Claimed by the Alpha and the Vampire Prince: Masquerading as a Man-Chapter 178: First Class

Clark POV:

I remember the first time I stepped into class after everything happened. It was one of those moments where you could just feel the tension hanging in the air. The whole class seemed to freeze as soon as they saw who had walked in with me. Everyone’s eyes widened when they saw Blaze and Reed—two seniors—seated at opposite ends of the room. They didn’t belong here, and nobody seemed to know what they were doing. The shock in the air was thick. The room had this undercurrent of tension that made it feel suffocating. Everyone was whispering and staring, but nobody dared to say anything out loud.

Blaze and Reed weren’t supposed to be in this class. They were definitely seniors, and yet here they were, sitting at opposite ends of the room. It didn’t make sense. I could already feel the stir of unease spreading across the students. People began scrambling to the front seats, desperate to avoid being near them. It was like the class suddenly turned into some twisted game of musical chairs, and I was the only one who didn’t realize the rules.

By the time I entered the class, the front rows were all taken, and the only seat left was in the back of the class at the middle. I figured it was better than sitting with either of them, so I chose to sit where I was. But the seat came with its own kind of curse. It placed me directly in the line of sight of both Blaze and Reed.

If I had known then what I know now, I would’ve chosen the back row. I would’ve sat right between them. I would’ve rather been stuck in the middle of their twisted rivalry than be left as the tug-of-war rope between the two of them.

I was stuck in the middle, all alone, feeling like the tug-of-war rope between two competing devils. My worst fear? That they were both gay and had somehow taken a terrifying interest in me.

I know, it sounds ridiculous, but at the time, that was my worst fear. Why else would they be so fixated on me? And NO. I’m straight, as straight as a ruler. I didn’t ask for this attention. But when the two of them are always watching you, always lurking, it’s hard to not feel like you’re walking in a nightmare. Their presence was suffocating, and I couldn’t understand why they were so fixated on me.

I didn’t want to be the subject of some weird, twisted obsession from these creatures. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or terrified that their interest in me seemed more like it was about terrifying me to death than anything else.

I still didn’t get it.

So, there I was, stuck between them—one on the left corner, the other on the right corner—while the rest of the class filled up the front rows.

I sat there trying to mind my own business. At least this way, I wouldn’t be right next to them. But I wasn’t exactly safe, either. Not with Blaze sitting on one side and Reed on the other, each of them glaring at me from their respective corners of the room. They weren’t even trying to hide it. The rest of the students knew better than to look back. There was no way they were going to risk their lives by acknowledging that these two monsters were seated at the back of the room, watching everything like hawks.

Then came the lecturer. An old man, shaking in his shoes. I swear, if I was reading him right, he looked like he wanted to run from the room as fast as possible. Did he think we wouldn’t notice? Of course, we did. Everyone in the class saw how nervous he was. The lecturer, an old guy who looked like he’d seen one too many things in his time, never glanced in our direction. He didn’t even acknowledge the fact that two seniors were sitting in a class meant for freshmen. It was like everyone was too scared to do anything about it. It made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t have time to focus on that. I had my own problems.

I tried to take notes. I really did. But who could concentrate when the entire room was being sucked into this terrifying tension? I could feel it in my bones—those burning glares from both sides, radiating heat even though I could physically feel the room growing colder. I could almost hear them breathing. They wanted me to look at them, I knew it, but I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. I kept my eyes trained on my notebook, pretending to care about whatever the lecturer was saying.

That didn’t last long.

The moment I looked up, I felt a rush of cold air, and before I could even react, Blaze was sitting next to me. He was there, that fast. I was so startled that I almost screamed. But his hand came up, fast and firm, pressing against my mouth to stop me from making a sound. His fingers were cold against my lips, and I froze, eyes wide.

"Shhh, little lamb," he murmured, his voice like honey dipped in venom. "I’m not going to eat you yet."

That was supposed to comfort me, but it didn’t. It just made my heart race faster. I couldn’t even look at him. I tried to keep my breath steady, but everything about him—the cold, the danger, the smile on his face—was enough to make my mind short-circuit. He flashed his fangs, all sharp and white, like a predator showing its claws.

I turned my head to look at Reed, almost instinctively. I shouldn’t have. But when I did, all I saw was him standing up, his body tensed, his eyes glaring. He didn’t say a word. He just stood there, his face a mask of frustration, before he stormed out of the room in a huff.

The class looked back to see Blaze sitting next to me. It was like they were all trying to figure out what was happening, but no one said anything. No one dared to. The air in the room was thick with uncertainty and fear, and I was the center of it all. The tension, the eyes on me—it felt like I was suffocating. I could feel their eyes on us, some of them with wide-eyed disbelief, others with pure disgust. I wanted to shrink into myself, to disappear from all the stares. But Blaze didn’t seem to care at all. He just sat there, his back straight, staring ahead as if he owned the room.

Blaze, meanwhile, was too damn smug for my liking. He looked ahead, as if he had all the power in the world. His cold aura settled over me, like a blanket of ice. It made my whole body tense. But what unnerved me even more was that I wasn’t the only one feeling it. The entire room seemed to shiver, to shrink away from him, trying to avoid the force of his presence.

The entire class shifted uncomfortably as they watched Blaze sit next to me. No one dared look back, not even to acknowledge what had just happened. It felt like the whole room was trying to disappear.

Then, Blaze spoke again.

"You have pretty handwriting for a boy," he said, glancing at me with that smug, infuriating smile. The cold aura around him suddenly lifted, and for a moment, I thought I could breathe again.

But no. That was short-lived.

"From now on, you’ll be writing my notes for me," he added, his voice dripping with authority.

I blinked.

What?

He didn’t even have a notebook. I glanced at his desk—nothing. No paper, no pen, just him, like he was expecting me to magically produce all the materials needed for the task.

It was ridiculous. Here was a monster, a vampire who was probably centuries old, asking me—a human—to write his notes for him. Was he serious? Monsters didn’t need to study. They didn’t need notes. They already had centuries of knowledge running through their veins. But here he was, acting like a high school bully making me do his homework.

I didn’t have the luxury of saying no. I had to survive, even if it meant being someone’s secretary.

I nodded, as much as I hated myself for it.

"Sure," I mumbled, trying to sound neutral. I had no other choice. Not if I wanted to survive this twisted game they were playing.

Blaze just smiled at me. A wicked, cold smile that made my blood freeze. He didn’t say anything more. He just sat there, watching me, and the room continued in this strange, oppressive silence.