Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the Alpha

Chapter 153: Horror

CLARK – POV

"Curious little lamb, aren’t you?"

The voice was so close, so soft and low, that it slithered straight into my spine like ice. My body jerked like a live wire had touched it—my feet nearly left the ground. I spun around with a strangled yelp only for a hand—cold as death—to clap over my mouth, muffling my scream.

In a blink, I was slammed up against the wall.

Hard.

His body pressed into mine, and we were too close—way too close—his breath grazing my cheek, his icy presence bleeding into my skin like frostbite. To anyone stumbling in on us, it would’ve looked like a moment straight out of a romantic BL anime.

But this wasn’t romantic. This was a goddamn horror scene.

Because I knew that face.

The pale, ghostly guy. The senior I’d asked for directions on my first day—the one who had appeared out of nowhere, just like now.

Where had he come from? Why hadn’t I heard a single step? No shadow. No sound. Just one second I was alone, and the next—this.

"You shouldn’t disturb wolves while they’re having fun," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear.

Wolves? What the actual hell was he talking about?

I stared at him, heart battering my ribs like it wanted out. His eyes were pitch-black, unreadable. His face was smooth, elegant even—but there was a wrongness about it. Not wrong in a way you could point out, but wrong in the way a mask of a human might look after too long. Almost too perfect. Too still.

I tried to push him off, but he didn’t budge.

His body was like stone—unmoving, unyielding, cold.

"I-I wasn’t trying to disturb anyone," I managed to squeak once he eased the hand from my mouth. My throat was tight, dry. "I was just looking for my friend."

He smiled.

God.

It wasn’t a friendly smile. It was the kind of grin a predator gave before taking its sweet time.

"Funny little thing," he murmured, almost affectionately. "Always wandering into places you shouldn’t."

His breath smelled faintly metallic.

Like rust.

Or—blood.

My stomach turned. My knees felt weak.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I said, stammering.

"Wolves can’t just enter the school vicinity like that," I blurted. I didn’t even know what I was saying at that point. Maybe if I kept talking, he wouldn’t eat me. That felt like a valid fear now.

He let out a soft, amused laugh.

"Oh, little lamb, I meant Man wolf" he breathed, nostrils flaring as he sniffed my neck.

I froze. Fully, entirely frozen. My brain screamed He’s going to bite you, and for a horrifying second, I was almost too scared to care.

kind of twisted LARPing

No, that

quickly. "You’re not saying... like... an

Distract him. Maybe someone would come down the hallway. Maybe I could escape if

His grin widened.

nose

I went rigid.

bite me,

smiled—teeth a little

"You don’t believe me?"

I didn’t answer.

because I was

Because I physically couldn’t.

the hallway around us faded into nothing but cold, walls, and a deathly still presence standing inches from

leaned in again, lips grazing my ear. "Humans," he whispered, "are such silly,

"But not just fear. Something else. Something..." He

you want from

eyes opened.

not for humans. Not really. You’re just decoration. Distractions. Food. Most of you never realize it. You’re so busy partying and

his head, and for a

I said, almost too fast.

"But at least

my chest. "You... you’re still figuring it out. But

forward again. "You smell

I nearly collapsed. My body had gone completely

paces, eyes still trained on me like

a hero. It

wing, the one that had

were told

before I could open my mouth to

Like gone gone.

he

And the next?

Poof.

opening, no footsteps, no

was trying to escape my chest. "What the fu—" I yelped, louder than I meant to, and stumbled backward into the

What just happened?

Was he a... ghost?

Couldn’t pin you to a wall. Couldn’t sniff you like a bloodhound trying

was with that whole wolves having fun

No. Nope. No way.

just a messed-up hazing

Right?

drama. Maybe they’d drugged the punch at the party and I’d inhaled some

to be it. That, or I was losing my

still

did I feel like I’d just stared into the abyss and it had winked at

My feet moved anyway. Because Sara might be in there. Because if she was, and something had happened to her—and I hadn’t even tried—I wouldn’t be able

as I approached, the familiar buzz of the overhead lights dimming into flickers. The doors here were sealed with

And the door?

It was ajar.

"Sara?" I whispered.