My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 51: Reject All

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Chapter 51

~Valerie’s POV~

The sheer impact sent Ash flying backward into the fencing. The air crackled. Like literally crackled.

Sparks danced off Dristan’s arms like static made solid, and I felt the force of his fury hit me even from where I stood.

A wave of something sharp, primal, and ancient washed over the courtyard like a crashing tide. Students nearby stilled. Some backed away. Others ran.

I knew killing intent when I saw it.

I’d been raised by it.

But what Dristan emitted now wasn’t just rage. It was wrath—the kind of fury born from grief and blood and secrets buried too long.

Ash recovered quickly, already lunging back in fury, wrist twisting to block the second blow. Immediately Ash grabbed his wrist and tried to break it but Dristan was fast as he sent another punch swinging his free hand.

Ace intercepted quickly.

He blocked Dristan mid-punch with his palm, but the shockwave from the contact shook a post beside them, close to the courtyard.

I swallowed hard, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

Their grips shifted. Both Ash and Ace twisted Dristan’s wrist at the same time, and the sound it made—Gods, I felt it. That sickening crunch of bone. But Dristan didn’t flinch.

He smiled instead as they pushed him back and then... snap.

With a simple jerk of his hand, the bones aligned, the skin shimmered with crackling energy, and just like that, he healed. Like it was nothing.

But his aura?

His aura was something else. It was rising.

"I do not care what you do," Dristan said in a voice far too calm, "but this is your last warning. Any words in respect to my past... or my family—ends now."

Ash, like the reckless idiot he is, tilted his head and smirked. "What word? Your dead mother or—"

That’s when I saw it.

That tiny, dangerous twitch of Dristan’s lips.

A smirk. Not amused but ready. Like he’d been waiting for Ash to say that. Wanting it. Like he needed a reason to let go of the leash.

And then it happened.

The air shifted, dense and electric.

His hands sparked, snapping with lightning that raced up his arms in jagged bolts. His eyes darkened into a terrifying, deeper blue—almost midnight—and a swirling black energy began to bleed from his fists like living smoke.

I had to move.

I sprinted out before I could second-guess myself and my mouth moved before my brain caught up. "No—"

"Shit!" I gasped and threw myself forward, shoving between them before the world could quite literally blow apart. My arms raised instinctively between Dristan and the Ash, standing like a damn referee at a death match.

as I felt the pressure of his aura crash around me.

One heartbeat too late... and I swear we wouldn’t be standing on solid ground.

Not anymore.

They froze.

Just barely.

My heartbeat slammed inside my ears. Dristan’s eyes were wild, glowing an electric blue, and in that moment, I swore I saw something darker swirl around his fists—black tendrils of corrupted energy.

"Ast—" I didn’t finish her name because I could already feel my wolf inside me pulling back, like even she was afraid of what she saw.

"You have to stop," I said again, my voice firmer now. "All of you."

Ash wiped the blood from his jaw, grinning like a lunatic. Ace had stepped back, breathing hard.

Xade, Kai, and Axel came running from the left side of the path. Xander came from the opposite side, but I didn’t dare look at him right now.

"This has to stop," I said again, glaring at all of them. "You guys can’t keep acting like this is normal, being jerks and thinking it is alright. Like it’s okay to throw punches over—over me."

"Valerie—" Ash tried.

I turned and snapped, "Shut it, you royal nincompoop."

He blinked, clearly not expecting the insult.

"And you..." My voice turned razor-sharp as I glared at Dristan. "Were you planning to level the entire campus to prove a point?"

"Why not keep your overgrown dog on a tighter leash?" he snarled, not even blinking.

That one stung. It shouldn’t have, but it did. Still, I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.

"This has to stop," I snapped, my voice slicing through the tension like a blade. "I can’t have you two always at each other’s throats because of me..."

Dristan scoffed behind me. "Not everything is about you, Nightshade. Don’t think yourself that important."

Ouch.

I bit my inner lip, forcing myself not to react. Not visibly, anyway. "Great," I said, nodding slowly. "But just now, it was about me. And since I’m clearly not good enough for you—and none of you can think straight with this mate bond messing with your heads—"

"You aren’t capable of messing with my head, Nightshade."

"Fine," I said, keeping less low. "Since clearly I’m just a leash around everyone’s neck. Then, I’ll make it easier. Let me break it."

Ace stepped forward fast, eyes narrowing. "Valerie, what do you mean?"

I didn’t answer him right away. Instead, I looked around slowly, locking eyes with each one of them. Ashton. Ace. Dristan. Kai. Axel. Xade.

All powerful. All angry. All mine—yet none of them truly mine.

"Ashton Kaid," I called usinga strong voice. "Ace Kaid. Dristan Alexander. Kai Draven. Axel Zeno. Xade Xavier..."

"No." Xade stepped forward sharply, his voice cutting in, but I didn’t stop. "Don’t dare..."

"What?!" Ace barked, his voice laced with panic. "You can’t." Ace shook his head.

"Valerie. Don’t."Astra’s voice rang in my mind, but I pushed her back.

I wouldn’t stop. I could feel their anticipation right now more like fear or confusion... a myriad of emotions.

I turned my eyes to Dristan last, letting them settle cold and still on his face.

"I reject you all as my mate."

The silence that followed was horrifying. Even the wind seemed to stop.

"You can’t," Ace barked.

"Breaking the bond will weaken you," Axel warned. "It could—"

But I was already too far gone.

"I, Valerie Nightshade, reject you all as my fated mates."