Chapter 7

River walked carelessly with his hands in his pockets and his chin raised. With his stern face and smirk, he proudly creates an intimidating aura around himself that demonstrates the immense power he possesses.

It's not wrong to say that he's an egomaniacal jerk who can beat the living crap out of anyone without a reasonable reason, and no one will dare to speak out against him.

That's how things work in Sunford: the predators at the top of the food chain get to enjoy and haunt the prey at the bottom. 

"Where is he waiting?" He asked while walking with a smug on his face. 

"Alpha told me to bring you without conveying any further information," The guy walking behind him let out. 

River rolled his eyes, "It's alright you can tell me."

"I'd rather let you hit me than to going against him because I prefer my tongue to be unharmed on that," The guy said emotionlessly. 

River laughed out loud and shook his head, as the dimples appeared on his cheeks, drawing the attention of the students in the hallway. Some admired his domineering ambiance, while others held their breath and drooled at his chiselled features.

"Well, it's better to not tell then," River chuckled as they entered an absolute building; few students could be seen there, but as they went deeper, not a single soul could be found.

"Room no. 1111, I'm not allowed to go any further from here," The guy said and River raised his brow before nodding his head.

River shrugged and went upstairs. As he was walking through the hallways, he overheard someone screaming in agony. He shook his head while beaming. Following the noises, he reached the room and without waiting he walked right in.

"Pft- you started without me," River grumbled with a pout, faking disappointment. "Didn't even wait for me, what kind of bestie you are?" 

River pursed his lips as his eyes landed on the boy who sent him the most deadliest glare and the other kid crying in pain on the floor.

"The kind that will feed you your eyeballs," Alpha let out in his angry and commanding voice. "Why are you late?" 

River gazed at the black-headed boy who glared at him with his sliver brown eyes.

"I was a little busy in the morning showing my little new nerd friend around," River smiled at the thought of Eve. He moved his eyes down at the man, "Who's him by the way?"

Alpha rolled his dead and expressionless eyes, he fully shifted his tall and lean body towards River who walked further shutting the door behind him, not like someone's gonna walk on this abandoned side of the building. 

"Your brother-in-law that you used to fuck." Alpha spat with venom. His muscular and bulky chest heaved from hitting his victim too much, his unmoving and emotionless eyes could send shivers down anyone's spine. He was around River's height, a few inches taller maybe. 

River threw his head back as his hysterical laughing began to fill the dark space that had previously been filled with agonising screams.

"Oh..! Oh! my god, I never knew you could be this funny! God, you're hilarious," River bent down as he clutched his stomach to calm down his dramatic ass. "But my brother-in-law was thousands of times hotter than this poor thing here." 

Alpha stalked towards River, grabbing his jaw violently and pushing him back, causing River to stumble back, but Alpha continued to snarl at him like the insane creature that he is known to. It seemed like his scowl was permanently plastered on his face.

"You'll not find this funny when I'll break your legs," Alpha growled in his face. 

River raised a playful brow, he wanted a smile but his face was being squeezed between Alpha's large and firm hand, so he couldn't. 

"Are you sure?" River challenged with difficulty, eyes twitched in mischievousness. Alpha grunted as his face twitched in disgust. He throws River away; he knows he can never hurt his friend. Or can he? "No but seriously who's he?" 

"He might be an intruder who's keeping an eye on me?" Alpha fumed. 

River frowned, "Are you sure or that's just a guess?" 

Alpha glared at the man. "Just suspicious but that's enough for me to take action. I'm not taking any risks." 

"Right," River agreed. 

"The pills have parcelled. And dad told me there's a different drug along with the usual ones this time," Alpha let out, reaching his hand and picking up the two small bottles from a nearby desk where they were resting for some time now. 

River's eyes darkened as he nodded in acknowledgment. 

"So, for how long he's gonna make you stay here?" River inquired, falling into the seriousness of the situation. 

Alpha returned from his home. Every student is permitted to take a vacation at home. And now that the new semester has begun, every student is required to return. Those who are no longer allowed to live in their homes may remain in Sunford. And River is one of those students. 

"I'm not sure, but probably a year or so. He told me I couldn't leave until he felt I was ready for my official training to take over his business. But he and his man will keep a close eye on my actions and make sure I'm following the rules and doing everything that they order me." 

"Are you ready? For doing everything they say and allowing them to decide everything in your life? For what's waiting for you outside?" River inquired, referring to his father and their forbidden world, in which Alpha plays an important role, a key player. 

"I don't have any choice, and neither does my brother or my father had. It runs deep in the blood and we can't get rid of it. And it's not like I hate doing all this. So, why not become the villain they've been training me for so long? They damaged me for so long that the hell, now feels like home and the tempting darkness of it feels like family. I can only feel peace when I'm in the dark, the dark that sleeps peacefully inside me because I protect it from outside." He turned around, facing the closed door, as if lost in his own thoughts and flashbacks.

"How long can you keep it safe?" River looked at his broad back, because no matter how much he laughed at the situation, he was well aware of its depth and risks. 

"You know I had learned how to survive a long time ago and how to hide a body and when you die everyday, death doesn't scare you, living does. They survived and I will survive too." 

Alpha closed his eyes in serene but his head rang in chaos. He could hear all kinds of screams, gunshots, and blood rain streaming everywhere. His destructive bewildered train of thoughts was stopped by River's stiff voice. 

"I got it," River nods in understanding. "Now, what do we do with him?" He asked, pointing to the guy who was scattered half conscious and half dead, not in the condition to even move. 

After coming to his senses, Alpha turned to look at the intrusive person with murderous eyes who had dared to follow the king. Alpha is aware of the person who has put this man on his tail, but he will deal with them later. First and foremost, he must take care of this intruder because Alpha never tolerates those who dare crosses path against him like this.

"So, should I kill him?" He questioned River who shrugged nonchalantly. 

"No, killing him will be a big deal and it's not the end of the month, wait at least a few more weeks. Killing him now means double murder and we can't afford any suspicions now, your father won't be happy with it." River advised. 

"That bastard will not be happy anyways, he's just too hard to please," Alpha rolled his eyes and turned around to the exit door not in the mood to look at the intruder, he knew he'd lose his mind the more he looked at his face. 

"Did you find out any suitable prey to sacrifice this month?" River, taking in the situation, tried to change the topic. Not knowing that a certain someone was eavesdropping on their conversation while gasping in his breath. 

However, Alpha who was looking at the door frowned, his sharp and clever eyes caught a fluttering shadow from the gap under the door. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion thinking he had another intruder guest waiting at his doorstep for him to welcome them.

"No, not yet," Alpha smirked wickedly, madness rising on his face. He slowly and with careful steps started to walk towards the door. "But don't worry, I'll find out soon. It's not difficult to find an easy, and little..and small...and vulnerable...and helpless prey....

And then baam!

The door abruptly busted at the intruder's face, startling his entire self and generation and sending his soul into the skies without dying. He let out a loud shriek. 

"What do we have here?" Alpha came face to face with a shivering mess, his eyes ready to stream tears, chest heaving in terror, lips trembling, anyone could tell that the poor thing was about to have a mental breakdown. Alpha's handsome and dangerous, cunning and destructive face tilts. "A little sneaky mouse." 

"Eve?!" River comes from behind him enraged, and surprised as well. "What the hell are you doing here?" Never in a million years had he expected Eve to stand there but soon his expression changed in amusement. 

"Who's this little lamb?" Alpha asked with evilness dripping from his face. 

River glanced at Alpha with an equally amusing face, reciprocating Alpha's wicked expressions, he smirked. 

Eve took a few steps backward when Alpha took a step forward toward him. 

"You've already forgotten about him?" River raised an eyebrow, and the school's infamous king frowned puzzledly. River smirked and turned to face a statue Eve who wasn't even daring to breathe. River trudged behind Eve, who appeared small and vulnerable in comparison to River's massive complex. River looked at Alpha, who was fixated on the small prey in front of him. River places his hands on Eve's shoulders, causing him to flinch and drawing Alpha's attention. Alpha narrowed his eyes and darted down at Eve, where his eyes stilled at his neck and marks on it, he looked up at River, who was smiling mischievously.

"Does it click a memory?" 

River asked and it indeed clicked a memory. Alpha smirked viciously. 

"Ah! Roommate?" Alpha clicked his tongue. A lecherous thought went through his head but he wiped it away quickly. 

Eve, not knowing what to do as a wave of fright approaches him again. He couldn't take away his eyes off his devil roommate as Alpha kept them captive with his own. He started to panic, is this how he was going to die? Will his time be this short in his school? Will he ever be able to see his father? 

Amidst his helpless thoughts, Someone was thrown at his legs like a sack of potatoes, and he screamed at the top of his legs when his teary eyes landed on a body clutching his legs with blood-stained hands and crying loudly.

"P-Please..h-help! h-help..me!" The injured body wailed and Eve pants unstoppably, heavily breathing in and out as he cries hideously. "P-Please..ughn..call the d-dean!..p-please help m-me!-"

Alpha, without taking off his amusing eyes off Eve, kicked the guy which silenced him completely. 

"Won't you invite our guest inside, River?" Alpha cocked a brow at River, who chuckled and nodded. 

Frightened to death Eve's eyes widened and his voice cracked, "N-No please, please let me g-go!" 

"Aww poor thing," River pursed his lips with a sad face. "Come one it's gonna be so much fun." 

Against his will and reluctance Eve got dragged inside while Alpha pulled the guy inside who had crawled his way to them. River locked the doors, his entertainment skyrocketing. 

"Hmm..so, now that everyone is inside." Alpha hummed much to Eve's terror who was sure that he was at the edge of life. "Shouldn't we try out the new drug we just got?" 

River frowned, "Hey, you didn't tell me about that, what did this new drug do?" He peeked from behind Alpha to know whether it was alright to talk about it in front of Eve and he got slightly worried about whether Alpha was really thinking of killing Eve because that wasn't in his plan. Yes, he wanted his fun but not to the point where Eve will be dead. 

"You'll see now," Alpha assured him, he turned to Eve who gulped, shivering like a wet puppy. "I need your help. What's your name again roomie?" 

"Eve!" River provided him on Eve's behalf. He excitedly took a seat on one of the desks getting ready to enjoy his upcoming show. 

"Eve," Alpha rasped causing Eve to be overwhelmed, he couldn't steady his breaths by how slurty his name rolled off Alpha's tongue. "Suits you," He stalked towards Eve as he stared into his wet eyes which reeked of a destructive innocence and Alpha suddenly had the urge to corrupt them more than anything else. 

When he reached Eve, he tilts his head like the menace that he is and asked wickedly. 

"He's crying for help, won't you help him?"