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 , but the wild, erratic energy rolling off him in waves told one thing—this wasn’t going to end well for .

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 co 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 n 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 ? Kill ?

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 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 forward, his grip tightening, his silence more suffocating than a scream.

And I didn’t know who I feared more—

The vampire who owned .

Or the wolf who was about to lose his mind.

He dragged 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 mont 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 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 sothing awful.

The door slamd shut behind him.

Then I was pinned.

He had trapped against the wall, both hands on either side of my head, his arms caging 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 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 sothing feral back.

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

Because I didn’t know what scared more.

His rage.

Or the way he was looking at .

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 .

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

I should’ve fought. I should’ve scread.

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

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

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

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

Like I was sothing he wanted.

But this—this wasn’t how soone kissed soone 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 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 like a caged beast, furious that Blaze had been the first to lay claim on him. That filthy fucking leech had publicly claid him as his when it should’ve been .

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 soone 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 teetering on the edge of sothing 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.