My Alphas' Dark Desires novel Chapter 248

Chapter 248: Giving Friendship a Try

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Chapter 248

~Valerie’s POV~

It was quick—barely more than a whisper of skin against skin—but it made my heart stutter.

Then he grinned.

"Stealing one for the road."

I laughed—light and honest. "You’re insufferable."

"And you love it," he called after me as I turned back toward the hallway, my hand pressing lightly to my lips.

I did.

Maybe I wasn’t ready to say it aloud yet or to face the entire weight of what just happened but I felt something in me lift, like a weight I had no idea I was carrying.

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~Emerald’s POV~

Luckily, Valerie’s Day seemed to have been ruined with just a lab punishment, but I was stuck with a betrothal I couldn’t escape.

I looked at her as she stepped out into the academy building. I had to say, deep down, I admired her, and yet I felt jealous.

Jealous she wasn’t burdened by family problems, nor was she forced to marry someone else, and instead she had her mates and guys vying for her love and attention.

While I was stuck with him and not my mate.

Valerie had six, six hot as fuck mates and the Moon Goddess couldn’t be generous enough to find me mine and link us together.

I knew I was supposed to give Rain a chance, but somehow, I had already guarded my heart against him, which wasn’t fair to either of us, but I just...

I did not like how he readily accepted it. Did he want me, or was he just doing this for the connection?

I was about to walk ahead when a thought crossed my mind.

"Are you any different?"

Tears rolled down my cheeks when that thought came. Why? Because I had not fought against it and finally accepted my parents’ wishes.

What if he was bound by the same problems I was?

By the time we were halfway across the west wing of the academy, I was already emotionally drained.

I’d smiled, I’d introduced him to every place worth noting, I’d even tolerated the curious stares we got from students who knew exactly who I was—and were now putting two and two together.

Rain hadn’t said much throughout the tour. He asked polite questions, nodded attentively, and walked beside me without pressing too far into my personal space.

But I still felt cornered.

No matter how gentle his tone or respectful his demeanour, every second reminded me of what this day represented—an agreement, an arrangement, a decision that was made for me.

We stopped just outside the greenhouse walkway. I was ready to give a short, polite goodbye, maybe offer him a textbook reference or something neutral but then he surprised me.

"Am I suffocating you?" Rain asked softly.

I blinked, completely caught off guard by that honest question. "What?"

I looked up at him, his voice remained calm, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that unnerved me.

He did not look like anything. I never heard any bad reports from the research I did on him.

He was clean through and through but I never thought I’d be made to do this.

I didn’t even dislike him. I just didn’t want to feel anything yet.

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