To say that he was in pain was an understatement. Since the moment he opened his eyes the dictionary meaning of the word was not enough to describe the sensation that numbed his whole face. He felt like, his nose especially, was swollen and waiting to explode.
At first still a bit dazed about what had happened he just opened his eyes and focused on the unusual feeling but soon after, everything came rushing back. How Luke was possibly not human and how he had found out about that top secret.
He looked around as fear started to overtake him. He was not in his room. He was sure about that. The floor was from light colored wood and the few furniture that existed in it were pretty much the same. A nightstand, a desk with a black swivel chair. There was a small library that had a few books which seemed to have a thick layer of dust on them and just a closet with a mirror attached to it.
After he examined the room carefully he stood up only to feel dizzy and land on it again. His hand moved to his pained head and he frowned as the room seemed to turn all around him. He tried getting up a second time, much slower and headed towards the door.
Of course it would be locked, he mumbled as he turned the doorknob and realized that it wouldn't move. What was he really planning to do with him? Kill him or even worse, eat him? Alex had seen many movies but he was never the fantasy kind of guy. Now he really regretted not watching all those teenage ones with his friends back in high school. Was it silver that was harmful to werewolves or garlic? He couldn't even recall such plain information but in the end he didn't have access to any of it so there was no use in trying to remember.
His next attempt was to open the window that was right above the small desk but again his hopes died soon. He whined a bit more, pacing around the unfamiliar room trying to figure out ways on how to cheat his possible death when the doorknob moved and the door opened slightly.
Behind the half opened door was standing Luke with an amused look on his face. The moment Alex looked at him he felt true fear, a feeling he had forgotten the last few years. As he walked inside all he wished for was not to get slashed by the nails he had seen before.
"Sooo what are we gonna do with you?" Luke said in a singing tone and his grey cold eyes lit up cheerfully.
Alex moved back as much as he could until he found his back touching the hard wall. He raised his head a bit to meet his eyes but obviously he wasn't so courageous and witty as the last time.
"Probably not kill me…please" he said and Luke laughed. He was playing with him, that was the only thing Alex was sure about.
"Hmm…" he pretended he was thinking and placed his arm right next to his head, hovering. "Would letting you live be fun? I mean what if you tell my team's secret."
"Wait…your team? You mean that your whole team is not…"
"All of them yes. Our college is made just for us."
"Your college is made just for the team?"
"Not the team you idiot. The pack." Luke said like Alex was supposed to know this kind of thing which was, in all honesty, ridiculous.
"So there are a lot of you?"
"Yeah we are planning world domination."
"Really?" Alex asked with his eyes wide open. Luke always stood a bit defensively, even when he was making fun of him but at that moment looking at his doe green eyes as he asked him if he was going after world domination he couldn't stop himself and he burst out laughing so hard his grey eyes turned into little happy crescents.
Alex for a second was taken aback by the peculiar behavior but Luke's attractive image was enough to calm him down a bit, something about his laughter was very soothing. He soon realized that he was a very superficial being. Relaxing just because the person in front of him was handsome.
"Of course not. This place is a safe environment for us. We live here in secret so nobody gets hurt" Luke explained.
"Oh, I see….Wait, wait, wait. Why are you telling me all these? You're gonna kill me afterwards. That's why" Alex said in panic and tried to push him away. He knew he needed to run but even though his palms pushed his muscled chest with all his might he wouldn't move.
"Do I look that mean to you kitty?" Luke asked him and the boy frowned.
"Let me think about it" Alex said but in a second he kicked Luke between his legs at his most sensitive spot. It was the final resort, the only way to escape but he did feel slightly bad about it. He was sure that hurt a lot. Proving him right, the tall boy almost fell to the floor and screamed in pain.
In these few seconds Alex ran away leaving him in pain, facing a huge corridor that was connected with many others. Most of the doors were closed and in the few of them that were left open he could spot beds, fallen clothes and messy desks but there were no students inside. It was already dark outside and he kept going straight hoping that in the end he would find his way out of this place.
His joy though of being free was crumbled very fast. The young beast had obviously managed to catch up to him, who was running around with no clear destination and in an instant he had raised him up and placed him on his shoulder. His face looking at Luke's back and his feet swayed in the air.
"Let me go!" he shouted and started struggling only for Luke's grip to become even tighter as they headed back to his room.
"Don't do that I'm going to drop you and shut up they don't know you're here and if they know it will be bad"
"Why?" Alex asked once Luke had let him down back in his room. The black haired boy closed the door and sat on his bed while Alex fidgeted at the slightest sound.
"Because if they know you're here they will really kill you."
"Then why did you bring me here!" Alex shouted in despair.
"I don't know. I felt like I…had to"
"You had to? Oh my God I'm dead…I mean like…you are a werewolf. This is not real. Wake up Alex" he told himself and slapped his cheek hoping that this would be all a dream.
"I wouldn't cause more damage to your face if I was you"
"What? Why?" Alex asked and Luke pointed towards the mirror. He turned around and faced himself only to let out a shocked gasp. His nose was purple and swollen. It looked like an eggplant and not even like a delicious one. "You did this to me" Alex cried out. "I need to go to the hospital. Like now!"
"Yeah. I'm sorry about that. I panicked"
"I'm starting to question how smart you actually are."
"I'm actually a business major you know. I'm not that stupid."
"Yeah in a college made just for me I'm sure I'd be a genius too."
Luke scoffed at his words but didn't say anything else. He stood up from the bed and moved towards Alex who was still examining himself on the mirror with a worried expression. He turned him around and they faced each other. Then he slowly traced his fingertips above his swollen nose making him frown a bit. His touch was gentle and his eyes were traveling all over the injury with care. The green eyed boy felt his heart flatter at the intimate move and his cheeks turned hotter. Alex you are clearly insane, he told himself.
"I'm really sorry about that"
"It's okay, I guess." Alex mumbled this time a bit shy. He couldn't really be mad when he was looking at him like that. "But take me to the hospital and don't let your…pack kill me."
"I won't, don't worry. Let's wait a bit though until everyone returns from dinner. I don't want anyone to see us"
"And how long will that take?"
"About half an hour I think"
"Okay I guess. So do you guys like kill people?"
"Only if we have to. If someone threatens to reveal our secret or knows about us. If someone is a hunter."
"So there are people who are after you?" Alex asked surprised. He couldn't believe that there would be humans out there brave enough to fight with beasts.
"Yeah. Wolf hunters. That's why we stay hidden"
"Aren't you afraid I might talk?"
"Not really. You seem like a wuss to be honest. A kind wuss."
Alex was not sure if he should get insulted or feel nice about his comment. It was a very difficult situation to actually analyze, he thought. It was indeed very weird that luke was spilling out his secrets, secrets that were supposed to never be revealed so easily. He had decided though that he wasn't going to talk about it in case he regretted it and killed him. Luke said he wouldn't harm him so he had no reason to get involved and probably change his fate for the worst. After tonight he would never see him again. The thought of that sudden seperation though sat strangely with him. He couldn't fully explain it but there was something more.
"I won't."
"Huh?"
"I won't talk. I'll keep your secret."
"Thanks" Luke told him with a slight smile and they stood in silence for a while until a knock was heard on the door.
Luke stood up immediately and signaled Alex to stay quiet.
"Babe. Are you alright? You weren't at dinner. Can I come in?" a girl asked
"Yeah just a second" Luke said and looked at Alex filled with worry.
They were in big trouble.