My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 26: Accused of Theft

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Chapter 26

~Claudia’s POV~

Following Brielle’s orders, I watched them from a distance, my fingers tightening around the delicate bracelet I had just picked up.

Valerie, Isla, Emerald and Astraea moved through the store like they belonged here—laughing, trying on clothes, completely unaware of what was coming.

Valerie stood near a rack of leather jackets, flipping through them with a thoughtful expression. Isla was chatting animatedly, showing off a sequined top in a vide on her phone, while Astraea nodded in approval. They were relaxed. Comfortable. As if they were untouchable.

I smirked. That wouldn’t last long.

With ease, I slipped the bracelet into my palm and strode forward, heart steady, movements casual.

As I neared them, I pretended to check out a pair of heels. Dropepd it, picked a blue gown, then, in a swift, calculated move, brushed past Valerie. My fingers barely grazed the pocket of her jacket as I slid the bracelet inside.

Easy peasy.

I didn’t break stride, didn’t look back. I kept walking, heading straight to the fitting rooms where Brielle was waiting with one of the gown I had picked on my way.

She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking impatient. The second she spotted me, she raised a brow.

"Well?"

I tilted my chin up and smirked. "Done."

Brielle’s lips curled as satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. Without wasting a second, she turned toward a nearby store attendant, a woman in her mid-twenties with a sharp gaze.

"Excuse me," Brielle said smoothly, her voice dripping with concern. "I just saw a girl slip a bracelet into her pocket."

The attendant’s brows shot up. "Are you sure?"

Brielle nodded solemnly. "Absolutely. She was near the jacket section."

The woman frowned. "Her bag, you mean?"

Before I could even enjoy the moment, I cut in quickly. "No, her pocket. Her jacket pocket."

Brielle shot me a sidelong glance, but I ignored her. Details mattered in this situation.

The attendant’s frown deepened, but then she nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

Brielle smiled sweetly. "Oh, and please—don’t mention us. You saw her yourself, right?"

The woman hesitated but eventually nodded. "Of course."

With that, she turned and briskly walked off toward the security desk.

I watched as she leaned in close, whispering something to the head of security. His eyes widened before he nodded and immediately followed her.

Brielle and I exchanged a look. It was showtime.

Valerie and the others were at the register, handing over their clothes to the cashier. Their laughter had died down now, replaced by the usual chatter of customers going about their business.

Then it happened. free𝑤ebnovel.com

The security guard and the attendant approached them just as they were about to leave, blocking their path.

"Excuse me, ladies," the guard said, his voice firm but polite. "We need to check your belongings."

Isla’s brows furrowed. "What? Why?"

Astraea and Emerald exchanged confused glances, while Valerie turned fully toward them, her expression unreadable.

"What’s going on?" she asked calmly. "Is this the normal here?" They shpok their head and I did my best to mask my smile.

The store attendant stepped forward, her lips pressing into a thin line. "One of you was caught shoplifting."

The air around them shifted as deadpan silence ensued. Then, the attendant’s gaze landed directly on Valerie.

My heart sped up. Valerie blinked. "Excuse me?"

All three girls turned to her in shock.

"You’ve been with me the whole time," Valerie said, her voice laced with disbelief. "I never took anything. Besides where’s your proof?"

Astraea crossed her arms and lightly tapped her toes. The attendant smirked. "I saw you myself."

Valerie’s jaw tightened.

"What?"

Her friends all turned to her, eyes wide.

"Valerie," they chorused in unison.

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~Valerie’s POV~

Irritation prickled beneath my skin like a thousand tiny needles.

The accusation itself was absurd, but what made my blood boil was the way everyone was looking at me.

Like there was even a sliver of doubt. Like they weren’t sure if I was telling the truth.

Seriously.

I glanced at Isla, Astraea, and Emerald. Their expressions were hesitant, uncertain. Not completely disbelieving—but not completely confident in me, either.

My lips curled in disgust. "You’ve all been with me the entire time. And you really think I’d—"

"Valerie," Astraea called softly, cutting me off.

I exhaled sharply. "I didn’t do it."

"If you didn’t, then you’d at least let them search you."

I scoffed. Typical. I could see how this was playing out. They wanted me to play along like a good little girl, let them dig through my pockets so they could ’prove’ I was guilty, whether I was or not.

And then, as if the universe wanted to put the cherry on top of this ridiculous situation, Claudia walked out of the fitting rooms with Brielle and the rest of their little pack. They were heading toward the checkout, laughing, their arms filled with clothes.

As soon as they arrived at the check out, they handed their things to the lady at the deska nd turned to face us.

"What’s going on?" Brielle asked, intrigued. "We are PSA students, security. Can we not make a scene."

"I’m certain once we search, ther wouldn’t be much of a scene.

While Brelle spoke, my gaze locked onto Claudia’s, and she smirked.

A slow smile spread across my face, but there was no humor in it. "How am I supposed to be sure someone didn’t set me up?"

"No one did," the attendant snapped, stepping forward. "I saw it myself."

I tilted my head slightly. "Interesting. You did? Then tell me—where, when, and how?"

The woman faltered. Just for a second. But it was enough.

Before she could fumble out an answer, one of Brielle’s lackeys chimed in. "Does it even matter? You better not embarrass our school by being a thief."

A bitter laugh almost escaped me. Of course, they were running with this.

Another girl—probably one of Brielle’s favorite lapdogs—snorted. "True. And it’s funny how she speaks to the Alpha Kings like she’s so high and mighty. Who would’ve thought you were just a petty thief?"

Anger flared hot in my chest.

I clenched my fists, forcing my breathing to stay even, but my nails dug into my palms. Claudia. Brielle. The whole damn setup—I knew it, and yet, they were twisting the entire room against me.

And worst of all?

It was working.

Even Astraea looked torn, her brows furrowed in worry. Isla bit her lip, her gaze darting between me and the security guard. And Emerald...

Emerald sighed. "Please, Valerie. I hate to say this, but they are right. This is already embarrassing. Just let them search you."

I turned to her sharply. "You seriously believe this?"

I couldn’t believe what was happening. All I wanted was to shop for some new clothes, new dorm wears and just have fun time with my girls by blending in. So why now was it against me?

She lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. "I’m just saying. It doesn’t matte what I believe at this point. Let them get it over with. You’ve already won, haven’t you?"

My lips pressed together.

They weren’t going to let this go. Not without making a scene.

Fine.

"Search."