shaking her head as her eyes darted toward Kaito, who was still focused on securing Eliza. "Is it safe to keep them in the same ce?"


    "Yes. They don’t know each other, and we will shut her mouth with tape," Kaito replied calmly.


    "His too," Seraphina added with a smallugh.


    "Good idea," Alex said, grabbing the tape from the table. He looked at her with a faint smile. "I think I’m starting to like you."


    "But I like Kaito," she told him without shame.


    "He is not single... but I am," Alex reminded her, as though she had forgotten.


    The weight of those words hit her harder than she wanted to admit. Seraphina sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat. She didn’t want to give away the ache she felt inside, so she turned her face aside. In less than five minutes the boys were finished, and now they stood in silence, debating whether to let her remain in the same space as the two captives or not.


    "Why don’t we let her stay at Mr. de’s house?" Alex suggested. He didn’t like the idea of keeping Seraphina in the PIT with the others. "No one will suspect anything. She can cook for herself, and we won’t have to visit her every day."


    "That sounds better. We will do that," Kaito agreed. They left the PIT, went to the car, and drove into the staff quarters. Seraphina was taken to Mr. de’s house, with a promise that they would check on her the next day.


    <fnbbb9> The source of th?s content is </fnbbb9>


    "Are you locking me in here?" Seraphina asked in disbelief. "What if the house catches fire?"


    "It won’t. And if it does, we will be here before anything happens to you," Kaito said with a shortugh as he stepped outside. She stared at them with frustration, knowing there was nothing she could do to change their minds. "I am sorry you got caught in this, but I have to protect her."


    "Who is her?" she asked.


    "His girlfriend," Alex answered before locking the door and handing the keys to Kaito.


    "No, you keep it," Kaito said quickly. "If Ang finds out about Seraphina, she will kill me. I don’t want the keys, and I will not visit her alone."


    Alex gave a slow nod and climbed into the car beside him. They drove back toward the hostel, both of them hoping to settle in before Ang returned. But when they arrived, their hope vanished. Ang was already there, standing beside the car with Taros.


    "We are in big trouble. Do you think she saw us?" Alex whispered, his eyes wide with fear. He could endure many things, but not Ang’s wrath.