CONFUSED DESIRES (Claimed by them)

Chapter five: The one who laughs

By the time lunch came, I was exhausted.

Not physically.

Mentally.

Every hallway felt like a battlefield. Every stare felt like a warning. And no matter where I went… I could feel it.

Eyes on me.

Judging. Watching. Waiting.

I stepped into the cafeteria and immediately regretted it.

The room was massive, filled with students separated into groups that didn’t need labels to be understood.

one side hot and filled with eyes of all colours.

And the other

filled with paled skinned creeps with chilling gazes.

Power.

And then—

Me.

I tightened my grip on my tray and scanned the room, looking for the safest place to sit.

There wasn’t one.

Still, I spotted an empty table near the far corner and quickly made my way toward it, keeping my head down.

Just sit. Eat. Leave.

That was the plan.

I had just taken a bite of food when—

Someone dropped into the seat across from me.

I froze.

Slowly, I looked up.

He was smiling.

Not a normal smile.

A dangerous one.

Dark hair fell slightly into his eyes, and there was something playful about his expression… but it didn’t feel harmless.

Not at all.

“Well,” he said casually, leaning back in his chair, “you’re even more interesting up close.”

My stomach tightened.

“I—do I know you?”

He chuckled.

“No,” he said. “But I know you.”

That didn’t help.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand as he studied me like I was some kind of puzzle.

“Human,” he murmured. “But not quite.”

My heart skipped.

Why did everyone keep saying that?

“I think you have the wrong person,” I said, trying to sound calm.

His smile widened.

“Oh, I definitely don’t.”

Before I could react—

He reached across the table and grabbed my wrist.

I gasped.

His touch was cold.

Not like Rowan’s.

Colder.

Sharper.

Like ice.

He tilted my hand slightly, his eyes flickering with something dark.

“Your pulse is fast,” he said softly. “Are you scared of me?”

I tried to pull my hand back.

He didn’t let go.

“You should be,” he added, almost amused.

“Let go.”

The voice was low.

Deadly.

Lucian didn’t even flinch.

Instead, his smile grew.

“Well, well…” he said without looking away from me. “The Alpha prince joins us.”

My breath caught.

Kael.

Of course.

I didn’t need to turn to feel him there.

The air had already changed.

Lucian finally released my hand… slowly… like he didn’t want to.

“Relax,” he said lightly. “I was just introducing myself.”

Kael stepped closer.

Too close.

“Touch her again,” he said quietly, “and you’ll lose that hand.”

Lucian laughed.

Actually laughed.

“I’d like to see you try.”

Tension snapped through the air.

Sharp. Dangerous.

For a second, I thought—

They might actually fight.

Then—

“Boys,” a smooth voice cut in.

Adrian.

Of course.

I turned slightly to see him approaching, his expression calm as ever, but his eyes flickering between them.

“This is a cafeteria,” he said. “Not a battlefield.”

Lucian leaned back again, completely unbothered.

“You’re no fun, Adrian.”

Adrian ignored him.

Instead, his gaze shifted to me.

“You shouldn’t sit alone,” he said.

I almost laughed.

“Is that supposed to be advice?” I asked.

A flicker of something passed through his eyes.

“Take it however you want.”

Kael scoffed slightly.

“She doesn’t belong with your kind anyway.”

Adrian’s expression didn’t change.

“And yet… she doesn’t belong with yours either.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

And somehow—

Centered on me.

I pushed my tray away.

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

I stood up quickly, my heart pounding again.

This was too much.

All of them—

Watching me.

Arguing over me.

Like I wasn’t even a person.

Like I was something else.

“I’m leaving,” I muttered.

No one stopped me.

But I felt it.

All four of their gazes on me as I walked away.

Burning.

Cold.

Confusing.

Conflicting.

And worst of all—

A part of me felt drawn to it.

To them.

And I didn’t understand why.