A/N: 24.02.19

Btw, do you guys prefer longer chapters or shorter chapters?

P.s: scroll back up after reading this chapter and check the gif above ☝️☝️You'll understand why 😂

Also, I made a tiktok account dedicated to my stories :) my username

Tiktok: ij_hidee

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Noah and Micka followed Astrid down the hall, quickening their pace just to keep up with her.

"Wait, so you're telling us that vampires actually exist?" asked Micka. She snapped him a dark glare and Micka jumped in his skin, almost tripping over his feet.

"Scream it to the world, why don't you?" snapped Astrid. "Lower your voice, this place is infested with vamps. We're going to use codenames from now on, got it?"

"What's the codename for vampires?" whispered Noah.

"Ducks."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Astrid ignored him. "Look, it's a word that people frequently use, no one's going to suspect a thing."

"Oh yeah, of course not, because they'll be too busy wondering why three idiots are having a conversation about DUCKS!" snapped Micka.

"And you're going to get eaten by one if you don't keep it DOWN," she snapped back. Noah felt like the ceiling was crumbling over them. This was even worse than when Micka and Tory were arguing. "Ducks are everywhere and their numbers have only multiplied these past few months so lower your voice."

Astrid was another student recruited by the FBI and the only one who was still alive. She was the reason why they had so much information on vamps, sending them samples and evidence she every month.

"Where are all the ducks coming from?" asked Noah.

"Someone's opening their coffins and waking them up from their sleep."

"Who's letting the vamps- I mean, the ducks out of their coffins?" asked Micka, still feeling like the codename was more than ridiculous.

"A duck named Nyx," mumbled Astrid. "He's one of the strongest, oldest ducks out there. Someone as ancient as him is the only one who would know where his old comrades were buried. We have to stop this duck from digging up more coffins."

"How are we going to do that?"

"We drive a wooden stake in his heart and bury it deep under the ground where no one will ever find him."

Noah and Micka could hear the anger and hatred in Astrid's voice, and they could tell that she must have had a couple of unpleasant experiences with these "ducks".

"I'll show you list of students I've already identified as ducks, and we'll figure out how to identify the rest of them in hopes to take down Nyx too. But until then, I want you two to be very careful with whom you speak. Don't trust anyone else around here, is that understood?" asked Astrid, not wanting to lose any more people from her side. Noah and Micka nodded.

"Understood," they both answered obediently.

"But do you know how these ducks are walking in broad daylight?" asked Micka. "I thought they were supposed to be allergic to the sun or something."

"They are," said Astrid. "Which is why some of them wear enchanted jewelry that allows them to walk under the sunlight. These enchanted jewels are very rare, like-"

"Like limited-edition Gucci clothes?" asked Micka. Astrid narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, like limited-edition Gucci clothes," she growled through clenched teeth. "Only the oldest and most powerful vampires have them. These monsters are very dangerous, don't forget that."

"And very rich," reminded Micka. Astrid shifted her gaze towards him.

"You know, I don't think we're going to get along very well, you and I," said Astrid.

Noah looked down and noticed that his left shoelace was untied.

"Hold on guys, I need to tie my shoe," he murmured, crouching down. Noah took longer than average to tie his shoes. When he finally finished, he stood up and smiled. "Alright guys, I-"

But when he looked up, Micka and Astrid were already gone. He blinked in confusion, looking around him, but they were nowhere to be in sight. Noah wandered further down the hall, which led to more halls, and when he chose one and walked down that direction, it only led to even more halls.

"Micka? Astrid? Are you guys there?" he called, his voice echoing down the empty room.

But there was no reply.

***

Aleksei washed up and changed into his uniform, leaving his room to head to class. He was in a bad mood, more than usual because of Roman and Issa interrupted his beauty sleep. But he was in an even worse mood because his older brother Nyx wouldn't stop pestering him to drink human blood.

Aleksei hasn't had human blood for about over a hundred years now which was longer than what an average vampire could withstand. However, he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up.

Roman was right. Vampires needed human blood to survive. Animal blood was only a temporary snack to lower vampire cravings, but it was nowhere near as satisfying or as filling as human blood. He knew that if he kept delaying his hunger, he'd either turn into dust and die, or go beserk from a blood-drive.

Aleksei could tell that he was getting more irritated and tired by the day, and he knew that he'd have to start drinking soon. He just didn't know when.

As he walked down the hallway, his brows suddenly furrowed. Aleksei sniffed the air, smelling a sweet scent that he's never smelt before. It was something juicy and fresh and that made his senses tingle. He shook his head, telling himself that it was probably the side effects of postponing his hunger.

But when he turned around the corner, he stopped in his steps. Noah was on all fours, with the school's map unfolded in front of him. He was mumbling to himself, pointing at random locations before shaking his head and starting over.

"Am I here? No, no, that doesn't seem right," Noah grumbled. "How could they even just leave me like that?!"

It was obvious that he was lost, but the thought of helping Noah didn't cross Aleksei's mind. He didn't have the stamina nor was he in the mood to be nice. He never was.

Aleksei decided to take a different path and turned around, but when he did, the muscles in his body suddenly tensed.

Aleksei sniffed the air again, the sweet scent intensifying. He turned around and looked at Noah who was pulling at his hair, drowning in panic and frustration. There was no doubt about it, the heavenly smell was coming from him.

Aleksei walked up to Noah, clearing his voice.

"Are you lost?"

Startled, Noah raised his head like an innocent deer caught in the headlights.

His bright green eyes glistened under the sunlight that cast a slant streak through the glass window. A band of forest green was curled around Noah's pupil, slender strands of gold piercing through like spokes around a wheel.

His soft, brown hair fell over his forehead in gentle waves.

While Aleksei studied Noah's face, Noah was dumbstruck. His lashes fluttered rapidly, wondering if the person standing in front of him was real, or if he was hallucinating and imagining an angelic figure standing in front if him. Aleksei looked surreal to him.

"You look lost," confirmed Aleksei, his husky voice breaking the silence. Noah snapped out of what felt like an enchanted spell and cleared his voice.

"I um, I kind of am," he admitted sheepishly. "I'm new here, and I'm having a hard time-" he pointed at the map in circular motions. "-figuring all of this out."

So he's the new kid?

"My name's Noah," he quickly added, scrambling onto his two feet. Noah gave out his hand and smiled, revealing two shallow dimples on both sides of his cheeks. Aleksei could feel an aura of kindness and warmth radiate around Noah.

And that bothered Aleksei.

He glanced at Noah's hand, hearing the pulse of his wrist beat rapidly. He could feel his fangs starting to itch and clenched his jaw.

"I don't do handshakes," he said, his voice coming off cold as usual. Noah blinked, slightly hurt but covered it up with a small chuckle.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know," he apologized, lowering his hand. "Could you perhaps tell me where the school laboratory is? I have chemistry class, but I don't know how to get there."

Aleksei had chemistry too but instead of helping Noah, he looked down the empty halls, making sure that no one was around.

They were alone, and this was the perfect opportunity to rip his limb for his boss before erasing Noah's memories.

Aleksei's jaw tightened.

But the only thing that he could focus on was the delicious smell coming from Noah.

"Noah, was it?" Aleksei asked, unable to fight back the temptation of glancing at Noah's bare neck before focusing on his eyes.

"Yes?" Noah blinked.

"I was told to do something, and I really want to get it over with."

"What were you told to do?"

"Hand me your arm."

"My arm?" he repeated, confused. He looked down at his arms. "My left or my right?"

Both, Aleksei thought to himself.

"Your right one will do," he answered gruffly.

Noah raised his right arm, wondering what Aleksei was about to do. Aleksei took a step closer, slowly reaching out towards him.

He could hear Noah's soft breaths and his heart drumming rapidly inside his chest, everything that made a vampire's mind go wild. Noah's flawless skin looked delicious, and the smell of his blood under that thin layer of skin divine.

But when Aleksei touched Noah's arm, he simply tugged on the sleeve and pulled it over Noah's wrist. Noah's brows furrowed, looking at Aleksei in confusion.

"The school's dress code is strict. You're not allowed to roll up the sleeves of your uniform," explained Aleksei. He then picked up the map below their feet. "And this? This is absolute trash. It'll take you an eternity to find your way around with something as useless as this."

Noah quickly pulled down his left sleeve. "Right, thank you."

"You were looking for the laboratory?" asked Aleksei, who had changed his mind.

Noah nodded.

"Then follow me," he said, throwing the map in the nearest garbage can and walking down the hall towards the classroom, where he was originally heading to. "I'll show you the way."

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A/N: Thoughts on Aleksei? 😍

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