My Alphas' Dark Desires - Chapter 358

Chapter 358: The Hypnotizer Is…
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CHAPTER 357

~Valerie’s POV~

Isla brought down her head, looked at Valerie and shook her head. “No. I would never want that.”

“Then be more careful,” I said softly. “If I’ve caught you three times, what makes you think no one else has?”

She sagged, the fight leaving her, and I sighed, reaching out again. “Come here. I’m sorry if I sounded harsh.”

Isla chuckled softly, looking tired already as Valerie pulled her in for a hug.

“I just care for you, Isla. I’m happy you found your mate… I’m just sad it had to be like this. If the other she-wolves knew, they wouldn’t let you hear the end of it.”

A watery laugh escaped her. “You’re right. And now I have to watch them openly ogle him. His body, his face… Moon help me, Val, he’s just… ugh.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. “Look at you, falling head over heels for a man.”

She shot me a playful glare. “Like hell, you didn’t?”

“Fine,” I conceded with a grin. “I did. Hard. And it was… splendid, right?”

“You bet your ass,” she teased. “Now I know how my cousin and the other heirs feel. I just can’t get enough.”

I gave her a pointed look. “Then start practicing restraint.”

Her lips curved into a smirk. “Only if you do.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Doubt I’m heading down that road. But… I’ve held back long enough. When my twelve weeks of dating are over, maybe I’ll pick one.”

“Ooo, I should probably ask about that, but…details later, please,” she teased.

“Alright, lover girl.”

We both giggled as the tension finally broke. Isla nudged me with her shoulder, and I nudged back.

“I suspected you saw something that day in the lab,” she said slyly, “when you left with your headphones.”

I smirked. “Could’ve fooled you. No, wait… I actually… I did fool you.”

She groaned. “Yeah. You sure did.”

We were still laughing as we made our way toward the dorm. The night felt lighter now, almost normal—until Isla’s voice dropped.

“By the way… why were you out here so late? Alone?”

I stiffened. “Yes?”

Her brows furrowed. She tilted her head, studying me carefully as she got a good look/angle of Valerie’s eye “Pardon?”

“Your question?” I feigned innocence, forcing my voice even.

She held my gaze for a long moment, then sighed. “Forget it. Let’s go inside. I’m already half asleep.”

“More like daydreaming about Prince Charming,” I teased.

“Sure,” she muttered, but the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.

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~Principal Whitmore~

For long, the white witches had tried using their powers to bring Marianne from her comatose state, but couldn’t do anything.

The hours dragged, and I had to return to my office to finish up some work. I returned back to my house for a quick shower and change of clothes and a quick two hours sleep, before returning to school at 6:30 a.m., to finish up.

Every flicker of light made my heart lurch with hope, only for it to fade again.

At last, word came.

The moment Ms. Heart alerted me that Marianne had woken up briefly, I didn’t waste a second. I rushed down to the clinic, my heels clicking sharply against the floors, each step echoing my urgency.

Nurse Abigail met me at the entrance, eyes wide and glistening. “She stirred, Principal. She opened her eyes. Just for a moment, but she did.” Relief made her voice tremble, and it stirred something in me—hope.

Although fragile, it was real.

Inside, I found the witches slumped in their chairs. Lady Claire, pale and drained, still managed a faint smile the moment she laid eyes on me.

Prisca looked far worse, her hands trembling, deep shadows etched under her eyes as though she hadn’t slept in days.

“I apologise for putting you through this,” I said, my voice mirroring my gratitude and guilt.

Claire shook her head gently. “It is alright. This is our calling. But…” She sighed, brushing strands of hair from her damp brow. “This case was… unusually difficult.”

“I see.” My throat felt tight. “And Marianne, how is she? I was told she woke up?”

“Yes,” Claire confirmed. “Her eyes opened for two minutes before she drifted back. It’s brief, but significant.”

“What does that mean?” The words tumbled out quickly, desperate for clarity.

“It means she is out of immediate danger,” Claire explained. “Her spirit fought its way free. She’ll regain full consciousness soon. A day at most. Her body and mind are repairing from the nightmare she was trapped in. We… had to restructure parts of it.”

I let out a long breath, relief loosening the knot in my chest. “Thank heavens. May I see her?”

Claire nodded, and together we entered the ward. The air smelled of sharp disinfectant, softened by the faint aroma of medicinal herbs.

My eyes fell on Marianne. She was pale and unmoving, her chest rising in shallow but steady breaths.

“Who did this?” The question slipped from my lips before I realized I had spoken.

Their silence pressing back at me told me they may not have heard me. I turned toward them, sharper this time. “You mentioned dark magic before. What exactly does that mean?”

Prisca finally lifted her head to speak. Her voice was hushed as though Marianne could hear her or that the walls had ears, but firm. “It is advanced dark magic. And I fear this will shock you, Mrs. Whitmore. We found traces strong enough to identify the source.”

My pulse quickened. “Who was it? Who would dare use such a thing on a student? I’ve already interrogated the five witches on campus—just to be certain none were dabbling in forbidden arts.”

Claire’s expression hardened. “You shouldn’t have done that without consulting us. As an ambassador, you know how this could be perceived. Such action could be seen as harm… a breach in the treaty.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. You were being biased, Principal. And as a Principal of such a prestigious supernatural school, dark magic does not automatically mean witches.”

Heat rose to my face. Shame pricked me. “I understand. But in my defence, it wasn’t harsh, only questions. I needed their alibis confirmed to rule out any possibility, because if parents were involved, some would not want to think and might jump to conclusions improperly. Forgive me.”

Prisca placed a weary hand over Claire’s, steadying her. “Please, ensure there is no repeat of such treatment. It wounds us, seeing our kind questioned unfairly, while the true culprit still walks free among your kind.”

Her words cut like ice. Shock and unease rippled through me, leaving a sour taste on my tongue. I swallowed hard. “Then… who? Tell me.”

The two witches exchanged a long, heavy glance, silent understanding passing between them.

Finally, Claire spoke carefully. “It took everything out of Prisca to confirm it. She is more adept at unmasking dark power than I am. And what she uncovered…”

My stomach twisted painfully. “What did she uncover?” My voice cracked, tight and almost pleading.

Prisca lifted her gaze to mine, her eyes heavy with sorrow. “The signature belongs not to an outsider… but to one of your own students. Someone here, within these walls.”

The air in the infirmary seemed to grow colder around me. My lips parted, but no words came out. I looked back at Marianne’s still form, her fragile body lying helpless on the bed—and for the first time, true fear dug its claws deep into my chest.

“Please, do not fret and tell me the culprit. Then I can…”

“Dristan Alexander,” Prisca broke the tension, cutting me off.

“The Eastern Alpha King’s Heir,” Claire added, confirming the words my ears heard.

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~Valerie’s POV~

Although Xade and I had agreed on watching Dristan, I could not help the fear tugging at my chest each time I thought about it.

Should it be Dristan, then his excuse would be to protect me. More reason why his family, as well as the other heirs, would believe mating with me was a mistake and a bad idea.

I tried to shake off the feeling once more as I got ready for school but when the thoughts continued, I decided to place a call to him to see how he was faring.

But not before I called Ash first.

“Why?” Astra questioned me as I picked up my phone and called his number.

“Isn’t it obvious? He was the one who had spoken to her about my necklace. Do you think he did something?”

Astra scoffed. “If he did not fry out her brain before when he took your necklace back, why would he wait till now to do it?”

I had to admit that Astra’s reasoning was valid, which ruled out my thoughts.

“Fine, I’ll end the ca…”

“Hello, Valerie.” My breath hitched when Ash’s voice called out from the receiver.

“Good luck telling him the real reason why he called, that you suspect him. Or better still, that you miss him, Valerie.”

Astra wasn’t helping my case. I cut her off and raked my brain for a suitable conversation when suddenly a knock sound don my door and Solstice’svoice rang out.

“Valerie, you in there? You need to see this ASAP.”