My Alphas' Dark Desires
Chapter 230: Weird Suspicions

Chapter 230: Weird Suspicions

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Chapter 230

~Valerie’s POV~

That night, I opened my laptop, fingers trembling slightly as I typed in the command for my tracker.

My brain was sharper than it had been all week after what I saw in my room...focused and intent.

I should have done this days ago—tracked the necklace the moment I realised it was missing. But panic and pain had clouded my thinking.

Now, I was determined.

The interface loaded, and the little blip began to pulse on the screen. I zoomed in as my heart thudded.

And then... nothing.

The signal was faint, almost fading. I checked for the last known location and discovered it was just outside the dorm hostel in a thick, bushy area by the edge of the forest trail behind the school gardens.

Dead end.

I stared at the dot for a long moment, trying to make sense of it.

A dozen thoughts swirled through my mind.

Had the thief figured it out and removed the tracker?

Maybe.

Or had they masked the signal with spellwork?

Also possible.

Or... maybe they’d simply ditched the necklace there and thrown it away like it meant nothing.

That last one didn’t sit right with me. Not after the note they left.

No. Whoever took it knew exactly what they had. And they weren’t letting it go easily.

Still, it was a lead.

I dressed quickly, throwing on black shorts and a fitted hoodie over a black tank top. Something simple that blended with the night.

I pulled the hood over my head and tucked my phone into my pocket.

The dorm hallway was quiet, the usual nighttime silence settling over the place like a heavy quilt.

I stepped out, ready to head out of our room, when a voice stopped me.

"Going somewhere?"

I froze midstep.

Turning slowly, I met Astraea standing by her door, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a small spoon twirling inside.

She looked cozy, like she’d just wandered back from the kitchen. Her hair was in a neat braid over one shoulder, her eyes keen and mildly curious.

"Astraea," I said smoothly, forcing a smile as I slid my hands into my pockets. "Didn’t see you there."

"Well, you barely see any of us these days," she said, tilting her head.

I let my shoulders relax, moving toward her casually. "Sorry," I said, biting my lower lip. "I guess I’ve just... missed her. Silver. Everything’s felt off since she left."

Her gaze narrowed slightly, but she didn’t comment immediately. And when I was about to turn, she spoke.

"Considering how against becoming her friend you were at first," she said, "I’m shocked at how close you two became."

Astra stirred in my mind, defensive and bristling, but I gently quieted her.

"True," I admitted. "But she grew on me. I think someone like you would understand that. You make friends so easily, too, or you try too hard to."

She studied me for a moment longer, lips curling faintly like she had more to say—but before she could, Emerald entered the common area.

She stopped short when she saw us.

Her eyes darted between Astraea and me. "Umm... is something going on?"

Before I could answer, Astraea’s sweet and syrupy, cheerful voice returned.

"Oh, Em, nothing serious," she laughed lightly. "We were just talking about how Valerie started acting after Silver’s expulsion. Honestly, it almost seemed like she knew all along what was going to happen."

I narrowed my eyes at her as my jaw clenched.

Emerald looked at me, her brows furrowing slightly. "Is that true?"

"Well, like I told her," Astraea continued, "she never wanted to be Silver’s friend in the beginning. It made me wonder."

I couldn’t tell if she was testing me... or accusing me.

Emerald said nothing, but the glance she gave me was wary. A silent question I couldn’t answer.

Then Astraea let out a laugh and slapped my arm lightly. "Relax. I was just kidding. You know, trying to lighten the mood. Valerie’s just been so serious lately."

"Oh..." Emerald exhaled. "For a second there, I thought you two were being serious."

Astraea shook her head. "No, no. I was just concerned. It’s late, and Valerie looked like she was heading out."

"It’s already past eleven," Emerald added softly as both of them glanced at the wall clock. "You okay, Val?"

"I’m just going for a jog," I lied smoothly. "Needed to clear my head. But no worries—after the trip or during, we can have a proper girls’ hangout."

I turned to leave, but Emerald stepped into my path.

"I apologise if she got a little intense," she said, casting a glance at Astraea. "Since she came back, she’s been doing... impressions. Sometimes it comes off weird."

Astraea offered a sheepish smile. "Yeah, sorry. Trying to lighten the mood. Didn’t mean to make things tense."

"Way to go, lighting the mood by dampening it," Astra muttered in my head.

I bit my tongue and nodded politely.

"Oh, and Valerie?" Emerald said. "Try not to get caught. If anyone sees you out past curfew, it might look bad for all of us."

"Sure," I said flatly.

I pulled on my headset, selected a playlist, and pressed the play icon. The music flooded my ears as I waved a casual goodbye and slipped through the door.

But the moment I stepped outside, I paused, shut off the sound, and stood by the wall—listening.

I didn’t have to wait long before they began speaking.

"What you said, Ast... was that true? Do you think Valerie really knew about Silver?" Emerald asked in a whisper.

"I don’t know," Astraea replied coolly. "I just assumed, you know, with how angry she got at Dristan for ratting Silver out."

A pause followed.

"I don’t know if that’s loyalty or covering a crime," Emerald said. "But she’d better focus on herself before she gets expelled next."

I swallowed, my chest tightening.

Of course, they doubted me, but I couldn’t care less because everyone had their opinions.

I turned my music back on, this time shuffling to one of my comfort tracks—Golden, the K-pop Demon Hunter song—as I kept walking.

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