My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 45: Untouched Memories

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Chapter 45

~Dristan’s POV~

The hot water scalded my back relentlessly but not nearly enough to burn away the storm spinning inside me.

I stood beneath the stream in the training center locker room, letting the water pour down my face, arms and shoulders—every part of me was tense and coiled like a beast ready to snap.

The meeting with Principal Whitmore replayed over and over in my head like a curse.

The others had been dismissed after the disciplinary rundown. Ash and Ace got off with cleaning duty, two weeks of lockdown, and removal from any elite competition until further notice. That was laughable.

But for me and Xade? We got the brunt.

**Flashback**

"Your leadership status is on probation," Whitmore had snapped, glaring at both of us like we were delinquent toddlers, not Guild Leaders.

"You will step down from overseeing any advanced drills or simulations for the next two weeks. You will report directly to the Elite Council, and any further violation—any—and I will strip you of your position permanently."

Xade had clenched his jaw, and I’d said nothing. Xade didn’t do much. Ace caused his own injuries. I, on the other hand, did it.

Then she made us stay back after dismissing everyone else.

"You do realise what this looks like, don’t you?" Whitmore’s voice had been sharp, clipped. "The moment the Lycan Princes stepped into this school, you picked a fight with them. After everything the Alpha Kings did to ensure the peace treaty stayed that way after Luna Zara’s death, you wish to throw it all away?"

Neither of us responded.

"Well? What do I tell the Lycan King when he asks why his sons are bruised and bleeding on day one?"

Still silence.

She slammed a palm on the desk. "Speak!"

And then Xade slipped. "They failed the drill and weren’t tough as he thought?" Xade’s cunning lips stated the fact.

"Xade Xavier, you would do well to recall that your father is but a call away."

At the mention of the Middle Belt Alpha King, he tensed but quickly masked it. Whitmore was sharper than he thought. She had already got him.

"Because they were taunting us," he finally answered.

Whitmore’s eyes narrowed. "You fought because of boyish taunts? Over some inflated egos?"

"No," he said sharply, stepping forward, voice low and lethal. "Because of our mate."

Her brows rose. "Your...?"

"Valerie Nightshade," I replied simply. No apologies. No explanation. Then I turned and walked straight for the door.

I was done with this conversation. Just the thought of it all brought my rage back.

Her stunned silence was the only victory I walked out with.

"N-Nightshade?" she stammered behind me. "What does Miss Nightshade have to do with—?"

Xade’s voice cut in smoothly as he followed me out. "You’ll find out soon enough. But for now... no word to the Alpha Kings, Principal."

And that was it.

**Flashback Ends**

That was the moment everything snapped into place.

Now, standing here with hot water streaming down my back, I let my head fall forward, both palms braced on the slick tiled wall.

I could see my red eyes from my reflection as my mind—my rage—spun backward to the race—to Ash and the words that did more damage than his punches.

"Are you complaining because you’re weak?" he’d said.

"The Moon Goddess chose us because we’re superior mates. Not weaklings like them. I’ll even let you watch as I win and kiss our mate right in front of you."

I could’ve handled that. The arrogance. The showboating.

But then... When no one was looking, when the others had surged ahead and our eyes locked for a second longer than they should have... he muttered, "I’d take her from you to prevent what happened."

Then he leaned in and mouthed it. "Mother killer."

My entire chest clenched, and now in the present, I felt it again—that sharp, surgical jab right through my ribs.

I roared and threw a fist into the wall.

The sound cracked louder than thunder, echoing off the marble. The tiles shattered, spraying sharp ceramic shards around me.

But I didn’t care. I was already bleeding inside.

The air around me pulsed, sizzled.

Lightning surged down my arms, crackling white-hot. The water hitting my skin turned to steam. My wolf stirred restlessly under my skin, half-shifting in rage.

Memories filled my head. My mother’s scream. Blood on my hands. The memory I locked so deep it should’ve never seen daylight—he had ripped it back up like it was a party trick.

"Calm," I growled at myself, but even I knew it was a lie. Because I didn’t want to be calm. I wanted retribution. I wanted to destroy Ash Kaid.

Not for the race. Not for Valerie. Not even for the embarrassment.

But for touching a wound that should’ve stayed buried.

Another flick of lightning rippled through the room. The walls trembled slightly.

I shut off the shower. The steam was too thick to breathe.

I stepped out, grabbed a towel, and wiped the fogged mirror. My reflection stared back at me, eyes still glowing—a blue so deep.

"Next time," I muttered coldly, "you bleed for real."

Then I turned, dressed fast, and headed out—because if I stayed one second longer, I’d take this entire locker room down with me.

And that would be too merciful.

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~Author’s POV~

The air inside the private classroom was thick, not from heat, but from the lingering weight of silence. A tension that hadn’t lifted since the race ended.

Kai sat slouched in his chair, a pencil twirling absently between his fingers while Axel paced slowly near the wide arched window, eyes watching the training grounds below.

"They really went at it," Axel muttered, breaking the silence with a low whistle. "I mean, I expected Ash to stir the pot, but Dristan?" He shook his head. "Never thought I’d see him lose it like that. He doesn’t fall for that kinda crap."

Kai didn’t answer right away. He had one arm resting across the back of his chair, the other on the desk, fingers tapping in a steady rhythm.

His jaw was clenched, brows furrowed—not with confusion, but with something heavier. Something old.

Axel turned around and caught that look. "You know something," he said, his voice quieter now. "Don’t you?"

Kai sighed and leaned forward, elbows on the desk. "Yeah," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I know why."

Axel straightened up, watching him intently. "Then spill already. No need keeping such news to yourself. Why? What did he do to annoy Dristan so much? Did he touch Valerie?"

Kai scoffed. "If he had done that, I am pretty sure his fingers would be broken before either of us stepped in. Valerie would have done that."

"Okay, so...?" Axel asked impatiently.

"We were already running ahead when I looked back." Kai’s gaze was distant now. "Ash... he said something. Didn’t say it loud, but I saw him mouth some words."

Axel’s frown deepened. "What did he say?"

Kai looked up, his voice tight. "Something about Dristan’s mother."

The words hung in the air. Neither of them moved for a moment. The kind of silence that came when you walked into a room and sensed the shadows weren’t just shadows anymore.

Axel exhaled. "Shit."

Kai gave a slow nod. "Yeah. That kind of shit."

Outside the classroom, just beyond the door, someone else heard every word.

Isla.

She stood perfectly still, back pressed against the wall, hands trembling slightly at her sides. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop—not really. She had come to check in on her cousin when she heard Dristan’s name.

Her heart raced.

Now, the pieces began to fall into place.

The rage. The punch. The way Dristan hadn’t said a word to anyone after the fight. Not even to her.

She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady the ache there.

"Dristan..."

Her whisper barely reached her own ears.

He had never spoken about his mother since her death, and everyone knew he loved her. Not to her. Not to anyone. And now she understood why.

The pain... it wasn’t just about the taunts or even the jealousy. It was something buried deeper—something broken and left to rot.

She stepped away from the door slowly, carefully, her mind spinning.

He wasn’t just mad. He was bleeding.

And maybe, just maybe, she was one of the few people who could stop the bleeding.

But first... she had to find Valerie.