Horizon University
Chapter One: Joshua Fray

It was once told to me, that Beats have to hide in order to remain alive. For fourteen years of my life, I have lived in human's skin; a real 'wolf in sheep's clothing' if you ask me. Not that I have ever particularly liked to hide. In fact I have often found myself in the woods during the dead of night running in my true colors; my wolf colors. It's hard, you know? To hide what you really are. But I have learned that survival is more important in times of fear. After all, if I was found out, I'd be left for dead. Even my parents had abandoned me.

"Joshy-boy!"

I shuddered as I heard a familiar, teasing voice of my childhood tormentor. Since he was born, it has been Nile Gray's eternal job to make my life as utmost painful as possible. And that was not even the half of the shit he's put me through for the past seventeen years of my known existence. And the part that pisses me off the most; is not the fact that he bugs me when he gets the chance, it's that I can't fight back without the risk of exposing myself.

"Stay the hell away from me Gray, I don't really care for any of your insufferable shit today." I bark back irritably. I'm going to get rid of him one day, or move. Who knows, I could blow my cover and go to that new University that is opened for only Beasts. Who knows that can make my life easier.

"Now now, Joshy-boy." Nile snipped in retort, walking behind me as I kept my pace easy and fast. I was on my way to my part-time job at a local Hospital. "Don't let that head of yours grow too big now, you parent-less fag. Just because of that, I'll make sure your next boyfriend knows all about the date-rapes you've been on."

Snorting, I kept on walking…no I was almost jogging now. Nile had no idea what he was talking about, and that I could see. I've never even been on a date. Ever since Nile spread around our school that I was a homosexual no one would come near me for fear that its contagious. Stupid humans don't realize that even if I was gay, it'd only be for my mate. I knew my mate was male and dominant if I go by my instincts. Dark shaggy raven colored hair and the most alluring sea green eyes that made the first to look into them drown in the depth of their toxic color. I knew this because that was the images that constantly haunted my mind.

"Keep those dreams of yours in your head Gray, I have no intention of ever fulfilling any of those perverted fantasizes; now leave me to my devices and remove yourself from my field of vision." It was a growl that I replied with, but he must have ignored it, because the next thing I know, I'm thrown against the wall right outside the very hospital I work at.

"Shut that trap, faggot, or I'll have to shut it for you. You know very well that even if I was into guys like that, I'd be the best you'd ever get." Furry and fire shun in his dark dirt brown eyes, but I just did not find it in myself to rise to the bait. If that is what he truly thought, then there must have been something loose in his head that he needed to get checked.

"Get your filthy hands off me Gray. You are not even an option for a possible relationship. In fact, anyone who even gives you a second look must have spent at least three years in a mental hospital." I pried his hands of me, throwing him away with strength that was not normal to humans. It was the first time I had used such strength on Nile, but I was just not in the mood. It seemed as if today, something was waiting for me. I just had to figure out what it was.

Scared, angry eyes turned to me and an ugly look of rage took the tanned face of my tormentor hostage. No, even if it has ever crossed my mind to call him handsome, that face he was making to me now was one only a mother would love.

As he was about to stand and retort with whatever witty comeback came flashing into his mind, something to our right caught both of our attentions. Standing there, tall and almost…proud was, what was undeniably a Shape-Shifter.

Dark teal eyes, deep and…green, glared at the both of us, as shaggy black hair fell into those same eyes. Skin, tanned and smooth looking covered the toned muscles that were clear even under the white button down high collar shirt and leather black pants. Nile had nothing on this man before us.

"You two," He spoke, voice silky smooth that I had to shut my eyes and savor the sound, when I re-opened them, his own were staring straight into mine. Shit, did he feel the same or was he just freaked that I'd take so much pleasure in hearing his voice. "You stand beside a hospital door, conversing about a lover's spat, with no regard to the wounded and sick inside. Why are you both here?" He basically growled the words 'lover's spat' in such jealousy that I could do but nothing to hide the welcoming smile at the feeling of such an overpowering possessiveness. Why was he feeling protective over me?

Without a second thought to Nile I pushed myself from the wall, walking slowly to the stranger I had no name for…yet.

"A bully with a jaded heart and no method of release; nothing more." I informed the man carefully, purring the word 'release' to get a rise out of him. I was flirting…I-I never flirt! I was even starting to grow down south. How is it that this stranger was having such an effect on me? "I thank you, stranger. For saving me from this mean, bad man." What the hell am I saying? I've never been this bold in my life!

But it seems that it has won me a place in the good grace of the man.

"Joshua." I introduced myself smiling as I reached my hand to shake his.

"Trigger." He replied, staring me up and down; a movement that brought heat to my cheeks. I was blushing, I just met the guy and now I'm blushing?

A smile crossed 'Trigger's' face and my breath hitched. If the man had been handsome before, he was drop-dead-gorgeous smiling. It was then that the passing thought of Nile crossed my mind.

I looked back, scanning my eyes over the form of my childhood bully. He had never looked more pathetic than now, sprawled on the floor, shaking at the unusual strength that seemed to seep from both me and Trigger.

Trigger looked to Nile as well, snarling at him before the entire raven headed Shifter's attention was solely on me. I had a passing thought that the feeling that something was waiting for me had left now. Could it be that this man, Trigger, was my mate? It made sense, he had the hair, the eyes, and he definitely had the smile. That's it, no mistaking it, Trigger is my mate. Now I had to find a way for me to tell him.

"Is there a reason you and the 'Jaded hearted bully' chose a hospital for this little randevú?" Trigger inquired with a raised eye brow. In those sea green depths I saw that I was not the only one that had come to the conclusion that we were mates. Shape-shifters had mates as well, just as were-wolves did. Vampires however, justify sleeping around as a means of surviving mate-less lives, just as some Demons did. I however, am not fully Demon.

With a grin, I replied cheekily too see how much I could get away with. "I was on my way to work while that little shit-" I jabbed my thumb in the general direction of Nile. "followed and harassed me all the way here." In a strange attempt at cracking a joke, I fanned myself with my left hand trying to act as helpless as possible. "I was starting to fear that he'd attempt to do something indecent to me."

As a reward for my antics I received a deep, low chuckle from Trigger. Totally worth it in my opinion.

"What the fuck!"

Nile's annoyingly loud voice made both Trigger and I turn to face the human still on the floor. Said human, looked as pissed as I'd even seen him. Demonic to anyone that hasn't already seen death. As it was it kind of made me want to chuckle, but that could also be the joy I feel bubbling in me at finally finding my mate. Even if my mate doesn't quite know that I know yet.

"Did the two of you really just start flirting right in front of me?" raged Nile. "You gross mother fuckers! There are gays everywhere now? You fags are going to overrun the world now? Fucking discussing!"

My mind was blank as he continued to spew nothing but crap at me and Trigger, and I could just feel my face go equally as blank as my mind.

A rough, yet careful hand weighed comfortably on my right shoulder as Trigger pushed me back to put himself in front of me. If Trigger noticed that he'd done that, he didn't voice it, but I knew that it was only his instincts to do so.

"You might want to think about buying yourself a muzzle, you don't want to go running your mouth off to the wrong person, now do you?" I couldn't see his eyes, but just the sound of Trigger's voice so low and dangerous, made my head spin slightly. Damn it, I wasn't going to last long if I didn't find at least one thing about Trigger to hate.

It looked like it had the opposite effects on Nile, as the human shuddered violently and crawled backwards, deeper into the ally way beside the hospital. Like the human he was, he ran. Not that I particularly blame him, after all, he'd helped me find Trigger. The rest however, Nile couldn't possibly hope to help me achieve.

"Thank you, but I could have sent him running five years ago if that was my plan." I informed my mate-to-be. He didn't know I knew, so I still had claim on him…right? "As it was, I was trying not to put too many questions in his mind. No doubt the whole school will hear of this one." The last sentence I muttered under my breath, but I knew that Trigger could hear me.

"You're really a Demon then?" he stated more than asked, but I took it as a question anyways.

I nodded once, keeping in mind that if this was to be my mate, and I was to be the submissive, I was going to have to follow him anywhere he goes, and no doubt that this Shape-shifter will want to go to Horizon. It'd be the only place left for Beasts after the last war fought against humans.

"I'm half-Demon, and half-Shifter. You, Trigger, are a Shifter yourself, correct?" again, it was not a question we were exchanging, it was information. Already known facts, but that didn't stop him from nodding in the same manner I had.

"Joshua." He smiled, testing out my name for the first time. One would have thought it was the name of a god with the way he breathed it out in the 'almost-above-a-whisper' voice I'd heard only with couples. "It was nice to meet you. You said you work at this hospital, I have a friend that is to be discharged on Thursday, and I'll be coming to the hospital everyday till them."

Was that his way of coming on to me? He was telling me, promising even, that we'd see one another again. It made a smile spread over my usually emotionless face.

"I'll be around. Thanks again for the help, Trigger."

And with those words, I walked away and into the hospital. Heart hammering in my ears and blood rushing to unfamiliar places, but the biggest smile I have ever spared a living thing.