My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 78: Something Different

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Chapter 79

~Valerie’s POV~

I obeyed, my body moving on instinct even though my mind was anywhere but here.

The letter—the name, my name—Valerie Violet Sapphire Snow.

I shook my head sharply, trying to dislodge the thoughts, but they clung like wet vines around my brain.

Kai noticed. Of course he did. He straightened slightly, lowering his hands for a moment. "You’re tense."

"I’m fine," I said, a little too fast, a little too sharp.

His gaze narrowed. "You’re lying," he said simply.

I pressed my lips together, refusing to answer. Inside my mind, Astra stirred.

"Tell him," she urged in a soft but firm voice. "He’s your mate. He can help."

"No," I snapped back. "Not yet. I can’t. You should know I cannot disclose my identity."

Trust was not something I could hand out right now. Not with someone clearly playing a deeper, more dangerous game against me.

"Valerie," Kai said, voice low enough that no one else could hear. "If something’s wrong, you need to tell me."

"I said I’m fine," I bit out, stepping back into my fighting stance. "Focus, Kai."

He watched me for a long moment, something flickering in his eyes—frustration, maybe.

Concern.

Then he nodded once, curtly, and the tension between us thickened.

"Fine," he said. "But don’t expect me to go easy on you."

The whistle blew and we moved. Kai was fast—faster than most—but I met him blow for blow, each strike of fist and forearm reverberating up my bones.

I welcomed it.

The sting—the sweat—the ache. They were all a welcoming distraction for me from the issue at hand.

It was the only thing grounding me right now. But halfway through the match, something cracked open inside me.

Kai feinted left, then went in for a grapple—and I reacted.

Too fast.

Too strong.

My palm struck his chest hard enough to send him skidding back several feet across the mat.

Gasps echoed across the room.

I stood there, chest heaving, heart slamming against my ribs.

Kai stared at me from where he crouched, wide-eyed, one hand pressed against the floor to steady himself.

For a second, neither of us spoke. The whistle blew again, signaling the end of the round.

I lowered my hands slowly, swallowing hard.

I hadn’t meant to hit him that hard. I hadn’t meant to lose control.

"You’re not normal anymore," Astra whispered, but I sensed a mix of pride and sadness. "And you never were."

Kai pushed himself to his feet, rolling his shoulder out casually like it was nothing, but his eyes never left mine.

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but I shook my head sharply and grabbed my bag.

I needed to get out of there before I did something worse.

I didn’t even wait for dismissal. I slipped out of the arena as soon as the instructor turned to bark at another group.

Outside, the hallway felt too bright and too loud.

I leaned against the wall, pulling out my phone.

There was still no reply from Storm. "Damn it, Storm." I bit my lip hard enough to taste copper.

I stared at the empty message thread for a few seconds longer before finally shoving my phone into my jacket pocket.

I couldn’t count on anyone else to save me from this.

Not Storm. Not even Kai. I would have to save myself.

Because if the person who wrote that letter had exposed me once...

They weren’t finished yet and next time, they might not just send a note.

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~Author’s POV~

Inside Principal Whitmore’s office, the world was unnaturally still.

The heavy velvet curtains were drawn tight across the windows, muting the sunlight into a faint gold glow that barely reached the edges of the dark wooden desk.

The only sound came from the soft hum of the laptop resting before her, its screen playing back footage from the morning’s Combat & Strategy class.

Whitmore leaned forward slightly in her chair, elbows resting on the armrests, her chin perched on steepled fingers.

Her sharp eyes didn’t miss a thing.

She watched, frame by frame, as Valerie squared off against Kai in the sparring ring. At first, it looked normal—good form, quick reflexes—nothing she hadn’t seen before.

But then, Whitmore narrowed her eyes.

She paused the footage at the exact moment Valerie moved. A sudden, explosive burst of strength—unnatural even for a trained heir—sent Kai staggering several feet across the mat.

Whitmore leaned back slowly, her lips pressing into a thin line.

The combat system’s sensors were supposed to regulate the force output of students during matches.

No one, not even top-tier students, should be able to overpower another like that without something tipping the balance.

Magic. Enhanced strength.Or something worse?

Whitmore didn’t believe in coincidences.

Her fingers danced across the keyboard, rewinding the footage, slowing it down further. No visible spellcasting. No rune activation. No energy flare.

Just raw, unfiltered power.

She sat back, tapping one painted nail against her desk in thought.

Finally, she reached for the small communication rune embedded into the corner of her desk.

With a flick of her finger, she activated the link.

A soft chime sounded. "I need you in my office, Ms. Heart." freёnovelkiss.com

Moments later, the door clicked open and Ms. Heart, her ever-efficient secretary, stepped inside.

She wore her usual crisp grey blazer and pencil skirt, her glasses perched neatly on her nose, a clipboard tucked under her arm.

"You called, Principal Whitmore?" she asked, her tone as smooth as always.

Whitmore didn’t answer right away. Instead, she turned the laptop around to face Ms. Heart.

"Watch," she instructed.

Ms. Heart stepped closer, adjusting her glasses as she leaned in to observe.

The footage played, showing Valerie moving across the arena—the sharp, lethal grace, the explosive, unnatural strength that knocked Kai off his feet like he was made of paper.

Ms. Heart’s mouth tightened in surprise.

When the clip ended, she looked up, her brows drawing together.

"Am I the only one seeing this?" Whitmore asked, her voice deceptively calm.

Ms. Heart shook her head slightly, still processing. "No, Principal. That was not ordinary."

Whitmore leaned forward again, studying her secretary carefully. She didn’t need someone to agree with her fears. She needed someone who would see the bigger picture.

Ms. Heart’s gaze dropped to the screen again before she finally asked, "What will you do to her? Reprimand her? Inform the Council of Elders or...?"