Chapter 5: Fleeing with Her

Lorcan Judson

Murmuring noises flood the canteen. Right now, everyone’s gaze is averting between the twerp and me. There is visible fear as well as excitement in their eyes. It appears like I’m an emerged hero from the depths of the ground to rescue oppressed people. 

I don’t know what has taken over me and now I’m standing in front of the human from whom I was thinking of keeping my distance. I just vowed to myself not to get involved with that girl and here I’m defending her. Before I could realize it, my body moved on its own and I threw myself to protect her. Thanks to that, now, I am in the center of the cafeteria with all the attention on me.

The bully huffs like a crazy bull. Perhaps it's the first he has been crossed like this. I wait a moment, being patient enough to listen to him or maybe waiting for him to attack first so that I don’t have to back off. It has been a long time since I broke someone’s neck. 

Abruptly, the bully’s lackey appears out of nowhere and whispers into his ears. The bully’s facial expressions relax which are quickly replaced by mocking ones. 

“So, you are the newcomer to the Occupational Therapy Department, huh?” He snickers, wiping the corners of his mouth like a goon.  

The bonehead’s still barking, huh? I arch my eyebrows in amusement. 

“Yes, I am,” I reply.

“And a darn newcomer has the audacity to pick a fight with me?” He grabs my collar and pulls me toward him. 

Though he isn’t as tall as me, his height isn’t unimpressive. But his rudeness irks me. How dare a mere human grab my shirt?!

“Let go of my collar,” I warn in a cold, stoic voice.

 I have changed my mind. I don’t want to scare humans around me by killing him since I have a mission to fulfill and these humans will be needed during the process

“You are threatening me now?” That bully sneers, tightening his grip on the fabric of my shirt, wrinkling it.

“I’m asking you politely for one last time. Let. Go. Of. My. Shirt.”  I glare at him. 

“Oh God! I’m so scared,” he says, loosening his grip on my shirt. 

Ah…Finally, I need not to choose violence in this human world-

Before I can complete my thought, he grabs my collar and pulls me with a jerk. 

“How dare you talk to me like that, you ba$tard!?” He grits his teeth.

Snap! 

My last string of patience snaps. 

Grabbing his neck, I lift him off the air before flipping him onto the ground, making a loud thud sound. Everyone gasps while I look at the lying person on the ground with a cold, unbothered gaze. Two of his lackeys go to help him while five of them glare at me. 

Like enraged bulls, they charge at me, attempting to beat the sh!t out of me. I dodge three of them and flip one before punching another on his jaw. I’m about to hit another guy when, out of the blue, someone holds my hand and drags me away. 

“What are you doing?” I frown, following Verena Layton, who grabbed my hand out of nowhere and now is running at her full speed, fleeing from the canteen without loosening her grip on my wrist. “Let me go-”

“There’s no time for that!” Verena looks here and there without stopping. “If faculty get involved in this squabble, we are done for. I’m sure someone must have complained to the faculty by now.”

“Where are we going then?” I ask.

“Anywhere but the canteen and our department building,” she replies before dragging me behind the bushes. 

“Damn! I left my phone at the canteen,” she bit her lower lip when she couldn’t find her phone in her pocket. “Where’s Julia and Amara? Where to go now?”

She appears fairly distressed. Unconsciously, she presses herself towards me, attempting to hide from the bully’s boys who don’t plan on stopping to chase us. It has been a while since I came to such a proximity with a woman. I hate to admit but this woman has an enticing scent. I may lose myself to my vampire instincts if I’m not careful. And right now I can’t let that happen. 

“You are too close.” I clear my throat.

“Oh! I’m sorry.” She immediately withdraws herself. 

She again bites her lower lip as she looks far away. Is this a habit of hers? Biting her lip whenever she is nervous?

“Let’s do this!” She says all of a sudden and I quickly avert my gaze. 

She again holds my wrist as she stands up.

“Hey, can’t you leave my hand alone?” I scowl, yanking my hand out of her grip. 

“I would love to but you are new here and you don’t know anything about our campus,” she says. “And right now Alan’s boys are following us. We don’t wanna get caught, do we?” 

She looks deep into my eyes, waiting for my response. I thought she’s a pushover kind but it seems she knows how to take a stand for herself. Kind of tough lady, huh?

I look away, accepting my defeat. “Do as you wish.”

“Nice.” She flashes a quick smile. 

This time she doesn’t hold my wrist but my elbow. Crap! This feels like she is literally dragging me away like a sac of potatoes. 

“Where are we going?” 

“To the rooftop of the Orthotics and Prosthetics building,” she informs, scurrying like a squirrel. 

Soon we reached the said building. I thought we were going to take the elevator but that damn elevator isn’t working. So, we are walking five floors via the stairs. 

Verena stops just before the door of the roof. Resting her palm against the door, she is breathing heavily, catching her breath. If I were a human, my lungs would have given up by now, given how quickly we were climbing the stairs. Being a vampire is a lot more convenient and easier. 

“Aren’t you out of breath after climbing so many stairs?” Verena looks at me while gasping for air. 

“I’m used to it,” I reply promptly, showing her that I’m unbothered. 

“Good for you.” She lets out a final breath before straightening her back. 

She fishes out a small key from her pocket.

Where did she get the key to the rooftop of the building of a different department? I wonder.

She glances at me. “If you are wondering how I got the key, it's all thanks to my friend Julia. She managed to get it.”

As soon as she unlocks and opens the door, a familiar voice welcomes us. 

“Welcome, brother!”