Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the Alpha

Chapter 161: "Run, Fool, Run"

Lucas POV

I woke up early.

Not like I’d really slept.

Even in my dreams, they were there—laughing, watching, touching. I couldn’t breathe right even when unconscious.

Who would’ve thought the monsters wore such beautiful faces?

Hot people. Models. Walking gods. That’s what they looked like. But behind those glowing eyes and sharp smiles, something rotted. Something old. Inhuman.

They didn’t even have to hide it well. We—humans—are too stupid, too desperate to be seen, to be touched, to matter, to even notice the danger.

I looked like a goddamn zombie by the time morning came up. Hollow-eyed. Grey. Shaky. My face was pale, eyes sunken, limbs heavy.

But I didn’t care.

I knew one thing: I would only be able to breathe again the moment I got out of this godforsaken hellhole of a place.

I’d made up my mind.

I was leaving.

No matter what.

I was halfway through stuffing the last of my things into my bag—zipper straining from how fast I was packing—when my roommate stirred.

Clark sat up, blinking through the sleep, his hair sticking up in every direction.

"Hey," he croaked. "What’re you doing?"

"Leaving," I muttered without looking at him.

He rubbed his face. "What? Why?"

"I’m going home."

Clark blinked a few times, then sat all the way up.

"You didn’t just pass the entrance exams and get accepted into Memoville to run off before orientation, man," he said. "Come on."

His tone was casual—like I’d just been through a bad breakup or lost a wallet.

He thought I was bullied.

Bullied.

What happened to me... that wasn’t bullying.

That was something else.

Something no human should ever experience.

Something no one would believe even if I tried to explain it.

And that’s exactly why they get away with it. Why there’s always fresh meat.

I crouched to grab my hoodie and stuffed it into my duffel, trying not to scream.

"You won’t believe me anyway," I said. "Nobody ever does. That’s why they always get fresh meat. That’s what we are to them."

Clark was more awake now. More alert. He watched me closely.

"...What are you talking about?" he asked.

I looked at him, finally.

"You saw it, didn’t you?" I asked. "The ones that walk like they’ve never tripped in their lives? The ones that talk like they’re in a Shakespeare play and never blink at the right time?"

wasn’t just

The paleness? The way

Clark stared at me.

scared with me. Maybe of

But he didn’t laugh.

that was enough

he said, his voice

I cut him

something was off the moment that woman at registration smelled my ID. Not scanned

He froze.

that to me too," he

unease, maybe. Or the start

sat on the

Still hesitated.

the hell are you still here?" I asked him, sharper than I meant

He didn’t answer.

silence told me

I’d tried.

I really had.

if he wanted to wait until one of them lured him

find out

trust anyone," I said as I hoisted my bag onto my

That’s the thing, right?

Their smiles.

Wide. Bright. Charming.

Hiding teeth.

Hiding cruelty.

hot

Fucking pathetic.

No more.

I was done.

last

burn before I ever set foot

*********

was dead silent. Not a soul in sight. Just long, dark halls and an oppressive stillness that made every step echo like a

walked fast. As fast as I could. I didn’t want to be here one second longer

abandoned. Deserted. And yet,

have—my duffel bouncing against my back with every step. I kept my head

in this

But the halls...

God, the halls.

long. Too still. Too quiet. The kind of silence that presses against your ears

Gothic horror movie. High arched ceilings. Cold stone walls. The occasional flickering light bulb that seemed to sputter only when I walked under it. Thick air, flickering lights, and shadows that seemed to stretch longer than they should. Just walking through those halls made the hairs on

air changed the further I went. Heavy. Thick. Like

layout stopped making

seemed to

the university knew I wanted to escape. Like it had a mind of its own and wasn’t ready to let me go. I kept turning corner after corner, passing hallways I swore I’d seen

identical corridors, all without windows, without signs. Just doors. Hallways. A repeating maze. I swear I passed the same painting twice—a portrait of a pale man with too many teeth and too

Was the building shifting?

My breathing was

to myself. "No. You’re just scared.

from my pocket, unfolded it, and focused. Just follow the map.

step, tracing my way with my finger. I walked blindly, one foot in front of the other, following

I did glance up—and the hallway I stood in didn’t look like it was leading

was pulling me

deeper into the university. Deeper

about it. I kept following the lines on the map like

And then—

Exit.

was small, red, glowing faintly above a pair of wide

I froze.

second, I couldn’t breathe—not from fear this time, but from

I