CONFUSED DESIRES (Claimed by them)

Chapter Twelve

Kael Nightfang — POV

She’s a problem.

Not the kind you eliminate quickly.

The kind that lingers… grows… and eventually forces you to face something you don’t want to.

I knew it the moment she walked through those gates.

At first, I thought it was irritation.

A human in my territory? In a place built for power? It was insulting.

But then—

I caught her scent.

And everything changed.

It wasn’t human.

It wasn’t wolf.

It wasn’t anything I had ever encountered before.

My wolf stirred instantly.

Not in aggression.

Not in hunger.

Recognition.

That’s what made it worse.

Because that shouldn’t be possible.

I’ve spent my entire life in control. Every instinct, every reaction—mastered. That’s what it means to be an Alpha. You don’t hesitate. You don’t get confused.

But around her?

There’s hesitation.

There’s awareness.

There’s something pulling at me, telling me to get closer—

While every rational part of me says to stay away.

And then Adrian noticed her.

Of course he did.

Vampires are drawn to the unnatural. To things they don’t understand.

The way he looks at her—

Like she’s already his to figure out.

It makes something in me snap.

I don’t care about humans.

I don’t care about vampires.

So why do I care what he does with her?

Why did I step in?

Why did I watch her after?

Why did I notice when she got hurt?

That moment in the locker room—

The blood.

The smell hit me instantly.

But it wasn’t just that.

It was her reaction.

The way her body tensed.

The way her breathing changed.

The way something in her… responded.

That wasn’t human.

And when I touched it—

When I saw it on my hand—

Something inside me shifted.

Possessive.

Protective.

Dangerous.

I didn’t like it.

I don’t like any of this.

She’s weak.

She’s out of place.

She doesn’t belong here.

And yet—

She’s affecting everything.

Me.

Adrian.

Lucian

Even Rowan.

That alone makes her dangerous.

So I should stay away.

I should ignore her.

Let her get pushed out like she should be.

But every time I see someone else near her—

Every time someone touches her—

Every time she looks like she might break—

That control slips.

Just a little.

And I can’t afford that.

Because if I lose control—

If I let my instincts take over—

I won’t just hurt the people around her.

I might claim her.

And I don’t even understand why.

Is she my mate.

Adrian's POV.

Fascinating.

That’s what she is.

From the moment she stepped into the academy, I knew.

Her scent—

It isn’t natural.

It isn’t possible.

And yet…

There it is.

Walking. Breathing. Denying what she is.

A contradiction.

And I’ve always enjoyed unravelling those.

Kael reacts to her like a threat.

Typical wolf.

All instinct. No control.

But me?

I see potential.

Power.

Something rare.

Something valuable.

She doesn’t understand it yet.

But she will.

The way she reacted to blood today…

That wasn’t human.

Not even close.

She’s changing.

Awakening.

And when she does—

Everyone will want a piece of her.

The wolves will try to claim her.

The vampires will try to use her.

And me?

I’ll be the one who gets there first.

Not out of kindness.

But because I’m curious to see—

What she becomes when she finally breaks.

She is an anomaly.

And I’ve always been drawn to anomalies.

From the moment she entered the academy, I could sense it—something off, something layered beneath the surface. Not obvious enough for the others to understand… but enough for me.

Her scent is wrong.

Not in a repulsive way.

In an impossible way.

Like two opposing things forced into one existence.

That alone makes her valuable.

Kael reacts predictably.

Instinct over thought.

Possession over logic.

It’s almost amusing how quickly she’s gotten under his skin.

He doesn’t understand it.

But I do.

Or at least… I’m starting to.

The reaction to blood confirmed my suspicions.

That wasn’t human hesitation.

That was conflict.

A part of her drawn in.

A part of her resisting.

Which means she’s not fully awakened yet.

She’s still holding on to the illusion of being human.

That won’t last.

It never does.

The question isn’t if she will change.

It’s how.

And more importantly—

Who she will become when she does.

Because power like that doesn’t stay neutral.

It chooses.

Or it destroys.

The others see her as prey.

Or a nuisance.

Or a problem.

I see potential.

And potential is something you don’t ignore.

You guide it.

Shape it.

Control it—before someone else does.

Because if the wolves claim her first…

That would be unfortunate.

And if she loses control entirely?

Even worse.

So I’ll watch.

I’ll wait.

And when the time comes—

I’ll be the one she turns to.

Not because she trusts me.

But because she won’t have another choice.

Yet..I feel drawn to her, like I'm meant to protect her.

Rowan Ashford — POV

Everyone’s focused on the wrong thing.

They see her as human.

Or as weak.

Or as something to fight over.

They’re missing what matters.

She’s holding back.

Not consciously.

But it’s there.

I noticed it the first time she fell.

Most people break when they’re pushed like that.

They cry.

They react.

They run.

She didn’t.

She held it in.

Tight.

Like something inside her was waiting.

Watching.

The moment I touched her—

I felt it.

A pulse.

Not physical.

Something deeper.

Familiar in a way I couldn’t explain.

And that’s what’s been bothering me.

Kael feels it too.

That’s why he’s angry all the time now.

Adrian understands enough to be dangerous.

Lucian… he just wants to see what happens.

But none of them are thinking about the outcome.

If she awakens—

If that thing inside her comes out—

There won’t be control.

Not at first.

And when that happens…

People will get hurt.

Maybe worse.

That’s why I stepped in.

Not for her.

Not really.

But because if no one does—

This will spiral fast.

She doesn’t need enemies right now.

She needs time.

Time to understand what she is.

Time to choose.

But this place doesn’t give time.

It forces change.

And I have a feeling—

When hers comes…

It won’t be quiet.