My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 97: Another Discovery

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Chapter 97

~Valerie’s POV~

Silence cracked into chaos. "What?" someone yelped.

"You’ve got to be kidding!"

"Seriously?!"

I turned my head slightly and saw nearly half the class shooting daggers with their eyes.

Axel actually sighed out loud. Even Dristan’s composure slipped for a fraction of a second—his brows twitching in surprise.

Astraea, who had just barely slid into her seat two rows down, groaned so dramatically you’d think she’d been assigned a death sentence instead of a test.

Professor Myra raised a single brow, utterly unfazed by the outburst. "Oh yes," she said smoothly, as if she’d anticipated the rebellion. "This material will be on your midterms. Think of this as... a kindness."

A kindness, my ass. I slumped slightly in my chair, dragging a hand down my face.

Tests were not hard for me but right now my mind was too distracted to focus.

Next to me, Xade muttered, "Perfect timing. Really gives the morning that special shine, doesn’t it?"

I didn’t laugh. I didn’t even smile.

My thoughts were still drifting—half here, half trapped in the curve of that emblem and what it meant, what it had always meant.

Even though something in me felt as though the massacre was tied to something or people more than what I knew.

Perhaps even the alliance. If the answer was yes, why? Why my family, why my parents?

The version etched in my memories didn’t match this one perfectly. There was something wrong with that rose, something added. Or maybe... something hidden.

Whatever it was, I’d have to bury it again at least for now. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

I straightened in my seat, flipping to a clean page in my notebook and pulling the test paper toward me as it floated down onto my desk from a lazy flick of Professor Myra’s wrist.

"All notebooks, no matter the subject or course, should be tucked in our backpack or tossed to the front of the class. Your test begins in two minutes. Be ready."

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The test lasted fifteen minutes. Fifteen long, dragging, soul-draining minutes.

I finished with time to spare—my pen moving on autopilot, answering each question with precision, but my head and heart were entirely elsewhere. It took my effort to keep my brain functional.

I barely remembered what I’d written. Only that the weight in my chest hadn’t left, and neither had the tightness behind my eyes.

When Professor Myra dismissed us, I packed up quietly and slipped out before anyone could corner me.

I had a free period and wasn’t in the mood for cafeteria noise or forced conversation. I needed air and space.

The hallway emptied slowly behind me as I made my way to the far wing of the academy.

I turned toward the stairwell to the upper floors, where the library tower stretched above the main building. The one place no one ever bothered you, especially not in the back stacks.

I slowed as I turned the corner near the windowed alcove and pulled out my phone. I couldn’t ignore my growing curiosity, and I needed answers from my reliable source.

Me: Did your dad find anything new on the Nightshade Thorn Emblem? Also... I discovered something in class—the original Alliance emblem is almost a twin to the Nightshade emblem, except the rose in the centre isn’t there. Have you seen this version before?

I stared at the message a moment longer before hitting send.

The reply came faster than I expected. A blinking three-dot bubble, she gave the shocked emoji before responding.

Solstice: Wait WHAT??? That’s impossible—are you sure?

Solstice: Okay, okay, don’t panic. I’ll dig into it. I swear I’ve seen something like that in Dad’s classified files. Give me a bit. I’ll update you ASAP.

I exhaled slowly and typed a quick response.

Me: Thanks. You’re the best. Just... be careful. And don’t tell anyone else. Not yet.

She didn’t reply again, but I knew she’d read it when I saw the blue tick go on.

I tucked the phone back into my pocket, still feeling the faint sting of anxiety across my ribs like phantom claws.

The corridor ahead yawned into quiet shadow, and I kept walking, letting my thoughts settle—or try to. Maybe I’d draw. Or read. Or just disappear into a corner until the world made sense again.

But I didn’t make it to the library right away.

As I rounded the stairwell landing, someone collided with my side.

"Woah—sorry," I mumbled automatically, stepping back before I saw him... Erik.

He looked like he hadn’t slept, like he’d run here directly from a nightmare. Pale under the eyes, lips pressed tight, shoulders tense.

"Val—" he began, eyes darting around the hallway. "Perfect. You are just the person I wanted to see. I need to talk to you, right now."

My stomach sank. "What happened?"

"Not here." He reached for my arm and gently tugged me toward one of the side doors. An empty classroom. The warded kind that blocked magical eavesdropping—usually used for spell practice or containment drills.

I followed him without asking.

And as soon as the door clicked shut behind us, Erik ran a hand through his messy hair, pacing once across the room before stopping, his face twisting between panic and disbelief.

"It’s the simulation logs," he said finally. "I was reviewing data from your last trial—our simulation test, where the rune trap caught you."

My heart gave a slow, uneasy lurch. He looked me dead in the eyes.

"The trap. It was coded." He swallowed and dropped his voice. "It was keyed to your DNA, Val. Not just other shifters but to you specifically."

Everything went still.

No air moved in the room. No sound. Just the slow pound of my heartbeat against the inside of my skull.

"That’s impossible," I whispered, managing the words as best as possible. "That kind of targeting—it would take high-level access. Deep academy core permissions or... or even council override."

Erik nodded grimly. "Exactly."

I stared at him, unable to blink. My voice came out hoarse. "You’re saying someone high set me up?"

"I don’t know," he said, "but it wasn’t a simulation failure as we all know. It was deliberate. And that means someone knew things they shouldn’t. Whoever wanted to attack you had an inside man."