Chapter 46
Chapter
Forty-Six
Late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the parking lot as Theo and Serena walked toward the administrative building. A crowd of staff members, administrators, and trainees had gathered near several police cars parked at the entrance. The atmosphere crackled with tension, making Theo’s pulse spike before anyone even spoke. He spotted Poppy standing beside Kai, and behind them were Logan, Alicia, Jade, Travis, and Morgan. The look on Kai’s face told Theo this confrontation would be ugly.
The moment Kai caught sight of Theo, he pointed an accusing finger, voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “There he is, the saboteur,” Kai snarled. “He’s always been unstable, ever since childhood. It’s in his blood. His father was the same way, nothing but a brute.”
Theo felt Serena’s grip on his arm tighten. Anger flared in his chest, but he forced himself to speak calmly. “You’re lying. You’re the one who rigged the ropes and anchor bolts.”
Kai’s eyes glinted with a vicious confidence. “Don’t pretend you and your little girlfriend didn’t plan this together. Maybe she wanted to sabotage the climb to deal with her daddy issues.”
Theo’s vision blurred at the insult to Serena, but he swallowed hard and turned to Poppy and the nearby police officers. “I have proof,” he said, his voice shaking with anger. He fished out his phone. “I filmed Kai tampering with gear.”
Poppy stepped forward, her expression stern, while the officers eyed Theo warily. “Let me see it,” Poppy said.
Theo unlocked his phone, showing her and the police the videos of Kai hunched over ropes. “This is irrefutable evidence of you tampering. Not to mention the anchor kit I saw you steal from the gear warehouse.”
Serena stood close by, nodding. “I heard him confessing to it.”
Kai scoffed, arms crossed over his chest. “Grainy cell phone footage proves nothing,” he said. Theo bristled, fists clenching.Kai flicked his gaze over the officers, then back to Theo. “I heard you killed that little girl in that bank robbery. You were never a hero.”
A cold wave of shock rolled through Theo. “That’s not true,” he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “I saved her.”
The police watched the video on Poppy’s phone with serious expressions, no one speaking yet. Theo felt his composure fraying. He couldn’t believe Kai would twist the memory of that terrified child, the one he had risked everything to protect.
Kai snorted. “You’ve never been a hero, Theo,” he sneered. “You’re just like Serena’s father, a lifelong villain. Admit it. It’s in your blood.”
Something snapped in Theo’s chest. Shame, fury, and grief tore through him. He felt the tremor in his limbs, the warning signs he had experienced before. The rage was too great to hold back. A guttural growl escaped his throat as his body began to shift. Fur broke through his skin. His bones contorted, forcing him onto all fours. Gasps and cries came from the staff and the police, but no one could stop him.
Theo roared, the primal sound echoing off the buildings. In a flash, he lunged straight at Kai, massive paws scraping the pavement. Kai staggered back, eyes wide in sudden terror. At the last possible moment, before Theo’s bear form could collide with Kai, he spun and charged into the woods. Branches cracked under his weight, leaves scattering in his wake.
Behind him, he heard Serena’s voice, desperate, calling his name. “Theo, stop, please!” But the beast had taken over.