Alpha Bully

by J. L. Wilder

  “Then why are you so upset?” Grace asked. “Why is it a problem of you if someone feels sorry for me?”

  “Because you act like you’re the equal of the other girls here,” Aubrey said. “We’ve all worked so hard and achieved so much, and you act like you’re just as good as we are. Just as worthy as we are. You’re nothing, do you hear me? You don’t matter. Nobody cares about you.”

  “You seem like you care about me,” Grace said. “You seem like you care quite a lot.”

  Aubrey stepped into Grace’s space and wrapped a hand around her throat, pressing her back into the tree.

  And Grace realized, with a sudden shock, that she was stronger than Aubrey.

  She could feel how weak the other girl’s grip was. If Whitney and Deanna hadn’t been holding her, she could easily have broken Aubrey’s hold on her. Even as things stood, she thought she could have jumped up, tucked her knees to her chest, and kicked out, driving Aubrey away.

  She didn’t try it. She didn’t want a fight, especially while she was outnumbered three to one. She might have been stronger than Aubrey, but if she was forced to go up against all three of them, she would definitely lose.

  Still, the realization changed things. She had always been a little frightened of Aubrey. She had always been intimidated. Aubrey had been the smart, successful, desirable girl who was admired by everyone she came into contact with, and Grace had been the failure of both the shifter and human worlds who could never seem to do anything right.

  But now Aubrey looked like nothing more than a jealous girl.

  And I could beat her if I really wanted to.

  “I don’t care about you,” Aubrey said. “I care about Jonah. I don’t know if you realize this—you probably don’t, because you’re so ignorant of shifter custom—but he’s the top alpha at Shifter U. And I’m the top omega. That means he and I are going to be together after graduation. And the last thing I need is for my future alpha to humiliate me by ruining his reputation with someone like you.”

  Grace couldn’t speak with Aubrey’s hand wrapped around her throat, and although she was struggling to breathe, that was probably a lucky break. If she could have talked, she was afraid that she might have laughed.

  She really thinks Jonah is going to be with her.

  Jonah’s original plan had worked. He had made Aubrey jealous. And Grace couldn’t help feeling a twinge of satisfaction, knowing that she was going to have what Aubrey had always wanted.

  A part of her felt bad. It would be sad for Aubrey. Grace had spent the past four years assuming that no one would ever want her. She wouldn’t have been taken by surprise at the claiming ceremony if she hadn’t been chosen.

  For Aubrey, it would be a shock.

  But she’s still Aubrey Price, Grace reminded herself. Someone will choose her. It just won’t be the person she’s been hoping for. There are worse things than that.

  And besides, it was hard to feel much sympathy for the person choking you.

  Aubrey let go and stepped back. Her eyes were narrowed with dislike.

  Grace wanted to reach up and massage her throat, but her arms were still pinned. She swallowed hard instead. “What is it you want from me, Aubrey?” she asked.

  “I want you to say you’ll stay away from Jonah Jackson from now on,” Aubrey said. “He’ll be claiming me at the ceremony, and after that, it’ll be extremely inappropriate for you to be around him. Even more inappropriate than it already is.”

  “Why are you asking me?” Grace said. “If he’s your mate, won’t he stay away from me on his own? Why do you need me to do it?”

  “Because I know what kind of person you are,” Aubrey said. “You’ll do anything for the attention of an alpha. Jonah’s a good man, and he’d never fall prey to your machinations, but he shouldn’t have to suffer through them.”

  “You think I’m going to try to seduce him?”

  “Please. I know for a fact you will. Just like you did at the Field Day barbecue. So I want you to tell me right now that you’ll stay the hell away from him. Never talk to him. Never come within ten yards of him. Don’t even look at him. He’s mine.”

  “What are you going to do if I say no?” Grace asked.

  Aubrey glanced at Whitney, and then at Deanna. The two girls slammed Grace’s back hard against the tree, rattling her teeth together.

  “You forget,” Aubrey said, showing her own teeth, looking for all the world like a feral animal. “You forget who I am. Who my family is. What we’re capable of.”

  “I don’t know your family,” Grace said. She had heard that Aubrey’s father was rich, of course, but what use was money in a situation like this? That was no real threat to Grace.

  “My brothers are across the street at Shifter U,” Aubrey said. “I have five. And I have several sisters too. And they’re all fiercely protective. They’re not going to want to see our family made a fool of. They won’t stand for the way you’ve been acting. I warned you that if you didn’t control yourself, I’d report you to the administration. That doesn’t seem to matter very much to you. So now I’m telling you that I’ll report you to my brothers and sisters and let them have their way with you. And you’d better believe, if you think that Whitney and Deanna are strong...you haven’t seen anything yet.”

  In spite of herself, Grace felt a hard knot of fear coil up inside her belly. Aubrey’s brothers. Five men. One of them would be an alpha. Aubrey was right. They would be able to hurt her.

  They’ll be able to hurt Jonah.

  That thought was enough to make her fear skyrocket. No, she told herself firmly. No, they wouldn’t hurt Jonah. Aubrey doesn’t want Jonah hurt. She wants Jonah to claim her. They’ll attack me, but they won’t attack Jonah.

  She clung to that thought. She wouldn’t be able to stand it if her actions somehow got Jonah hurt.

  “Say you understand,” Aubrey said.

  “I understand,” Grace managed.

  “Say you’ll stay away from Jonah.”

  “I’ll stay away from him.” What else could she say?

  Aubrey nodded to her friends. “Let her go,” she said.

  Whitney and Deanna released Grace’s arms and stepped back to flank Aubrey.

  “You’d better get out of the woods,” Aubrey said. “This isn’t a safe place for an omega to be, and it’s starting to get dark. You definitely wouldn’t want anyone to think you were out here trying to meet up with alphas for illicit affairs—which is what I would think if I were the one to catch you.” Her eyes gleamed.

  Grace needed no more encouragement. She turned and ran out of the woods and back toward the dormitory, not stopping until she had made it up the stairs and into her room.

  Skye wasn’t there, and Grace was relieved to have the place to herself. She needed time to think, to decide what she was going to do next.

  She had promised not to see Jonah again. But that wasn’t a promise she could keep. Even if she stayed away from him until the claiming ceremony, he would lay claim to her there, and Aubrey would know what had happened.

  And her whole family—all those brothers she had mentioned, and the sisters too—they would all be at the claiming ceremony. They would see the events take place. Things could turn violent in a hurry. And Grace knew for a fact that if anyone attacked her, Jonah would jump in to defend her. There would be no keeping him out of danger in that scenario.

  No, she had to see him again before the ceremony. She had to let him know what Aubrey had said. He had to know that they were in danger. He had to be forewarned so that he could prepare himself for whatever might happen.

  A part of her felt anxious at the thought of telling him. What if the knowledge changed his mind? What if he decided she wasn’t worth the risk? Imprinting on her was one thing. Claiming her in front of a bunch of angry shifters who would attack when their sister was insulted...that was something else.

  What if he decides he doesn’t want me under the circumstances?

  But she coul
dn’t conceal the truth from him. She loved him too much. He had been nothing but kind and caring to her, more so than anyone else in her life had ever been. He deserved the truth from her now.

  Besides, he’s my alpha. I’ve submitted to him. I’ve decided to put my trust in him. I can’t change my mind about that when it gets hard.

  She would just have to hope that her trust in him had been well-founded. She would have to hope that he wouldn’t let her down, that he would continue to want her despite the risks.

  Chapter Fourteen

  JONAH

  The sign was posted in every dormitory and every academic building. It must have been put up overnight because it was there first thing on a Monday morning.

  This year’s claiming ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 20th. All senior alphas and omegas are required to attend. Senior betas and younger students may attend with permission from an alpha or a member of the faculty.

  Alex looked over at Jonah. “So, do I have your permission?” he asked.

  He was joking, Jonah knew, but he couldn’t brush the question off. “Maybe you’d better not,” he said. “There’s almost definitely going to be a fight.”

  The lighthearted expression vanished from Alex’s face. “Do you think I don’t know that?” he asked quietly.

  “I know you do,” Jonah said. “But I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Do you really think I’d let you go into that situation without backup?”

  “Maybe I’ll order you to stay home,” Jonah said.

  “Well, it’s going to have to be an order,” Alex said. “I’m not staying home unless you literally make me.”

  “Spoiling for a fight?”

  “No,” Alex said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. If there is a fight—”

  “There will be.”

  “Then I’ll definitely have your back. You don’t have to worry about that. But no, I just want to be there because it’s going to be a big day for us. For our pack. It’ll be the day Grace officially becomes one of us. I can’t miss that.”

  Jonah shook his head. “You’re so sentimental,” he said. “Too much so for your own good.”

  “Maybe,” Alex agreed. “But I’m coming to the ceremony. Unless you’re telling me that you’re going to make me stay at home.”

  Jonah sighed. “You know I’m not,” he said. “You have the right to make your own choices. I’d never give you an order unless I thought it was what was best for the pack as a whole, and I have to admit that it’s better for the pack if we’re both there.”

  “Exactly,” Alex said, sounding satisfied.

  Behind them, someone cleared his throat. “Are you going to let anybody else look at that announcement?” a voice said. “Or are you going to just stand there blocking traffic all day long?”

  Jonah turned. Gabe was standing behind him. He looked irritated, and as usual, he was flanked by Josh and Dan.

  “By all means,” Jonah said, stepping aside.

  Gabe made a production out of reading the sign. When he’d finished, he turned to Josh and Dan. “Have you two decided who you’re going to claim?”

  “Don’t tell me those baboons are going to claim omegas,” Jonah said.

  “Of course they are,” Gabe said. “What alpha wouldn’t? Unless...” He eyed Jonah appraisingly. “Don’t tell me. You gave up on Aubrey Price, didn’t you? And now you’re not going to claim anybody.”

  “Of course he’s going to claim somebody,” Alex said. “Don’t be stupid.”

  “But it’s not Aubrey, is it?” Gabe asked.

  “I don’t have to answer these questions,” Jonah said. “If you want to see what happens, come to the claiming ceremony like everyone else.”

  Gabe shook his head. He was smiling. “I guess she decided you weren’t good enough,” he said. “Can’t really blame her, to be honest. I always knew she’d do better than you.” He turned to his friends. “And that means she’s available,” he said. “That means she can be claimed by someone else. Someone more worthy.”

  Alex snorted. “I hope you’re not talking about yourself.”

  “Shut up, beta,” Gabe said. He looked at Jonah. “It’s funny how little control you have over him.”

  “I’m not trying to control him,” Jonah said. “I don’t need to control him. Why would I?”

  “You’re fine with the way he talks to you? The way he disrespects you?” Gabe sneered. “You’re weak. No wonder you couldn’t get Aubrey to want you.”

  “He’s not disrespecting me,” Jonah said. “He’s disrespecting you. And yeah, I’m fine with that.” He shrugged. “I don’t need to give him orders to get his respect. He respects me because he wants to.”

  “You’re fooling yourself.”

  “Not really your problem if I am, though, is it?” Jonah said. “Besides, Alex is right, Gabe. There’s no way you’ll be able to claim Aubrey.”

  Gabe sank into a crouch. “Don’t think that just because you’re top-ranked in our class, you can talk to me however you want,” he said. “You ought to learn some respect for your betters.”

  “My betters?”

  “You come from nothing,” Gabe said. “And my pack is one of the best known on the continent. I may not be a scholar, but any omega would be thrilled to have me. I’ll be able to provide for whomever I claim in a way that someone like you never could.”

  That was true, and Jonah knew it. But he also knew it didn’t matter. Grace wanted him even though he didn’t come from money. And lately, he had come to realize that Aubrey wanted him too. The fact that his family wasn’t anything to speak of didn’t diminish his status in the eyes of the omegas across the road.

  Still, there was very little chance of Gabe having the opportunity to claim a girl like Aubrey. “We make our choices in order of class rank,” he reminded his rival. “You’re too far down in the rankings. Someone else will claim Aubrey before you get your turn.”

  “I don’t think they will,” Gabe said. “Everyone thinks you’re going to claim her, so they’ll have made other plans. They’ll be thinking about other omegas. And when Aubrey isn’t claimed, it’s not likely they’ll change their plans on the fly just because she’s suddenly available. I’ll bet I get my turn before anyone snaps her up.”

  “That only works if we don’t tell anyone I’m not going to claim Aubrey,” Jonah pointed out.

  “But I know you’ll keep that a secret,” Gabe said. “If her brothers find out what you’re planning...” He shook his head. “You won’t even make it to the claiming. They’ll take you apart.”

  “Okay,” Alex said cheerfully. “So you’re not going to tell, and we’re not going to tell. Sounds like our interests serve each other. What do you say we leave each other the hell alone until the claiming?”

  Gabe snorted. “I’m glad I didn’t choose you as my beta,” he said to Alex. “You would have been impossible to live with. I’d have spent every waking hour breaking you until you were under my control.”

  “I’d never have been your beta to begin with,” Alex said. “So that’s another thing we don’t have to lose any sleep over.”

  “You’d have been my beta if I’d wanted you,” Gabe said. “I’m not a pushover like Jonah is. I take what I want.”

  “Good for you,” Jonah said. He didn’t want to allow this conversation to continue. Tempers were beginning to flare, and if it came to a fight, it would be three against two, and Alex wasn’t a powerful fighter. He couldn’t forget what had happened the last time the two of them had squared off against Gabe, Josh, and Dan. “Come on, Alex,” he said. “We should get to breakfast.”

  Alex followed him out of the dorm and across the grounds to the dining hall. He waited until they had gotten their food and taken seats before he spoke.

  “That was an order,” he said.

  Jonah nodded and said nothing.

  “You ordered me to follow you,” Alex said. “You’ve never done that before.”

  “You
were antagonizing him,” Jonah said.

  “So it’s my fault?” Alex asked. “I was defending you, in case you missed that.”

  “I didn’t ask you to defend me,” Jonah said.

  “Yeah, but you always say that I have the right to do whatever I want to do as long as I’m not endangering the pack,” Alex said. “Why do you think I like being your second so much? It’s because you don’t push me around. Alphas like Gabe push their whole pack around. It would be hell to be under him. You’re not like that. It’s what I like about you.”

  Jonah set his fork down. “Look,” he said. “I haven’t given you an order since the day you became my second. It’s what I believe is the right way for an alpha to treat his pack. And you know that. So don’t start acting like I’m some kind of dictator because today, for once, I gave an order to get you out of a dangerous situation. It’s my job to protect you. Maybe you don’t get that.”

  Alex was quiet for a moment.

  “Okay,” he said at length. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get all...angsty about it. You’re right. That was heading toward a fight. You were right to get us out.”

  “Do you think what he thinks?” Jonah asked. “Do you think I’m weak because I don’t want things to get violent?”

  “Of course not,” Alex said.

  “You don’t know what it’s like,” Jonah said. “You have no idea how it feels to be responsible for the lives of your pack.”

  “I would fight for you,” Alex said. “I would die for you if it came to that. How can you say I don’t know what it’s like?”

  Jonah shook his head. “It isn’t the same,” he said. “I’ve never doubted your loyalty, Alex. “I know you’d do anything to protect our pack. But for me...I feel as if my heart would stop if anything happened to you or Grace. It might literally kill me. You’re so much a part of me that I don’t think I could survive losing you.” He shook his head. “Maybe that does make me weak.”

  “No,” Alex said. “Of course it doesn’t.”

  “You don’t think so?”

  “I think it takes a hell of an alpha to invest himself that deeply in the wellbeing of his packmates,” Alex said. “I doubt someone like Gabe would be capable of it. He’ll always keep his distance, always keep himself separate from the rest of his pack, because he doesn’t want to let himself be vulnerable like that. And his pack will be weaker because of it.”