Chapter 9: Taboo Name

Words : 1198 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

In this chapter, Chapter 9: Taboo Name I did say I was not a morning person, right? So when my... Continue reading Chapter 9 of "Claimed by the Alpha and the Vampire Prince: Masquerading as a Man" for the full story!

Chapter 9: Taboo Name I did say I was not a morning person, right? So when my alarm blared like a banshee, my first instinct was to throw it. It bounced off the wall and hit the floor... but the stupid thing kept ringing. I groaned, burying my face into the pillow. Then, I remembered. I wasn't here for fun. I wasn't here to play student. I was here to find out what the hell happened to my twin. That thought was enough. With a deep breath, I sat up and forced myself through my morning routine. And yes, that included subjecting my poor boobs to another round of torture. Wrapping them up tightly. Folding my hair up. Securing the head wrap. Pulling on the itchy, annoying boy wig. By the time I was done, I looked in the mirror. Yep. A cute boy. Just as I finished adjusting my clothes, a knock sounded at my door. I froze. I wasn't expecting anyone. My heart thumped hard. Had I already blown my cover? I took a breath and opened the door. Sara stood there. She gave me a sweet smile before she blushed and looked down. Then, in a small, almost sheepish voice, she asked: "Can we... go together to school?" Of course. Here's a refined version with a stronger creepy and mysterious vibe: Who would say no? She lingered in the doorway, shifting her weight from foot to foot as I turned back to grab my backpack. I could feel her eyes on me—watching, waiting. Something about the way she stood there felt wrong. Too still. Too quiet. Like she was listening for something I couldn't hear. I pushed the thought aside. "Hey, uh—can you show me where the resource center is? I'll try to remember the way." Sara hesitated. Just for a second. Then she forced a smile. "Yeah, of course." But her voice was too light. And as we stepped out into the hallway, I noticed something I hadn't before. She kept glancing over her shoulder. Like she was afraid we weren't alone. "Is someone stalking you?" I asked as she turned for the tenth time since we started walking to school. Her reaction was immediate—too immediate. She flinched, her breath hitching for just a second before she forced out a laugh. "W-what? No! No one's stalking me. Don't be ridiculous." I raised an eyebrow. Yeah, right. She was a terrible liar. Anyone with a functioning brain could see it. Her hands twitched at her sides, and she picked up the pace like she could outrun the conversation. But that didn't stop her from throwing another nervous glance over her shoulder. I followed her gaze, scanning the empty streets. Nothing. Not a single soul. But the silence felt wrong. Like the whole town was holding its breath. I decided not to push her—yet. If something was scaring Sara this much, I needed to figure out what it was. Or who. And more importantly... If it was watching us right now. We walked in silence for a while, my thoughts racing. I could still feel the weight of those stares at my back, like unseen hands pressing against my skin. The campus felt... off. Too quiet. Too orderly. Like a stage set where everything was perfectly placed—except for the actors who knew something I didn't. I needed answers. So, I pushed. I tried asking Sara again—what was really going on in this town? She didn't answer. She just kept walking, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag like she was holding onto something solid to keep herself from unraveling. So I said the one thing I knew she wouldn't be able to ignore. "What happened to the Clark boy?" The air around us seemed to still. Sara froze mid-step. For a moment, she didn't even breathe. Then— violently, frantically—she spun toward me, her eyes wild with something between panic and fury. "Don't say that name." Her voice was sharp, a whisper so harsh it almost cut. I frowned. "Why not?" She looked around, scanning the empty path behind us like she expected someone—something—to be lurking just beyond sight. Then, in a voice barely above a breath, she muttered: "People can hear." I followed her gaze, but there was no one there. The road was deserted. The trees were still. Even the air felt too quiet. But the way Sara was looking around, the way her hands shook ever so slightly, told me that she wasn't being dramatic. She was genuinely afraid. I swallowed, trying to ignore the sudden chill creeping down my spine. "Sara... what happened to him?" She didn't answer. She just shook her head, her lips pressed together so tightly they turned white. Then—just like that—she started walking faster. Conversation over. I wanted to press her, demand she tell me what she knew. But something in me whispered that if I did... She wouldn't talk to me again. So I let her go. But as we stepped onto the school grounds, one thing became painfully clear— Whatever happened to my brother, this entire town was in on it. Sara's reaction told me everything I needed to know. I had hit a nerve. Her entire body had went rigid at the mention of my brother's name. Her eyes widened in pure panic, darting around like she expected someone to jump out of the shadows. The way she had in a low, frantic whisper, she hissed, "Don't say that name!" I had blinked. She had shushed me like the name itself was cursed, like it would summon something out of the dark. I wanted to tell her she was being paranoid—we were the only ones here. The streets were empty. There was no one around to listen. And yet... She looked genuinely terrified. She had leaned in closer, her voice barely above a breath. "People can hear." And I had frowned. Who? She refused to say more, refused to even look at me now. I could tell she was fighting the urge to run. I knew better than to push her when she was like this, but every instinct in me screamed that I needed to find out what the hell had happened to my brother. Sara picked up the pace, practically speed-walking through the school gate as if just standing near me was dangerous. Fine. I'd drop it. For now. As we stepped onto campus, I immediately noticed them. Reed's gang. They were spread out around a sleek black car in the parking lot, watching. Always watching. Their eyes followed everyone who entered like they were scanning, assessing. For what? I wasn't about to find out. I kept my head down and walked past them, pretending I didn't notice their stares burning into my back. Reed wasn't there. Or maybe he was inside the car, hidden behind those dark tinted windows. Either way, I wasn't stupid enough to stop and find out. Whatever was going on in this town—I was already in too deep.

Chapter 9: Taboo Name

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