His hand squeezed his soft black hair, the other cupping his plump bottom. His body arched toward him, his right leg pressing into his. His bottom lip was captured in his arms, and Kaelith found himself swimming in a river of sweetness and pleasure. He floated in a cloud of bliss, never wanting to leave it.
But then suddenly, it all soured. His wicked pheromones threatened to escape, about to tell everyone that he wasn't an Alpha and so he left those sweet lips and that soft cloud and began falling into hard rocks.
"What the fuck…" Kaelith muttered as he suddenly opened his eyes. "A dream again?"
He rolled into the sheets and hugged the pillow to his chest. He closed his eyes, his hand reaching up to trace his lips.
"A dream or reality? Did I truly kiss someone last night?"
"Speaking of last night… how did I get back to my dorm?"
He rose from the bed and looked around. The room was entirely different from his dorm; the paint, the size, and the aesthetic were all different.
"Where am I?" he muttered, ruffling his hair. He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed before, submerged in a big, unfamiliar bed.
He dropped his feet onto the floor and looked to the side, where a bedside table stood. A cup of water rested there.
"I'm parched."
He picked it up, still trying not to let the anxiety sink in, realizing he was somewhere he didn't recognize and had no memory of getting there.
He sipped the water and walked wherever his legs led him out of the room, into the sitting area, and toward the kitchen at the far end.
As he walked, he suddenly saw someone standing in the kitchen, holding a knife and chopping something. And just like that, of course, the cup in his hands slipped and crashed to the floor.
The sound drew the person's attention, and he turned to look at Kaelith.
"You're awake…" his voice trailed off, calm.
Kaelith couldn't be bothered with the man's voice, his eyes were fixated on something else.
"Brown hair, black eyes… black eyes…" he mumbled. "I could swear the guy I kissed in my dream had brown eyes and black hair…"
'And this guy is overly pale, while he was tanned. Though I couldn't make out his face, I'm certain he didn't look like this…' he pondered, fingers brushing his lips.
"So, who is this guy?"
"Are you okay?" the man's unfamiliar voice sounded again, startling Kaelith.
His body jolted, his legs moved reflexively and the shattered glass on the floor pierced his skin.
"Fuck…" he grimaced in pain as he bent down to examine his foot. Blood covered the cut, and a shard was already embedded in his flesh.
"Are you okay?" the voice came again, this time closer. Kaelith startled once more and stumbled back thankfully not onto the glass this time.
He looked up quickly and found the man's pale face inches away. The man's brows were arched, his nose sniffing the air as though something delicious lingered nearby. But Kaelith was simply injured so the reaction confused him.
He searched the man's face, eyes scanning him while the stranger did the same to Kaelith.
"Are you okay?" he repeated.
Kaelith shook his head, sighing. "Obviously not. And you caused it."
"I'll rectify it," the man said. Then suddenly, Kaelith felt himself being lifted from the floor. In shock, he watched the man carry him back to the room and place him gently on the edge of the bed. Blood from his foot dripped onto the floor.
As the drops hit the floor, the air turned chilly, and it felt like time itself had stilled. The man froze, staring at the blood. Kaelith followed his gaze and noticed something else.
His eyes had changed color.
Earlier, they were black. Now, they were red.
Kaelith blinked and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, the man's eyes were back to black.
His brows furrowed. 'I could swear I saw his eyes turn red…'
Without warning, the man picked up Kaelith's foot and pulled out the shard of glass. Kaelith groaned, his hand shooting out to grip the man's wrist in pain.
"It's surprising…" the man murmured, "…that I've not only seen a weakness in him, but also a strengthening and healing elixir for me. I found a treasure in a single night. How amusing…"
Kaelith didn't understand a single word.
And then, as if things weren't already strange enough, the man brought Kaelith's injured foot closer to his mouth. Kaelith's brow furrowed deeply as he watched, uncertain and uneasy.
The man's eyes fluttered shut as he grazed his tongue across the wound, licking his blood.
Kaelith stared, stunned by the act. The man's eyes snapped open and they were red again.
Kaelith froze.
The man's head tilted upward, veins bulging along his neck like he'd just absorbed some kind of immense power. He stared into Kaelith's eyes, and a shiver ran down Kaelith's spine.
Then the man opened his mouth again, his teeth now fangs.
Kaelith's eyes widened in alarm. The paralysis gripping him suddenly broke. He kicked the man's hand away and jumped to his feet.
He limped out of the room, pushing his legs into motion. Sprinting through the hallway, down the stairs, out the door, into the street.
He flagged down a taxi, breathless.
"To Imperium Crest Institute!"