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Chapter 343
~Valerie’s POV~
I knew what was going to happen, and I needed to stop it before I let my powers go inside the school and, unfortunately, hurt soone.
Dristan’s pleading eyes and Xade’s worried expression simply undid . Even Axel’s confusing gaze made want to escape.
Was I overreacting?
I didn’t know. But didn’t I have the right to react that way after what happened?
Yes, I loved every aspect of my ti with Xade, but the truth was... it was still scary.
"Valerie, you need to leave here right now," Astra’s warning voice reached my mind.
"I..."
"No, you must leave now, else I won’t be able to help you or stop it."
I wanted to argue, but she cut in.
"Just look at their faces... do you think they can handle the truth if they see this side of you?"
Imdiately, fear consud , and I backed away again. But with every step I took, my mates took two more.
I moved back so more until my back hit the lockers behind .
I could feel it — the heat coiling in my veins, the wild, unstable energy building beneath my skin, begging to break free.
Every second I stayed here, every inhale of their scents, every glance into their expectant, tense faces... it pushed closer to losing control.
I had to leave.
Then, from the corner of my eye, I spotted Xander.
He stood a few feet away, tall and composed as always, but when our gazes locked, sothing in his expression shifted.
He knew. Xander understood exactly what was happening to without a single word being spoken.
And then, softly, his voice slid into my mind.
"Go, Valerie. I’ll catch up to you. I’ll hold them off for now."
Relief flooded instantly. I didn’t need to explain. I didn’t need to hide, and Xander just... understood.
All I managed was a small nod before I turned sharply and sprinted off, my feet pounding against the polished floors as I pushed past the rising panic around .
"Valerie!" Kai’s voice called after , but soon enough it died down, and I ignored it, shoving his pull through the bond aside.
I could tell Xander had intervened as promised.
My wolf was leading now, every instinct screaming for open air, for space, for safety.
"Can you shift?"
There was no answer, just Astra pacing within . "You can take us faster away from here."
"I can’t," Astra hissed back between breaths, as I dodged startled students and bolted down the hallway.
"You can," I urged.
"No," Astra blurted. "You’re in your uniform, Valerie. Shifting now would rip it apart and leave you exposed in the middle of the academy."
I snarled in frustration, but I was already panting from the sheer heat radiating beneath my skin.
"That’s not the only risk," Astra added, her voice lower now, almost grim. "We don’t know how your powers will react if you shift right now. If you lose control mid-shift, Valerie... you might trigger sothing neither of us can contain."
I bit back a groan, pushing my legs harder, forcing myself to stay grounded. "Fine," I muttered under my breath. "Then we run."
And so I ran.
Past the dormitories. Past the training fields. Past the murmuring crowds that turned to watch as I blurred by. My lungs burned as I glanced ahead to see the forest looming ahead.
When I finally reached its edge, I slowed, scanning the familiar terrain. My senses flared, catching every creak of bark, every flutter of wings, and every shift of the wind.
Then I spotted it.
I didn’t want to go inside. The fear of what transpired that night replayed in my head, stopping from doing so.
Instead, I searched with my eyes, finding a more suitable place to be alone when I spotted one of the old buildings I used to visit when I needed to think.
Without hesitation, I ran in that direction and entered the building until I reached the rooftop.
I crouched there, muscles tense, chest heaving, the cool wind finally caressing my overheated skin.
Up here, it was quiet. No bonds pulling , no voices demanding, no accusing stares.
Just .
And yet, as the wild energy surged and pulsed beneath my skin, I knew this was only temporary. If I didn’t figure out how to control whatever was happening inside soon... soone would get hurt.
I gripped the edge of the rooftop, squeezing my eyes shut. "Get a hold of yourself, Valerie," I whispered hoarsely.
But the whispers of my wolf in my head, my powers thrumming restlessly, and I wasn’t sure if I could.
My head kept on thinking of so many things at once. My date with Ace, Xade’s unplanned reveal, Dristan...
Everything.
Just then, my phone buzzed. My first thought was to ignore it and focus on my thoughts.
But right now, anything was better than my thoughts.
I reached into my jacket pocket and took out my phone, only to see Ash’s na appear on my screen.
I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling a little as though one touch of the screen would unleash the beast within.
After what felt like hours, I answered the call and placed it on speaker.
For the first twenty seconds, it was only my ragged breath that filled the call. No ssage from Ash.
It was as if he was listening to , giving ti, and just lending the perfect ear.
And when my breathing had returned to normal, only then did he speak.
"Light."
That single word lit sothing in , and my anxiety and worry began to calm down.
"Valerie?"
"Call Light," I urged him.
Sohow, I could sense him smiling, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to hear him say it.
"My Light." I chuckled into the receiver and inhaled deeply.
"Thanks, Ash."
"I did nothing. I just told you the truth, well, more like reminded you. So...?"
"Yeah. Thanks for calling. Though I know you did not call to hear drag my nostrils."
"You bet I didn’t."
I moved towards the edge of the rooftop and leaned my back against it while propping my right leg on the wall behind .
"Why did you call?" I found myself asking.
"To give you a surprise."
I knew Ash may have heard what happened between Dristan, Xade, Axel, and . Maybe not the entire story, but the fact that I was upset.
"A surprise?"
"Yes. Co down. I’m waiting for you."
My brows creased at that.
Co down? What did he an by that?
Astra stirred in my mind as she facepald herself. "Seriously, Valerie, he’s right there. Your mate has been standing right there, opposite the building."
I arched my brow and turned around to check.
Truth be told, he was there.
"Ash?"
"Co down and I’ll show you your surprise."
His voice sent a small shiver down my spine. I nodded before I could even think, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear as if that would sohow ground .
My heart was still pounding from the sprint, but now for a completely different reason.
Without much hesitation, I hurried down from the rooftop as each step echoed in the empty stairwell, my pulse matching the rhythm.
By the ti I reached the bottom and pushed open the creaky door, the cool air hit my face. And there he was.
Ash stood just outside, frad by the fading light. His posture was casual, but his eyes—the steady calm in them—were anything but.
It was as though he had been waiting for all along, perfectly still, perfectly sure I would co.
But what made freeze wasn’t just him.
It was what he held in his hand.
"My..." My voice broke before I could finish the sentence.
Astra stirred within , just as stunned.
"Here you go. I found it."
"Your necklace," Astra said, finally finding her voice, while I remained rooted in place, shocked beyond words.
I blinked, unable to breathe for a mont. My fingers twitched at my sides as I stared at the small, familiar chain dangling from his hand.
"I found it," Ash said softly, his voice a mix of triumph and gentleness. "Apparently, soone stole it."
"How... how did you—?" My question trailed off, though it was more in disbelief.
His lips curved into that boyish, disarming smile that always seed to undo . "Take it first," he urged, lifting his hand toward . "Then I’ll explain."
Sothing in his tone, in the confidence behind it, pushed forward.
My feet moved before my mind caught up, and suddenly I was running. Running like a child chasing after the promise of comfort, of safety—like those days when I used to sprint into my father’s arms whenever he ca ho with gifts.
The bittersweet mory ca rushing back hard, and I felt tears sting my eyes.
But Ash was here now.
I reached him breathlessly, my chest heaving, eyes fixed on the necklace. Yet when I stopped before him, instead of pressing it into my palm, Ash lifted it higher, just above my head.
I tilted my face up in surprise—and that’s when he leaned in, eyes glinting with mischief and sothing deeper.
"Beautiful," he whispered.
And before I could react, his lips were on mine.
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