Claimed by the Wrong Alphas Chapter 149: The denial

Charis

When Slater said my na, all three boys turned and stared at like I was a ghost materialised from their worst nightmares. The air in the room shifted, becoming thick with tension.

I knew that at so point, I’d need to face them. I had imagined this mont a hundred different ways. I hadn’t imagined it here, in this room, with the three of them staring at like I was a ghost.

Isolde and I had planned for this eventual confrontation. But I didn’t expect to et them so soon, and I certainly didn’t expect to be assigned to the sa dorm room. The coincidence was too perfect; soone had orchestrated this reunion, and I had a sinking suspicion I knew who.

I felt Rhy pulsing within , my wolf recognising the three males who had once ant everything to us. But I couldn’t afford to let emotion cloud my judgnt. Not now, not when everything Isolde and I had worked for was at stake.

I pushed down the feelings threatening to overwhelm , took one last look at their faces—Slater’s shock, Rhett’s confusion, Kael’s growing recognition—and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Slater rushed after , his hand shooting out to grab mine and pull back into the room.

I swatted his hand away, rolling my eyes with disdain. "Do I know you?"

Slater stood there dumbfounded, his mouth opening and closing.

"Charis..." he stuttered. "Of course it’s you. It’s , Slater."

He turned and pointed desperately at the other boys. "This is Rhett and Kael. We’re your mates and—"

"I think you’ve mistaken for soone else," I said coldly. I could see the way my words affected him, but I forced myself to continue. "I don’t know you or the boys behind you."

"Don’t do this, Charis. Do you have any idea how long we’ve been searching for you? Please..."

I rolled my eyes again, shoving past the doorfra. "Save your delusions for soone else."

He grabbed my hands again. "Wait, please. Don’t walk away again."

I yanked my hand free this ti around. "Don’t touch ."

Rhett, who has been watching the exchange quietly, suddenly smirked. "This is interesting. Slater, did you grab a random girl out of the hallway and call her your mate?"

"She’s not random," Slater shook his head. "Look at her!" he swung his arm toward . "This is Charis. My Charis. And yours too. Ours."

Rhett’s brow arched. "Ours?"

Slater nodded. "Rhett, Kael. This is what Charis looked like before she beca Eamon. This is who we’ve been searching for all these months. This is Charis, I promise you, guys. I would know."

Kael regarded quietly before he turned to Slater. "You sound insane. "That girl—" he paused, "—isn’t Charis."

I crossed my arms. "Finally, soone with sense."

Slater looked at both boys with disbelief and turned to with pleading eyes. "Don’t do this. Don’t pretend you don’t know ."

I tilted my chin. "Again, I think you’ve mistaken for soone else. Whoever that is—she isn’t ."

"What’s your na?" Slater asked.

I studied my fingernails for a mont. "My na is Charis Knox. Why?"

"See!" Slater said triumphantly. "This is Charis..."

"Knox?" Rhett frowned. Aren’t we looking for Charis Greye? Alpha Greye’s daughter? And why does Knox sound so familiar?"

Kael took a step toward . "Your hair..."

I touched it self-consciously. Tossing the long, thick strands over my shoulders. "What about it?"

Rhett snorted. He’s probably just imagining his runaway girlfriend in every skirt he sees."

Slater’s voice shook. "Don’t call her that."

I smiled tightly. "It seems all of you are going to be problems for later. I’ll request a transfer."

I turned to leave again, my heart hamring against my ribs, when Kael suddenly growled. The sound tore through the air in an agonising groan. He doubled over, his hands clutching at his chest as his breath ca in jagged gasps.

"Kael—what the hell?" he rushed over to him with concern on his face. "What’s wrong? What’s happening?"

Kael’s face was twisted in pain, and he was gasping with sweat breaking across his brow. "My... my wolf," he managed between ragged breaths. "It’s... going insane. The bond... it’s pulling..."

Slater lunged toward him. "You feel it, don’t you? Tell you feel it!"

Kael’s knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, his body convulsing with the effort of fighting whatever was happening inside him. He managed to prop himself into a kneeling position. His eyes had gone red, and the veins in his neck were straining.

"She’s... she’s here. My mate is... but that’s impossible..."

"Breathe, damn it!" Slater dropped to his knees beside Kael, his hands hovering helplessly. "Just breathe through it!"

Kael’s voice broke again, filled with pain. "I can’t—breathe. She’s here. Charis..."

Slater turned to . "Do sothing, Charis. He’s in pain because of you. You have to—"

"I hope you’re not insane!" I snapped at Slater. "Don’t put this on ."

Rhett glared at . "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing!" I yelled. "Why are you blaming for whatever is happening to him?"

Kael roared again, this ti he grabbed his head with both hands. His body trembled violently. His pupils had gone black, an indication he was trying to contain his shift.

Slater shouted over the chaos at Rhett. "She’s Charis, don’t you see. Kael’s wolf is reacting like this because she’s our Charis."

I couldn’t listen anymore. Rhy was howling inside , clawing at my chest, begging to go to him. I shoved her down with every ounce of my willpower.

Since the three of them were still fighting to keep Kael steady, I saw the chance to escape. I ran to the elevator, stopping to slip off my heels. As soon as I arrived at the elevator, I pressed the call button repeatedly.

My finger was jabbing at it with increasing desperation until the doors finally opened.

I threw myself inside and collapsed against the back wall, sighing in relief as the doors closed behind . I could feel Rhy howling within , clawing at my consciousness, demanding to return to our mates. But I shut her out, forcing her back into the depths of my mind where she couldn’t interfere with what needed to be done.

When the elevator arrived at the ground floor and dinged, I stepped out, adjusting my clothes and my hair and slipping my shoes back on, hoping I looked normal and wouldn’t call attention to myself.

I walked briskly across campus toward the administrative building, my mind racing. There was no way the random assignnt machine had selected all four of us for the sa room. Soone had manipulated the system, and I had a perfect idea who was responsible.

The administrative building was quieter.

Since the sester was yet to resu fully, many staff mbers had not yet resud. So I didn’t run into anyone I know. I continued to Vale’s office. When I got there, I walked past the secretary’s desk, the woman was dozing and straight to the inner office, which was Vale’s.

I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside, ready to unleash months of controlled fury on the woman who had tried to destroy my life.

But I stopped short when I saw who was sitting in one of Vale’s visitor chairs.

"Isolde?"

My adoptive mother had a frown on her face and seed to be bothered about sothing, but when she noticed soone had co into the office, she turned, and when she saw it was , her eyes went wild with surprise.

"Charis..darling, what are you doing here?" she asked, standing to her and coming towards . "Did sothing happen? Did you try calling ?"

I looked from her to Vale, who was standing by the window. She hadn’t bothered to turn.

"What’s going on here? You didn’t tell you’d be coming to the academy today?"

"It was a last-minute thing, dear. You know, as the newest mber of the board, there are lots of things I’m yet to do in terms of docuntation and a bunch of other things. So, I ca in to have them done. What’s wrong?"

At that mont, Vale turned back. Her eyes were red as though she’d been crying. She avoided my gaze and went to sit on her desk.

"Charis?" Isolde shook my hand, calling my attention to her.

"I am in the sa room with Kael, Rhett and Slater, and Slater recognised imdiately. Kael’s wolf also knows it’s . The system is supposed to assign randomly. Why am I in the sa room as them?" I directed the last question to Vale.

"How am I supposed to know?" Vale snapped. "I didn’t build the system. I have no idea how it works. Your dearest mother brought it to the academy."

"And you want to swear you didn’t manipulate it just like how you did to a few months ago? Tweaking the CCTV footage to show it was ..."

"You think you’re so important, Charis?" she scoffed. "I have no business with you. I didn’t tweak that footage. Yes, I wanted you gone, but I would not soil my hands to fight a nonentity like you."