My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 17: Interrogation: Partial Truth

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Chapter 17

~Valerie’s POV~

The moment their hands pushed my hair back, I stiffened.

Emerald and Astraea gasped in unison, their eyes widening as they leaned in closer.

"Wait, wait, wait," Emerald blurted out, tilting my head to the side. "Isla, you better not be messing with us. Because this—this looks like—"

"A claim," Astraea finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

My entire body went rigid.

Astraea’s fingers ghosted over the faint mark, and I felt a strange warmth spread through me.

"What mark?" I demanded, my voice sharper than intended.

Isla, Astraea, and Emerald exchanged glances before Emerald leaned in, squinting. "It’s faint... but definitely there."

My stomach twisted. No. No way. I jerked back, slipping out of their hold as I spun on my heel, rushing toward the nearest mirror. My pulse hammered as I tilted my head, brushing my hair aside.

And then I saw it.

A faint but undeniable imprint right where my neck and shoulder met. It wasn’t a full-mate mark, but it was something. It had a lingering trace of an alpha’s aura. My mind whirled, trying to piece everything together.

What the hell happened while I was unconscious?

I remembered the poison, the fight, the way Dristan’s power had suffocated me right before I blacked out. Could that have caused this? But no... this wasn’t just any mark. It was territorial, like a claim.

A claim from an alpha?

I inhaled sharply, clenching my fists. "Which one of them did this?"

Isla sighed dramatically. "You tell us."

I turned to them, my frustration boiling. "I don’t know! I woke up in that damn house and then—"

"Wait, that house?" Astraea cut in, brows raising. "Are you saying you were at their personal dorm house?"

I hesitated and Isla’s eyes narrowed. "Val..."

I exhaled through my nose, crossing my arms. "I had no choice. It’s a long story. And it’s not like I had a say in the matter. I woke up there. So they must have carried me there," I muttered, but somehow, their heightened hearing caught it."

Emerald whistled lowly, shaking her head. "You don’t just end up in an alpha’s private dorm house. Especially not theirs. No one, no single girl in this entire school, has ever been there. And yet you..."

"Especially not with a mark like that," Astraea added.

I groaned, rubbing my temples. I didn’t need this. Not now. Not ever.

Isla tapped her fingers against the counter, lips pressing into a thin line. "It’s faint, which means it’s temporary. If it was a full mark, you’d be feeling—"

"More drawn to them? More... affected?" I cut in bitterly.

Isla smirked. "Exactly."

I ignored the way my stomach twisted because, deep down, I was already affected. The thought alone made my skin itch. "It’s not a mate mark," I blurted.

"Yeah, we know," Isla spoke up. "But tell us what really happened?"

Emerald nudged me. "Come on, spill. Which one of them do you think did it?"

I gritted my teeth. "I don’t know! I was unconscious."

Astraea crossed her arms, smirking. "If we had to bet, I’d say Alpha Dristan."

Isla snorted. "Oh, please. Axel seems more likely. He’s reckless enough to pull something like this."

Emerald hummed thoughtfully. "Then again, Alpha Kai is the possessive one."

Astraea suddenly gasped, her eyes widening. "Wait. What if it was—"

"Xade?" Isla finished.

A silence fell over the room.

I scowled, running a hand down my face. "This is ridiculous. I don’t have time to deal with this."

Astraea grinned. "And yet, here we are."

I hated that I had no explanation. I hated that a sick, sinking feeling curled in my stomach because, deep down, I already had a suspicion.

And I really didn’t want to be right. I groaned, dropping my head against the counter.

"Kill me now."

Isla patted my shoulder with mock sympathy. "Sorry, sweetheart. Looks like the Alpha Kings’ Heirs beat us to it."

I swore under my breath. I needed answers.

And unfortunately, I knew exactly where to get them.

"So...?" Isla drawled just when I thought she was dropping the issue. "Care to explain what we do not know?"

My shoulders sagged. "Fine. But just a little. This is personal."

"Oh damn right it is if one of the heirs did this," Astraea chipped happily.

"No. Not that. I was out last night and got into a bit of trouble, where I ended up with three poisonous darts in my neck. That’s all I remember," I lied.

I couldn’t afford to tell them of my heat and the necklace, nor the matebond and judging by their reaction, Isla clearly hadn’t told them. There was a high chance we might reject each other because I, for one, wouldn’t beg some alpha to claim me.

So, it was better to keep things quiet before the news went viral. No one wanted that kind of embarrassment.

I glanced up, looking at them. I was shocked by how their mouths hung agape, eyes wide, staring at me.

"What?" I shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Duh huh..." Isla cut in. "Knowing my cousin, he and the other heirs don’t just do anything without it being important."

"Yes," Emerald added. "How or why were they with you?"

"That, I do not know. We probably bumped into each other." I knew they weren’t believing it, but that was when Astraea came to my rescue.

"Better still, Valerie, where did you visit yesterday? And before you lie, know that we had to cover for you yesterday when the dorm mistress came for the roll call."

"Roll call?"

"Yes. Happens twice every week." Astraea smiled cutely.

"I see." At this point, I knew the truth was best. Perhaps I could trust them with a little bit. Raising my head and keeping my expression blank, I answered. "I had to retrieve something that was stolen from me."

Emerald’s knowing gaze locked on me. "Where?"

"I visited the Black Market."

"You what?" Astraea coughed out, spilling her drink.

"What? It wasn’t intentional," I defended. "The scum was at the Graveyard Black Market. I needed to get my stuff before he sold it. I was mugged on my way to school for resumption."

I blurted everything out before I could stop myself. They all looked like they had seen a ghost until Emerald’s eyes narrowed darkly.

"You did not visit the normal Black Market but went to the Graveyard Black Market? Let me guess, for that necklace?" Her gaze dropped to my neck, and instinctively, I followed he alien fo sight. My necklace sat proudly on my neck poking out of my blouse.

My jaw slacked as I thought of the fastest lie, but then I brushed it off. "Yes."

"I see." That was all she said, as though she was holding back something. She knew something.

"No. This is serious. You must not mention it to anyone again," Isla immediately went into full Sensei mode. "GBM is a place forbidden to PSA students. If the school found out, you could be suspended or, worse, expelled."

"What?"

"Did you read your handbook or attend orientation at all?" Emerald asked. Judging from how I was about to stutter, she found her answer. "Just great. It is your student guidebook, and ignorance of the laws is no excuse, Nightshade. There’s only so much we can tolerate."

"You’re not gonna tell on her, right? She didn’t know, and her stuff seemed pretty important," Astraea explained.

I was grateful two of them were on my side. I couldn’t say the same for Emerald, and I needed to be careful what I said around her.

Everything was turning on me quickly, and I needed to change the topic. Just then, a thought crossed my mind concerning what I saw at the Black Trader’s house, and I used the opportunity to clarify my answers.

"Rather than bother about me. Is it true that the Alpha Kings’ heirs all have powers?"