Feral

Chapter 8

He felt as if he was being observed closely, eyes following wherever he went. But as Adrian let his own eyes flit around, all he could see was other teenagers quickly averting their gazes and hushed murmurs as they gave the Feral a wide berth.

But Adrian trusted his instincts and they were screaming at him to hide. That there was something lurking in the shadows, something strong and powerful.

Something lethal, that made even him wary. It was a feeling he wasn't used to, had only experienced it when he was little and saw the massive bear devouring his last living sibling.

No... this is worse...

A shiver ran down his spine while Adrian's senses were on high alert. Nostrils flaring, skin prickling underneath his clothes, he wasn't quite sure what to do.

Run to his nest and hide in a safe room? Keep close to one of the adult shifters as a safety precaution?

The choice was made for him when Charles smiled gently, unaware of Adrian's inner conflict as he patted the boy on the back.

"Come on kid, the sooner you learn how to speak your mind, the sooner people like Willem will stop harassing you." Charles chuckled, guiding him towards one of the buildings farthest away from the dorms.

That... that isn't a bad idea at all...

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"So, what do you think of him, Darius?" Willem asked when the man just observed the new Feral from afar, eyes squinted slightly.

Darius smiled, leaning against the doorway and chuckled slightly. He could tell with the way that Willem was glaring at the kid, they had already had their own encounter.

"Made friends already?" He teased, watching the polar bear shake his head and grunt rather animalistically. Darius pushed off of the wall, moving in the opposite end of the new arrival.

"At least the lil' kid didn't bite me, unlike someone else." Willem's glare was burning in Darius' back, who snickered at the vague memory.

Darius pushed open the door, smiling politely at the two deer that quickly ducked under his stretched arm. They let out audible squeaks when they nearly bumped into Willem, who more resembled a bear with a tooth ache as he tried to smile in reassurance.

"Don't ever do that again." Darius wheezed as he barked with laughter, stumbling to the side when the polar bear shoved past him with a snarl. "You looked terrifying. Oh my gods, were you trying to scare those kids to death?"

"Shut the fuck up, you oversized prehistoric chicken!"

Darius grinned, giving the two does a reassuring smile, "Are you ladies alright?" They nodded breathlessly, the oldest one quickly ushering the other out of the building before Darius smiled warmly as he heard their excited chatter as soon as they were a safe distance away.

He could hear them clearly, muttering about the long black hair that spilled over his shoulders. How they were awed by the amber, almost golden color of his eyes.

Darius was grateful that he was capable of keeping his animal calm, otherwise those girls would've been running as far away as their feet could carry them. Though, that might be preferable over the cooing and gushing about the former Feral's looks.

Burying his hands in his pockets, Darius slowly followed the raging polar bear on a safe distance. It was amusing to see his old friend mutter and growl like that, but Darius knew Willem long enough that the man didn't mean anything by it.

He was still an asshole, but in the kindest ways. Willem had the habit to say things as they were without sugar coating. He was stern, stubborn, easily agitated and his beast was always right below the surface.