My Alphas' Dark Desires

Chapter 390 390: New Girl

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~Valerie's POV~

The figure's voice softened on the last word, almost kind. Then they turned away, their cloak swirling around them as they began to conjure some sort of cleansing spell.

I wanted to ask why they had reached out to me and what I did that caught their attention, but something told me I had gotten all the answers I would get.

I stood there for about a second or two, staring at the spot where Dominic's body lay. Then I turned, sliding the dagger back into its sheath and walked away.

The walk back felt endless. My steps were slow and heavy. Every sound, every rustle of wind, every creak of branch felt sharper, louder.

By the time I reached my dorm room, dawn was already bleeding into the sky. I pushed open the door to my room, slipped inside quietly, and dropped my sheath on the floor.

Solstice was still asleep, breathing softly, I presumed.

I sat on the bed, the envelope clutched in my trembling hand. My fingers ached, my skin still smelled faintly of blood and smoke.

I didn't even bother to change. I lay back, staring at the ceiling as exhaustion finally claimed me.

The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was the faint smear of red on my palm.

And the whisper that followed me into sleep:

Congratulations, Valerie. You're one of us now.

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~Valerie's POV~

By the time I woke up, the sun had already crept past the curtains. My throat felt dry, my body heavy, like I'd been buried under stone.

The memory of last night—the blood, Dominic's eyes, the dagger—refused to fade. It looped in my head until the weight of it almost crushed me.

My phone buzzed beside me. I groaned and reached for it, rubbing my eyes. But the second I saw Storm's name on the screen, my heart skipped.

I opened the message.

"Done deal. D is safe and sound. Plan succeeded."

My eyes widened. I reread it. Once. Twice. Again.

"He's… safe?" I whispered. My pulse quickened as I hit the call icon.

The line rang once before Storm picked up.

"Storm," I breathed out.

"I know," he said calmly. "You saw the message."

"You said Dominic's safe? What the hell does that mean? I stabbed him in the…"

"And you were meant to," Storm interrupted, his voice low but steady. "Everything went exactly as planned."

I sat up straight. "Planned? How are you going to revive him when his body is being burnt by Nightshade as we speak?"

"That's because if you knew, it wouldn't have been convincing. Even for you."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, frustration bubbling up. "Storm, I thought I killed him. I felt his heart stop."

"You didn't," he said simply. "He's alive, very alive. And now everyone who wanted him dead believes he is."

"Yeah. Let's just hope his big mouth stays shut."

"Yeah. For now, he may be reported missing."

"So, he's agreeing to live his life in the shadows?"

"Yes, and there's more."

My brows creased. I wasn't sure why I sensed joy in Storm's tone. Who'd get happy about living in the shadows and giving up their real identity?

"Duh, you," Astra pointed out.

I was about to scold her or say something when I realised she was right. However, mine wasn't by choice.

"Neither was his."

I pressed my lips into a thin line. She was right.

"Valerie?" Storm's voice broke me out of my reverie.

"Yes?"

"Sigh, I thought you'd try to guess."

"And I thought you'd save me the stress and tell me already."

Storm sighed deeply. I could tell he was either face-palming himself or just massaging his temples. "Fine little couz. He wants vengeance on Nightshade."

My eyes went wild. If he could see me now, he'd know how displeased I was. "You told him?"

"Yes. He wouldn't shut up or rest until I did. That and he overheard me talking to Daddy Zade."

"You… how could you be so careless, Storm? You know the mission is something top-class. Even my mates have no idea. I never told anyone."

"And you shouldn't. I personally do not trust the Alpha Kings nor their heirs."

"Where's this coming from?"

Storm exhaled again. "Val, I don't know how to say this, but…"

"Wait, does Uncle Zade think so too?" Storm fell silent for a minute. "Storm? Answer me. Why would you think that? Wasn't my hiding just because we do not know the mode of operation of you know what?"

"Yes, but I specifically think the fact that they left the case closed without a proper investigation that should have remained open to date, says they are covering something up. I do not trust them. And I do not trust their heirs not to tattle to daddies."

I sighed, my shoulders slumping as I fell backwards on my bed. "I can say, bro, they aren't on good talking terms with their fathers."

"Doesn't mean the revelation of the Southern Heiress is what they'd want to keep quiet."

"They are not dull, Storm. My safety matters a lot to them, and I am beginning to realise I can trust them so much with my secret."

"If you believe so, you would have told them by now, but deep down, Valerie, you know you do not. There's at least one percent doubt."

I breathed deeply, unsure of how to respond to that.

"Anyways, baby cousin."

"What else does D know?"

"He doesn't know your identity, but he hopes to meet with Dad. He wants to join our course."

"And how did he know? You wicked plotter. You baited him, didn't you?"

"Sure did, cousin."

"Fine. I trust you, but be careful."

"Thanks for worrying about me, Vi."

"Yeah, yeah."

"By the way, you made it believable. You did great."

"Great?" I scoffed. "Well, I don't really see it that way. You let me think I murdered someone innocent, Storm. I mentally lived with that all night. I wasn't sure what you did worked and…"

"I had no choice, Val. And you did not need to doubt me."

"I was worried, okay."

"And I apologise for not going into too much detail about the ritual. Dominic's death had to look real, even to you."

It still didn't change anything, though. My hands trembled as silence stretched between us. "So what now?"

"Now?" He exhaled softly. "You go to school. You act normally. Dominic's being moved somewhere safe until we handle the rest. I'll be in touch."

I didn't respond immediately. My mind was spinning, torn between relief and anger.

"Val," he said quietly, "I wouldn't have let you do it if it wasn't necessary. You saved him… even if it didn't feel like it."

I sighed. "I guess you are right, Storm."

"I always am."

"Cocky bastard."

"Admit it, you missed me."

"Goodbye, Storm."

He chuckled before the line went dead.

I dropped the phone on the bed and rubbed my face. My chest still felt tight, but at least the guilt eased a little. He was alive. Somehow.

After a long shower, I got dressed and tried to look halfway human. The dark circles under my eyes made that impossible, but I didn't care. School waited, and pretending to be normal was part of the job.

By the time I reached campus, the air was buzzing with chatter. Students were gathered in clusters, whispering excitedly. Something was up.

I spotted Isla leaning against the lockers, a grin already on her face.

"You look like death," she said cheerfully.

"Thanks. I worked hard for it."

"Mm. You might want to wake up, though. Big news today."

I frowned. "What news?"

She gestured toward our classroom door. "Transfer student. She's… uh, interesting."

I raised a brow but followed her in. The noise hit first, and everyone was already talking at once. Then I saw her.

The new girl stood at the front of the class beside the teacher. She was tall, with long auburn hair that shimmered under the lights. Her uniform looked custom-fitted; her smile was polite yet confident.

"Class, this is your new classmate," the teacher was saying. "Please welcome—"

The door opened again. Kai walked in with a hand in his pocket, looking his usual unbothered self. But the moment he saw the girl, he froze.

And then, before anyone could blink, she walked right up to him… and kissed him on the cheek.

The entire room went dead silent.

My breath caught as the sound of my heartbeat filled my ears.

Kai's jaw tightened. He didn't move, didn't even blink. Astra stirred relentlessly within me, purring at the sight.

I tried to look awa,y but my mind won't let me.

And then when he finally moved, Kai's gaze drifted to mine. As if on cue, the girl smiled softly at him but when she saw he wasn't looking at her, she followed his line of sight straight to me.

Her eyes flickered, just for a second, with something I couldn't place—recognition, amusement, challenge?

My hands curled into fists before I even realized it,

"Oh, bestie," Isla whispered, stepping closer, her voice laced with mischief. "Seems you've got a contender for your mate."

"Huh?" I muttered absently, still staring at Kai.

"Her name's Serena Dominic," Isla said, leaning in with a smirk. "And from the look of it… she's not just here to study."