My Alphas' Dark Desires
Chapter 219: The Bandana

Chapter 219: The Bandana

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Chapter 219

~Davion’s POV~

I watched him fly away until I was sure he was gone.

Then I turned, wandering through the soft garden path behind the house. The wind brushed past me, sending a soft chill down my spine at the possibilities of my memories.

I stopped halfway, just as I reached the edge of the trees.

"Until when will you remain cloaked, Varian?" I asked calmly, not bothering to turn around.

A shimmer filled the air behind me—like heat waves warping the world. Then Varian stepped forward, arms folded, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to come out," he said.

"I know you hid because of him," I said, glancing at him sideways. "But he’s gone now."

Varian stepped beside me, his gaze trailing after where Xander had walked. "Your Majesty... don’t you think you told him too much too fast?"

I exhaled and looked up at the sky above. "Xander would’ve figured it out eventually. I’d rather he hear it from me... than take his questions to the Queen."

Varian winced with a laugh. "That would be... disastrous."

"Yes," I murmured as another memory crossed my mind. "It would."

A beat passed, then his voice grew cautious. "By the way... what about her? Your suspicions?"

My smile faded, and my face turned solemn.

"My suspicions..." I repeated, then looked down at my palm. "Varian... I can still feel her faintly through the bond. And all of this with Xander proves that I was right, and soon the world would know the real truth."

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~Valerie’s POV~

By the end of the day, I had finally retrieved my phone from Ryan. I thanked him with a small smile, but inside, scepticism clawed at me like a dull blade pressing against skin.

Something about the entire situation still felt off.

So, I did what made the most sense at the moment—I left the old phone tucked deep inside my wardrobe, beneath a stack of worn clothes like evidence waiting to be reexamined.

And I continued using the new one.

I knew I still had to find out who filmed me. Who had made a mockery of my privacy and safety. But right now? I just didn’t have the strength to peel back another layer.

I felt hollow, exhausted in a way that sleep couldn’t fix.

So, I decided to step out—clear my head, get some air, find a sliver of peace, if only for a little while.

Dinner was... uneventful. Just me and my barely-touched plate while the sound of distant conversations filled the dining hall, but I sat in silence.

I barely registered the food on my tongue. The company of my mates—usually magnetic—was absent, and for once, I was glad they were giving me space. And I appreciated that more than they probably realized.

Once I was done, I slipped out for a night stroll. The cold air kissed my cheeks as I stepped onto the winding path that led through the academy’s gardens.

The world was dim, but the moonlight bathed everything in silver, making things feel a little less heavy, but my thoughts, however, refused to be still.

Images spun in my head—my arrival at the academy, the simulation, the betrayal, the lies, the kiss... the almost-love that twisted and recoiled with every revelation.

I felt like a puzzle scattered across a battlefield, and no one knew what I was supposed to look like.

And maybe I didn’t either.

My breath hitched as a wave of emotion surged inside me. Everything felt so loud beneath my skin.

Astra had been quiet lately. Quieter than usual and she remained hidden, like she was watching me from behind a fogged glass.

But right now, I needed her.

"Hey, girl," I whispered mentally, reaching inward, aching for the comfort of our bond. "Want to go for a run?"

There was no reply. I slowed my steps, waiting.

Then, finally, a low, bored, and blunt voice cut through my mind like a flicker of sarcasm dipped in exhaustion.

"Yes."

I frowned. Her tone was... indifferent, detached and almost as if she didn’t care anymore.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked her softly. "Is this about Solstice?"

There was no reply, but I already knew the answer. Even so, I forced a smile. "Let’s go," I said. "Just us. You and me."

The wind brushed against my skin as I veered toward the forest path, and my shoes crunching over leaves and twigs.

Every step away from the academy felt like peeling off the layers of expectations stitched around me.

I was ready to let Astra loose—to feel something other than confusion and pain.

But just as I stepped closer to the tree line, my gaze caught something, a flicker of black fabric tied on a wrist.

A Nightshade bandana.

My breath caught. The cloth was unmistakable, the dark sigil imprinted on the material on a boy’s wrist in a black hoodie.

And then he turned slightly.

I didn’t see his whole face, just the edge of a jawline, but something inside me snapped.

Astra surged forward. "Go, Valerie!"

My feet obeyed before my brain even caught up. I ran at full speed, my heart pounding against my ribs like a drum of war. My eyes locked onto his silhouette as he disappeared around a corner.

I turned after him, my boots skidding slightly on the stone path.

But when I rounded the corner... Nothing.

Just an empty courtyard bathed in eerie moonlight.

"No," I whispered, spinning around. "He was here. I saw him—Astra, I saw him."

I sprinted down a corridor to the left and met nothing but shadows and silence.

I tried the opposite side. A dead-end of a cold stone wall.

I returned to the courtyard, panting, frustration burning in my throat as I turned and turned, glancing around in search of the person.

And then I turned to my right again as something hard slammed into me.

At first, I thought it was a black wall, but when the scent of a person assaulted my nostrils, I knew better.

I staggered back, heart jerking in my chest, instinctively raising my fists.

As I looked up, my eyes widened.

"Riven?"