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Chapter 153
~Valerie’s POV~
The second the door clicked shut behind Kai, I was swallowed by silence.
It wasn’t peaceful or comfortable. It had a haunting quiet filled with the echo of his voice.
I love you.
I hadn’t moved. Not really. My fingers still tingled where he held them, and my lips still throbbed faintly from the weight of his kiss. And I... I couldn’t stop replaying it.
Not just the kiss.
But everything he said before it.
He looked at like I was all that existed in that mont. Like the pain I was hiding didn’t make broken, but sacred, like I was a war worth waging.
My throat was dry, my chest too full. I couldn’t na what I was feeling—it wasn’t just guilt or fear. It was... confusion, longing, anger at my past and dread.
And sothing deeper. Sothing that had no na because I wasn’t ready to give it one.
It was filled with the rhythm of my heartbeat and the storm of thoughts swirling in my head.
He felt too real.
And part of hated how much I wanted to hold on to that feeling.
I closed my eyes for a breath. Then I opened them again and called softly, "Solstice Aura Gold, why have you been eavesdropping on my conversations?"
I did not get a response from her and added, "I’m waiting, Ms. Silver Aura?"
I waited... and then—right on cue—a faint rustle ca from the window.
I looked down just in ti to catch her silhouette halfway climbing through it.
Her foot was on the ledge, one hand gripping the fra, the other holding onto a bottle of juice like it was her life source. She froze the mont our eyes t.
"Seriously?" I deadpanned.
Solstice flashed a sheepish grin. "What? I thought you’d still be with Loverboy. Figured the window was safer."
"Use. The. Door," I said flatly, lifting one brow in warning. "Like a normal person."
"Normal’s boring," she muttered, but she hopped back down and made her way around.
I sighed, exhaling as my shoulder slumped. Now, I had to fix the door that Dristan Fucking Alexander, broke. A second later, she knocked.
I didn’t even move. "It’s open."
The door creaked, and Solstice slipped inside with exaggerated caution, like I was going to pelt her with a fireball or sothing.
Solstice stepped in, closing the door behind her like a guilty cat caught in a pantry. She had her hair tucked under her hoodie again, and her boots were far too clean for soone who just ran here. Yeah, I could sll the sweat right away.
She looked at with her usual half-grin, but this ti, it didn’t stick.
"Hey..." she said, glancing around the room as if expecting to find Kai still here. "Cosy."
"Cut the crap," I said, finally sitting up straighter on the bed. "Were you spying on ?"
Her smirk flickered. "Spying? Wow. That’s... rude."
"Then answer honestly," I said. "What were you doing outside my window?"
Solstice blinked. "I was on my way to the ladies’, okay? And I thought I’d stop by, see how you were doing."
"From the bushes?"
"I felt an alpha’s aura. I didn’t want to walk into sothing I couldn’t walk out of."
I stared at her. "That’s a lie."
She shrugged, smiling wider now. "Not a full one."
I didn’t buy it, not for a second. But I was tired. Emotionally drained. And whatever her reason was for creeping around my window, it wasn’t the worst thing on my plate.
"Fine," I muttered, sitting back down. "Let’s pretend I believe you."
Solstice took the chair beside my bed, sat cross-legged like she was about to start a campfire story, and leaned forward.
"So..." she drawled. "Wanna talk about the kiss?"
I groaned and rolled my eyes, dragging a pillow over my face. "No. I want to pretend it didn’t happen."
"Oh, honey." Her laugh was way too satisfied. "You kissed him back."
"I’m still trying to forget that part."
"Sure you are," she grinned.
I narrowed my eyes. "Do you want to be murdered in your sleep?"
She snorted. "You love too much. But still it was like in the movies."
"I was emotionally vulnerable," I tried to explain and find a reason as to why I was like that with Kai.
"Sure," she said with a shrug. "Vulnerable enough to make out like your lives depended on it."
I threw the pillow at her, but Solstice ducked.
Then I sighed, dragging my fingers through my hair. "I don’t know what I’m doing anymore."
She sobered a bit at that. "Then don’t figure it all out today. Just... start sowhere."
I groaned and finally leaned back, my head thudding softly against the headboard.
Then, as if the universe had been waiting for the codic relief to pass, my expression shifted. I grabbed my phone and held it out to her.
I bit my bottom lip. "Yeah, about that. We have a bigger problem."
Solstice tilted her head. "You an besides the fact that you’re slowly building a mate harem?"
I ignored her and watched as her brow furrowed. She took it and read the screen. The grin vanished.
Uncle Zade: Solstice has vanished. She didn’t leave warnings or state where she was headed. I am coming. I’ll reach the school this week in search of her. If she’s there and hiding, you’ll help us bring her ho.
Solstice paled slightly, her posture suddenly stiff.
"He’s coming here?" she asked, her voice tight.
I nodded. "And he thinks you’re missing."
"I’m not missing. I’m in school!"
"Yeah? And does he know that?" I snapped. "Because he’s already triggered a pre-arrival scan and surveillance alert."
Her eyes widened. "He wouldn’t..."
"He would," I confird. "He’s not just your dad, Solstice. He’s also one of the forr military strategists of the Southern Pack. If he sets foot on this school, especially now, it’ll ss everything up. Including my mission."
Her face hardened. "So what do we do?"
I sighed and stood, pacing now. "I’ll try to stall him. Buy so ti. I already told him to bring Storm instead. I can manoeuvre your brother. Tell him you’re here to help or sothing. But you have to lay low."
"No more window peeping?" she joked half-heartedly.
I shot her a look. "No more anything."
She nodded once, all humour gone. "Got it."
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