by J. L. Wilder
Aubrey snorted. “Her?” she said. “Don’t make me laugh. I could never end up like Grace Foster.”
“You know her?”
“Of course I know her,” Aubrey said. “Everyone knows her.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“Yeah. No reason you would, I guess. She’s in my class, but she’s ranked all the way down at the bottom and always has been. She’s kind of a joke, to tell you the truth. I don’t know why she even bothers coming to the bonfires and socials. No alpha would ever choose her.”
Privately, Jonah agreed, but he was tired of Aubrey’s know-it-all attitude, and he felt like arguing with her. “What if he imprinted on her?” he asked. “Then he’d choose her. Maybe that’s what she’s hoping will happen.”
“A girl like her isn’t going to be imprinted on,” Aubrey said as if he was stupid. “Omegas have to have something to recommend them if they’re going to be the target of an imprint. Biology draws alphas to the omegas with the strongest genes.” She narrowed her eyes at Jonah. “I thought you were at the top of your class. How come you don’t know that already?”
“All I know about her is what you’re telling me,” Jonah pointed out.
“And you don’t believe me?”
Aubrey didn’t strike him as someone who went out of her way to be friendly to, or flattering about, her fellow omegas. But Jonah wasn’t about to say so. In spite of her attitude, he still hoped to imprint upon her and claim her as his mate. She was borderline insufferable right now, but all she really needed was to learn how to submit.
The problem was, she was never going to learn that until she wanted to submit to him. As long as she considered herself above him, the way she clearly did now, that would never happen.
“You seem like you’re not that interested in my company,” he said. “I’ll go find someone else to talk to. Nice catching up, Aubrey.”
He turned away, but not before he was treated to the sight of her jaw dropping. Good, he thought. Let her see that she doesn’t hold all the power here. She may think that she has every alpha begging at her feet, but we’ll see how she likes it when someone doesn’t beg.
He didn’t want to return to Alex, to deal with his friend’s questions about his conversation with Aubrey, so he walked to the edge of the grounds instead and took up a position against a tree a few yards away from Grace Foster. He glanced over at her and saw that she was studying her shoes now, looking awkward and embarrassed to be at the bonfire at all.
Aubrey seemed to have forgotten that she and Jonah had ever spoken. Almost as soon as he had departed, Gabe had made his way over to her. Jonah was sickened by the subservient expression on Gabe’s face. It’s like he doesn’t even know he’s an alpha, he thought. What a complete embarrassment.
“Hey,” said a voice in the darkness. “Hey, Foster.”
Jonah glanced over. Grace Foster had turned away from him. She seemed to be looking at someone, though Jonah couldn’t make out another person in the dim light. Whoever had spoken, they were concealed from his view.
“Come on into the woods,” the voice said. “You’re not going to meet anybody tonight anyway. You know none of these alphas want anything to do with a bottom-of-the-barrel reject like you. You might as well come on back and have some fun.”
Jonah felt as if his hackles were shooting up. He understood what the disembodied voice was suggesting, and it horrified him. Fooling around with omegas was strictly against the rules, and it was enough to get anyone, alpha or beta, kicked out of Shifter U. And it was even worse when the omega in question was one who was unmated. Jonah knew the staff probably looked the other way sometimes when mated couples snuck into the woods to make out. But that was clearly not what was going on here.
He was about to turn and interrupt the situation—Grace Foster might be at the bottom of her class, but she didn’t deserve to be preyed upon—when another omega came running up. “Grace!” she said. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Come on, let’s go roast some marshmallows.”
The expression of relief that came over Grace’s face was impossible to mistake. She hurried away from the woods and toward her friend, and the two of them moved off toward the fire together.
Jonah leaned back against the tree, pondering.
Aubrey was surrounded by a pack of alphas now, each of them vying for her attention. His own interaction with her today hadn’t gone at all the way he had hoped it would. She had been willing to hear him out, but she couldn’t possibly have made it any clearer that she had absolutely no respect for him as an alpha.
He couldn’t be with an omega who wouldn’t respect him.
He wasn’t ready to give up on her yet. But he was going to have to come up with some way to make her see how foolish she had been to take him for granted.
Maybe I have to earn her interest, he thought. But I’ll make her see that she has to earn mine too.
Chapter Five
GRACE
“Get up,” Skye said.
Grace rolled away from her friend and buried her face in her pillow. “I’m too tired,” she said.
“No, you’re not,” Skye said. “You’re sulking because you didn’t meet anybody at the bonfire and you’re depressed about it.”
Grace sat up and looked at her roommate. “Maybe I’m just depressed about the fact that you can apparently read my mind.”
“Either way,” Skye said, “you can’t afford to start skipping class.”
“What difference does it make?” Grace asked. “My grades are in the toilet no matter what I do. It’ll be a miracle if I graduate. No alpha will ever want me. When school’s over, I’ll either have to run away and live in the woods like a wild wolf or else I’ll have to go back and try to live with my father—and he’ll probably kill me just for showing my face.”
“He wouldn’t really kill you, would he?” Skye asked.
“No,” Grace said. “But he’d definitely be pissed off. I’m sure he thinks he’s done with me forever. I thought I was done with him forever.”
“You don’t have to go back there,” Skye said. “There are still plenty of chances for you to find a mate before the year is up.”
“Come on, Skye,” Grace said. “I told you what happened at the bonfire. The only guy who even spoke to me was some creep who wanted to drag me into the woods and have his way with me because he knew who I am and how worthless I am. He knew that was the only way anyone would pay me any attention, so he assumed I would say yes to him.”
Skye was quiet for a moment.
“You wouldn’t have said yes to him, would you?” she asked. “If I hadn’t come along when I did?”
“I don’t know,” Grace admitted.
“Grace. Tell me you weren’t seriously thinking about it.”
“I just don’t know what difference it makes,” Grace admitted. “It’s not like I’m saving myself for my future mate. There’s not going to be a mate for me. So the idea of refusing to live my life on the off chance that someone might show up and want me—it seems stupid.”
“Okay, well, you’d get kicked out of school if you were caught fooling around with an alpha,” Skye said. “How’s that for a reason not to do it?”
“I don’t know,” Grace said. “I’m probably not going to graduate anyway.”
“You’ve always passed all your classes, Grace.”
“Barely. But do you really think they’re going to give a diploma to someone who can’t control her shifting?” She sighed. “Sometimes, I think I shouldn’t have come to Omega U at all.”
“How can you say that?” Skye demanded. “I know you were miserable living with your father.”
“I was,” Grace agreed. “But at least I didn’t have any expectations. I didn’t have any insane hopes that my life was going to somehow get better. When I came to school, I thought all of my problems would be solved. I really let myself believe in that. But I’m going to graduate in a few months—if I manage to pass my classes—and I’m going to g
o back home with all the same problems I had before. I still can’t control my shifting. I’m still going to be dependent on my father. Nothing’s changed. It was a waste of time.”
“At least you and I met each other,” Skye said. “Is that a waste?”
Grace sighed. “No,” she said. “You know I could never regret having you for a friend. But when it comes time for the alphas to claim their mates at the end of the semester, someone is definitely going to claim you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Of course I do. Even if nobody imprints on you, you’re in the top half of the class. You’re pretty, and guys like you. One of them is going to want you. And I’m happy for you, don’t get me wrong. But you’ll go off with him, be a part of his pack, and I’ll be on my own. Our friendship will effectively be over.”
“Maybe not,” Skye said. “Maybe you could...I don’t know...come with me. Be a part of my pack if nobody claims you.”
“You know that wouldn’t work,” Grace said. “A pack can’t have two omegas. It would ruin the dynamic. You and I would turn against each other, or the pack beta would imprint on me and challenge the alpha for dominance...something would go wrong. No alpha would ever risk allowing a second omega into his pack. It’s too dangerous.”
Skye sighed, and Grace could see that her friend knew she was right.
“Well, you still have to come to class,” she said at length. “I’m not going to let you give up, no matter how unlikely you think it is that you’ll find a mate. Put some clothes on.”
Grace didn’t feel like going to class—it felt like a worthless exercise—but she didn’t have the energy to argue about it. She rolled out of bed, grabbed her jeans and a tank top, and dressed quickly.
The first class of the day was Pregnancy Health and Nutrition. Grace claimed a seat at the back of the room, feeling embarrassed to be there. What did she need to study pregnancy for? It wasn’t as if it was ever going to happen for her.
Unless I choose to live a human life, I suppose. Maybe, when college was over, she would go and find a job waitressing or something. Maybe she could win the love of a human man, someone who wouldn’t have any idea what an utter failure she was as a shifter.
But that thought was depressing as well. How could she ever convince a human man to love her? Either she would have to persuade him to overlook her true nature—and that was something that her father had shown her was next to impossible for humans to do—or else she would have to conceal what she really was from him. And that would also be impossible as long as she failed to control her shifting.
Besides, if we have kids, they might inherit the shifter gene, the way I did from my mother. Then he would definitely know.
For the first time, Grace wondered whether her mother had been a complete failure as a shifter too, the way Grace was. Maybe it was something that couldn’t be overcome. Maybe it was in her genes. And if it was, then things were really hopeless for her. She would never be any better than she was right now.
God, she thought. No wonder my mother decided to marry a human man—and a really terrible human man to boot. Maybe that was the best she could do. Maybe no shifters would have her.
That thought was so disheartening that she wanted to gather up her things and slip out the back of the lecture hall. She wanted to go back to her dorm, pull the covers up over her head, and pretend that none of this existed.
But just as that thought occurred to her, someone claimed the seat beside hers.
She glanced over. Aubrey Price.
Great. Of course.
Aubrey leaned in, speaking under her breath. “Saw you at the bonfire,” she said.
Grace could tell by Aubrey’s tone that this was a setup to an insult of some kind. “Oh,” she said. “I didn’t see you.”
Aubrey snorted, clearly aware that Grace was lying. “Okay,” she said. “So, how did it go? Did you meet any cute guys?”
“Sure,” Grace said.
“You know, a girl like you really shouldn’t go to the socials,” Aubrey said.
“A girl like me?” Grace asked.
“You know what I mean,” Aubrey said. “Unmated.”
“You’re unmated,” Grace pointed out. “The socials are for unmated people.”
“Right, but they’re for unmated people who are actually going to meet someone,” Aubrey said. “I’m not trying to be mean to you, Grace, but everybody knows that I’m going to be picked by one of the alphas at the mating ceremony in a few months. It’s just a matter of who it’s going to be. For me, the socials are a chance to get to know them and figure out who I might want.”
“You don’t get to choose who you want,” Grace said. “Either you’ll be imprinted on, or else the alphas get to choose. What you want isn’t the point.”
Aubrey smiled patronizingly. “You know who my father is,” she said. “You know who my family is. Do you really think any of those alphas would dare to do anything I didn’t want?”
Aubrey had a point. Her father, in addition to being alpha of the wealthiest and oldest pack in North America, also led one of the biggest groups of shifters in the country. They were so notable that there had been a unit in their shifter history class about them.
Any alpha who wanted to do so technically had the right to claim her. But it was unlikely that any of them would do so against her will. They would be too afraid of retribution from her father.
Which meant that Aubrey would have her choice. She was top of the class and beautiful to boot, so every guy would want her. All she was going to have to do was let them know who her choice was, and he would be hers.
It was so different from Grace’s situation. She felt a sharp stab of jealousy. It wasn’t right. Why should Aubrey have everything, and she have nothing?
“Listen,” Aubrey said. “I’m just trying to look out for you. I care about you.”
That was a joke. Of course Aubrey didn’t care about her. They both knew that. And even if there had been any doubt, the smirk on Aubrey’s face would have given her away.
But what could Grace say? She didn’t want to argue with Aubrey. She was too intimidated. And Aubrey knew it. Aubrey could say whatever she wanted, and Grace would just take it.
“I think you should stay at home next time,” Aubrey said. “Don’t even bother coming out.”
Grace swallowed hard. “I’m allowed to go,” she said. “Anyone who wants to go is allowed to go.”
“Of course you’re allowed to go,” Aubrey said. “But nothing good is going to happen to you there. You don’t seriously think you’re going to meet a mate, right?”
Grace shrugged. If she tried to speak, she was afraid she might start to cry.
“Oh, honey,” Aubrey said, her voice positively saccharine. “You shouldn’t harbor false hopes. You’re a cute girl, but let’s be serious here. Alphas are going to choose mates who can make their packs stronger, not weaker. You must know that. That’s why none of them has paid you any attention in three years.”
Grace focused straight ahead, trying to keep her mind on the lecture, trying not to listen to the cruel things Aubrey was saying.
“If you show your face at the socials, you’re just going to make yourself a target,” Aubrey said. “There are guys there—alphas and betas—who are willing to break the rules. They’re just looking for a girl like you, someone desperate for attention, someone who knows she’s never going to be claimed. Someone they can take into the woods and have their way with. And if something like that happened, it wouldn’t just ruin your reputation. It would be a blight on our whole school.”
Grace thought of the voice she had heard calling to her from the woods at the bonfire and knew that, to an extent, Aubrey was right. Attending the socials was dangerous for her. Thanks to the class rankings, her name was known. She was known. She had been publicly marked as undesirable. That meant that a certain kind of guy would feel free to go after her without worrying about facing any repercussions.
Aubre
y didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer. “If you go to the next social,” she said, “if you put yourself in a position like that, I’ll have to assume that you actually want to get involved with one of those guys. And you know that’s against school rules. You’re not permitted to have any kind of affair with an alpha. You could totally disgrace someone by acting like that.”
“I haven’t done anything,” Grace said.
“Maybe you haven’t done anything yet,” Aubrey said. “But if I see you at the next social, I’ll have no choice but to assume that you plan to do something. I’ll have to let the administrative board know that you’re not respecting school rules, and you’ll be in danger of being kicked out.”
“Why are you so threatened by me, Aubrey?” Grace asked.
“It is hard to fathom, isn’t it?” Aubrey said. “It doesn’t really make sense that anyone should be threatened by you. And in a basic sense, I’m not. There’s no way you can prevent me from getting the things I want in life. But at the same time, having someone like you at this school makes the school look worse. A degree from Omega University is worth less if you have one too.”
Grace felt sick to her stomach. She said nothing.
“So maybe it’s for the best if you get yourself kicked out,” Aubrey said. “All I’m saying is, watch your step. If I see you doing anything that can be construed as a rule violation, or even intent to violate the rules, I won’t hesitate to report you for it. And I’m sure there are people in the administrative team who have just been looking for an excuse to kick you out.”
From the front of the room, the professor stopped speaking and looked back at them. “Miss Foster,” he said, “is there a problem?”
Grace felt herself flush. Of course, she would be the one singled out.
“Is it all right if I move to a different seat, Professor?” Aubrey asked innocently. “I’m trying to pay attention to the lecture.”
“Of course, Miss Price,” the professor said. “There’s a seat down here in front. Miss Foster, if you can’t keep your thoughts to yourself, perhaps it’s best if you leave class for the day.”