My Alphas' Dark Desires

Chapter 388 388: The Wolf

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~Valerie's POV~

All I knew was that I had fallen asleep after what felt like the longest day of my life. My body ached, my mind refused to quiet down, and I couldn't shake off the tension from yesterday.

I had wanted morning to come fast, to finally get the killing over with… to do what needed to be done.

But now that it was here, Storm still hadn't called.

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. The girl looking back at me seemed put together, calm even, but her eyes told a different story. Tired, heavy and haunted.

0% panic, 100% composure.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered, exhaling through my nose.

My voice echoed faintly in the stillness of the room. I brushed my hair out of my face and adjusted the strap of my top, pretending I wasn't trembling inside.

I hadn't spoken to any of my mates since last night, and though part of me knew that distance was necessary, it didn't stop the guilt gnawing at me.

I hated lying to them; I hated pretending, but what choice did I have?

They couldn't know about Nightshade. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Still, a quiet voice in the back of my mind whispered, What if they found out?

The thought alone made my pulse quicken. It was almost impossible to hide something like this from six bonded souls. They could sense every shift in my emotions, every tremor in my aura.

Grabbing my bag, I took a deep breath and forced my legs to move. "I'm heading to school for breakfast," I called out.

Solstice stirred under her blanket, her sleepy voice drifting through the room. "See you there."

I gave a small wave she probably didn't even see, and slipped out.

The cool morning air hit me with that crisp scent of dew and pine. The corridor was still empty, save for the occasional hum of a distant door closing. My boots clicked softly against the floor as I walked through the hall, trying to shake off the unease.

Then my phone buzzed.

My heart jumped when I saw the name glowing on the screen. Storm.

I froze, glancing around to make sure no one was close by. When I was sure, I stepped near the stairwell and answered quietly. "Hey, baby couz."

"Hello, Storm," I said, my tone instantly softening. "How are you?"

"Good as new," his smooth, familiar voice came through, grounding me. "I've got it set, Val."

My breath hitched. "You did?"

"Yes. The ritual was complete. Now, you have nothing to worry about."

Relief rushed through me so suddenly that my knees almost gave out. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes. "Storm… how can I ever thank you?"

He chuckled. "By being you. Taking care of yourself and Solstice. And maybe… just maybe enjoying those dates with your mates."

I smiled faintly, my lips trembling. "Storm…"

But the line went dead.

I let out a long sigh, tucking the phone into my bag.

For a moment, everything around me felt alive again: the rustling leaves outside, the soft chatter of early students, the faint hum of life returning to campus.

For the first time in a while, things almost felt normal. Almost.

That illusion shattered the second I reached the school gates.

"Ash," I breathed, freezing mid-step as he appeared in front of me, blocking my path.

His golden eyes locked on mine, steady and unreadable. "We need to talk."

"Not now," I muttered, trying to step around him. But Ace appeared beside him, arms crossed, jaw tight.

I groaned. "Seriously? You two are doing this here?"

"Correction," Xade's deep voice rumbled from behind me. "All of us are."

I turned, and my stomach sank. There they were: Ash, Ace, Xade, Dristan, Axel, and Kai, closing in on me in perfect unison: six powerful men, six very annoyed wolves.

"Well," I said with a forced smile, "this is a nice ambush. I'm guessing this isn't about the hypnosis case?"

Dristan's smirk was sharp, but his eyes didn't carry any humour. "Damn right it's not."

Xade's tone was low. "What's this we hear about you changing your mind on the dates?"

Axel stepped forward, the faint scent of cedar and smoke brushing against me. "Everything was fine, Valerie. Please tell me what's going on."

Kai's voice came last, soft but cutting deep. "Light… I love and trust you. Talk to me. What's happening?"

Their words hit me harder than any physical punch ever could. I felt a tightness in my chest as six pairs of eyes locked on me, filled with a mix of confusion, concern, and possession.

I wanted to tell them everything: the ritual, the danger, the truth. But I couldn't. The moment I opened that door, everything would fall apart.

I drew in a shaky breath, forcing steadiness I didn't feel. "I'll explain later," I said in a quiet but firm voice. "But for now… I just need space."

The shift in their energy was immediate.

It was like the air thickened, buzzing with a sense of power. I could practically sense their wolves stirring inside them… the claim, the silent warning.

Ash's pupils darkened; Dristan's muscles tensed; Axel's hand curled into a fist.

Their scents mixed, surrounding me like heat.

I pressed my back against the wall, my breath shallow. The possessive power radiating off them made the air almost electric.

I had faced worse before, but nothing… nothing terrified me quite like the fury burning in my mates' eyes when they thought I was slipping away from them.

"Sorry."

I whispered and ran away before either of them could realize what I was doing.

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

The night air was colder than usual, not the kind that merely brushed over your skin, but the kind that bit, crept under your clothes, and whispered, you shouldn't be out here.

It was a little after 10 p.m. when I walked outside. The academy grounds were quiet… so quiet that it felt a bit eerie. The moon was low in the sky, almost as if it knew what I was about to do.

I walked fast, my hood pulled up, my boots barely making a sound against the cobblestone path.

With each step I took, I could feel the rhythm matching my heartbeat. It wasn't fear, not quite. It was more like intense focus, the kind of stillness that came before a storm.

Storm.

Storm's calm and confident voice still echoed in my head from this morning, reassuring me. The ritual is complete.

Tonight, there was no turning back.

I reached the gate quietly, drawing a slow breath before scaling it. My body moved on instinct; training and rage blended in one seamless rhythm.

Once my boots hit the ground on the other side, I started moving deeper into the woods that led toward the human city where Dominic Harvey lived.

I adjusted the dagger strapped to my thigh. "Soon," I whispered to it. "Just a little longer."

The journey to the city felt like a haze. The air shifted, carrying the smell of asphalt mixed with a hint of perfume.

Streetlights threw long shadows on the pavement as I slipped through alleys, trying to stay hidden.

My senses were on high alert; I could hear the wind rustling through the metal railings, the soft buzz of a streetlamp, and even the faint heartbeat of a stray cat scurrying behind a dumpster.

When Harvey's mansion came into view, I froze.

The place looked like something out of a magazine: grand, spotless, glowing faintly with warm light.

But beneath that beauty, there was a pulse of something dark. Even from here, I could feel it, the arrogance, the blood, and the sins buried under luxury.

I crouched by the fence, feeling calm now. The security system glowed faintly; it was invisible to human eyes, but not to me.

I drew in a deep breath and extended a faint pulse of energy. The system crackled and dimmed for a moment, long enough for me to slip through.

Inside, the air smelled of polish and money. I hated it already.

I quietly made my way through the shadows, passing marble floors and dimly lit hallways. Everything looked spotless, and there was an almost eerie silence. My boots didn't make a sound, but I could feel a restless energy in my hands.

I was halfway up the grand staircase when I heard the faint hum of a voice; he was on a call.

I crept closer, pausing by the corridor that led to what looked like a study.

Through the half-open door, I saw him, Dominic Harvey, standing near the window, shirt slightly undone, a glass of wine in hand. He looked every bit the powerful man the world adored, but all I saw was a man about to die.

His voice was calm. "I said dig deeper into that girl. The one with Dristan Alexander at the restaurant."

My blood turned to ice. Me. He was talking about me.

I clenched my jaw, my fingers brushing the hilt of the dagger.

He ended the call with a chuckle and placed the glass on the table. Then, slowly, he turned toward the door, as if he sensed me, and our eyes met.

For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.

Then his lips curved. "Ah," he murmured, voice low and dangerous. "I was wondering when the wolf would come."