Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the Alpha

Chapter 146

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.

teeth grinding shut. The quiet thump of something

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

What the hell?

his suitcase halfway zipped up. His face was pale in the faint blue glow from the hallway night light

man?" I croaked, rubbing the crust of sleep from my

my voice

it was something rawer.

up a bit, confused. In my still-half-asleep state, my brain hadn’t caught up. "What

made sense, right? The trembling, the panic, the silence last night—it all screamed victim of upperclassman hazing. That had to

just pass entrance exams and get accepted into Memoville to run off before

me like

eyes wide. "You think I

it wasn’t a laugh that meant anything good. It was dry. Empty. Like

it was bullies," he whispered. "At least bullies don’t drink your blood or smile like they’re stretching skin over

I froze.

anyway," he said, crouching and stuffing his hoodie into his bag. "Nobody ever

that fell after that was suffocating. My heart

not sure if I even wanted to know

stared at me. Not

move too... perfectly?" He was talking fast now. "Didn’t you feel it? The cold? The eyes? The paleness? The way

swallowed. I had felt something. Seen things. But that was just nerves. Jet lag. Maybe a little imagination

"Lucas, come on—"

worse." He

to me. "I knew something was wrong the moment that woman at registration

My blood chilled.

too," I admitted before I could stop

crumbled.

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

looked over his shoulder once, like he was trying to memorize

"Especially the ones

Then he was gone.

like hours, but the clock only

anyone to be up, but I

in my head: They drink blood. They

girl at registration had said I "smelled delicious." She had

the bench had glowing eyes. And

No. There’s no such

Right?

primal. Some ancient part of

And it whispered:

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255