CONFUSED DESIRES (Claimed by them)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Lucian Voss — POV

Oh, this is fun.

I knew the moment I saw her—

This year wasn’t going to be boring.

A human in a school like this?

Already interesting.

But her?

She’s chaos waiting to happen.

And I love chaos.

The way everyone reacts to her is the best part.

Kael acts like she’s a threat.

Adrian acts like she’s a project.

Rowan acts like he’s trying not to care.

And her?

She has no idea what she’s doing.

No idea what she is.

That’s dangerous.

Because people like that—

When they finally snap?

They don’t hold back.

The blood incident confirmed it.

She felt it.

I saw it.

That moment of hesitation…

That pull.

Delicious.

She’s not human.

Not even close.

And when she realizes it?

When she stops pretending?

That’s when things get interesting.

And I’ll be right there to watch.

Maybe even push her a little.

After all…

Every good story needs a little chaos.

I love this.

I really do.

Most years here are predictable.

Same rivalries.

Same power plays.

Same boring control.

Then she shows up—

And suddenly everything shifts.

A human who isn’t human.

A mystery no one can immediately solve.

And best of all?

Everyone’s reacting differently.

Kael is practically losing his s**t.

Adrian is plotting.

Rowan is pretending not to care.

And me?

I get to enjoy the show.

But it’s more than entertainment.

There’s something about her.

Not just power.

Not just mystery.

Uncertainty.

That’s what makes her dangerous.

People like her—

They don’t follow rules.

They don’t fit into systems.

And when they finally understand what they are?

They either become unstoppable…

Or completely destructive.

The blood today was a perfect example.

That moment—

That hesitation—

That pull—

She felt it.

And she hated it.

Which makes it even better.

Because the more she resists…

The stronger it’s going to come back.

And when it does?

I want a front-row seat.

Maybe I’ll even help things along.

Push her just enough.

See how far she bends before she breaks.

After all—

Chaos isn’t something to avoid.

It’s something to encourage.

And Elena Vale?

She’s chaos waiting to happen.

POV — Aria Wolvane

I saw her first.

Before the whispers.

Before the assembly.

Before the entire academy started orbiting around her like she mattered.

A human girl standing at the gates of Blackwood Academy.

Confused.

Out of place.

Weak.

With a face swollen like a bee hive, disgusting red blotches all over her body, with oversized uniform clearly showing how far she was, pale skin, messy hair and shaking hands.

DISGUSTING!!!.I Wanted to hurl.

What was someone like her doing in this school.

I should’ve ignored her.

Normally, I would have.

Humans are beneath notice.

Temporary things.

Fragile things.

But then Kael looked at her.

And everything changed.

At first, I thought it was irritation.

I know Kael better than anyone. We grew up together. Trained together. Our families practically decided our futures before we were old enough to understand what that meant.

Everyone knew I would stand beside him one day.

Not officially.

Not yet.

But eventually.

It made sense.

Power belongs with power.

That’s how our world works.

Then she arrived—

And suddenly he started paying attention to someone else.

A human.

It was insulting.

But worse than that—

It was humiliating.

Because I noticed the signs immediately.

The tension in his posture whenever she walked into a room.

The way his eyes followed her before he could stop himself.

The way his wolf reacted.

And today—

He confirmed it.

“She matters.”

The words replay in my head over and over again.

He said it in front of everyone.

Like it was truth.

Like she was worth protecting.

I should hate her for that.

And I do.

But the part that truly angers me?

She doesn’t even understand what she’s doing.

That girl walks through the academy with those wide, confused eyes, completely unaware of the chaos following behind her. Completely unaware of how dangerous she is.

Or maybe…

Maybe she knows exactly what she’s doing.

Maybe that innocent act is manipulation.

Because there’s no way someone accidentally gains the attention of:

An Alpha prince

A vampire heir

Lucian Voss

Rowan Ashford

Not unless there’s something wrong with her.

And there is.

I can smell it.

That’s the part no one talks about enough.

Her scent.

Wrong.

It changes.

Sometimes human.

Sometimes something else entirely.

It unsettles the wolves around her.

And wolves hate uncertainty.

Especially powerful ones.

The Headmaster and Headmistress introducing her personally only made things worse.

Do they understand what they’ve done?

They practically painted a target on her back.

No student gets that kind of protection.

No student gets warned about publicly.

Unless they matter.

Unless they’re dangerous.

And that thought…

That possibility…

Terrifies me more than I want to admit.

Because if she really is important—

If she really is tied to some ancient bloodline or prophecy or whatever secret the Headmistress is hiding—

Then Kael won’t walk away from her.

And if Kael chooses her…

Everything changes.

For him.

For me.

For all of us.

I hate her for making me feel this way.

Weak.

Jealous.

Uncertain.

I hate the way people compare us without saying it out loud.

The noble wolf girl.

The mysterious human.

The old choice.

The new obsession.

But most of all—

I hate the fact that part of me is scared.

Because Kael threatened me today.

Not like a prince protecting school order.

Like a wolf protecting something precious.

And I’ve known him long enough to understand exactly how dangerous that is.

Still…

I won’t back down.

I refuse to lose to a girl who doesn’t even know what she is.

If Elena Vale wants to survive Blackwood Academy—

Then she’s going to learn something very quickly:

Wolves do not surrender what belongs to them.

And neither do I.