Claimed by the Alpha and the Vampire Prince: Masquerading as a Man-Chapter 50: Satan’s Deal

Clause/Clare POV:

This day was officially winning the award for worst day ever.

You’d think a morning run-in with Reed at campus would be enough drama. Nope. Then I went and had what I can only describe as some kind of unholy, voodoo-laced, lust-fueled thing with a vampire who may or may not have been possessed. Yeah. That happened. And it was horrifying. And intense. And kind of soul-snatching in all the wrong—and disturbing—ways.

But no. Apparently, that was just the warm-up act.

Because now?

Now I have a very angry, half-shifted beast in my room. Who broke my front door like it was a slice of bread. Just—snap, gone.

Normal reaction?

Screaming. Running. Crying for my mama.

But what was I doing?

Oh, just standing there like an idiot. Right between that hulking, snarling, clawed-up monster of a wolf and a trembling, mascara-smeared, hickey-covered Sara—who looked like she’d already been dragged through hell twice today.

What. The actual. Hell.

I knew Reed was a possessive, asshole-grade jerk. That much I’d gathered just from watching him strut around campus like he owned the moon.

The rest? I picked up from the internet—which, by the way, is a hot mess of half-baked supernatural facts and a whole lot of myth. Honestly, whoever wrote those were probably bored humans with too much time and zero vampire exes or werewolf stalkers.

They should try living here for a week. Then let’s see them update their cute little blog posts with actual facts.

Anyway—where was I?

Oh right. Standing in front of a deranged, half-shifted wolf with murder in his glowing red eyes and claws already halfway out, while trying to shield a terrified, sobbing Sara behind me.

Just your average Wednesday, right?

The air in the room was thick with tension, and I could feel the pulse of my heart pounding in my ears. Reed’s breath was heavy, the power of his half-shifted form radiating off him like an inferno. He was so close now, I could practically feel his claws grazing my skin. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but I couldn’t let Sara get hurt. She’d been through enough—just like me.

My hands were trembling, but I held my ground. The words came out in a rush, almost a desperate plea as I stared up at the bloodthirsty beast in front of me. "Please, please don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything, just don’t hurt her."

Reed’s eyes narrowed, that vicious, animalistic hunger still burning through him. His gaze flicked between me and Sara, the anger in his eyes burning hotter with every passing second.

I saw it then—his frustration, his fury, bubbling over like an uncontrollable storm. He was close to snapping, to tearing everything apart, and I couldn’t let that happen. Not to her.

I’d failed to protect my twin. I wasn’t going to fail Sara. Not again.

Reed stopped, his breath ragged, and I swore I could feel the heat of his anger searing through me. His eyes glinted, a twisted amusement crossing his features for a split second, and then he spoke, the words dripping with malice. "Anything?" His voice was like gravel, low and dangerous, but it sent a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard, trying to push back the fear that threatened to overtake me. But I wasn’t backing down now. "Yes. Anything. Just let her go."

It was the dumbest thing I could’ve said. I knew that. My mind screamed at me to take it back, but my heart was already set on the path. I would do whatever it took to protect her—anything.

Reed’s smile twisted into something sinister, but his eyes stayed fixed on me. His gaze bored into my soul, assessing, weighing my sincerity. I couldn’t breathe, not fully, not with him looking at me like that. His wolf, barely contained beneath the surface, was waiting, twitching, eager to unleash whatever madness he’d had planned for Sara.

Then, without a word, Reed took a step back. His monstrous form seemed to shrink for a moment, but the anger in his eyes never wavered. He was still a beast, still dangerous, but for now... he was holding back.

"You’ve sealed your fate," he finally growled, his voice dark, filled with the weight of some unspoken deal.

I didn’t know what was going to come of my words. I didn’t know what price I’d just agreed to pay, but I had to protect her. That was all that mattered.

Sara, who had been frozen in fear the whole time, let out a shuddering breath, her hands clinging to me even tighter, her face pale as a ghost.

"Are you sure about this?" she whispered, her voice trembling. I could feel her fear, her confusion. She didn’t understand what I had just done, couldn’t see the storm of consequences that were likely about to hit.

I nodded, my own fear now mixing with the certainty of what I’d just done. "I’ll protect you," I whispered back, even though I didn’t have a fucking clue what that would look like.

I didn’t know if that was a victory or if I had just made the biggest mistake of my life, but it was too late now.

The weight of the deal I’d just struck settled heavily on my shoulders. It was the beginning of something—something I couldn’t quite comprehend yet. But I had no choice but to live with it.

And I was terrified.

Reed’s transformation back into his human form was unsettling, almost as if the beast inside had never truly left. His eyes, once filled with feral hunger, now were dark brown eyes with a flash of yellow and cold, but the intensity never faded. His expression was a mix of loathing and frustration as he turned his gaze toward Sara, still breathing heavily from the rage that had overtaken him moments ago.

"Get the fuck out," he spat, his voice still raw with the remnants of his wolf’s anger. His words were sharp and commanding, and they cut through the tension in the room like a blade. Sara didn’t need a second invitation. Without a word, she scrambled up, looking more terrified than I had ever seen her, and bolted out through the broken door.

I didn’t even have time to process her retreat before Reed’s gaze turned back to me. My heart pounded in my chest, and for the first time, I considered following Sara’s lead. I should’ve—I should have run.

But I couldn’t move.

Reed ran a hand through his messy hair, visibly frustrated, his jaw tight as he glared at me. The air around us was still thick with anger and unresolved tension. The storm inside him hadn’t passed, but he was trying to reign it in. Trying.

"Go shower. You reek of her," he muttered, his voice low and frustrated. His words were a strange mixture of command and disgust, like he couldn’t stand the very thought of me being near her.

I froze at the sound of his voice, trying to wrap my mind around the weight of what he had just said. The words hung in the air, their meaning sharp and clear. But there was something underneath them that didn’t sit right. I could tell he wasn’t just telling me to clean myself. He wasn’t even angry at the smell of another person on me, not entirely. No, he was angry at me. And I couldn’t help but wonder—what had I truly agreed to when I’d said anything? What was Reed’s definition of "anything"? What did it mean for me?

I watched him, the look in his eyes almost... disappointed, but tinged with something darker—almost like he was punishing me for something, or maybe he was punishing himself.

The room was silent except for the muffled sound of Sara’s hurried footsteps fading away into the distance.

And as the silence settled, a sick feeling began to crawl up my spine. What had I just stepped into?