Lunar Claimed

Chapter 2

I barely made it to the front office before my legs started shaking.

The adrenaline from the parking lot was still crashing through my veins. My wrist burned where Damien had touched me, a strange pulsing heat that refused to fade. I pressed my fingers against it, trying to rub the sensation away, but it only made it worse.

The secretary, a plump woman with kind eyes and purple glasses, gave me a sympathetic smile as she slid my schedule across the counter. “Here you go, sweetie. First class is History in room 214. You’re already late, but… good luck. You’ll need it around here.”

Her tone carried a warning I didn’t understand. I took the paper with a small nod and turned away before she could see how rattled I was.

The hallway stretched endlessly before me. Lockers lined both sides like metal soldiers. Whispers followed me like shadows — sharp, curious, and sometimes cruel.

“That’s her…”

“Kane girl…”

“The twins already got to her…”

I kept my eyes forward and my shoulders straight, even though my stomach was in knots. By the time I pushed open the door to room 214, the entire class had already settled in.

“You must be Nova Kane,” the teacher said without looking up from his papers. “Take the empty seat at the back. Next to Blackthorn.”

My stomach dropped like a stone.

Of course. Of course it had to be him.

Damien sat alone at a large square table near the back window, arms crossed over his broad chest. His stormy gray eyes locked onto me the second I stepped inside. He didn’t smile. He didn’t speak. He just watched me approach like a predator who had all the time in the world.

I slid into the chair beside him, leaving as much space between us as possible. The desk suddenly felt too small.

He said nothing.

For ten long minutes, the only sounds were the teacher’s monotone voice and the frantic beating of my own heart. Damien’s scent kept invading my space — dark pine, smoke, and something dangerously masculine. Every time I breathed, it filled my lungs and made my head feel fuzzy and warm.

I could feel eyes on my back too. Darius was two rows behind us. I didn’t need to turn around to know he was staring.

The silence between Damien and me grew heavier with every passing second. I could feel the heat radiating from his body. My skin prickled with awareness. I hated how aware I was of him.

“Alright, class,” the teacher announced suddenly. “We’re doing a group project on the founding families of Blackridge. Four students per table. You have fifteen minutes to start planning. Go.”

Perfect. Just perfect.

Before I could even process the words, Darius moved. He was suddenly sliding into the chair directly across from me, flashing that same wicked smirk from the parking lot.

“Looks like we’re partners, little moon,” he said smoothly, leaning forward until his elbows rested on the table. His silver eyes sparkled with mischief.

I kept my face blank, refusing to give him the reaction he clearly wanted. “Great.”

We were supposed to discuss the founding families. Instead, Darius stared at me like I was far more interesting than any history lesson.

“Those eyes of yours,” he said, voice low enough that only our table could hear. “One green, one silver. You a freak of nature or just specially made?”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. I hated how easily his words affected me.

“Neither,” I replied coldly, keeping my eyes on the blank paper in front of me. “Focus on the assignment.”

Damien still hadn’t spoken. He just watched me with that intense, unreadable stare. Every time I shifted in my seat or tucked my hair behind my ear, his gaze followed the movement like he was memorizing me.

Darius wasn’t done. “Come on, don’t be shy. You’ve got the whole class talking already. The new girl who smells like—”

His hand suddenly brushed mine while reaching for a pencil. Electricity shot up my arm, sharp and hot, just like in the parking lot. I yanked my hand back like I’d been burned.

Darius smiled wider, clearly pleased with himself. “Problem?”

I clenched my jaw. “Stop.”

“Stop what?” he asked innocently, though his eyes were anything but. “I’m just trying to get to know my new partner.”

Before I could respond, a sharp, venomous voice cut through the classroom like a knife.

“Since when do we let Kane trash sit with us?”

Sienna Voss stood at the next table, arms crossed, her long blonde hair falling perfectly over one shoulder. She looked at me like I was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of her designer boots.

The entire class went quiet.

“Kane trash?” she repeated louder, clearly enjoying the attention. “Her mother was a w***e who ran away and got herself killed. And now this freak shows up with her weird eyes thinking she can just—”

“Shut your mouth, Sienna.”

The words came from Damien. Low. Ice-cold. Deadly.

The silence in the room became absolute.

Sienna’s perfect face paled. “But Damien, she’s—”

“I said shut it.” His voice left zero room for argument. It was quiet, but it carried the weight of absolute command.

Sienna sat down quickly, shooting me a look full of pure hatred. The kind of look that promised this wasn’t over.

I stared at Damien, completely confused. Why would he defend me? He and his brother had been tormenting me since the second I arrived. None of this made sense.

The bell rang, cutting through the heavy tension.

I grabbed my bag and practically ran out of the classroom, heart racing, mind spinning. My wrist still tingled. My cheeks were hot. I needed air. I needed space. I needed to get away from the Blackthorn twins before I lost my mind.

I didn’t get far.

Both of them appeared in front of me like they’d materialized from the shadows, blocking my path in the now-crowded hallway. This time they stood much closer. Dangerously closer.

Darius stepped in until his chest nearly brushed mine. “You smell like you’re already ours,” he murmured, inhaling deeply. His voice was rough, almost pained. “It’s driving us f*****g crazy.”

I tried to step back but only hit the cold lockers behind me with a soft thud.

Damien moved in on my other side, completely trapping me between their powerful bodies. His fingers suddenly wrapped around my wrist — gently, but firmly. The same burning heat from earlier flared across my skin again, stronger this time. It spread up my arm and into my chest.

I looked up into his stormy gray eyes and felt my breath catch.

“Run if you want,” Damien whispered, his voice rough and dark against my ear. His thumb brushed slowly over my pulse point. “We’ll enjoy the chase.”