My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 237: Caught Red Handed

*****************

Chapter 237

~Valerie’s POV~

"I... I don’t know," I said honestly. "Everything was fine until—"

"Enough," he said coldly. "The practical is over for you."

I blinked. "But, Professor—"

"You’ll stay behind after the session and clean the lab," he continued, cutting me off.

"Every beaker, every station, and from now on, you will report to this lab every lunch break for the rest of the week to clean and restock. Consider this your little warning. Perhaps it will teach you care and precision."

"But it wasn’t..."

"Not another word."

Lucy whimpered behind him, her thigh already red and stinging as Maddie helped her sit. Avery, of course, stood calmly at her station, the perfect picture of innocence, while I stood there stunned by my undeserved punishment.

There was no doubt this was planned, and the accident affecting one of them was either collateral damage or planned as well.

Rather than groan or complain, I picked up my bag and left the lab.

As soon as I got away, I took off my lab coat, not wanting to explain anything to anybody in case they asked why I was there and not in the lab.

The bell had rung fifteen minutes ago, but I still hadn’t moved past the west stairwell.

It wasn’t even about the punishment.

It was the way everyone looked at me when the chemicals spilt and the way Lucy clutched her thigh and whimpered, while Avery pretended to be shocked and innocent.

I sighed and made my way down the hallway, hugging my books tightly to my chest. My plan was simple: reach the library, disappear between shelves, and pretend I didn’t exist for at least one hour.

But as I turned the corner near the west wing corridor, I came to a sharp halt when I saw Dristan.

He was tall, brooding, and leaning casually against the hallway wall like he’d been waiting for something or someone.

He straightened when he saw me.

I did the first thing that made sense. I turned around, pretending I hadn’t seen him.

"Valerie."

It was already too late.

"Valerie, wait."

His voice was firm, a bit low, and laced with something I didn’t want to name—concern, maybe, or longing.

I stopped walking, but I didn’t turn until he closed the distance and stepped in front of me.

"What’s going on with you?" he asked.

"Nothing." I forced a smile that I didn’t feel. "Just tired. That lab punishment is brutal."

He didn’t buy it.

"Valerie," he said again, softer this time. And when I tried to brush past him, he reached out and gently caught my wrist.

The second his skin touched mine, something in me snapped.

A jolt of electricity sizzled from my wrist to the base of my spine. I stiffened instantly, my breath caught in my throat.

Dristan’s eyes flicked down to where we touched. He had probably... No, he definitely felt it too. I could see it in the tension lining his jaw.

"I don’t want to leave you like this," he murmured. "Not when you’re shutting everyone out."

Before I could respond, another familiar presence drew near.

Without even looking at Kai. I felt him already like a steady, calm door.

Dristan’s gaze sharpened the moment Kai came into view. His hand released my wrist slowly, fingers brushing mine one last time before falling to his side.

"There," Dristan said dryly, stepping back. "You can go to your knight in shining armour."

"Dristan," I said quickly, keeping my voice tight. "I don’t want to be with anyone right now."

Kai looked at me, and the hurt was already blooming in his eyes.

Great.

Just what I needed—another wound I didn’t know how to stop inflicting.

I bit my li as my heart pounded, caught between them both like a fault line about to split.

They stepped closer, almost simultaneously, and I took a small step back.

"I don’t deserve either of you," I blurted out. "I just... I can’t..."

Before I could find the right words, Dristan reached for my hand again, this time with gentleness and force.

Kai took my other.

And suddenly, I was caught between them.

"Valerie," Dristan voiced softly as though that would pull open my wall and show him all of my wet dreams. "You feel it too, right?"

My eyes widened at his words, and before I could react, they were too close now, and their warmth was beginning to spread over me.

I opened my mouth—but before the words could escape, I saw a figure at the far end of the corridor.

Xander.

Immediately, my brain conjured up the perfect escape plan. "Xander!" I called out, maybe a little too loudly. "There you are. I’ve been looking for you."

Both Dristan and Kai looked confused but stepped back reluctantly.

I didn’t meet their eyes. I just couldn’t.

I rushed past them, closing the distance between me and Xander like he was the answer to a prayer I hadn’t realised I was whispering.

But just as I took another step away, I heard it. "You can’t run forever, Valerie."

The voice wasn’t out loud, but it echoed inside my head like a whisper laced with thunder.

I stopped cold on my feet, my breath caught in my throat as I slowly turned around, heart pounding, eyes scanning the corridor, but there was no one there.

Only Dristan and Kai... However, they had their backs to me, retreating in silence. Their shoulders were tense as they whispered something to each other, but none of them looked back.

They were already walking away.

Yet... I was sure I had heard Dristan’s voice and not imagined it.

It felt too real to dismiss—like his soul had reached out even when his body chose to walk away.

I stood frozen for a moment longer, questions clawing at my chest, until...

"Valerie?"

I jumped slightly at the sound of my name, blinking as Xander appeared beside me, his brows drawn in concern.

"You okay?" he asked, scanning my face. "You looked like you saw a ghost."

I swallowed and forced a shaky breath. I shook my head, more reflex than thought. "Yeah. It’s nothing."

But I wasn’t so sure. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were using me to avoid your mates."

This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com