Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the Alpha

Chapter 146: Run

Clark POV:

"Hey," I whispered, even though I knew he wouldn’t answer. "Whatever happened... I’m not gonna ask again. Just... you’re safe here, alright?"

No response.

I didn’t expect one.

But I thought—maybe, just maybe—I saw the covers shift slightly. A twitch. Like maybe he heard me.

I turned toward him, my whisper barely audible.

"Hey... you never told me your name."

No answer.

A minute passed. Then two.

And then, from beneath the blanket, a soft whisper, hoarse and quiet:

"...Lucas."

I nodded in the dark. "I’m Clark."

A pause. Then another whisper, barely more than a breath.

"We shouldn’t have come here."

A chill ran through me. I pulled my covers higher, heart thudding in my chest.

This place... this wasn’t just about bullies.

It was something else.

Something worse.

And I had no Clare here to fight for me.

Just me.

*********

I don’t know when I finally drifted off. Maybe sometime after midnight. My brain had been spiraling like it always did—overthinking, analyzing, replaying the weirdness of the day on a loop—until it finally just short-circuited. Blackout sleep.

I was deep in it when I heard shuffling.

grinding shut. The quiet thump of something

my head feeling like it had been stuffed with cotton. I reached for my

What the hell?

darkness and saw Lucas—dressed, his suitcase halfway zipped up. His face was pale in the faint blue glow from the hallway night light filtering

doing, man?" I croaked, rubbing the

by my voice like I’d broken

he said. His voice trembled, but not from tiredness—no, it was something rawer. "I’m going

my still-half-asleep state, my brain hadn’t

the panic, the silence last night—it all screamed victim of upperclassman hazing. That had to be it. All schools had them. Maybe here it was worse. Elite schools bred elite

entrance exams and get accepted into Memoville

me like

he said, eyes wide. "You

good. It was dry.

bullies," he whispered. "At least bullies don’t drink your blood or smile

I froze.

"Nobody ever does. That’s why they always get fresh meat. That’s what we are

silence that fell after that was suffocating. My heart kicked in my chest a little faster than

are you talking about?" I asked, not sure if I even wanted to know

just stared at me.

enough? The ones who talk like they’re quoting from a play and move too... perfectly?" He was talking fast now. "Didn’t you feel it? The cold? The eyes? The paleness? The way the damn

was just nerves.

"Lucas, come on—"

now. "You come on. Leave. You think I’m crazy? Fine. But if I stay, I die. Or worse." He zipped his suitcase fully, stood up, and walked

to me. "I knew something was wrong the moment

My blood chilled.

did that to me too," I admitted before I could stop

slowly, eyes wide. His face crumbled. "Then why the hell are

creaked open. A gust of cold morning air from the corridor pushed in

like he was trying to memorize the room in case he didn’t

trust anyone," he said. "Especially

Then he was gone.

sat there for what felt like hours, but the clock only ticked forward ten

early for anyone to be up, but I

drink blood. They stretch skin over bone. Don’t

to believe him. But the girl at registration had said I "smelled delicious." She

had glowing eyes. And that

No. There’s no

Right?

inside me stirred—something primal. Some ancient part of me that

And it whispered: