My Alphas' Dark Desires novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196: Saved... and Challenged

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Chapter 196

~Valerie’s POV~

"Valerie Nightshade, do you have powers?"

I blinked when Snow asked the question.

It wasn’t a smart move on my part, not when I was surrounded by people who weren’t stupid—no, far from it.

These weren’t ordinary guys. They were Alpha heirs, sons of some of the most powerful bloodlines in our realm.

A quake like that wouldn’t just randomly happen and vanish into thin air. They knew it. I knew they knew it.

But I had to lie. I had to try.

For now, I could only hope and pray that my answer, flimsy as it might be, would be enough to push past their suspicions.

Because I was bound by one law—one terrifying, absolute truth that governed my entire existence:

Do not let anyone know the truth about you.

If I told them I had powers—real powers that could shift earth and manipulate forces beyond understanding—then my secrets would unravel.

Who I really was would come to light. My past, my bloodline, my enemies... all of it.

And until I found out who those enemies were, I couldn’t let this news go out. Not even to them.

"Hey, Val," Xade and Ace said softly at the same time, their voices in perfect harmony. Their tone was calm, like they were speaking to a wounded animal, like they didn’t want to scare me off.

"You can tell us," Ace added, his icy blue eyes filled with so much concern it nearly made me cave.

"We can help you," Xade followed, eyes searching mine like he was willing to carry the burden if I just gave him a name to fight.

I wanted to believe them. I really did.

But Kai blinked slowly from the corner, like he was analysing me and reading me.

Dristan held my gaze; the intensity in his eyes was almost too much to bear. It was like he could see into my very soul—and for a moment, I felt naked under that stare.

And Riven... gods, that Vampire was worse than all of them combined. His crimson gaze pierced me like he already knew the truth and was just waiting for me to say it out loud.

He didn’t blink, and I almost thought he didn’t breathe. He just watched.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

No. Not yet.

"I..." I parted my lips, ready to speak—to lie, or maybe even confess.

But then the door burst open, crashing against the wall with a loud bang.

"Valerie!" A familiar voice rang out—worried, breathless.

Thank the stars.

Solstice.

Every head whipped around as she froze in the doorway. Her bright energy faltered under their stares, but she held her ground.

"Valerie?" she repeated, her eyes bouncing between me and the Alphas like she’d walked into a sacred ritual.

She looked unsure for a second, wondering if this was the right time—but then our eyes met, and I blinked three times in quick succession.

YES.

She caught it.

Her lips curved slightly to the side in acknowledgement. Message received.

She stepped further into the room, walking confidently to stand at the foot of my bed. Her gaze flickered over the room, assessing the charged tension hanging in the air.

"Alphas," she said with a nod.

A few of them groaned under their breath. Some muttered something inaudible. None of them moved.

Solstice didn’t care.

"Umm, I know you guys care," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "but Valerie needs air. Do you all mind stepping out for some minutes, please? Let her breathe."

"Get lost," Dristan snapped coldly.

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