Rain pelted the window in a continuous barrage, a constant background noise for the past couple of hours. Adrian hadn't moved from his nest, having settled on the top of one of the bunk beds.

He had even dragged more pillows into the bed, doubting that anyone would protest as long as he was to remain in the room alone. Adrian wasn't used to this amount of comfort when he nested.

No, he was used to twigs pricking in his skin, the scent of decaying leaves in his nose and the slight give of soil and moss against his feet.

Perhaps even the slightly ticklish sensation of small critters that squirmed over his skin, assuming he was part of the forest itself. Only to skitter away when he moved unsuspectingly.

This... this is nice....

He rubbed his chin against the soft blankets, tugging more over his body and let his eyes droop. Heat seeped into his skin and made him shiver with delight.

The loud crack of thunder made Adrian press further into the blankets, eyes wary and focused on what limited fragment he could see from the sky.

Purplish black clouds swirled past, occasionally igniting with a flash of lightning before the thunder rattled through the building.

Adrian felt agitated. Not only because of the storm that was blowing overhead and would likely last for several more hours but also because of his surroundings.

Each inhale he took, his nostrils filled with the thick stench of fear. He assumed it was much thicker outside his door, where it was slowly seeping from.

The pungent scent intensified with each crack of thunder, the loud explosion that rattled the glass panes within their windows.

And each time the thunder crackled through the building, Adrian could hear the distress from the other students. The sharp clacking of claws that scrambled to hide, panicked yelps, barks and other sounds along with the voices of adults, trying to maintain order and calm the students down as best as they could.

He was more than grateful that the adults had thought ahead and roomed all the carnivores together. None of them would be able to resist the allure of the hunt if they were being bombarded with fear pheromones from prey.

Adrian wasn't terrified; he simply didn't like the storm. His parents didn't teach him and his siblings anything about the weather, making it even more unnerving to ponder why those sounds rumbled through the air.

Though he was immensely grateful to be inside instead of being drowned in the downpour that was persistently assaulting his eardrums.

It was actually his first storm where he was warm and cozy, sheltered from the rain. Back in the woods, Adrian would've had to be lucky to find a sizable cave to hide in to wait out the storm.

Here, he was completely dry and he could hear a soft humming in the room before it seemed to warm up a tad. Not at all a damp cave with a rocky surface to nestle upon.

Caves that he'd have to defend in case another critter stumbled inside and took offence of Adrian's presence. Not that he had been hard-pressed to defend the spot, as most wild animals had left him alone.

The only thing Adrian had been wary of, had been the wild bears. Seeing how well he had managed to bond with Willem, Adrian suspected he'd never get along with those powerful predators to begin with.

A shiver ran over his spine at the last malicious glare Willem had thrown his way. Though Adrian could see it wasn't the human side of Willem that had glared at him, he wasn't exactly concerned about Willem's human side.

More the animalistic side he had managed to piss off.

Slowly, the flashes of light appeared less frequently, the following rumble of thunder taking its time to follow up. But the warmth underneath the blankets was enough to make Adrian feel drowsy.

Hmmm.... A midday nap....sounds good....

A knock sounded on the door a while later, drawing Adrian's gaze to the wood as it slowly swung open. Even in the shadowy darkness of his room, Adrian could see a familiar face poke into his room.

And judging from the way Charles' eyes instantly found his form huddled in the blankets, the serpent had no problem locating him either.

His tongue flicked out over his lips for a moment, seemingly tasting the air before he smiled softly. "Good afternoon. I'm sorry to bother you in your room, " Charles opened the door a crack further and leaned against the wood.

"The storm has quieted down and is heading away from the facility. I'm quite certain that you'd love to have some food without being challenged for it."

The mere mention of food made Adrian's stomach growl lowly. Sleep was pulling at his senses but hunger was fighting it every step of the way. And he knew it would feel so much better to fall asleep with a meal in his belly.

Then again, he wasn't interested in being cooped up in a small area filled with the scents of frightened prey and raw flesh. He wasn't quite sure if he had that much restraint.

"Or I could have food brought over, if you're uncomfortable leaving the safety of your room." Charles muttered softly, motioning his thumb over his shoulder. "We do the same for the prey shifters; all of them will be staying in their rooms for safety reasons, of course."

Oh. Well, in that case...

Adrian shuffled out of his comfy little nest, landing easily on the wooden floor before he pushed himself up. Charles didn't seem the least bit intimidated and instead widened his smile, tongue peeking out for a fraction of a second.

"Very well, if you can please follow me. Oh, and don't try and run, please. I really don't want to spook you anymore, nor would I want to call in for Willem's help."

A shiver darted over Adrian's back whilst his hairs stood on end. He too didn't want to push his luck, especially not with Willem.

Who knew what would happen if he managed to piss off the polar bear even more? It wouldn't be unthinkable that the man would lose control over his beast.

Even if he reigned it back in, Adrian was quite certain of what the outcome would be; with his limp body lying in a bloodied heap.

And that was if he was lucky enough to be caught unaware. Adrian didn't even want to think of the fallout if he did manage to shift before the bear attacked. He'd probably be able to do some real damage but then again, that would only succeed to really piss off the bear.

He really didn't want to get injured. An injured predator wasn't capable of hunting and feeding themselves.

Injuries killed in their world.

Taking a calming breath, Adrian could tell that Charles was tasting the air to make sure the boy had full control over himself.

The man didn't make it too obvious, but it was noticeable enough for Adrian to see. Breathing through his mouth instead of his nose, licking his seemingly moist lips more often.

It unnerved Adrian a bit, but at the same time, he wasn't willing to give the serpent beside him any ideas. Cause he remembered all too well that it wasn't Willem that had caught and held him down with ease.

It had been Charles.

He followed the snake warily, feeling the hairs in his neck stand on end while his eyes darted around. A few other predators were sneaking around, either with guidance of an adult right with them or an adult standing watch in the hallway.

It seemed like the adults weren't going to take any chances with the predatorial instincts that were surely overtaking the younger, inexperienced kids.

Hell, even Adrian had issues to focus as he sometimes felt as if he ran headfirst into a pheromone wall. In some places of the hallway, the scent of fear and dread was so thick, Adrian could actually taste it.

It was a bitter taste in the back of his throat that lingered and yet somehow, was oddly sweet. And addictive. It was a scent that made his animal croon in delight, Adrian's nostrils flaring to take delicate whiffs of the scent before he snorted to clear the scent out.

Predator... but small enough to be prey? Could put up a fight but... ambush it and you'd have an easy meal...

The only sign of his unease was a slight rumbling sound in the back of his throat and his widened nostrils. Adrian accepted his animals' senses as for what they were, but he wasn't led purely by them.

Well... not most of the time...

Instincts were good to have, especially strong ones. They had kept him save over the years after all. But one could only get so far on instincts alone.

His nest mate had proved as much when he had let himself be overruled by his instincts. His instincts to dominate and become the Alpha, to prove his worth was what left Adrian all alone, watching his last remaining sibling getting devoured by that bear.

A hand to his chest startled Adrian slightly and Charles offered an apologetic smile before motioning to the double doors.

Adrian glanced through the windows and saw the rain outside splashing against the windows. It wasn't as harshly as it had been before but-

"The canteen and kitchen are in that block over there." Charles pointed out the building across the yard, shrouded in thick waves of rain. "We've taken to keeping it separated, seeing how some of you youngsters kept sneaking in to steal food."

The serpent's smile was almost mocking before it turned genuine as he removed his hand from Adrian's chest. "If you want to eat away from the smells here, you'll have to go through the rain, if that's okay with you?"

A slight flick of Charles' tongue tasted the air, awaiting Adrian's reaction, any sense of unease from the Feral. Adrian snorted, knowing he wouldn't be quite able to eat in the thick, pungent scents that flooded the halls.

So he sighed and shoved open the door, keeping pace with Charles. Even though the man was a shifter like him, it seemed that Charles shared several traits with his serpentine side, including its sluggishness in cool weather.

By the time the pair managed to rush into the canteen, they were soaked. Adrian huffed and shook himself out, scowling at the drenched clothes that stuck to his skin.

... the fuck is this? Get it off!

No matter how he twisted or turned to shake the sensation off, the fabric seemed glued to his skin and the disgusting feeling when Adrian went to peel it off was enough to release the fabric instantly.

He gnawed at the disgustingly annoying fabric until Charles tapped him on the nose in a gentle scolding, making Adrian hiss as he stared at the shirt glued to himself.

It was a new, unwanted and rather disgusting experience. Charles laughed at Adrian's expression before guiding the hissing teen into the warmth of the building, ignoring the eyes on the pair.

"There won't be any live meals but the chefs do take in requests. So if you prefer your meat to be raw, you can just ask, or well, point it out." Charles amended quickly as Adrian quirked an eyebrow.

After all, the teen never had any reason to learn how to speak, most of the language he and his siblings had used had been of their shift. And what little his parents had thought him had faded over his Feral years.

Adrian already had a feeling that, the longer he stayed here, the more others would press him to learn how to speak.

He flicked his tongue over his teeth while eying the slabs of meat hungrily. Why did he even need to talk like humans would? His body posture, claws and teeth spoke for themselves.

If people didn't properly read his signals, they would learn from their painful mistakes.

Adrian bypassed the cutlery, didn't understand their purpose or need and went straight for the meat. He heard Charles' amused chuckle but ignored it. The slab of venison reminded him of the meal he received yesterday but had regretfully forgotten to bring with him.

He stuffed a piece in his mouth and was already reaching for another before Charles tapped him on the wrist. It was a slight touch of admonishment, making Adrian follow Charles' hand as he pointed to the trays standing ready.

"Don't just grab the food with your hands. Other people have to eat too, take a plate on a tray and fill that to your liking." Charles explained, eying the cutlery before shaking his head "Don't worry about eating with your hands, we'll focus on proper eating later."

How the hell are you supposed to eat then? With your feet?

Adrian glanced around, seeing how most teenagers here all had trays in front of them, some eating with their hands while other's used the cutlery.

And all eyes were focused on him, assessing the new arrival. Predators that were talking softly to one another, sending him curious looks.

It wasn't every day that there was a new arrival and they were as eager to set up boundaries as Adrian was. The boy bristled and bared his teeth slightly at the amount of stares pointed his way.

And not all of them were friendly.

The sudden sound of hands clapping together snapped everyone out of their staring contest, turning attention back to the teachers in the room.

Two identical males stood side by side, black hair curling around their ears. "Alright everyone, the storm has us all on edge so please don't add anymore tension to one another."

Adrian took a sniff of the air and was surprised to find that both men were herbivores. He hadn't encountered them before but everyone else in the room knew better than to mess with a pair of Cape Buffalo in the prime of their lives.

More so in the case of two male bulls.

Especially the lions in the room were on edge. They were natural predators that preyed on buffalo but that didn't mean they were easy prey to take down.

It happened often enough that a lion found its end beneath a buffalo's hooves or gored on their horns.

Their brown eyes landed on Charles, both twins smiling before they glanced at Adrian. "Heard Willem had some issues with his shift around this one."

Charles chuckled at that as he nodded in agreement. "Indeed Sebastian. Left me to take care of our new student because Willem's bear was slowly taking over."

Sebastian eyed his twin and smirked widely, motioning with two fingers to the man before holding his palm up. "Pay up Michael."

Michael rolled his eyes as he reached back, pulling out his wallet before shoving a few bills in his twin's outstretched hand. Sebastian accepted the money with a grin as Adrian cocked his head curiously.

He ignored the two after a brief glance and loaded his plate with meat, following Charles to a nearby table. The second he was seated, Adrian ignored everyone around him and started devouring his meal.

Even if he seemed lax, Adrian wasn't fooling Charles. The snake's tongue could easily detect his change of scent, could smell his tension as easily as he could feel it.

The serpent knew he had to stay close to Adrian. As much for the boy's safety as for those surrounding him.

A.N. hehehe, wonder if people will catch onto a reference I snuck in this chapter....

I've seen a lot of cool guesses and I absolutely love the in-dept analysis of some of you guys :D

I guess it is time for another hint then?

While he might be powerful, Adrian's shift is NOT an Apex predator. So there are still creatures out there that would consider him to be a tasty snack. So Adrian is no king of his domain, just a prince living underneath a tyrants gaze.

And a little fact, since I forgot a tip last chapter.

Ahum.... While it may not be for the weak of heart, Adrian is mostly an ambush predator and gives chase to his prey. Once captured, the poor animal in question is pinned down and, if its injuries weren't lethal on their own, feeding often starts while the prey is still alive.

Let's see if this helped you guys, or just succeeded to confuse you all xD