Claimed by the Alpha and the Vampire Prince: Masquerading as a Man

The room felt colder.

I didn’t remember how long I sat there, drowning in misery, but when I finally blinked back my tears, the library was steeped in eerie silence. The dim glow from the high windows had turned the color of blood—sunset.

Evening.

My stomach twisted. The library had been full of students earlier, their quiet murmurs and the scratch of pens on paper filling the air. But now... nothing.

Where did everyone go?

A sharp shiver ran down my spine. I hadn’t heard the bell. Hadn’t noticed the shuffle of footsteps leaving. Had they all left me here? fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

I swallowed hard, my throat raw. I forced myself to look up, to move, but a heavy presence lingered in the air—watching, waiting.

And then I saw him.

Blaze.

Leaning lazily against one of the bookshelves, arms crossed, his piercing eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. He had been there. Watching me cry. Watching me break.

I felt the fresh bite on my neck pulse, a cruel brand marking me as his.

My breath hitched. My body refused to move.

"You poor thing," he murmured, his voice laced with amusement, stepping closer. Slow. Unhurried. Like he had all the time in the world to toy with me.

The air grew heavier, suffocating, pressing down on me like unseen hands.

I needed to run.

I needed to move.

But I couldn’t.

The library was empty. The doors were locked.

And I was alone.

With him.

Blaze took another slow step toward me, his boots making no sound against the old wooden floor. The dim library lights flickered slightly, casting long, eerie shadows against the bookshelves. His smirk deepened as he crouched before me, head tilting, his glowing eyes scanning my curled-up form.

Then his nose wrinkled.

His smirk faltered.

His hand shot out, fingers gripping my chin as he leaned in and sniffed me.

I flinched, my pulse hammering against my throat. His face was close—too close. I could feel the unnatural cold radiating from him, the inhuman stillness of his body as he studied me like a specimen under glass.

"You look... ruined." His fingers brushed my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze. I flinched, but he only grinned, his fangs flashing. "Did Reed break you already? Tch. I was hoping to have a little more fun before that happened."

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. My body felt stiff, every muscle locked in place as if moving would make things worse. I could still smell Reed on me, his scent clinging to my skin like a curse. The handkerchief had done nothing. The humiliation was still there, seared into my bones.

Blaze leaned in, inhaling deeply. "Ah... you still reek of him." His smile dropped. "Disgusting."

Then, without warning, his fingers wrapped around my throat.

I choked on a gasp as he slammed me back against the bookshelf, the wood creaking under the impact. My legs kicked uselessly, but he barely budged. His grip wasn’t crushing, but it was enough to remind me how helpless I was.

Then he sneered.

"Garlic?" he spat, pulling back slightly, his fingers still digging into my jaw. His lips curled in distaste, as if the very scent offended him. "You bathed yourself in garlic?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

His grip tightened. "Tell me, pretty boy, do you think garlic would actually save you?"

He didn’t sound angry. No, it was worse.

He was amused.

Like I was some kind of joke.

I swallowed hard, my body trembling despite my efforts to stay still.

Blaze’s thumb brushed against the fresh wound on my neck, pressing down just enough to send a sharp jolt of pain through me. His smirk returned, cruel and knowing. "And here I thought I was the only one who left a mark on you. But no..." He leaned closer, his cold breath ghosting over my skin. "You reek of him too."

I stiffened.

He chuckled darkly. "What did the mutt do, hm?" His fingers trailed down to my throat, then my collarbone.

Blaze’s smile faded as something darker flickered behind his crimson eyes. His nostrils flared, his grip on my wrist tightening to the point of pain.

"You stink of him."

The amusement in his tone was gone, replaced by something cold and simmering—resentment, fury, possession. My stomach twisted as I saw his fangs lengthen slightly, his pupils narrowing to sharp slits.

I barely had time to react before he yanked me closer, so fast I stumbled, crashing into his chest.

His fingers dug into my arms, his hold bruising. His scent—cool like winter air, tainted with the sharp metallic tang of blood—filled my lungs.

"Did he touch you?" Blaze’s voice was lower now, almost guttural.

Blaze grinned wider. "Did he fuck you, too?"

I recoiled, but he yanked me back instantly, fingers curling around the back of my neck, forcing me still. My heart pounded against my ribs, panic clawing up my throat.

"Did he?" Blaze repeated, his voice quieter this time. But the softness was deceptive—coiled like a snake ready to strike.

I didn’t answer.

His lips curled back, fangs flashing.

"Did he fuck you?"

I flinched, but his fingers dug deeper, holding me in place. My heart pounded so loud I swore he could hear it.

"Answer me, pretty boy."

I clenched my jaw. I couldn’t tell the truth. I couldn’t let him know.

Blaze tilted his head, his gaze darkening. Then, with a sudden, cruel sharpness, his nails—no, claws—scratched over the wound on my neck.

I gasped, my whole body going rigid. Pain shot through me as he pressed harder, the wound burning, the skin around it hypersensitive.

When I still didn’t answer, he exhaled a slow, deliberate sigh, shaking his head. "Tsk. It’s so hard to find a good pet these days."

I felt sick.

Then, abruptly, he let go.

I sucked in a breath, but before I could react, he grabbed my wrist and hauled me up to my feet with effortless strength. My legs felt weak, my knees threatening to buckle beneath me, but he didn’t let me collapse.

His fingers ghosted over my pulse, feeling the frantic rhythm beneath my skin. His smile was slow, deliberate.

"You let him bite you." His voice was barely above a whisper.

I sucked in a breath, blinking back the tears that threatened to rise.

"I—"

Blaze exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. His grip on my wrist never loosened.

"That fucking mutt," he seethed under his breath. "He thinks he can take what’s mine?"

I barely had time to react before he shoved me back against the bookshelf. The impact sent a sharp jolt up my spine, the wood creaking behind me.

Blaze loomed over me now, his lips curling into something that wasn’t quite a snarl, but wasn’t a smile either.

"Guess I need to remind you who you belong to," he murmured.

Fear coiled in my gut.

I tried to move, but his hand shot out, pressing firmly against my throat—not quite choking, but threatening to.

"You poor, stupid little thing," he murmured. "You think you can walk around covered in my scent and his and go unnoticed?"

My breath caught.

His grip on my wrist tightened.

*****

Blaze’s grip tightened just enough to make my breath hitch. His eyes burned with something possessive, something dangerous. Then, just as suddenly, he let go, but not before letting his fingers drag over my throat—a silent warning.

"We’re washing that mutt’s stink off you," he muttered. "Or at least trying to. It’s too much."

My stomach twisted.

I barely had time to react before he grabbed my wrist again and yanked me forward, dragging me through the dimly lit library aisles. My feet struggled to keep up as he pulled me toward the back exit, out into the cool night air.

I swallowed hard. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening.

The campus showers weren’t far, meant for students who stayed late for training. I dug my heels in, desperate to slow him down, to think of an excuse, anything—but I couldn’t be obvious. I couldn’t make him suspicious.

Blaze growled in annoyance and jerked me forward harder, forcing me to stumble after him. "Stop fighting. You don’t get to walk around smelling like him."

He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know. I repeated the words in my head, trying to breathe through the sheer panic clawing at my chest. If he forced me to strip—if he saw—

My body went rigid as we stepped into the shower room. The door slammed shut behind us, echoing through the empty space. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed softly, casting cold light onto the tiled walls.

Blaze moved with purpose, twisting one of the knobs. Water burst from the showerhead in a sharp spray, steam curling into the air.