Claimed by the Alpha and the Vampire Prince: Masquerading as a Man-Chapter 40: Claimed (ii)

Clare’s POV:

I don’t know if he did it on purpose or if he didn’t notice, but the way he gripped my arm was painful.

He was pissed.

And I had no clue where he was taking me, but the wild, erratic energy rolling off him in waves told me one thing—this wasn’t going to end well for me.

His fingers dug in, too tight, too unforgiving, pressing against bone with a force that promised bruises.

I refused to cry out.

Refused to let the pain spill from my lips, afraid the sound would come out too soft, too weak—too girlish.

If I made a noise, if I slipped even once, he would know.

And not only would I anger Reed, but I would sign my own death sentence.

Because once he realized I wasn’t a dude, once he put the pieces together... what then?

I had no clue how he’d react, but I knew one thing: deranged men don’t take betrayal lightly.

Just like how straight guys lose their shit when they find out the girl they were into was actually a dude, I guessed a gay, psychotic, territorial wolf like Reed would be just as unhinged if he realized the boy he wanted wasn’t a boy at all.

Would he hate me? Kill me?

The thought sent a sharp, icy chill racing down my spine.

And then there was Blaze.

I didn’t know why the hell he told me Reed couldn’t find out. That should’ve been the easiest way to get him off my back.

But Blaze said no.

Maybe because he knew Reed better than I did.

Maybe he thought Reed would be so furious, so betrayed that he’d snap my neck in half before he could stop himself.

And then Blaze would lose his blood bag.

His fuck toy.

Yeah.

That’s what I was to him.

And that’s why I had to keep my secret buried deep, no matter what.

I swallowed the fear clawing up my throat as Reed dragged me forward, his grip tightening, his silence more suffocating than a scream.

And I didn’t know who I feared more—

The vampire who owned me.

Or the wolf who was about to lose his mind.

He dragged me through the empty hallway, his grip like a vise, cutting off circulation.

My legs stumbled to keep up, but I had no choice—he was too strong, too furious.

The South Wing.

I knew where we were the moment we turned the corner—the deserted part of the school. No students. No teachers. No witnesses.

Reed yanked open a door—a classroom long abandoned—and shoved me inside.

Dust floated in the slivers of weak light breaking through the grimy windows. Broken desks. Torn posters. A place forgotten.

A place perfect for something awful.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Then I was pinned.

He had me trapped against the wall, both hands on either side of my head, his arms caging me in.

I swallowed.

Oh, fuck.

I could feel his heat, the barely contained rage vibrating off his body.

His eyes weren’t normal—not fully.

That burning golden yellow, streaking through the dark like a wildfire waiting to devour me whole.

"That stupid fucking vampire thinks he can claim you as his?"

His voice was low, guttural. Not a question. A threat.

His breath was ragged, his chest rising and falling too fast, like he was barely holding something feral back.

Only God knows how I was still standing—because inside, I was falling apart.

Because I didn’t know what scared me more.

His rage.

Or the way he was looking at me.

I braced myself for the impact. A blow. A growl. Maybe even claws.

But what I didn’t expect—what I couldn’t have prepared for—was for him to kiss me.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t soft.

It was a collision. A claiming.

His lips crashed onto mine, raw and demanding, all teeth and fury.

I gasped—a mistake.

Because the moment my lips parted, he deepened it, his grip shifting, one hand snaking around my throat while the other fisted my wig, keeping me in place. Thank God I put on glue this time or it would be off.

I should’ve fought. I should’ve screamed.

But my body—the stupid, traitorous thing—froze.

His heat was overwhelming, suffocating, his anger bleeding into something else, something just as dangerous.

I didn’t understand. I didn’t want to.

Reed—the same guy who had brutalized my mouth just yesterday—was kissing me like he was starving for it. Like this wasn’t just about ownership anymore. freёwebnoѵel.com

Like I was something he wanted.

But this—this wasn’t how someone kissed someone you wanted.

Not with this desperation.

Not with this hunger.

And definitely not with this fucking anger.

His sharp hold clutched on my neck as he yanked my head back, breaking the kiss just enough for me to suck in a breath—

"You’re mine."

His voice was a growl, half-human, half-wolf.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to pretend this wasn’t happening.

But I could still feel him. His breath. His grip. The heat radiating from his body like a furnace.

I was so, so fucked.

Reed’s POV

Fuck, I wanted him.

So fucking much.

My blood burned with it, my wolf pacing inside me like a caged beast, furious that Blaze had been the first to lay claim on him. That filthy fucking leech had publicly claimed him as his when it should’ve been me.

Kissing him wasn’t enough. It didn’t ease the tension, didn’t satisfy the hunger. If anything, it only made it worse.

But still—I couldn’t bring myself to touch him intimately.

I couldn’t wrap my fucking head around it.

Touching someone with no soft curves, no warm, wet cunt, no breasts to fill my palms—just a flat chest and a dick.

Fuck.

Being gay was fucking hard.

So I went for the next best thing.

His ass.

Round. Perfect.

Too supple for a dude, but I didn’t care.

I squeezed it tightly, my fingers digging in as I kissed him senseless, swallowing every sound, every sharp inhale.

My head was spinning, my control slipping, my wolf snarling for more.

I needed more.

I wanted to fuck him.

Right now. Right here.

The thought alone had me teetering on the edge of something dangerous.

My grip tightened, my mind spiraling—contemplating whether I should just shove him against the desk, rip down those fucking pants, and take him right here, right now.

Claim him.

I could—I should.

His ass. I could take it. Claim it. Make him mine.

Fuck Blaze. Fuck everything.