My Alphas' Dark Desires
Chapter 190: Blamed: A Little Scandal

Chapter 190: Blamed: A Little Scandal

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Chapter 190

~Valerie’s POV~

"Some things are better left unsaid."

I respected Gamma Ryan even more when he uttered those words. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Valerie. It is your business. I cannot be a male gossip and tell him. As long as it does not affect your mission. Besides, having a dating life would also draw unnecessary suspicions from you."

"Don’t encourage her, Ryan," Solstice scolded as she sat cross-legged, arms folded in front of her chest.

Ryan nodded. "Although..." his attention returned to me. "Is this a blessing in disguise or a curse for being a naughty troublemaker?"

Solstice cackled beside me, clutching her stomach as she laughed hard.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "You... whose side are you on, Gamma Ryan?"

Ryan laughed. "Kid, you know I love you dearly. Of course, I am on the side of comedy."

Solstice’s voice rang out once more. I shot her a glare and she nodded, lifting her hands in mock surrender.

"You two are impossible."

————

Ryan’s suite was warm, but the cold clarity in my chest had finally settled. Information always did that to me—like I could breathe again.

Even if the answers weren’t immediate, at least I had something.

He offered us some snacks from home, we ate, thanked him and left after a while.

Solstice complained about her legs cramping up in the cab and cursed Ryan under her breath for being too cryptic, but she didn’t ask to go back to school.

That was the thing about Solstice. She complained. She rolled her eyes. But when it mattered, she was there.

I texted Erik to cover for us, just in case any patrols noticed we were missing. The guy had helped me many times. Additionally, he enjoyed finding excuses to stretch his hacking skills.

By the time we slipped through PSA’s main gates, the first bell hadn’t even rung. Technically, we weren’t late. Barely.

However, the atmosphere was different. Sharper. Like the eye of the storm had just passed, and everyone was waiting for the next thunderclap.

Solstice immediately took out her phone, scrolling through God-knows-what, and then she gasped.

Titania’s scandal had hit the gossip boards like wildfire. The second one in less than a week—only this time, it wasn’t mine.

Footage, voice memos and a long, scathing thread breaking down her insults about the other Fae courts.

Someone had uploaded it all with high-def audio and snide commentary. She was roasted, grilled, and served to the wolves.

But if you thought that would humble her?

Think again.

As Solstice and I crossed the courtyard, talking, Titania stormed toward us from the opposite path, chin high, eyes rimmed with red, but her mouth twisted in fresh rage.

This time, I did not see her with any lingering minions, which got me wondering if she thought she was capable of making that fight happen.

"You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?" she snarled, planting herself in front of us, her voice louder than necessary. "Having six mates wasn’t enough? Now you’re sneaking off to hotels with strange men, too? Is that your alibi after trying to tear me down wrongly?"

Okay, she was definitely trying to toss blame my way and create a scandal for me. Too bad I wasn’t interested.

The few students around us perked up like pigeons at dropped breadcrumbs.

Solstice blinked, then scoffed. "Oh goddess, not this again."

"Ignore her," I muttered.

Solstice didn’t. "No. Actually, Valerie, no. Who do you think you are calling a slut, little royal roach?"

The courtyard stilled.

Titania’s face twisted. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Solstice snapped, stepping in front of me. "Just because Valerie has the dignity to ignore your tantrums doesn’t mean I will."

"How dare you kingdom bumpkin think youc an talk back to roy—" Titania took a step forward, lifting her hand as if to slap Solstice, but—

My hand shot up, catching her wrist in mid-air.

A hush rippled through the onlookers.

I didn’t just hold her wrist. I twisted it slightly, just enough to unbalance her, and then smacked her hard.

My hand connected with her cheek, loud enough to echo. Gasps filled the courtyard like a chorus.

Titania stumbled back after I released her, a hand flying to her face, her mouth trembling in disbelief—a second disgrace.

It was one thing to insult and hurt me but it was another thing to hurt my only family. My eyes turned red as I stepped forward, inhaling deeply.

"Who were you calling a kingdom bumpkin, huh, kingdom slut?"

I ignored Solstice’s rage and stopped before Titania. "Can you, for once, just once, have some grace and class, Princess. You’ve already disgraced your kingdom enough, must you disgrace our school name too?"

"You..." she sputtered. "You are the one disgracing the school name by sleeping around with men in expensive hotels."

"And you somehow have what? A fabricated proof to suit your lies?"

I rolled my eyes at her baseless claims. Since she wants to prove that she spies on me, then she should.

Her brow creased. "It’s not fabricated. I saw you. I had someone follow you and this..." before she could issue another insult, Solstice lifted her hand as if to unch her and Titania flinched.

"Is that so...? So, should I report you or sue you for invasion of privacy?"

"Like hell you can. I know you did it. Admit it. Admit that you fabricated lies against me."

At this point, I just didn’t care anymore. "Throw tantrums. Wail if you must, you’re good at that, Princess. At least that throat and mouth would be put to good use other than with a dick inside. But don’t pretend I’d waste time plotting your downfall. You’re not worth the oxygen it takes to speak your name."

Her mouth opened, then closed again. No words came out.

Solstice made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. "Next time, keep your insults and your hands to yourself. That face won’t survive another upgrade when she slaps some sense into you. Well, that’s if I don’t help her first."

I didn’t look back as we walked away because I was sure the rumours would fly.

Let ’em write a new headline: Fae Princess Slapped by Alleged Slut

Catchy, wasn’t it? Titania was good at that, too.

We barely made it to the dorm courtyard when it happened.

A shadow dropped from above with a thud, smooth, calculated, and landed in front of us with feline grace.

Solstice yelped and jumped behind me, while I instinctively tensed, shifting into a half-ready stance.

The figure straightened as the scent assaulted my nostrils. I groaned in realisation.

"Really?"

Riven Alucard, PSA’s icy Vice President of brooding mystery, stood there with his hands in his pockets like he hadn’t just jumped off a second-floor ledge for dramatic effect.

His blue eyes flicked between us. "Ladies."

Solstice recovered first, snorting. "What is it with you vampires and your obsession with rooftop entrances?"

I resisted the urge to laugh, but furthermore, after that whole letter-writing spectacle, oh shit...

I forgot to ask Ryan about the hacking of our phones and who sent those love texts.

"Urrghh! How could I forget?"

Riven ignored Solstice, his gaze settling on me as a small smile flickered in his eyes.

"Hello, crush. Where have you been?"

Solstice blinked and then went wide-eyed as I remained rooted in place.

Oh shit! Not him too!