My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 144: Gun Fire

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Chapter 144

~Valerie’s POV~

I tried to speak further, but my voice caught in my throat. My mouth was dry, my throat patched. I hissed and Dristan closed the gap quickly, holding me again.

"Valerie? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Let go." I swallowed, feeling his scent wash over me, soothing my pain. I tried to step back but Dristan wouldn’t let me.

His eyes locked on mine again, searching, silently asking what was wrong.

At that moment, my brain said the only thing it could mutter as I stared into his blue eyes. "My lips—my throat’s dry and—"

I didn’t know why I told him that. My thoughts were jumbled up and my... but before I could register what was happening fully, Dristan’s mouth was on mine.

It wasn’t hard or angry. It wasn’t desperate either.

It was soft, but as quickly as it came, I broke away quickly. I turned back to the bartender like nothing happened.

"I need a drink," I said lightly.

Dristan stared at me, his jaw tight but he did not say anything.

I took the glass, smiled faintly, and over-tipped the bartender with a wink. Dristan raised an eyebrow, but didn’t speak.

Then, suddenly, Dristan’s gaze sharpened."Shit," he muttered.

"What?"

"They’ve seen me." His voice dropped to a whisper. "And they’ve seen you with me."

My eyes widened. "Who?"

Dristan stepped closer, grabbing my hand. "The group I was tracking. They know my face. Now they’ve seen yours."

"So?" I asked.

"We kissed."

"I didn’t kiss you," I argued. "We almost kissed," I corrected.

"Technically my lips were on yours. And from their angle, it won’t matter. They’ll come for you."

I lifted my brows. "Incase you haven’t noticed, I can handle myself," I stated.

"Like you handled yourself during the simulation?" he snapped back. "This isn’t a debate, Valerie. You’re leaving with me. Now."

I grumbled, muttering some curses unde rmy breath as I grabbed my drink and downed it.

Dristan stared at me. "Seriously?"

But I inoed him and set the empty glass down, tapped the counter, and hissed, "Information."

The bartender leaned in. I could notice the nervousness and how cold sweat trickled down the side of his face. "Blue Willow," he whispered. "That’s where you’ll find what you’re looking for."

Before I could ask more, Dristan tugged my wrist and yanked me from the bar. "Let’s go," he said, his voice tight.

Behind us I noticed the figures moving and this time... I didn’t argue.

The night air was cold and damp when we burst out the side door of the club, my boots skidding slightly as I tried to keep up with Dristan’s long strides.

"Move!" he barked sharply with authority.

I didn’t argue. Not when I saw them—five men in dark suits, already piling into a black jeep parked across the alley. One of them looked directly at Dristan.

And then my gaze caught the nuzzle of a gun gleaming under the moonlight. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to call out to Dristan when the sound rang out.

Bang.

The gun fired.

"Run!" Dristan growled, grabbing my arm and pulling me to the side as bullets ripped through the air, hitting stone, brick and metal.

We sprinted, weaving between buildings, and dove into the thick cover of the trees just behind the alley.

I stumbled once, nearly falling, but Dristan he caught me and pulled me behind the wide trunk of an old oak. The bark bit into my back, but I didn’t care.

There was danger lurking. He held me, his body hovering over me as he pressed a finger against his lips to hush me.

We waited but still, the men did not stop.

I could hear them moving through the sparse forest, as footsteps pounded in a different direction. They hadn’t seen where we’d gone yet, which was good. It could buy us time for an escape.

I tried to calm my breathing—tried and failed.

Seeing this, Dristan pressed his body closer, pinning me between the tree and him as we hid in the shadows.

His hand rested on the tree behind me, his other braced on his thigh. We were so close his chest rose and fell against mine with each breath and my brrasts were pressed softly on his.

My heart pounded so hard, I was certain he could hear it.

He tilted his head, leaned in slightly.

"Your heart’s beating too fast, Nightshade," Dristan whispered.

I swallowed thickly. "Yeah, we just ran for our lives."

"That’s something small for you, mate. What is it really?" His voice was lower now. Deeper.

I opened my mouth to say something sarcastic, something to break the moment.

But then—

Two more men came jogging down the path not too far from us. I froze. Dristan’s eyes flicked up, instantly alert.

His hand slid up, covering my mouth. He leaned in until his face was inches from mine.

"Shhh."

The warmth of his palm against my lips did nothing to help my heart rate. His breath brushed my cheek, and our eyes locked.

I didn’t dare move.

The men passed. Slowly. One of them paused for a second—just long enough to make my skin crawl—then kept moving.

Only when their footsteps faded did Dristan lower his hand but he didn’t move away.

His eyes were still locked on mine. His gaze flicked down—lingering on my mouth. I felt the moment it happened. That shift. That slow, dangerous pull between us.

Dristan swallowed hard as the mate bond pull became stronger.

My chest rose against his. I didn’t know which of us moved first. Maybe it was both but then, his head dipped slightly, just brushing his lips over mine in a ghost of a touch—testing–Waiting.

I didn’t stop him unlie last tim at the bar. Taking hol of the opportunity, DriSo he kissed me.

It wasn’t like before. There was no hesitation this time. No sharp retreat or calculated pullback. It was hungry and heated.

And I responded.kissed him back—harder. I kissed Dristan.

The sparks that lit up between us could’ve lit a battlefield.

My hands tangled into the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. His fingers gripped my waist, sliding up beneath my hoodie and tank top as he dragged his hand along my skin.

I gasped feeling the intrusion for the first time.

The brush of his bare fingertips sent heat exploding through me. His palm flattened against my lower back as he deepened the kiss.

Gods, his mouth...

It was like being swallowed whole and set free at the same time. It was breathtaking.

For a moment, I forgot all about where we were and why we were hiding as I let myself be swept up by the kiss and the bond pulsing inside us.

But then—Bang!

A gunshot rang out, closer than before.

We dropped immediately. Dristan twisted mid-motion, throwing his arm over my head and taking us both to the forest floor, cradling me with his body.

My breath hitched.

He didn’t even hesitate. "Stay here," he said firmly, eyes wild with a different kind of fire. "I’ll be back."

I watched as Dristan leaned down and pressed a hard, fast kiss to my lips. "Do not be rash. I’ll be back," he cautione dand with that, he was gone.