Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the Alpha

Chapter 154

Chapter 154: The School Monsters

Clark POV:

That sentence did more than shake me.

It broke the spell that had frozen me in place.

I turned.

And ran.

But I didn’t get far.

From the shadows of the room — those corners I hadn’t dared look at before — something moved. No, leaped. A blur of snarling, growling muscle, all fur and fangs and pure nightmare.

A shadow dog. No, not a dog — not really. Something worse. Bigger. Thicker. Made of fur and long fierce jaws filled with sharp teeth and something even deeper, like it didn’t exist entirely in this world. The thing slammed into the wall just inches from my head, claws gouging through the concrete like cardboard.

I screamed. My legs almost gave out.

Another one followed it. Then a third. They were crawling out of the darkness like it was a door.

Three in total. Each had the outline of a hound but the wrong anatomy. Their joints bent the wrong way. Their eyes didn’t reflect light — they drank it. Their fur shifted unnaturally, like smoke clinging to a shape that didn’t want to be seen clearly.

One opened its jaws and let out a low, unnatural growl. The sound made my teeth hurt.

Nope. Nope nope nope.

I turned back and bolted into the hallway. My shoes slapped hard against the tile. My breath came in harsh gasps. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.


They were behind me.

I could hear them — the scraping of claws, the deep, almost wet-sounding snorts as they sniffed the air behind me. One howled. It didn’t sound like a wolf. It sounded like a dying child wrapped in a bear’s growl.

I shot through the narrow hallway, barely dodging fallen scaffolding and busted tiles. My shoulder clipped a doorway, and pain flared, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I didn’t know where I was going.

I just knew I had to get out.

Had to survive.

Had to tell someone—anyone—what the hell I’d just seen.

Except... who would believe me?

"I walked in on werewolves doing God-knows-what to a girl in a sealed building" wasn’t exactly going to get me anything other than a padded room.

And what if that girl had wanted it? No... no, Clark, stop thinking like that. You saw her eyes. You saw her face.

It wasn’t lust.

It was terror.

I rounded a corner and nearly crashed into an overturned desk. My shin hit the edge and I went sprawling.


"FUCK!" I shouted, barely catching myself.

There was a locker door ahead. I didn’t think. I dove toward it, yanked it open, crawled inside — knees tight to chest — and pulled it shut.

Darkness. My heartbeat slammed in my ears so loud it drowned out everything else.

Then... footsteps.

Not the padded ones of the creatures. These were... barefoot.

Deliberate. Slow. Echoing.

A shadow passed the narrow slits of the locker vent. It was tall. Too tall. The hallway light flickered, and for one brief second, I saw a silhouette — hunched over, arms too long, neck too thin. Not human.

along the lockers. Not

knew I was

the lecture room? Had

both hands, praying to a God I wasn’t sure even worked on

The scratching stopped.

a whisper — right


"You smell like fear."

I squeezed

slow footsteps again, fading. A beat passed.

Was it gone?

Was it—

SLAM!

door burst open and I screamed, falling out.

"kid?"

My eyes snapped open.

Reed.

annoyed look, arms folded, his yellowish-ringed eyes glowing faintly in the

me by

out. My mouth opened and shut like a fish on a


you seriously go into the old wing?" he asked. "You really are

guys. And then dogs—huge

sharp

was looking for Sara and—and she disappeared

said. "You’re panicking. Stop breathing like that. They can still hear

blinked at

leaned in. "You think this place is just some ordinary university? kid, there are corridors on this campus that you shouldn’t exist. Rooms that were never built for

turned his head, listening. The hall was

Too quiet.

"But lucky you,

this? You—you knew they were in there? What the hell are

a dry laugh. "You’re not ready for the answer to that. But I’ll give you one hint, Clark—this university isn’t

grabbed my shoulder tightly, his nails digging in ever so slightly — not enough to break skin, but


They’ve seen your face.

in vampires or werewolves or—or

down close again, his lips barely an inch

let’s hope they don’t believe in you

yanked me by

helping you through a panic attack. Like someone annoyed they were once again stuck babysitting a suicidal

heart pounding so loud it echoed in my ears. The distant thrum of music told me we were headed

It didn’t.

Not even close.

More abandoned than before. All the excited chatter had faded,

But then—

I heard it.

A sound.

Whimpering.

from just around the corner

breath caught in my throat. It didn’t sound human. Or maybe it did, and that made it worse. That breathy, wet sound of someone—or something—crying, or gasping through pain

slightly, just enough to glance over my

shadow. Too dark. Too quiet. Like the air was

stop. But

narrowed as he stared down the

would’ve exploded into ash. He stared at it like he dared whatever was

harder this time, pulling me in the opposite direction. I almost tripped over my own feet trying to keep

not

He didn’t respond.

Didn’t have to.

posture said:

that wasn’t

scanning every shadow like he was expecting

more

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