Feral

Chapter 19

Sweltering heat was the first thing Adrian became aware of as he woke from his fitful rest. He had already been irritated by the sounds of people walking to and from his room, being escorted away by the guards stationed at his door.

To be roused from his sleep by a sudden burst of unknown pheromones, drawing his shift closer to the surface. And each time it inspected the scents thoroughly before dismissing them.

However, this time he was aware that the hallway was relatively quiet, beside the low hum of soft conversations. Yet that hadn't roused him from his sleep.

Instead he curled his nose in disgust, damp with sweat as it slowly trickled from his temples, hair damp as it stuck to his forehead.

Too hot...

The blankets were sweltering, feeling as if they clung to his skin so Adrian twisted and turned, trying to find a cool spot in his nest.

Even his mind was hazy, as he normally would've leapt from the bed in repulsion. Instead, Adrian struggled to kick the covers off his body, shoving them on the floor before grimacing as the cool air felt unnaturally cold against his bare chest.

The sensation of the cooling sweat only increased the damp, sticky sensation, making Adrian shiver with disgust.

He huffed, groaning as his joints protested against the slightest of movement before he forced himself out of bed. Landing on the floor with a solid thump, Adrian grumbled as he headed into the small, adjoining bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Already he heard some inquisitive murmurs coming from his room door, even the barely audible squeak as it pushed open but he paid it no mind.

Adrian assumed that the adults had been alerted by him falling out of bed and wanted to make sure he was doing okay. But he wasn't.

Annoyance bubbled to the surface as his joints protested, the glands in his arm pits and groin swollen, aching as they were affected by his Rut, producing an overabundance of pheromones.

He wanted to cool off. Get rid of the heat that prickled beneath his skin. A warmth that was slowly reaching annoying stages of irritation, like a rash that was spreading and needed to be scratched.

Resting his forehead against the cool glass of the shower, Adrian sighed tiredly, feeling his muscles twitch and shiver beyond his control.

What... is happening?

Whatever remaining clothing on his body was ripped away with annoyance and growing frustration. Adrian had never encountered a Rut before, nor had he fully understood the implications of one when reading through the provided books.

But now, subjected to his first ever Rut, his fingers trembled as they reached for the knobs of the shower, hoping for some relief.

The cold rush of water on his overheated body did nothing to dampen the growing sensations. On the contrary, it seemed as if the water burned wherever it touched, forcing Adrian to twist away from the cascade and release a barking sound in annoyance.

The sound reverberated from the walls and caused the guards outside to scramble to attention while Adrian shut off the shower and dried off.

However, the second he touched the hand towels over his skin, the formerly soft and plush fabric felt abrasive against his overly sensitive skin.

Instead he opted to shake himself off, huffing in frustration before shifting to do just that. Adrian didn't care that the entire bathroom got drenched as he shook off with force, nor the fact that he shifted without permission.