(Sophia's POV)

I knew at first glance that Randall was an Omega. A timid one at that. No doubt from a sheltered life like mine. But sheltering a child from the world only teaches them to fear it and one day mother and father aren't around to shoo away the troubles.

And like ripping off a Band-Aid we're smacked with the harsh truth of reality. A reality that the world's a very cruel place, where the weak get crushed and the strong survive.

Unlike me, Randall never had a way out. My father signed me up for karate classes with Master Cho at the subtle age of 4 after a girl in my class cut my hair off with a pair of scissors. By the looks of it, I'd say Randall's been homeschooled his entire life and only when they couldn't teach him anything else did his parents let him into the world.

Not only that, but Randall was beautiful. His purple scales practically shimmered in the moonlight and if I'd been in any kind of state for a relationship I'd court the young lizard immediately. I could only imagine what a group of drunk Alpha's would think of him, and when combined with his shy personality it was like dipping him in a pot of honey and laying him in the center of the table for dinner.

From his kindred nature, Randall was none the wiser.

I made a mental note to keep an eye on this monster; no doubt he would need my help in the future. All it took was one Alpha heat and Randall was as good as screwed, literally. God, I only hoped I'd be quick enough to stop it.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Alpha's go around the night lurking for poor victims to rape. Not in the slightest! Most males know days before the heat would hit and the nurse held many vaccinations to help with the... urges. The school gives monthly doses when each cycle hits. The men were also given permission to leave class if the urges became too much.

The seniors were also pretty productive about that topic, keeping a 'buddy system' of sorts. A partner to keep an eye on the other and the fraternities are more than willing to step in if needed.

Not to say there aren't incidents, unfortunately even MU has been tragedy struck a few times but those were so far and few between that students walked around campus at night without fear of attack.

I'd been in ear distance when Sulley went into his first moon heat.

The pure animalistic sounds coming from his room were frightening, to say the least. The growling, scratching, screaming and pacing of the room as my father talked him down, trying to help him through the transition from boy to man.

The first change is always the hardest. Not only do you have the overwhelming hormone rushing through your system but you have the excruciating pain as your body shifts. Changing slowly. My mother says it's like puberty of sorts. The fangs and claws get longer. The roar gets louder, longer and more carnal. Shaking the genes of any potential mate and in turn kicking any female or futile male into a heat of our own. It was widely known that females weren't the only ones able to produce. In a same-sex relationship, a male monster would undergo a change, a painful change as their body adjusts to the problem. Shifting to create and hold a child of their own. Sperm become eggs while their bodies create milk glands to feed their young.

The fangs would be next. The dull fangs fall out and are slowly replaced by larger, stronger ones. Only these ones are laced with hormones, a complete genetic set of DNA.

Fangs able to give the bite.

The mating bite, a bite that marks the other as their own. A mark that never heals and makes the body unresponsive to anyone but the owner of the bite. It is a bond stronger than marriage and in most places IS counted as marriage. The partner's eggs, the one holding the children would adjust, shift and mutate to better connect with the male's sperm and produce better children. Stronger, faster children and more of them. An unmarked female could conceive two or three children from a lover but a mate, a marked mate, could produce five to eight pups in a litter. Most people say Alpha's are made from marked mates, and the others create the rest of the hierarchy. Betas, gammas, Deltas, and... omegas. Falling last on the list as they were used more for mating and raising children than fighting and protecting. This fact is only proven by Randall's lack of claws or anything remotely terrifying for that matter.

There were a few senior couples that had the bite. The deep mark is usually on the shoulder or neck so others could see it. The indent of flesh stands out from the rest of their body. The bite could also be used for control, if the other partner got out of line or was too troubled to a point of self -or another's- harm the mate could bite the mark once more, the second bite releasing a flush of hormones. Then put the other into a drugged state of sorts. Senses instantly dulled. A state that would last for more than a few hours, so students avoided using it as much as possible. Most people looked down on that method, seeing it as to restrainings and in a way turning the other into little more than a slave as in that state the other was under complete control of their mate, willing to do anything for them.

Hopefully, no respecting mate would ever do something to hurt, harm or affect their partner in any negative way.

"Well Randall, if you must know my cakes are to die for," I state with a chuckle.

"Really?" he asks with a smile on his face "Die from good flavours or because your cooking skills are just that bad?"

My mouth drops and Randall chuckles, twisting his hands in a nervous way as he was already contemplating if the joke went too far or not.

"Oi!" I laugh "Look at the tough guy making jokes!" I swing my hand around his shoulder and watch as he suddenly vanished from sight "Randall?" I ask, I couldn't see him but I could still feel him.

"I'm right here." He mumbles, shifting back into view and my eyes fall on his scales, the small circles shifting and flipping back to their normal purple colour "Sorry" he mumbles moving his hands again "I do that when I get nervous..." he admits shyly.

I blinked once more before forcing a believable smile on my face. Did he just, camouflage...? And just like that, I understood why Randall had been hidden from the world. Randell's camouflage did more than conceal his body, it concealed a dark past.

A very dark past.

A past that went all the way back to the 18th century. In the seventeen hundreds to be exact, when the people were still ruled by a king and queen. A selfish queen that took all the food for herself and left her people to starve. Unknown to most monsters but a few, most running back from noble families know this truth. The queen wasn't just executed for her selfishness but for something far worse.

Cannibalism.

The queen was obsessed with the finest and rarest of items. Filling her place with them. And the people could do little more than watch until the queen crossed that line. It's well known to many that children began dying off in that time period but from altered history books most think it was the revolution, children caught in the cross-fire or the lack of food. Which on its own was true but it wasn't nearly as many as people think.

Among her finest treasures, the queen collected monsters. Rare and different monsters as children. Then trained them for her royal guard. The queen had many guards. Most of them were alpha guards, with tremendous power and strength but the most feared of her creation were the night-crawlers. A group of creatures brought in from the south.

They would vanish in the middle of the night, trained to do much more than protect. Stealing children from their parents and bringing them to the queen. Where they would be excited in her dungeon and served at her parties. The queen, mad with power thought it was the 'elixir of life' or something like that. And after the children were dead and the party was over the night-crawlers would go back and finish the job. Draining the rest of the family like animals.

But the queen was a pure bread Alpha, her blood strong enough to cancel the others with no effect but the omegas weren't pure. Their blood was mixed and therefore much thinner, the DNA weakening to allow new species to emerge. So when the blood of other species mixed with their own, there were... unforeseen consequences.

The blood, weakened their blood considerably, breaking down cells and causing mutations of sorts. Their once beautiful fur fell off in patches, littering the ground in clumps as they walked exposing the soft fleshy skin underneath. Skin that burned, that hardened and cracked in the sun, and soon changed into something different. They changed into scales, scales that faded in and out of colour and took on the colour of objects around them. They became the first of their race.

A group of reptiles that could camouflage in the night.

But there were also downsides. The mutated blood needed to be kept warm or the cells would shut down and the host would die. Forcing the omega's to hide indoors during the winter. Their bodies were also weaker, the thinned blood creating deep muscle loss and their exoskeletons became extremely fragile, able to bend and shift, unlike other monsters.

According to the stories, a decade after they changed, the queen lost control of her omegas and they drained hundreds of people. Slaughtering towns through the years like the black plague, causing so much trouble that the villagers were forced to hunt them down one by one. Thirty-five years passed while they tried to clean up the mess. Taking out the omegas one by one until they were all gone and this tragedy became nothing more than a story whispered in the dark.

I doubted Randall knew the story but I was hesitant to ask. Not wanting to bring up a dark past in fear that I might scar the reptile and make him fear his abilities. The children of those monsters were allowed to live, the truth of their species existence hidden from them and over the years the reptiles became a race of their own, mixing and creating new monsters that now the sight of one was a regular thing.

"That is... really cool!" I say and pull him forwards once more.

"Really?" he asks surprised, "my roommate mike thinks so too. My mother didn't like me doing it much at home though; it freaked her out when I suddenly vanished."

"Let me guess, she thinks you left the house right?"

"Yeah." He says, glancing at the ground as we step off a curb and cross the street "She didn't trust any monsters, so she kept me inside a lot."

I nod as this confirms my thoughts. I doubt the monster had been touched by anyone but his parents, mostly avoiding people on campus and getting to class without causing trouble. -Or he will when classes start... I had a feeling that home was a tender subject for the reptile so I pulled his mind somewhere else.

"So, tell me about your roommate?"

(Mike's POV)

I sat at my desk studying. My eyes shifted from my book to my clock ever so often as I kept a mental reminder of how long Randell had been gone. I knew the monster was timid, I also figured he would make an easy target for bullies. I was less than thrilled when he announced he was leaving to get supplies from the store, saying about making cupcakes or something. The idea of him outside at this hour made my stomach turn, but the thought of him joining that party at the Frat row, the place crawling with bullies and people ready to pick on him. I was just shutting my book to look for him when the lock on the room opens.

"Hey, Mike!?" Randell says, shoving his head in through the door "Are you decent?"

I almost snort at that one. I was only studying. What did my new roommate think I would be doing in his half an hour absence?! I figured that wasn't a question I wanted answered and threw my hands up, spinning around in the chair dramatically.

"Yes Randell, I'm fabulous!"

Randell smirks once and comes in the room slightly.

"Okay well I wanted to let you know I uh, got the supplies but the kitchen is closed so-" he stops smacking himself in the face "Oh how rude of me! Mike, this is Sophia, a girl I literally ran into. Come say hi."

He steps aside to reveal a female monster. At first glance, she was very beautiful. Long toned legs accentuated by the skinny jeans she was wearing, brown shoulder-length hair, soft but attentive eyes. A cute smile that could turn sinister in a second, a full chest, enclosed in a brown tank-top and a denim mini jacket. She wore a pair of brown leather boots stopping at her calves and a pair of horns sat on her head. But I could tell that something was off. Like behind that smile held a demon but her glance at Randall assured me that she'd watch out for him. Where we stood was still to be decided.

"Hi Mike, Randell's told me a lot about you." She says, extending her hand with glossy nails.

"Uh, hi?" I state, smacking myself out of thoughts and taking her hand, her grip firm and confident.

"Well as Randell was saying the Home-ick room isn't open till tomorrow and my room has an oven in it so we're going to bake the cupcakes up there. Randell just wanted to let you know so you didn't think he was kidnapped or something!"

She chuckles, releasing my hand during the start of that speech and turned to the door. Her voice is cheerful as she all but shoves Randall out of the room and with a little wave of her fingers the door slams shut.

"Uh, okay...?" I say to a now empty room.

What the hell just happened?

(Sophia's POV)

During the walk to the store and back, I learned a lot about Randell, most of my predictions being dead on but some were slightly off.

I learned Randell's mother was controlling like mine, and his father let a lot of things slide, turning the brunt of the blame on him. I found out that he grew up here in Monstropolis, was homeschooled, earned his GED at sixteen and his parents still kept him home for two more years. Teaching him other life skills and things they thought he should know. I learned that he was born on March 26th; his favourite season was spring as it was just right, not too hot or cold. He has a sun lamp in the winter and couldn't travel far in the cold. His favourite food was hot sludge sundaes but he could only finish half before he got too cold, he used to share it with his dad. Their way of bonding I guess?

Getting to know Randell wasn't the only reason why we stayed together, yes the Home-ick class more commonly used at the dorm kitchen was closed -Randell excitedly babbled on about the shared kitchen space used by all the students in the dorm, a very large space with nine convection ovens and about twenty microwaves. There were cupboards and sinks, with mixing bowls, measuring cups and anything else you would need to bake, cook or prepare your meals. But most students grew up under mommies cooking, never setting foot in the kitchen and settled on microwaving all their food- at the store, they only had one can of baking powder, a key ingredient in each of our dishes.

The cupboards would also be stocked with ingredients, making this late-night trip one of the last I hoped. Things that could spoil like milk and eggs were bought by the dorm leader, giving each student a list of what they'd need or were going to bake and after getting money from the school would buy the stuff and leave them in the fridge. A list was placed on the fridge as well, of the food we made and what went in it for any other bakers wondering. But for the moment Randell would have to settle for the one in my room, previously content in asking the dean to use the staff kitchen but with some convincing Randell finally relented.

That and a part of me didn't want to let Randell out of my sights tonight; I just had a gut feeling. While most people were unaware of the legends, there were more than a few prestigious families attending this school. Almost all alpha males lead their fraternities. I was sure they wouldn't say anything or that Randall would cause a scene but it did little to help the uneasiness in my gut. That feeling only grew when he mentioned going to the frat party.

I knew Mike felt it too. The uneasiness filled the air.

I could tell that Mike was becoming a parental figure of sorts as Randell went on and on about their discussion to get the ingredients in the first place and his look as he slowly took me in, judging if I was a threat or not. I felt slightly relieved that Mike was doing this for him. Randell of course was none the wiser and only took Mike's concern as 'normal roommate behaviour' as he had nothing to compare it to.

I silently wondered if Hardscrabble did that on purpose or if it was really dumb luck?

..
..

"Oh, that smells heavenly." Randell sighs, mouth all but dripping with saliva "what is that creation?"

"It's my famous crumble cake, my own recipe." I say and tap my head "it's so secret that I keep everything up here, no one knows what goes in it."

"So you could drug us all and no one would be the wiser?" Randell jokes again.

I smile, glancing at the reptile in joy. Over the last hour, Randell had really warmed up to me, opening up about his life and the stuttering? That was history. The reptile felt confident enough to crack jokes as fast as I could. And it seemed behind that fair façade there was really a monster under his skin, the confidence for one anyway.

"Exactly!" I chuckle; tapping him on the nose with the oven mitt and watching that cute blush come up once more. I gently pull the cake out of the oven, leaning back my head for a second to avoid the blast of heat and place it on the counter "And the way people go loco over this cake, I'm tempted to say I have drugged it."

"Well there's no doubt, that smells so good." He chuckles and waits for a second, his phone beeping. With a tap of his finger to silence the device he takes the oven mitts and removes his tray as well, the air now filled with two heavenly aromas.

"And it seems I've met someone with just as much talent." I chuckle, leaning in to smell his cupcakes.

Cupcakes that would make Jeffrey ooze with jealousy. They weren't perfect, missing a little flare but the aroma of spices was perfectly balanced and would no doubt bring a symphony of flavour to your taste buds. I tap one with clean fingers and watch as it pops back up, perfectly cooked. Randell's blush darkens.

"Oh please, I wouldn't go that far..." he mumbles, ringing his lower set of hands nervously "I learned to bake from my mother, it helped me pass the time as I got older." He shuts off the oven "where did you learn to bake?"

"Well my mother says cooking is a must-have for talents," I say and sprinkle some crumbled cookies on my cake "but I learned my flare from Jeffrey. That old octopus really has his talents."

I chuckled at the memories of that day.

The crash had me pulling my head to look at Randell. I'd thought he'd fallen but I see the bowl of icing he was had fallen back to the counter as he eyes me in complete shock.

"Oct-tt-pus?" he stutters once and I set down my bowl of crumbs "An octopus, like Jeffrey tentacles, the renowned sushi chef running Harryhausen's?!" his voice got louder with each breathes "The five-star restaurant located downtown?!"

By the end he was practically squeaking, his face turning a lighter shade of purple. I realized I'd backed myself into a corner. I hadn't thought would put two and two together so quickly, as there were plenty of octopuses named Jeffrey out there. I'd gotten sloppy, Randell being a chef, a good chef must have every copy of Jeffrey's cookbooks at home.

"... Yes?" I answer, posing it more as a question in hopes that I would quell Randell's impending hyperventilation.

It seems to do the trick as the heaving reptile sighs, deflating against the island and leaning his head on the cold linoleum. I pause, thinking about my next words carefully.

"How...?" Randell whispers, his head lifting after a moment "how do you know him?"

"My father does actually." I state picking up the bowl once more, I turn, looking away from him to tell a more convincing lie "my father went to school with him, a childhood friend and Jeffrey would stop by our house when work got too stressful and catch up with my father about work." Half true. My father, James P. Sullivan was friends with Jeffrey, business friends. Jeffrey created Harryhausen's like a dream and with my father's money, it became a reality. Now my father owns half the company and like Randall just stated, it's become a huge hit. Opening a little over a year ago and already the place is impossible to get into. Featured on many cooking magazines, shows, websites, all for having critics going, for a lack of a better word, bonkers, over the food "Jeffrey came by one day while I was cooking and after he saw I had a gift the rest is history." I shrug, finishing with the crumbs and setting down the bowl "You have a gift too; I bet Jeffrey would be ecstatic to meet you."

"R-really?" Randall stuttered "I'd get to meet Jeffrey Tentacles?!"

"Sure," Using an oven mitt I pop the latch on the tin and carefully remove it from the cake. The side's now releasing steam as it cooled "It might take some time but yeah, I could definitely call him."

But my words go in-heard as Randall was now lost in his thoughts, looking down at the table with a stupid grin on his face. I make a mental reminder to call ahead though, wouldn't want Jeffrey blowing my secret out of the water. I reach over and snap my fingers in front of his face.

"Huh?"

Randall blinks a few times, snapping back into the present. I grab the bowl and scope the icing into a bag, twisting on the tip.

"Not to rush you," I say calmly, tightening the tip a bit more before holding it out to him, the smile back on my face "but don't you have a party to be going to?"

Okay, that's it for this one!
I know that most females go into heat but hey! I wanted to change it up a bit.
The restaurant is the same one that Boo "attacks" in the movie and this way Sulley has a reason for his "favour".
I know that Sulley's real name is James but it's also his dad's and that just got too confusing so I'm calling him Jimmy.

Okay.
Peace out!