My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 161: Detention 2

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Chapter 161

~Solstice’s POV~

A recording from earlier today. The one I’d tried to stop.

The comments were already toxic. Dozens. Maybe hundreds.

I covered my face with one hand and groaned. "Oh, gods. Not again." The others stared at me.

"What?" Astraea asked, narrowing her eyes. "You sound like you knew this would happen."

I straightened, recovering quickly. "No. I’m just... pitying her. It’s brutal being new at PSA. Trust me, I’ve been there. You make one wrong move, and the wolves start sharpening their teeth."

"Then maybe," Astraea said coldly, "she should’ve thought of that before cozying up with six Alpha Heirs."

Her voice sliced through the moment like glass. And just like that, the conversation abruptly ended.

Without another word, Astraea turned and strode down the hallway. Emerald looked after her, then exchanged glances with Isla before following.

Only Isla lingered.

"She’s not what they say, you know," she said softly. "I don’t believe what Astraea says. Valerie is a good girl. She is just caught in an intricate web."

I looked at her.

"I believe that," I said. "But belief doesn’t stop people from tearing someone apart."

We stood there for a second before Isla nodded and left.

I stood alone, hands in my jacket pockets, trying to calm the storm brewing behind my ribs.

I had to protect Valerie no matter what, even if she didn’t know how close the fire was and if I had to lie to keep her safe.

Because I was the only one who knew just how dangerous the truth was.

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~Dristan’s POV~

The moment the desk splintered beneath my palm, I knew what I was doing.

And I didn’t care.

Let her give us detention. Let her scream bloody murder. It was worth it to sit beside Valerie. My mate. Our mate.

She didn’t look at me at first—hell, she barely flinched when the wood snapped—but I saw the tension in her shoulders. The slight rise and fall of her chest. She was holding it in. Everything.

Guilt twisted in my gut, hard, at what I had done to her and put her through.

I deserved that silence. Maybe even her retreat. But gods, sitting here, inches from her, her scent curling into my nose like sunlight through stormclouds—I would’ve punched five more desks just to have this.

Valerie had one earbud in that the Professor couldn’t see, but I noticed it, my ears caught the sound of the music.

Fine. If she wasn’t ready to talk, I’d wait. But I wasn’t going to pretend I didn’t feel what I felt. Or act like her silence didn’t scrape against every inch of me.

Ever since she blew me off to go see Principal Whitmore, nor speak to me when that girl, Silver or what he rname was, spoke rudely to me, Soren had ben prawling at the back of my mind.

And when they circled her in training class—heck I never wanted to be in class but because of her, I attended—I did not want to butt in, believing Valerie would once again tell me she did not need my help and that would sting more.

But when things got out of hand and Brielle kicked her... I lost it.

I never spoke to the other sbaout this but as if on cue, every one of us stormed right there, even the lycans.

I sighed, recalling how she drowned the heat on my confession but accepted Kai. Was I losing to him? Were we all losing to him?

Tsk.

And then there was Xade. That sneaky bastard definitely would want to have her after school hours.

I was itching with jealousy just thinking about it and Soren wanted to kill the others to keep her to ourselves.

Ash leaned over and murmured something to her, but Valerie Nightshade barely flicked him a glance.

Ace, of course, passed her a note.

The little bastard always had a way with soft things. He was charming. Sweet. And completely not above slipping in when everyone else was fighting for her gaze.

Valerie read it. I saw the corner of her mouth twitch—not quite a smile, but something softer than before.

My chest tightened.

"I get jealous, my love," I said from behind her.

Her head turned slowly and for a second I gulped, as a drop of sweat rolled down teh side of my face.

Finally, her gaze met mine—steady, sharp, that same icy, stoic, unreadable expression.

"You don’t say," Valerie whispered.

I leaned back in my seat, keeping my voice low, just for her. "I do. Especially when someone else makes you look like that."

She rolled her eyes, and something inside me eased. Even her irritation was better than the nothing she gave me earlier.

"I didn’t ask you to come here, Dristan."

"No," I admitted. "You didn’t. But I don’t need an invitation to stand by you."

She blinked at me, and for a moment, she looked tired. Not angry or stubborn. Just... tired.

"You stood by me at the end of the line, not the start of the fight. Besides, since when did Dristan Alexander admit she has a mate?"

"I did it to Riven, didn’t I?"

"I thought that was your ego elevating," she retorted rather sharply.

I must say it stung but, I did not give up. "Valerie..."

"And the store? The clothing store and theft incident wgere you barely muttered the word mate to me in front of the others?"

I sighed and brushed a hand ove rmy face. "It’s complicated, Valerie."

"Sorry, Alpha, I do not do complicated."

"Is that why you ignored me when I told you I loved you?"

"Did you mean it?" Valerie fired and I swallowed.

"Ye..." before I could speak again, she cut in.

"Or was that just your poor performance in getting Kai and the others to know you own me?"

"That wasn’t it."

"Then why claim me and cause another scandal?"

I was shocked by her words. How come I was blamed when Kai, her dearly beloved Kai, did the same thing too?

I fell silent. "You can’t answer? Is that because I am right or is it because you know they all look up to you?"

Her words sliced cleaner than claws. I didn’t even try to deflect. I nodded once. "You’re right."

That earned me a longer glance, something unreadable dancing in her expression.

"You are right, Valerie. That was immature of me, or so you may think, but I’d do that again in a heartbeat anytime. But if you wouldn’t have me... too bad, you can’t have Kai either."

Her brows furrowed as she looked at me, but I withdrew the next second, letting my stoic expression return as I looked straight at the board.

Across from me, Xade kicked back in his chair, arms behind his head like we weren’t in detention and hadn’t just provoked a senior professor into an emotional breakdown.

"Val, want me to set something on fire for you?" he asked casually.

Valerie shook her head at him. "Oh, I see only Kai and Dristan are favoured." Before she could say anything, Xade whistled low. "Wow. We’re really doing the brooding silent war thing in detention, huh?"

"That’s why it’s called detention, Xade," Axel corrected, earning him a smile from Valerie.

Valerie looked at each of us, one by one. Her eyes didn’t linger long, but I saw it—the flicker of something behind her lashes: a little less tension and more breath.

Professor Glenda cleared her throat dramatically at the front of the class. "Would someone like to explain to me why this is suddenly a meet-cute session?" I sighed, but no one answered her.

"If I wanted to watch teenagers flirt poorly, I’d turn on the news," she said sarcastically.

"Not flirting," Kai called. "Courting."

"Even worse," she stated. "Now, silence."