My Alphas' Dark Desires novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43: You Won!

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Chapter 43

~Valerie’s POV~

Boots pounded dirt, hearts pounded harder. Seven miles. No power. No mercy. No tricks. Just legs, lungs, and willpower. And only three would win.

The second the whistle blew, we launched forward like arrows released from a taut string.

The thud of boots against packed dirt, the rush of wind, the grunts of exertion—everything blurred into one loud, chaotic rush.

I pushed off the ground with every ounce of power my legs could muster without using my wolf’s speed, eyes narrowed and focused.

"Let’s go!" Isla yelled beside me, her voice fired up with energy.

I didn’t reply. I couldn’t.

My focus was razor-sharp, trained on the stretch ahead. My pulse beat in sync with the tempo of my footsteps.

Emerald darted ahead on my left. Her pace was quick, but I could tell she was testing it—still holding some back. I was too.

It wasn’t about sprinting from the start. It was about outlasting everyone else. I’d been trained for endurance since I was ten. Thanks to Storm, I could run ten miles in my sleep.

The field stretched wide and uneven around us. We were racing through an open forest trail marked by hovering lights in the trees. Every so often, a drone zipped past us silently, recording everything.

The first mile passed. Then the second.

But by mile three, everything changed, and the tricks started.

A student ahead of me suddenly burst forward like he’d been shot from a cannon. His speed was unnaturally fast—too fast.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Shift-boosted," Astra whispered inside my head.

I caught up just enough to see a faint shimmer on his boots—enchanted.

Sneaky bastard.

The second he passed one of the monitoring drones, a loud buzz sounded. "Student 044, disqualified. No enchanted gear allowed."

A groan echoed behind us as the guy slowed and stumbled off to the side, his head down.

I smirked. That’s what you get.

Another girl, about fifty feet ahead, tried to use her ability to clear a fallen log without actually jumping. Her body shimmered for half a second—telekinesis.

Buzz.

"Student 031, disqualified. No powers allowed."

This was going to be interesting.

The slope started, winding up a narrow dirt path carved into the side of a steep hill.

I kept my pace, weaving around slower runners, heart pounding, sweat already beading down my temple.

Isla was to my right, breathing steady. Emerald and Astraea had fallen behind but weren’t far off.

Then came the fourth mile—and Marcus.

Then came the fourth mile—and Marcus.

He appeared out of nowhere, just ahead of me. I didn’t like how close he was. I especially didn’t like the gleam in his eyes when he turned and gave me a lazy grin.

"Careful, Nightshade," he said with a wink. "The path’s real slippery here."

Before I could react, he stepped to the side and ’accidentally’ kicked a loose patch of gravel right at my feet.

I stumbled but didn’t fall. He smirked and tried again, this time slipping deliberately and flailing his arms. As I tried to pass him, his hand shot out—grabbing my hair.

"You little—"

My instincts kicked in the second the drone flew past. I twisted my leg back, planted my heels hard into the slope, and ducked forward just as he tried to rebalance.

My hair ripped out of his grip, but not before I turned and sent a hard kick into his groin, then elbowed his ribs.

"AHH—!"

His scream echoed as he tumbled backward—arms flailing, rolling down the hill like a log on fire.

A buzzing noise followed a second later.

"Cadet 58, Marcus Callan. DISQUALIFIED."

I kept running.

By mile six, the race had thinned. Most students had either collapsed or slowed down.

Emerald and Astraea had dropped back, but they still ran. Isla was still holding up, just a few paces behind me.

But ahead of me, the Alpha Kings were tearing up the path like wolves in heat.

"Almost there," Isla panted behind me.

"Aye. Keep up, Isla, we can’t lose," I managed to reply.

Ash zipped past us suddenly, smirking as he ran backward for a few steps just to show off. "Try and keep up, snowflake!"

I resisted the urge to trip him. Barely.

Then came Ace. He passed like wind, no words, just a flick of his eyes and a ghost of a smile.

"I will not lose," Isla hissed and kicked up her pace. I had to admit—girl had fire.

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